Life History Characteristics of Cladocerans Cladocera) Fed on Wastewaters |
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| Authors: | S Nandini M Hernndez Valdez SSS Sarma |
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| Institution: | S. Nandini,M. Hernández Valdez,S.S.S. Sarma |
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| Abstract: | Recycling domestic wastewaters is one way to maximize the utilization of freshwater. Although sewage treatment plants help to remove particulate wastes, organic matter still remains, which can be used to harvest sizeable populations of zooplankton. In an effort to identify cladocerans which could grow on this organic matter, we tested the life table demography of the commonly found cladocerans (Alona rectangula, Ceriodaphnia dubia, Moina macrocopa, and Daphnia pulex) feeding on wastewater at three different stages of purification (tank that receives crude wastes (A), the biological reactor (B), and the penultimate stage of the treatment process (C)) from the Iztacalco water treatment plant in Mexico City. Experiments were conducted using the medium from each of the 3 tanks previously mentioned and a control of Chlorella vulgaris at 1.0 × 106 cells mL?1. We found that the average lifespan ranged from 5…30 days with D. pulex living the longest. The growth rate, which ranged from ?0.57 to +1.5 was highest for M. macrocopa. Our data indicate that Moina macrocopa, which had higher reproductive rates on wastewater than the controls, was most suited for growing in wastewaters. |
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| Keywords: | Demography Life Table Algal Food Demographie Lebenstafel Algen‐Nahrung |
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