EVALUATION OF PHYSICO-CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND BACTERIAL PATHOGENS IN ISHEM RIVER POURING INTO THE ADRIATIC SEA, ALBANIA

References: 13th SGEM GeoConference on Water Resources. Forest, Marine And Ocean Ecosystems, www.sgem.org, SGEM2013 Conference Proceedings, ISBN 978-619-7105-02-5 / ISSN 1314-2704, June 16-22, 2013, 133 - 140 pp

ABSTRACT

River Ishëm, which has a length of 79 km traverses Tirana, Kruja, Durres and Kurbin, and flows into the Cape of Rodon in the Adriatic Sea. Almost 15 years from now, it is in a really poor condition due to high levels of pollution, posing a serious threat to the environment, public health, economy and tourism. Water quality of this river is low, compared to the rates allowed by the European Community, mainly as a result of urban, industrial and agricultural discharges as well as untreated sewage flowing into it. During the three last years (2010-2012), four times a year (spring, summer, autumn, winter) there are assessed water qualities of Ishëm River at 3 stations for microbial pathogens and physical-chemical parameters of it. After we analyzed the samples taken it was found that MPN for fecal coliform and fecal streptococci has ranged from 9.3x104 up to 2.4x108 bacteria/100ml water and 9.3x102 to 9.3x106 respectively. It is used the multiplier tubes techniques (MPN) for the identification of bacterial pathogens. Likewise, the temperature lies between 10 and 260C, while the pH varies from 6.78 to8.2. Also the suspended matter ranges from 2.8 up to 1156.0 and the salinity ranges from 0.10 to 0.40 g / kg. In the same way the dissolved O2 ranges from 5.24 up to 7.03 mg / l, nitrites from 0.001 to 0.09mg / l, nitrate from 0.04 to 1.0 mg / l and the phosphorus from 0.120 to 1.88mg / l. Thus, from the results obtained by the study, the water of this river results heavily polluted, about 4-5 times from the permitted rates, with a regional as well as global, impact on the environment, economy and public health.

Keywords: pathogens, environment, physical -chemical parameters, pollution, river.