EPA-600/3-77-039
April 1977
Ecological Research Series
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RESEARCH REPORTING SERIES
Research reports of the Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, have been grouped into nine series. These nine broad cate-
gories were established to facilitate further development and application of en-
vironmental technology. Elimination of traditional grouping was consciously
planned to foster technology transfer and a maximum interface in related fields.
The nine series are:
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3. Ecological Research
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6. Scientific and Technical Assessment Reports (STAR)
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This report has been assigned to the ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH series. This series
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This document is available to the public through the National Technical Informa-
tion Service, Springfield, Virginia 22161.
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EPA-600/3-77-039
April 1977
MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN INDUSTRIAL - MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER
STORAGE LAGOONS: BIOTA AND ENVIRONMENT
by
W. Randolph Frykberg
Northeast Michigan Council of Governments
Gaylord, Michigan 49735
Clarence Goodnight
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008
Peter G. Meier
The University of Michigan, School of Public Health
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
Contract Number 04J1P01534
Project Officer
Leslie P. Seyb
Ecological Effect Research Division
Corvallis Environmental Research Laboratory
Corvallis, Oregon 97330
CORVALLIS ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LABORATORY
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
U. S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
CORVALLIS, OREGON 97330
A
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DISCLAIMER
This report has been reviewed by the Corvallis Environmental
Research Laboratory, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, and
approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the con-
tents necessarily reflect the views and policies of the U. S. Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency, nor does mention of trade names or
commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use,
11
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FOREWORD
Effective regulatory and enforcement actions by the Environmental
Protection Agency would be virtually impossible without sound scientific
data on pollutants and their impact on environmental stability and human
health. Reponsibility for building this data base has been assigned to
EPA's Office of Research and Development and its 15 major field instal-
lations, one of which is the Corvallis Environmental Research Laboratory,
(CERL).
The primary mission of the Corvallis Laboratory is research on the effects
of environmental pollutants on terrestrial, freshwater, and marine eco-
systems; the behavior, effects and control of pollutants in lake systems;
and the development of predictive models on the movement of pollutants
in the biosphere.
This report describes the results of a two year limnological study of the
largest industrial-municipal wastewater storage lagoon in the United
States. It is important to have a better understanding of how such waste-
water can be treated and utilized in an efficient manner. This report is
a major step to identify elements of effective wastewater management.
A.F. Bartsch
Director, CERL
111
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ABSTRACT
A limnological investigation was carried out on two 344 hectare
(850 acre) industrial-municipal wastewater storage lagoons from
August 1973 until August 1975. Besides monitoring physical and
chemical parameters during the period of the initial filling,
the biological community was critically examined for the purpose
of documenting ecological succession over this two year period.
In general, the lagoons remained aerobic, well mixed vertically
and slightly alkaline. The low transparency within the lagoons
was an important factor which limited the phytoplankton population
and excluded rooted aquatics and benthic algae. Ample nutrients
were present for algal demands.
The lagoon's phytoplankton-protozoan assemblage was extremely
variable with respect to both total abundance and distribution.
The zooplankton community was composed of fourteen species of free
living crustaceans and four species of rotifers. The benthic fauna
consisted of a small number of organisms representing only a few
taxonomic groups.
This report was submitted in partial fulfillment of order number
04J1P01534 by Western Michigan University, Biology Department, under
the partial sponsorship of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Work was completed as of August 1976.
IV
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION PAGE
I. INTRODUCTION 1
The Muskegon Wastewater Management System. 1
Background Literature , , 3
II. CONCLUSIONS 5
III. RECOMMENDATIONS 7
IV. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 9
V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 19
Wastewater Flow Pattern 19
Biological Parameters 21
Benthos 21
Zooplankton 31
Plankton 40
Trends and dominants .,..,... 40
Implications 47
Chlorophyll a. 47
Primary productivity 51
Primary and Chemical Parameters .......... 53
VI. REFERENCES 72
v
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LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE PAGE
1. MUSKEGON WASTEWATER LAGOONS 10
2. CHANGES IN ABUNDANCE AND COMPOSITION OF
BENTHOS AT E-l AND W-l 22
3. DAPHNIA AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL
ZOOPLANKTON POPULATION 34
4. CYCLOPOID COPEPODS AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE
TOTAL ZOOPLANKTON POPULATION 36
5. NUMBER OF PLANKTON IN THE MUSKEGON LAGOONS .... 41
6. CHLOROPHYTA AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL
PLANKTON POPULATION 44
7. MASTIGOPHORA AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL
PLANKTON POPULATION 48
8. QUANTITY OF CHLOROPHYLL a_ IN THE MUSKEGON
LAGOONS 50
9. PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY IN THE MUSKEGON LAGOONS .. 52
VI
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LIST OF TABLES
TABLE PAGE
1. CONVERSION OF CPM TO CARBON FIXED 15
2. WASTEWATER FLOW PATTERNS 20
3. PERCENTAGE COMPOSITION OF BENTHIC POPULATION 23
4. SPECIES DIVERSITY INDICES 29
5. PERCENTAGE COMPOSITION OF ZOOPLANKTON 32
6. PERCENTAGE COMPOSITION OF PLANKTON 42
7. COMPARISON OF TEMPERATURE, DISSOLVED OXYGEN,
AND BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND IN THE MUSKEGON
LAGOONS 54
8. COMPARISON OF TURBIDITY, SECCHI DISK TRANSPARENCY,
pH, CONDUCTIVITY, AND TOC IN THE MUSKEGON LAGOONS . 59
9. COMPARISON OF NUTRIENT AND ANION LEVELS IN THE
MUSKEGON LAGOONS 63
10. COMPARISON OF METAL AND CATION LEVELS IN THE
MUSKEGON LAGOONS 68
Vll
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Many individuals have had important roles in assisting the
research program reported herein. The authors wish to express their
appreciation to Professors Joseph G. Engemann, George G. Mallinson
and Richard W. Pippen for their advice and general assistance. A
special note of appreciation is extended to Diane K. Frykberg, Susan
Ramirez and Nancy DeGroot for their typing and editing efforts. Sin-
cere thanks also go to graduate students Frank D. Hallow, Roderick J.
