Journal of Environmental Biology

Utilization of both benthic macroinvertebrates and physicochemical parameters for evaluating water quality of the  stream Cekerek (Tokat, Turkey)

Mustafa Duran*¹ and Menderes Suicmez²

¹Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Arts, University of Pamukkale, Denizli-20017, Turkey

²Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Arts, University of Gaziosmanpasa, Tokat-60100, Turkey

(Received: November 24,  2005 ; Revised received: July 15, 2006 ; Accepted: August 11, 2005)

Abstract: This study examines the applicability of five European biotic indices and the Gammarus:Asellus ratio (G:A), compared with the measurement of physicochemical parameters, in order to determine the water quality at ten sites along the Tokat part of Cekerek stream, in Anatolia, Turkey, during the period February 2002 to January 2003. The biological and chemical results are in good agreement with respect to the water quality. In particular, the G:A ratio was calculated to be high at the first three stations and this result was correlated with the ETBI and the Chandler scores. Consequently, the water quality of Cekerek stream was classified as class I for biological and physicochemical data, except for phosphate, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate and nitrite at the last seven stations. The high concentrations of these chemicals probably result from agricultural runoff and urban sewage. In total, 55 taxa of benthic macroinvertebrates were identified from the Cekerek stream during this study period.

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