Food chain organisms in industrial waste water ponds

Abstract

The following thesis research examined the algae and invertebrates making up a food chain in two, hypersaline, industrial waste water ponds at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Phoenix, Arizona. The ponds had high levels of total salts (65 g/I, mainly NaC1), nitrate (580 mg/1), BOD (31.6 mg/1) and algae (up to 650,000 cells/m1). Currently, the only toxic element of concern is selenium (1641 IA g/ 1) . The dominant algae were the diatoms Chaetoceros sp. and Nitzschia frustulum (Kurtz.) Grun. and the cyanobacteria, Synechococcus Nageli 1849. The only aquatic fauna were two invertebrates: Artemia sp. (brine shrimp) and Trichocorixa sp. (water boatmen). A salinity tolerance experiment on algae indicated that the current dominant species will not persist above 150 g/I salt, hence the ponds, which are not expected to reach this salininity for many years, will continue to support a food chain and attract waterfowl as the mineral content increases.