Morrison, Wolfgang Schroeder and Julie Scott, for their assistance in
the laboratory; Andrew Rollins for the use of his facilities; Richard
Wember and Greg Cioe from the Muskegon County Wastewater Management
Project, for their aid in collection of the samples; Dr. Y.A. Demirjian,
Tim Westman, Pat Kelly, and the rest of the staff from the Muskegon
County Wastewater Management Project, for their assistance in the physical-
chemical aspects of the study; and to Marie Goodnight and Nancy Blum
for their assistance with editing.
The partial financial support of this study by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency is greatly appreciated.
Vlll
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SECTION I
INTRODUCTION
THE MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
As the demands on water resources increase, the need for more
effective wastewater management becomes apparent.
The Muskegon County, Michigan, Wastewater Management System is
an alternative to conventional wastewater treatment and disposal
methods. Rather than discharging the nutrient-rich wastewater to a
river, stream, or lake, the Muskegon System uses it as irrigation water,
allowing the soil and plants to "polish" the effluent.
This land treatment wastewater system does more than just clean
the polluted water which is receiving treated effluents, for it is
a biological system that recycles nutrients; reclaims water to meet
drinking water standards; and retains wastewater constituents not
suitable for recycling. The Muskegon facility was modeled largely
on a 570 million liter per day (MLD) [150 million gallon per day (MGD)],
8094 hectare (ha) (20,000 acres) land treatment system in Melbourne,
Australia (Ward, 1975) and the Pennsylvania State University forest
land application experiments (Boyer and Reid, 1973).
This system treats both domestic and industrial wastewater from
the greater Muskegon area. The major contributors to the system are,
in decreasing magnitude of flow, a paper mill, 14 municipalities,
three chemical companies, an engine manufacturing plant, a metal
casting and plating firm, and over 150 smaller industries.
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The 100-125 MLD (25-33 MGD) of combined wastewater is pumped
17.7 km (11 miles) to the 4,371 ha (10,800 acre) treatment site where
it is discharged into three treatment cells. The biological activity
in these cells is aided by mixing and aeration. With an average
detention time of three days, these cells produce an effluent comparable
in quality to that achieved by secondary treatment.
From these cells the wastewater is discharged into one or both
of the storage lagoons for further stabilization or directly into the
outlet pond. Throughout this investigation, except for a few weeks
during high irrigation demands, the semi-treated wastewater was
discharged into the lagoons prior to being used as irrigation water.
Each storage lagoon covers 344 ha (850 acres), for a combined storage
capacity of 19.3 billion liters (5.1 billion gallons). In order to
prevent seepage from entering the groundwater outside of the treatment
site, a drainage or interception ditch encircles both lagoons. Water
collected from this ditch is returned to the West Lagoon.
In late May 1973, a small amount of industrial and municipal
wastewater effluent was being discharged into both Muskegon lagoons.
At that time, there was also some rainwater in the basins but the
bottoms of the lagoons were not covered, due to evaporation and
seepage, until August 1973. At this time, the flow had increased to
about 106 MLD (28 MGD) and the constituents of the wastewater, notably
waste paper and pulp fiber and waste clay filler, had helped to seal
the bottom.
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BACKGROUND LITERATURE
Little information exists on a world-wide basis concerning lim-
nological investigations of storage ponds, especially large lagoons such
as those described in this project.
This study is an attempt to gain greater insight into the intri-
cate relationships that exist between the aquatic community and its
environment.
The great majority of reports on wastewater lagoons deal with the
design, engineering, and performance aspects of these facilities.
Fewer are concerned with the physical-chemical aspects, and only a
very limited number of studies discuss the biological aspects of com-
bined municipal-industrial wastewater lagoons.
In an extensive study of the wastewater lagoons of the world,
Gloyna (1971) devoted only a 15 page annex to their limnology. The
organisms discussed were limited to bacteria, protozoa, and algae.
The dominant and sub-dominant algae of an oxidation pond in
Ahmedabad, India, over a seven month period of 1962 were reported
(Jayangoudar and Ganapati, 1964)„ In a study concerned mainly with
the physical-chemical characteristics of domestic sewage oxidation
ponds, Lakshminarayana et al (1964) found that algae and zooplankton
populations were small. Davis, et al (1964) investigated the
bacteria and algae of ten small wastewater lagoons in Oklahoma and
found that the green algae (Chlorophyta) predominate during the winter
months whereas the blue-greens (Cyanophyta) were most prevalent during
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the summer and early fall. The flagellates (Euglenophyta) appeared
intermittently throughout the year. Davis (1964) also reported on
oxidation ponds in Texas, in which he described the biota in only one
paragraph.
In a report on the experiences with wastewater lagoons in the
United Kingdom, Potten (1972) referred to several genera of plankton
as being "typical" lagoon inhabitants. A more complete report on
municipal wastewater lagoon phytoplankton is a doctoral dissertation on
algal periodicity and primary productivity (Raschke, 1968). The lagoon
studied, however, was quite small (0.05 ha) and the detention time
was only a few days. A summary of this study was later published
(Raschke, 1970). Silva and Papenfuss (1953) investigated the phyto-
plankton of small wastewater lagoons in California.
Chlorella, Chlamydomonas, Ankistrodesmus, Scenedesmus, Anacystis,
Oscillatoria, Euglena, and Phacus were cited as the dominant and sub-
dominant phytoplankton in most of the above studies.
Microscopic crustaceans, notably Daphnia and Cyclops, comprised
the dominant zooplankton in various lagoons (Gloyna, 1971). The
midges (Chironomidae) dominated the benthic macroinvertebrate popu-
lation of wastewater lagoons in California (Grodhaus, 1967), Missouri
(Kimerle and Enns, 1968), and Michigan (Merritt, 1976). Additional
information concerning the zooplankton and benthos of wastewater
lagoons appears to be lacking.
The primary goal of this research was to generate baseline infor-
mation concerning the limnological and especially the biological as-
pects of large wastewater lagoons.
