The Application of Benthic Diatoms in Water Quality Assessment in Lepenci River Basin, Kosovo

Abstract

During our study for assessment of ecological status of the Lepenci river basin, we used epilithic diatoms. Via this methodology, we also aimed to standardize the ecological assessment methodology and gradually make it applicable for all river basins of Kosovo. We relied on a hypothesis that epilithic diatom communities can serve as a reliable ecological tool to evaluate the quality of flowing waters in Kosovo. We have measured accordingly in eight sample-points thirteen water quality indexes (IBD, IPS, IDG, DESCY, SLA, IDSE, IDAP, EPID, CEE, WAT, TDI, IDP and SHE). From the conducted qualitative analysis, obtained results showed that water quality varies from upper parts of the basin (SP1, SP2, SP3 & SP4) characterized with higher water quality towards the lower parts (SP5, SP6 & SP7) where water quality was of the 2nd class and finally in Hani i Elezit (SP8) where index values showed that its water belongs to the 3rd class. The sample were taken in to 8 sampling sites, in river during year (2017), species Navicula viridula was the most dominant one, along with Cocconeis placentula var. lineate and Diatoma vulgaris. While between August and end of September we had the following species being dominant ones: Craticula ambigua, Navicula hintzii, Navicula viridula and Rhoicosphenia abbreviata.

Keywords

• diatoms
• bioindicators
• kosovo
• lepenc
• environmental control