Phosphatase activity of water as a monitoring parameter
Conference
Matavulj, M, Bokorov, M, Gajin, S et al. (1990). Phosphatase activity of water as a monitoring parameter
. Water Science and Technology, 22(5), 63-68. 10.2166/wst.1990.0011
Matavulj, M, Bokorov, M, Gajin, S et al. (1990). Phosphatase activity of water as a monitoring parameter
. Water Science and Technology, 22(5), 63-68. 10.2166/wst.1990.0011
Matavulj, M; Bokorov, M; Gajin, S; Gantar, M; Stojilkovic, S; Flint, KP
abstract
The biological monitoring of water saprobity and trophic degree primarily involves the study of qualitative and quantitative composition of organisms present in the water. Although relatively satisfactory as an indicator of the water's organic load, the counting of bacteria is often an unreliable parameter. Due to their polyenzymatic nature, which enables flexible adaptation to new and different physico-chemical conditions of their habitats, microorganisms respond quickly to trophic degree change, but faster by changing the level of their enzyme activity, than by changing the number of cells. On the basis of these findings, the enzyme activity of microbialaquatic biotope populations is suggested in recent literature as an additional indicator of the degree of organic load in the water. The results obtained by investigation of the phosphatase activity in samples from natural and artificial water accumulations and flowing waters in Vojvodina Province, having different eutrophic degree, suggest the measurement of the level of water enzyme activity as an additional biochemical indicator of saprobity degree. At the same time, on the basis of long-term measurement of the water phosphatase activity, compared to classical categorizations based on qualitative and quantitative composition of organisms present in the water, classification of surface freshwaters into quality categories according to the level of enzyme (phosphatase) activity of water is proposed.