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SECTION II
CONCLUSIONS
1. The results of a two-year limnological study of the largest
industrial-municipal wastewater storage lagoons in the United States
are reported herein. This investigation began shortly after the con-
struction of the wastewater facility.
2. In general, the lagoons remained aerobic except for a few weeks
during ice-cover.
3. BOD5 values between 15 and 20 mg/1 were common.
4. Transparency, as measured by a secchi disk, was shallow and
averaged only about 20 cm. The rapid vertical extinction of light
limited the phytoplankton population and excluded rooted aquatics
•and benthic algae.
5. The lagoons remained slightly alkaline (pH^^7.7) even during
periods of high photosynthetic activity.
6. Ample nutrients were present for algal demands.
7. The concentrations of several metals, most notably zinc, were
relatively high.
8. The phytoplankton-protozoan assemblage was extremely variable
with respect to total abundance and distribution. The range of
this population was from less than 20 to more than 22,000 units/ml.
The Chlorophyta were the dominant algae except for several weeks
each summer when the Cyanophyta reached bloom proportions.
9. Several chlorophyll a_ and primary productivity peaks were noted,
but in general, values near 12 mg/1 chlorophyll ,a and 25 mg C/m3/hr
were common.
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10. Three species of Daphnia, the dominant zooplankter, were routinely
collected. Cyclops vernalis was the most common cyclopoid copepod while
Diaptomus was the only calanoid copepod recovered. The zooplankton
community was composed of only four species of rotifers and fourteen
species of free-living crustaceans.
11. The benthic fauna was very limited, and remained below 100 organ-
isms/0.1 m2 in 95% of the samples. Midges (Chironomidae) accounted for
virtually all of the sparse population. Procladius culiciformis and
Glyptotendipes barbipes were the most common benthic forms. It appears
that the sparsity of this population can be attributed to the stressed
lagoon environment in which the concentrations of several metals, most
notably zinc, were relatively high.
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SECTION III
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. It is important to investigate the environment and population
of the Muskegon Lagoons, the largest wastewater lagoons in the U. S.,
in order to determine what wastewater treatment is needed and to
determine how the wastewater can best be utilized. The Muskegon
project is a pilot project, and limnological information gathered
concerning these lagoons should help in future design and management
of land treatment and/or lagoon wastewater systems.
V
2. A limnological investigation of the Muskegon Lagoons should be
continued in order to further analyze the details of succession and
colonization of the lagoons and to determine if a somewhat more
stable community may be established.
3. The following special studies are also recommended:
a. Benthos - Investigate why the benthic fauna is so limited.
Even the normally ubiquitous oligochaetes were nearly absent
during the first two years of study. Because the present study
points to the involvement of metals, this parameter should be
thoroughly studied including sediment analysis.
b. Phytoplankton - Follow the seasonal dynamics of phyto-
plankton, chlorophyll _a, and primary productivity. Investigate
heterotrophic assimilation, which appears important in these
lagoons, and its relationship to autotrophic production.
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c. Zooplankton - Investigate the rate of incorporation of
heterotrophic and autotrophic carbon by the indigenous zooplankton
population. Investigate the population dynamics of the zooplankton.
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SECTION IV
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
DESIGN
The limnology of the 688 ha (1,700 acre) Muskegon combined
municipal and industrial wastewater lagoons was investigated from
the time of the initial filling in August 1973 through August 1975.
Special emphasis was placed upon the biological aspects of these
bodies of water. Three stations were established in each lagoon
(Figure 1). The station locations and designations corresponded
to those used by the Muskegon County Department of Public Works,
which served as manager of the system.
Each lagoon was sampled biweekly from September 1973 through
14 May 1975. For the remainder of the study, the samples from each
lagoon were collected on a weekly basis. During periods of open
water, all samples were taken within 50 feet of the station using
an aluminum boat. When the lagoons were ice-covered, December
through March, samples were taken 50 feet from and perpendicular
to the shore and in line with the station. For safety reasons,
Stations E-5 and W-5, the stations farthest from shore in both the
East and West Lagoons, were not sampled during periods of ice cover.
A 2.2 liter, horizontal, opaque, non-metallic Van Dorn bottle
was used to collect samples for analysis of the following parameters:
plankton; chlorophyll; primary productivity; temperature; dissolved
oxygen (DO); five-day biochemical oxygen demand (3005); turbidity/-
conductivity; pH; total organic carbon; metals that included calcium,
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BIO
BIO
BIO
SET
OUT -
-H-
OP
ww
•
W-5
EQ H
W-9
ID
E-l
r EQ
•
E-5
E-8
Figure 1 Muskegon Wastewater Lagoons
KEY
BIO = Biological Treatment Cell
OUT = Outlet Pond
SET = Settling Pond
EQ = Equalizing Gate
ID = Point of discharge of interception ditch water
OP = Point of discharge of lagoon water to
outlet pond
WW = Point of discharge of wastewater to
lagoon
10
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iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium, and zinc; nutrients which
consisted of orthophosphate, nitrate, and ammonia nitrogen; chlorides; and
sulfate. Samples were collected from several depths at each station. An
Ekman dredge was used to collect replicate benthos samples, and a number
12 plankton net (mesh opeings equal to 0.12 millimeter) was employed to
collect replicate zooplankton samples.
METHODOLOGY
When feasible, standard procedures and techniques, as described in
Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater (American
Public Health Association, et. al, 1976) and in Biological Field and
Laboratory Methods for Measuring the Quality of_ Surface Waters and Effluents
(Weber, 1973), were adhered to as closely as possible. Specifics for each
parameter are further described below.
Benthos
A 15.8 cm Ekman Dredge was used to collect replicate benthos samples.
Because of the limited benthic population and since this dredge sampled only
0.025 square meter, results were reported as number of organisms per 0.1
square meter. After retrieval of the bottom sample, the contents of the
dredge were washed through a No. 30 sieve (11 meshes per centimeter) and the
retained portion was dumped into a white enamel pan. The organisms then were
hand picked and preserved in 70% ethanol.
