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Assessment of Water Quality of Soan River using Physicochemical Parameters and Aquatic Insects Diversity

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Abstract

In the present study, the effect of pollutants produced by human dwelling, agricultural and industrial activities on aquatic invertebrate’s communities of Soan River, Pakistan was studied. Four different sites were selected on the basic of variation in microhabitat accessibility to examine the pollution in water. Samples were collected from these sites during autumn and spring. From all sites physical conditions, water samples and macroinvertebrates were collected. Conductivity and D.O didn’t fallow the WHO standards in both seasons while nitrate only have high concentration in autumn at all sites. All other parameters were normal except in pH at site D of spring. Aquatic insects were collected during the studied sites which belong to 6 orders and 15 families. Gerridae, Elimidae, Hydrophilidae, Gyrinidae, Culicidae and Chironomidae were most in both seasons. Total abundance was used to estimate the quality of water at each sites. Family biotic index (FBI) showed that water had good quality on upstream stations rather than downstream station in both season. While water quality index (WQI) also shows good water quality at upstream station rather than downstream stations. This study showed that aquatic insects could provide useful bioindicators to approach the biomonitoring in relation to water physio-chemical parameters to classify compare and assess the quality of water of freshwater streams in Pakistan.

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FUNDING

This study was sponsored by World Wildlife fund (WWF) Pakistan through young Ecologist Scholarship. Special funds for multipurpose water analysis kit were provided by University of the Punjab, Lahore. Authors are extremely thankful to both organizations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

    Abida Butt, Muhammad Xaaceph Khan, Ayesha Aihetasham, Hina Nazli & Amera Ramzan

  2. Department of Biology, Virtual University of Pakistan, Lahore, Pakistan

    Muhammad Xaaceph Khan

  3. Department of Biology, KRL Model College for Boys, Kahuta, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

    Muhammad Ashraf Khan

Authors
  1. Abida Butt
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  2. Muhammad Xaaceph Khan
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  3. Ayesha Aihetasham
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  6. Amera Ramzan
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Correspondence to Muhammad Xaaceph Khan.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests. This article does not contain any studies involving animals or human participants performed by any of the authors.

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Abida Butt, Khan, M.X., Aihetasham, A. et al. Assessment of Water Quality of Soan River using Physicochemical Parameters and Aquatic Insects Diversity. Biol Bull Russ Acad Sci 48, 813–820 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1062359021130021

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1062359021130021

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