Effect of the Sewage and Wastewater Plant Effluent on the Algal Growth Potential in the Nakdong River Basin

낙동강 수계 하.폐수 처리시설의 방류수가 조류 성장 잠재력에 미치는 영향

Effect of the effluent of the sewage and wastewater plants on the algal growth was investigated from the 19 plants located in the Nakdong river basin. Most of the samples showed high values of the algal growth potential (AGP) when they were mixed with natural river water at 20% of final concentration. At 20% of the mixing ratio, the mixed effluents of sewage and wastewater showed 3.5 and 1.8 times higher AGP than those of the natural river water. The higher AGP values are attributable to the high contents of phosphorus and ammonium in the effluent. The mixing ratio of effluents of the discharge/river flow was highest in the Kumho River (42.8%) followed by the middle of Nakdong River (22.7%), Kam Stream (13.9%), Byungsung Stream (13.3%), Yangsan Stream (7.9%), and Young River (5.4%). Comparison of the trophic state of the effluents with natural river water indicated that the effluents showed higher trophic values than natural water. Concentrations of total phosphorus, total nitrogen and conductivity in the effluents were 12.3, 4.9 and 5.3 times higher than the those found in natural river water respectively. The AGP values were highly related with the trophicity of the water especially on the concentrations of phosphate and ammonium. Toxicities of the treated sewage water, wastewater and livestock waste water tested by the luminescent bacteria, Vibrio fischerii were generally low.