Numerous taxonomic references aided the identification of the benthic
macroinvertebrates (Beck, 1968; Chernovskii, 1949; Curry, 1962; Edmondson,
1959b; Grodhaus, 1967; Johannsen, 1934-37; Mason, 1973; Pennak, 1953; Peterson,
1967; Robeck, 1957; Ross, 1944; Usinger, 1956).
11
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For species identifications of the midges, it was necessary to prepare
head and body mounts of these organisms. Rather than using the conventional
but very time consuming technique of clearing the midges in KOH, rinsing, and
then mounting (American Public Health Association, 1976; Mason, 1973; Weber,
1973), the midges were mounted directly into polyvinyl lactophenol. This
substance acts as both a clearing agent and a mounting media.
Data from replicate samples were averaged, and the results reported as
number of individuals per tenth square meter. The mean diversity, d, and
equitability, e, were calculated for each station using the formulas presented
in the Biological Methods Manual (Weber, 1973).
Zooplankton
Replicate vertical tows were taken from 0.3 m above the bottom. Although
a number 20 net is recommended for the capture of nauplii, protozoa, small
rotifers, and other nannozooplankton, a number 12 net (aperture size 0.12 mm)
was used to prevent clogging by the unusually large quantities of suspended
matter. The samples were preserved with Koechie's preservative, a saturated
sucrose - 4% buffered formalin solution.
Several one milliliter subsamples were withdrawn from each zooplankton
replicate with a Hensen-Stemple pipette. Each subsample was deposited in a
nine-depression glass culture dish and analyzed quantitatively and qualita-
tively. Genus and species identifications of cyclopoid copepods were based
on minute anatomical details of specimens dissected between the fourth and
fifth thoracic segments and mounted, ventral side up. Several taxonomic ref-
erences were valuable aids to identification (Bousfield, 1958; Brooks, 1957
and 1959; Edmondson, 1959a and 1959b; Gannon, undated; Pennak, 1953; Torke,
1974; Wilson and Yeatman, 1959). Data from replicate samples were averaged
and the results were reported as the number of organisms per liter.
12
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Plankton
Throughout this report, the word "Plankton" will be used to refer to
phytoplankton and protozoa.
Sampling depths were related to the transparency within each lagoon.
Routine sample collection was at the depth of the secchi disk reading and
also at one-half of this depth.
At times, due to the very low transparency, collection was at the secchi
disk transparency and also at 0.45 meter. In addition to sample gathering
at these depths, samples were also taken at 0.3 meter above the bottom from
April 1975 throughout the remaining period of the study. With the exception
of primary productivity, all parameters collected with the Van Dorn bottle
were analyzed at these identical depths.
The samples were preserved with Lugol's solution and allowed to settle
for several weeks. Due to the few plankton present, the samples were con-
centrated by a factor of 16 by withdrawal of the supernatant with a suction
tube. Centrifugation proved unsuitable as a concentration technique in this
study. The centrifuged samples remained cloudy and microscopic examination
revealed that some species were still remaining in the supernatant. Davis
(1966) has had similar results with centrifugation.
A Palmer-Maloney cell, rather than the Sedgwick-Rafter cell, was used
for quantitative and qualitative analysis because of the higher magnification
required for nannoplankton. Twenty fields were examined in each of several
slide preparations. The results were averaged for each sample and reported as
the number of units per milliliter (ml). The clump count was used, with all
filamentous or colonial organisms counted as one unit.
Diatom mounts were initially made by ashing and mounting the diatoms. Up
to 2.5 ml were evaporated through successive dryings on 18 mm circular coverslips.
13
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This subsample was then ashed on a hot plate at 570°C for at least one hour.
Hyrax, with a refractive index of 1.82, was used as a mounting media. The
silicious frustules were examined under oil immersion. The concentration of
diatoms, however, was normally inadequate for this technique. The recommended
250 cells per slide (Weber, 1973) could not be examined. Further sample
evaporation on the cover slip was not appropriate due to the high collodial
clay content of the lagoons. Crushing and masking of the diatoms occurred with
any higher sample concentration. Therefore, the membrane filter technique
(Stoermer e_t al, 1972) with modifications of Lugol fixation, filtration and
subsequent clearing and embedding in clove oil was utilized for diatom counts
from August 1974 through the remainder of the study.
References relied upon for the analysis of the plankton included Serges
(1971), Drouet (1959), Edmondson (1959a), Kudo (1971), Lackey (1959), Noland
(1959), Parrish (1968), Patrick (1959), Patrick and Reimer (1966), Prescott
(1962 and 1968), Thompson (1959), and Weber (1966).
Primary Productivity
The uptake of inorganic carbon by phytoplankton during photosynthesis
was measured with the carbon-14 method of Steeman-Nielson (1952), incorpo-
rating only minor modifications (Jordon, 1970; Saunders, e_t al, 1962; Weber,
1973). The four hour in situ incubation depths were determined by the secchi
disk transparency. Secchi readings as low as 6 to 12 cm often dictated pro-
ductivity incubation at only one depth. Following incubation and filtration,
filters were air dried and their beta activity subsequently counted. Pro-
ductivity is expressed in the amount of carbon fixed per hour from the equation
in Table 1.
14
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TABLE 1. CONVERSION OF CPM TO CARBON FIXED
Conversion equation
P
r
C
f
R
Microcuries used
Counter efficiency
Membrane absorption
factor
Disintegrations per
minute per microcurie
Final equation for
lagoons
P = - X C X f (Saunders, et al, 1962)
R -
Photosynthesis in mg C/m3
cpm counted (uptake of radioactive carbon)
19.2 X 103 mg C/m3 (available inorganic
carbon in the lagoons)
1.06 (Isotope conversion factor)
4.27 X 105 (total available radioactive
carbon in cpm: microcuries
used X counter efficiency X
millipore absorption factor
X disintegration per minute
per microcurie)
37,000
40 290 (scintillation cpm/microcurie)
0.25
0.838
2.22 X 106
P = r X 0.0477
15
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Chlorophyll
This analysis was accomplished in vitro from acetone extracts by fluo-
rometry. The samples were drawn from the same locations and at the same time
as the plankton samples. Immediately after collection of the sample, MgCO3
was added in the field. After filtering 100 ml, the 0.45 micron membrane
filters were frozen until analysis at a later time. Results were reported as
mg/m^ of chlorophyll a_ and phaeophytin.
