Biological Parameters for Water Quality Criteria
| Autor: | Troy C. Dorris, Jerry L. Wilhm |
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| Rok vydání: | 1968 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | BioScience. 18:477-481 |
| ISSN: | 1525-3244 0006-3568 |
| DOI: | 10.2307/1294272 |
| Popis: | exists in this approach, since physical and chemical parameters generally are easily defined. However, chemical substances which affect the quality of water are numerous, act in a great range of concentrations, and vary continuously and erratically in concentration. Chemical surveys indicate stream conditions only at the times of sampling and occasional spills of highly concentrated wastes are not easily detected. The attempt to establish chemical criteria in terms of toxicity to aquatic organisms is fraught with difficulties and, indeed, may prove to be impossible. The great host of potentially toxic compounds, the vast numbers of species of organisms, the innumerable interaction effects among compounds, and the wide range of effects produced by variations in temperature, dissolved solids, pH, and other physical and chemical factors produce permutations which may exceed the capability of adequate testing. Further, results obtained in the laboratory usually are not transferable to the field, where numerous other environmental conditions may produce unpredictable and unaccountable effects. When wastes are highly treated, chemical testing may not reveal any evident pollutional qualities. However, the receiving stream may be adversely affected by such effluents. Toxic substances too low in concentration to be detectable on a practicable basis may seriously affect populations of aquatic organisms. We propose here a meaningful approach to the establishment of water quality criteria by the evaluation of biological conditions existing in receiving streams. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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