Applicability of Using Biological Indices to Assess Water Quality of the Nile Branches, Egypt

Mahmoud Hegab and Nehad Khalifa

Background and Objective: The Saprobity index (S) and the Wetland Zooplankton Index (WZI) are the most commonly used indices using zooplankton data to assess the water quality of many water bodies. However, these indices may be inadequate to assess the water quality of all freshwater bodies around the world. This study aims to evaluate the validity of these indices for assessing the water quality of the Nile branches (Damietta and Rosetta branches) as a case study. Materials and Methods: The validity of S and WZI is statistically tested against the Nile Chemical Pollution Index (NCPI) using linear regression analysis. The Physico-chemical parameters, zooplankton and Discriminant Analysis (DA) data show significant differences between the Damietta and Rosetta sites. Results: The results of both S and WZI do not coincide with those calculated with NCPI. The obtained S values show that all sites have poor water quality. On the other hand, the WZI values indicate that the Damietta branch sites in addition to the first two sites of the Rosetta branch (R₁ and R₂) have moderate water quality, while the other sites have poor water quality. Conclusion: Finally, the NCPI results show that the Rosetta branch sites are heavily polluted, while the Damietta sites are clean. This study concludes that S and WZI inaccurately describe the ecological status of the study area.

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