Dissolved oxygen
The DO samples were fixed in the field immediately after collection and
were titrated in the laboratory. The azide modification of the iodometric
method was used. Results were reported as milligrams (mg) DO/1,
Biochemical oxygen demand
The five day BOD test was used with incubation in the dark at 20°C. Re-
sults were reported as mg BOD5/1.
Secchi disk transparency
A 20 cm diameter black and white secchi disk was used. Results were re-
ported in centimeters.
Turbidity
A Hach Model 2100A Turbidometer was used for direct measurement of tur-
bidity by the Nephelometric method. Results were reported in Formazin Tur-
bidity Units (FTU), equivalent to Jackson Turbidity Units.
16
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pH
A hydrogen ion selective glass electrode in combination with a satu-
rated calomel reference electrode were used to determine pH by the electo-
metric method. Results were reported in standard pH units.
Conductivity
A platinum electrode type specific conductance cell with a cell constant
of 1.0 + one per cent was used. Conductance measurements were taken at
ambient temperature utilizing a Barnstead Conductance Bridge. Results were
reported in micro-mhos per cm. ,
Nitrate nitrogen
The concentration of nitrate nitrogen was determined through a copper-
cadmium reduction of nitrate to nitrite. The nitrite thus produced was quanti-
fied using sulfanilamide (diazotizer) and N-1-naphthyl-ethylenediamine (couplet).
The resulting highly colored dye was measured colorimetrically and the results
were reported as rag NOj-N/1.
Ammonia nitrogen
The concentration of ammonia nitrogen was determined by distillation
followed by nesslerization. Results were reported as mg NH4/1-
Or thopho spha te
The concentration of orthophosphate was determined by colorimetry, with-
out preliminary filtration, digestion, or hydrolysis, using ammonium molybdate
in the vanadomolybdophosphoric acid method. Results were reported as mg PO4-P/1.
17
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Sulfate
The concentration of sulfate was determined using the Barium-Methythymol
Blue colorimetric procedure. Results were reported as mg SOg/1.
Chlorides
The concentration of chloride was determined by liberation of the thiocya-
nate ion from mercuric thiocyanate, followed by a reaction with the ferric ion.
Results were reported as mg Cl~/l-
Total organic carbon
The concentration of total organic carbon (TOC) was determined using a
Beckman Model 915 Total Carbon Analyzer. Results were reported as mg carbon/1.
Metals
The concentrations of calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese
(Mn), sodium (Na), potassium (K), and zinc (Zn) were determined using flame
ionization photometry and atomic absorption spectroscopy. Results were re-
ported as mg of the specific metal/1.
18
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SECTION V
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The data gathered during this investigation are presented in the appendices
and only summary data appear in this section. The results of each parameter will
be discussed individually and the trends, or relationships, among parameters
will be elucidated where appropriate.
The water depths in the lagoons fluctuated from approximately one meter
to 3.5 meters. The only exception was at W-9, which, due to a depression
was 2.5 meters deeper than the other stations.
WASTEWATER FLOW PATTERNS DUE TO GATE OPERATING POSITIONS
During this investigation, the operating positions of the gates that
controlled inflow, outflow, and mixing between lagoons were altered as indi-
cated in Table 2.
From 18 August 1973 through 26 September 1973 the wastewater was dis-
charged into both lagoons, with the exception of three days when it was used
directly for irrigation water. From 27 September 1973 through 3 March 1975
the wastewater was discharged only into the East Lagoon, with the exception
of 13 days when it was employed directly for irrigation water. On 4 March 1975
there was a major change in the flow pattern, with the wastewater being dis-
charged into the West Lagoon for the first time since September 1973. The West
Lagoon received the wastewater throughout the remainder of the study, with the
exception of a two-week period and a one-week period when the wastewater was
used directly for irrigation water. In summary, the East Lagoon received vir-
tually all the wastewater throughout the first 18 months of this investigation.
19
-------
TABLE 2. WASTEWATER FLOW PATTERNS AND GATE OPERATING POSITIONS
GE = Gate to East Lagoon
EL = East Lagoon
EQU = Equalizing gate between East
OUTE = Outlet gate from East Lagoon
OUTW = Outlet gate from West Lagoon
WMDS = Outlet gate from West Lagoon
West Lagoon
GW = Gate to West Lagoon
WL = West Lagoon
and West Lagoons
to irrigation
to irrigation
to Mosquito Creek (draining the
DATE
8-13-73 - 8-17-73
8-18-73 - 9- 4-73
9- 5-73 - 9- 7-73
9- 8-73 - 9-26-73
9-27-73 - 3-29-74
3-30-74 - 4-29-74
4-30-74 - 7- 5-74
7- 6-74 - 9-19-74
9-20-74 -11-13-74
11-14-74 -12-13-74
12-14-74 - 3- 3-75
3- 4-75 - 4-11-75
4-12-75 - 6-24-75
6-25-75 - 7-18-75
7-19-75 - 8- 6-75
8- 7-75 - 8-13-75
8-14-75 - 8-19-75
FLOW TO
Irrigation
EL, WL
Irrigation
EL, WL
EL
EL
EL
EL
Irrigation
EL
EL
WL
WL
Irrigation
WL
Irrigation
WL
OPEN
EQU
EQU
EQU
EQU
EQU, OUTW
OUTE
OUTE
WMDS
OUTW
OUTE
OUTW
OUTW
CLOSED
EL, WL
OUTE, OUTW
EL, WL
OUTE, OUTW
OUTE, OUTW, EQU
OUTE, OUTW
OUTE
OUTW, EQU
OUTW, EQU
OUTE, OUTW, EQU
OUTE, OUTW, EQU
OUTE, OUTW, EQU
OUTE, EQU
OUTW, EQU
OUTE, EQU
OUTE, OUTW, EQU
OUTE, EQU
20
-------
During this period, the West Lagoon received mainly the interception ditch
water. During the last six months of study the wastewater was discharged
predominantly into the West Lagoon, while the East Lagoon did not receive
any discharge. In the analyses that follow, the estimation of 18 months
wastewater flow into the East Lagoon followed by six months wastewater flow
into the West Lagoon was used for comparing results during periods of waste-
water flow with those during periods of no wastewater flow.
BIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS
Benthos
There were variations in bottom substrate types in the lagoons. Sludge
accumulated appreciably only at E-l where about 20 cm of mainly paper pulp
and detritus accumulated on the medium-sandy type bottom. The other sub-
strates varied from a' fine-sand at E-5, a hard-clay at E-8, a coarse-sand
at W-5, to a medium-sand at W-l and W-9.
During this two year investigation, 360 benthos samples were collected
and analyzed. The macroinvertebrate population was very limited. This commu-
nity consisted of only a few organisms representing only a few taxonomic groups.
As shown in Figure 2, the benthos remained below 150 organisms per tenth square
meter throughout this investigation, and in 94.6% of the samples the population
was less than 100 organisms. Thus the number of benthic organisms remained
quite low throughout this study, in sharp contrast to the more common values of
1,000 to 16,000 Chironomidae per tenth square meter in other wastewater lagoons
(Kimerle and Enns, 1968).
Table 3 indicates the percentage composition of the major taxa in the
benthic population, as well as the number of samples per station. The eight
21
-------
zz
*J
I
Ul
UJ
o
*.
Ul
ORGANISMS PER 0.1 m
M
O Ul
Ln
(Ti
O
\ \ \X \\\ \\N
O
o
M
LO
o
-------
TABLE 3. PERCENTAGE COMPOSITION OF BENTHIC POPULATION, MAJOR TAXA ONLY
T = TOTAL STUDY
KEY
WW = PERIOD OF WASTEWATER FLOW
NWW = PERIOD OF NO WASTEWATER FLOW
TAXA
No . of samples
T
ARTHROPODA, INSECTA WW
NWW
T
Diptera, Chironomidae WW
(larvae) NWW
T
a) Chironomus plumosus WW
NWW
T
b) Glyptotendipes spp. WW
NWW
T
1) G. barbipes WW
NWW
STATIONS
E-l
76
97.2
97.2
100
96.0
95.4
100
2.4
0.9
11.5
5.5
2.8
21.8
4.0
1.7
18.2
E-5
46
100
100
100
99.1
98.7
99.7
17.5
21.0
10.7
71.6
75.9
63.2
54.3
58.6
45.8
E-8
62
100
100
100
97.9
97.5
100
17.1
19.2
6.5
45.6
53.4
5.2
33.9
39.4
5.2
W-l
70
99.8
100
99.6
96.8
97.8
96.6
0.1
0.0
0.2
25.7
12.5
28.6
19.7
9.5
22.0
W-5
46
99.9
100
99.8
96.9
99.5
96.2
2.2
0.7
2.5
44.4
2.1
55.3
42.1
2.1
52.4
W-9
60
100
100
100
98.2
100
97.9
0.1
0.2
0.0
3.1
0.0
5.2
3.0
0.0
5.0
EAST,
TOTAL
184
99.2
99.0
100
97.9
97.4
99.9
12.2
12.9
9.9
40.5
40.7
39.7
30.4
30.6
29.7
WEST,
TOTAL
176
99.9
100
99.8
97.3
99.3
96.6
0.8
0.3
0.9
24.0
3.4
31.4
21.2
2.7
27.8
-------
TABLE 3 CONCLUDED
TAXA
T
2) G. lobiferus WW
NWW
T
c) Procladius culiciformis WW
NWW
STATIONS
E-l
1.5
1.1
3.6
85.0
90.7
63.8
E-5
17.3
17.3
17.4
5.5
1.2
15.0
E-8
11.7
14.0
0.0
27.2
18.2
74.2
W-l
6.0
3.0
6.6
69.0
83.9
64.5
W-5
2.3
0.0
2.9
50.0
95.3
38.4
W-9
0.1
0.0
0.2
92.8
99.8
88.4
EAST,
TOTAL
10.1
10.1
10.0
40.5
40.6
40.4
WEST,
TOTAL
2.8
0.7
3.6
70.7
94.9
62.0
-------
species of chironomids that were recovered accounted for virtually all, 98.6%,
of the benthos. Of these eight species only four, Procladius culiciformis,
two species of Glyptotendipes, and Chironomus plumosus, were common and they
accounted for 95.5% of the total macroinvertebrate population. The non-biting
midges have been found to be the most common organisms of other wastewater
lagoons (Grodhaus, 1967; Kimerle and Enns, 1968; and Merritt, 1976) . However,
the populations are usually not limited to chironomids and other forms are also
common.
During the first year of this investigation, Glyptotendipes barbipes was
the dominant benthic form at all stations in the East Lagoon. P. culiciformis
was sub-dominant at E-8, but rare at E-l and E-5. C. plumosus was sub-dominant
at E-5, and common at E-l and E-8. The predominant form during the second year
changed to P. culiciformis at E-l and E-8, while G. barbipes remained dominant
at E-5. The change in dominance occurred at the start of the second year at
E-l, immediately after the depositional phase for midges, but not until three
months later at E-8. Clear population shifts could not be discerned during the
last six months of this study when the wastewater flow to this lagoon was elimi-
nated .
In the West Lagoon, the benthic community was dominated by P. culciformis
at W-l and W-9, while G. barbipes was dominant at W-5 and also common at W-l.
However, G_._ barbipes was the most prevalent form in the West Lagoon during the
first year. C. plumosus was a rare form in this lagoon throughout the study.
