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. 2022 Mar 30;194(4):309.
doi: 10.1007/s10661-022-09959-w.

Evaluation of the ecological health and food chain on the shores of four River Nile Islands, Egypt

Adel A Abdelmageed  1 , Radwan G Abd Ellah  2 , Amaal M Abdel-Satar  2 , Soad S Abdel Gawad  2 , Nehad Khalifa  2 , Shymaa S Zaher  2 , Amal A Othman  2 , Dalia M Belal  2 , Howayda H Abd El-Hady  2 , Salem G Salem  2 , Mohamed H Abdo  2 , Amany M Haroon  2 , Alaa El-Far  2 , Mahmoud H Hegab  2 , Engy Elhaddad  2 , Dina M El-Sherif  2 , Afify D G Al-Afify  2
Affiliations

Evaluation of the ecological health and food chain on the shores of four River Nile Islands, Egypt

Adel A Abdelmageed et al. Environ Monit Assess. .

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of human activities on the ecological health and food chain at the shores of four Nile Islands in Great Cairo including El-Qeratten, El-Waraq, El-Zamalek, and El-Manial. Water quality, bacteria, phytoplankton, benthic algae, zooplankton, macrobenthic invertebrates, and bony fishes were examined at each island shore over two seasons including the lowest and the highest flow (February and July 2020, respectively). The obtained results showed that the average values of most of the chemicals in Nile Island's water were within the Egyptian water quality limits. Discriminant analysis of physicochemical factors revealed a similarity between El-Waraq and El-Qerateen and between El-Manial and El-Zamalek. El-Qeratten was the most polluted island. It has the highest total and fecal coliform bacteria count (3.155 and 3.050 Log MPN/100 mL, respectively). El-Zamalek shores have the highest phytoplankton (33,582 cells × 104 L-1) and zooplankton count (310,891 organisms × m-3) and phyto-biochemical values. Biochemical analysis of phytoplankton demonstrated the richness of the bulk by protein (> 85% of biomass), indicating that phytoplankton has a high nutritional value. Elevated zooplankton count was recorded at El-Zamalek, which coincided with the peak of phytoplankton abundance. Mollusca were the dominant macrobenthic invertebrates on most of the island's shores. Bony fishes were represented by 27 species and two crustaceans. The levels of the metals in fish samples were compared with the food safety guideline endorsed by the World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization (WHO/FAO) to evaluate the toxicity level.

Keywords: Biochemical analysis; Biological parameters; Water quality.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Egypt and studied four islands in the River Nile
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Discriminant analysis according to physicochemical variables of islands water
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Ordination diagram of phytoplankton classes; Bacillariophyceae (Bac), Chlorophyceae (Chl), Cyanophyceae (Cya), Dianophyceae (Din), Euglenophyceae (Eug) data together with physicochemical variables: pH, DO, COD, BOD, nitrate–N, TP, and TS
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Comparison of the phytoprotein contents (mg l−1), NO3−-N (µg l−1) and the two main phytoplankton groups (Cyanophyceae and Bacillariophyceae, cells × 104 l−1) at the four islands
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Ordination diagram of the attached diatoms orders; Achnanthales (Ach.), Aulacoseirales (Aul.), Bacillariales (Bci.), Cymbellales (Cym.), Eunotiales (Eun.), Fragilariales (Frg.), Naviculales (Nav.), Rhopalodiales (Rh.), Thalassiophysales (Thp.), and Thalassiosirales (Ths.) data together with physicochemical variables: pH, DO, COD, BOD, NO3−-N, TP, and TS
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Canonical correlation analysis (CCA). Ordination diagram of zooplankton groups; Rotifera (Rot.), Copepoda (Cop.), and Cladocera (Cla.) data together with physicochemical variables: pH, DO, COD, BOD, nitrate–N, TP, and TS
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Canonical correlation analysis (CCA). Ordination diagram of bottom fauna phyla; Arthropoda (Arth.), Mollusca (Mol.), and Annelida (Ann.) data together with physicochemical variables: pH, DO, COD, BOD, nitrate–N, TP, and TS
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