Ecological studies on algae isolated from the effluents of an oil refinery, a fertilizer factory and a brewery

Abstract

The algal flora and physicochemical characteristics of the effluents of the Indian Oil Refinery, Barauni, the Sindri Fertilizer Factory, Sindri, and the Mohan Meakin Brewery, Ghaziabad were studied. The studies indicate that algae can tolerate and grow in highly polluted waters. The blue green algae, flagellates and euglenoids are mostly associated with organically rich effluents, low in dissolved oxygen, whereas waters rich in nitrogenous compounds favour the growth of green algae, e.g., Chlorella. A combination of algal and chemical characteristics may be successfully employed to evaluate the water quality of a given habitat.