At the start of the second year, the population shifted and P. culiciformis
became dominant while G. barbipes became only a common form. With the onset
of wastewater discharge to this lagoon during the last six months of study, the
composition of the benthos had changed further. The occurrence of P. culiciformis
increased, but G. barbipes became rare. The variety of incidental forms was
greatly reduced. The greatest change in the benthos occurred at the station
25
-------
closest to the point of wastewater inflow, W-l, where the number of species
dropped from 11 prior to discharge to only 4 after discharge. C. plumosus,
a species known for its ability to survive for a considerable length of time
under low dissolved oxygen concentrations, (Chernovskii, 1949) may become
more common in the West Lagoon as the sludges accumulate.
A change in the composition of the benthic population, due to an alteration
of the wastewater flow, occurred for several reasons in the West Lagoon but not
in the East Lagoon. The East Lagoon received the majority of the wastewater dur-
ing the first 16 months of this study. The wastewater input was eliminated
only during the final six months of study, a period of time probably too short
for recovery. Also, the depositional phase for the insects had passed when the
flow was shifted. New forms in this system cannot appear until the next repro-
ductive cycle, but organisms can be eliminated almost immediately by the addition
of pollutants, as was the situation in the West Lagoon.
The change in the dominant form for both lagoons from G. barbipes to P.
culiciformis may be due, in part, to the changes that occurred in the zooplankton
and phytoplankton, and the decay of the terrestial vegetation that was growing
in the lagoons prior to filling. Immature glyptotendipeds are phytophagous
and probably fed on both aquatic plants and terrestial vegetation that had fallen
into or was growing in the basin. The young larvae of P_._ culiciformis are mainly
carnivorous but also feed on some large diatoms (Chernovskii, 1949). During the
second year appreciably more organisms from the zooplankton and zoobenthos were
captured in the benthos samples, especially Hyallela azteca and Daphnia spp.
In the zooplankton samples during the second year, rotifers were much more abun-
dant, notably Keratella and Brachionus. The phytoplankton population declined
dramatically, with the exception of the large diatom Stephanodiscus niagarae
and a summer blue-green bloom. These changes appear to favor £_._ culiciformis
26
-------
cit the expense of G. barbipes. Station E-5, the only location where G. barbipes
remained dominant during the second year, had a very high density of terrestrial
vegetation remaining as compared with all other stations. The different dominant
and common benthic forms at the stations may also be attributed to the varying
substrates and water quality, two factors which play an important role in deter-
mining the benthic population (Hynes, 1960).
The type of midges found in the Muskegon storage reservoirs appear to be
representative of a normal lagoon fauna. In a study of 18 Missouri lagoons
(Kimerle and Enns, 1968) G. barbipes, C. plumosus, and Tanypus punctipennis
comprised more than 94% of the total number of insects collected in all lagoons.
T. punctipennis is in the same sub-family, Tanypodinae, as is P. culiciformis.
Based on Bureau of Vector Control records of larvae collected from 22
localities, nine species of chironomids are considered to be common inhabitants
of lagoons in California. These species are Procladius sp., Cricotopus sp.,
G. barbipes, two species of Tanypus, and four species of Chironomus (Grodhaus,
1967) .
Contrary to expectations, the oligochaetes never became established.
Limnodrilus was found on only two occasions, both within the first four months
of this two-year study. No other oligochaetes were recovered. The gastropods
were represented only by Physa, which was found on two occasions. Leeches,
namely Helobdella stagnalis, were noted in only one sample. The only other
organisms that were recovered from the lagoons were immature insects. They
were rare and included, in decreasing order of abundance, four other species
.of chironomids (Dicrotendipes modestus, Tantarsus lobatifrons, Parachironomus
sp. and Cricotopus sp.); Trichoptera (Hydroptilidae, only in the West Lagoon,
and 95% of them prior to wastewater discharge); Ephemeroptera (Baetidae, only
27
-------
in the West Lagoon prior to wastewater discharge) and Odonata (Coenagrionidae).
Species diversity indices were calculated for each station, using the
monthly averages of the number of organisms in each species. As recommended
by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (Weber, 1973) , the
Shannon-Weaver index was used to evaluate mean diversity (d) and the Lloyd
and Ghelardi index, in which a broken stick model is used, was employed to
determine equitability (e). This index of diversity is based on information
theorgy and takes into account the number of species (i.e., richness of species)
as well as the numerical distribution of individuals among the species (i.e.,
the relative importance of each species). The indices are presented in Table
4.
Organic pollution usually results in the depression of diversity in the
biotic community, while relatively undisturbed environments have a higher
diversity index. Aquatic ecosystems without environmental perturbations
usually support communities having large numbers of species without individual
species present in overwhelming abundance. Thus, if all individuals belonged
to the same species, the diversity would be minimal; whereas if each individual
belonged to a separate species the diversity would be maximal. Wilhm (1970)
and Wilhm and Dorr is (1968) report that values for (d_) of less than 1 are
usually obtained in heavily polluted aquatic environments, values between 1
and 3 in areas of moderate pollution, and values above 3 in unpolluted waters.
At stations E-l, E-5, W-l, and W-5, (d) was much lower during the period
of wastewater flow as compared with that during the period of no wastewater
flow. At stations E-8 and W-9 the opposite was true. These stations, however,
are farthest from the point of wastewater discharge in each lagoon. The hardest
substrate was at E-8 and the deepest station was W-9, which was also the closest
station to the inflow of the interception ditch water. W-9 probably received
28
-------
TABLE 4. SPECIES DIVERSITY INDICES THE BENTHIC MACROINVERTEBRATE COMMUNITY
STATIONS
TIME PERIOD
TOTAL STUDY
NO
WASTEWATER
FLOW
WASTEWATER
FLOW
E-l
No. species
d
e
No. species
d
e
No. species
d
e
9
0.89
0.24
6
1.09
0.43
7
0.64
0.26
E-5
8
1.93
0.62
7
2.34
0.98
5
1.47
0.70
E-8
8
2.27
0.81
6
1.39
0.54
7
2.40
1.03
W-l
11
1.56
0.34
11
1.66
0.36
4
0.47
0.39
W-5
5
1.29
0.60
4
1.30
0.75
4
0.32
0.35
W-9
7
0.56
0.24
6
0.66
0.30
2
0.89
0.55
-------
organisms that normally live in the ditch. These complicating factors must be
taken into account when interpreting the meaning of the indices. In the East
Lagoon (d) increased as the distance from the point of discharge of wastewater
increased. The low diversity indices in the West Lagoon, even prior to the
inflow of wastewater, reflect the severity of the natural environment within
this lagoon.
