Abstract
The activity of photosynthesis and the contents of chlorophylla and pheo-pigments were compared in the samples of the intake and effluent seawater of Owase-Mita Thermal Power Plant and in the seawater samples in the Yoshimi Bay before and after heat treatment. At Owase-Mita Thermal Power Plant, after passage of sea water through the cooling system chlorophylla content reduced to about a half and pheo-pigment content doubled in August with high temperature (25–27‡C), but the contents of chlorophylla and pheo-pigments changed little in January with low temperature (16‡C); whereas the depression of photosynthetic activity after passing through the cooling system was 71–77 % in August and 31–46 % in January. In the laboratory experiments, the heat treatment at 34–43‡C for 7–8 sec., which resulted in temperature rise of 7–8‡C, gave the decrease of chlorophylla and an increase of pheo-pigments in August temperature (26.5‡C), but a slight decrease of chlorophylla and a slight increase of pheo-pigments in November at the initial temperature of 19.2‡C, while in January and December the samples with low initial temperature (11.6 and 10.8‡C) showed almost no change in the content of pigments; the decrease in photosynthetic activity was 32 % in August sample,ca. 11 % in November sample,ca. 15% in January and almost no change in December. It is concluded that the photosynthetic carbon assimilation of marine phytoplankton is suppressed by passing through the cooling system of a thermal power plant even at lower water temperature in winter, while the content of chlorophylla is affected very little at a temperature below 20‡C.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Carpenter, E. J. (1973): Brackish-water phytoplankton response to temperature elevation. Estuar. Coastal Mar. Sci.,1, 37–44.
Hirayama, K. andR. Hirano (1970): Influences of high temperature and residual chlorine on marine phytoplankton. Mar. Biol.,7, 205–213.
Hiyama, Y. (1976): Thermal-pollution. Chemistry Today,59, 64–67 (in Japanese).
Inoue, H. (1972): The effect of volume of therma1 effluents on expansion. Nihon no Kogai to Kagaku,4, 15–21 (in Japanese).
Lorenzen, C. J. (1967): Determination of chlorophyll and pheo-pigments: Spectrophotometric equations. Limnol. Oceanogr.,12, 343–346.
Mihusky, J. and E.Cronin (1968): Hearings before the Subcommittee on Air and Water Polution of the Committee on Public Works. U. S. Senate. Thermal Pollution, Part I.
Morgan, R. P. andR. G. Stross (1969): Destruction of phytoplankton in the cooling water supply of a steam electric station. Chesapeake Science,10, 163–171.
Richards, F. A. withT. G. Thompson (1952): The estimation and characterization of plankton population by pigment analysis II. J. Mar. Res.,11, 156–172.
Strickland, J. D. H. and T. R.Parsons (1972): A practical handbook of sea water analysis. Bull. Fish. Board Can.,167, 267 pp.
Tischner, R. andH. Lorenzen (1975): Physiologische Auswirkungen von Hitzeschocks auf synchrone Chlorellen in empfindlichsten Entwicklungsstadium. Biochem. Physiol. Pflanzen,168, 233–245.
Tsuruta, A. andS. Tawara (1975): The influence of the warm cooling water from a fossil fuelled power plant on oceanographic conditions and composition of plankton in Owase Bay—I. Water temperature in relation to distribution of microplankton. J. Shimonoseki Univ. Fish.,23(3), 121–136 (in Japanese).
Warinner, J. E. andM. L. Brehmer (1966): The effects of thermal effluents on marine organisms. Int. J. Air and Water Poll.,10, 277–289.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Takesue, K., Tsuruta, A. The thermal effects of cooling system of a thermal power plant on photosynthesis of marine phytoplankton. Journal of the Oceanographical Society of Japan 34, 295–302 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02111177
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02111177