Assessment of bioaccumulation of Nickel in freshwater periphyton from River Gharasou: An experimental evaluation

In order to evaluate the long-term (30 day) influence of Nickel on productivity in algal periphyton communities, indoor artificial streams were used with differing Nickel concentration (2.5, 5 and 7.5 mg.l-1). The effects of Nickel on community productivity were assessed by measuring biomass, ash-free dry mass (AFDM), chlorophyll-a and the rate of Nickel absorption. In artificial streams with Nickel, there was a significant (p<0.05) reduction of chlorophyll-a, AFDM, but not dry mass under the influence of Nickel. These observations suggest that productivity of periphyton community could serve as a biological indicator of nickel pollution.

Keywords:

artificial stream , biomass , chlorophyll-a , periphyton , Nickel