Equitability is calculated by evaluating the component of diversity that
is due to the distribution of individuals within the species. This index is
reported to be more sensitive than d, and in fact very sensitive to even slight
levels of degradation (Weber, 1973). Its range is normally from 0 to 1.
Organic wastes reduce equitability below 0.5 and generally in the range of 0.0
to 0.3. Values between 0.6 and 0.8 are indicative of water not affected by
oxygen demanding wastes. In the East Lagoon, equitability also increased as
the distance from the point of wastewater discharge increased. This relation-
ship held during the period of wastewater flow as well as during no flow. When
the wastewater flow ceased, (e) increased at all stations in the East Lagoon.
The relationships are not so clear for the West Lagoon. Equitability increased
rather than decreased at W-l and W-9 during the period of wastewater flow.
It may not be appropriate in this study to calculate diversity and equit-
ability, to compare the results with those from historical work, and to compare
the results during periods of wastewater flow to those during periods of no flow.
The periods of flow and no flow were greatly unequal in time. Almost all reports
in which (d_) and (e_) were used have been in studies with over 100 individuals per
sample, in established lotic communities, and in communities receiving predomi-
nantly organic wastes. These conditions were not met in this investigation.
Industrial wastewater, especially paper mill waste, accounts for 60% of the
wastewater flow into the lagoons investigated. These lagoons also represent a
30
-------
new aquatic habitat, one which was not present just weeks prior to this investi-
gation. They were man-made and covered with terrestial vegetation prior to
September 1973. From the beginning, the East Lagoon has been a very heavily
stressed aquatic environment. Colonization of the benthic community may take
much longer, due in part to the relatively long generation time, than for
the development of the planktonic community.
Zooplankton
A total of 392 zooplankton samples were analyzed during this investigation.
Fourteen species of free-living crustaceans and four species of rotifers were
found to compose the known zooplankton community of the Muskegon Wastewater
Storage lagoons (Table 5). Due to their small size, a portion of the rotifers
may have escaped capture and therefore they are included only in the quali-
tative and not in the quantitative analysis.
Although there was considerable fluctuation in numbers, and various taxa
were dominant throughout this investigation, certain trends can be noted. The
zooplankton population remained at a minimum during both winters of investigation,
rose during the spring and summer, and peaked in late July to early August. In
the lagoon receiving wastewater during the spring and summer, there was a more
rapid decline in the population after the summer maxima than in the lagoon not
receiving the wastewater. During periods of ice cover, the abundance of zoo-
plankton in the lagoon that received wastewater throughout both winters of study
was less than that of the other lagoon. This phenomenon was apparently caused
by the reduced DO levels during periods of ice cover.
Three species of Daphnia were routinely collected, D. magna, D. galeata,
and D. Pulex. Large seasonal fluctuation were noted in this cladoceran (Figure
3).
31
-------
TABLE 5. PERCENTAGE COMPOSITION OF ZOOPLANKTON
KEY
WW = Period of wastewater flow
NWW = Period of no wastewater flow
TAXA
No. of samples
WW
A. Copepoda, Cyclopoida NWW
WW
1. Cyclops NWW
WW
a. C. vernalis NWW
WW
b. C. sp. NWW
WW
c. C. excilis NWW
STATIONS
E-l
72
44.2
15.8
30.0
15.6
18.7
12.6
6.3
2.2
5.0
0.8
E-5
54
32.3
13.7
21.1
13.4
12.0
11.7
6.3
1.4
2.9
0.3
E-8
66
52.0
24.1
34.5
23.0
19.3
17.2
9.4
5.1
5.8
1.0
EAST,
TOTAL
192
41.0
18.1
27.3
17.7
16.0
14.0
7.0
3.0
4.3
0.7
W-l
74
52.3
19.6
45.9
10.4
31.9
5.1
11.0
4.4
3.0
0.9
W-5
54
49.5
15.3
44.3
9.1
32.1
5.2
9.1
3.4
3.1
0.5
W-9
72
55.8
11.2
41.5
7.5
35.2
2.5
4.2
3.1
2.0
1.9
WEST,
TOTAL
200
52.0
15.5
43.9
9.1
32.9
4.4
8.2
3.6
2.8
1.1
U)
K)
-------
TABLE 5 CONCLUDED
TAXA
2. Mesocyclops WW
NWW
a. M. edax WW
NWW
b. M. sp. WW
NWW
c. M. dybowskii WW
NWW
B. Copepoda, Calanoida
1 . Diaptomus WW
(3 species) NWW
C. Cladocera WW
NWW
1 . Daphnia WW
(3 species) NWW
2. Bosmina WW
longirostris NWW
3 . Chydorus WW
sphaericus NWW
E-l
14.2
0.2
8.3
0.2
5.9
0.0
1.1
0.0
6.1
24.9
49.7
59.3
49.3
59.3
0.2
0.0
0.2
0.0
E-5
11.2
0.3
8.3
0.3
2.9
0.0
0.5
0.0
4.7
28.3
63.0
58.0
63.0
58.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
E-8
17.5
0.8
12.7
0.7
4.8
0.1
0.0
0.0
10.6
35.0
37.4
40.9
37.2
40.9
0.0
0.0
0.2
0.0
STATIONS
EAST,
TOTAL
13.7
0.4
9.3
0.4
4.4
0.0
0.6
0.0
6.5
29.6
52.5
52.3
51.3
52.3
0.1
0.0
1.1
0.0
W-l
6.4
9.2
6.1
6.3
0.3
2.9
0.0
0.0
33.4
27.4
14.2
53.1
14.1
43.3
0.0
0.0
0.1
9.8
W-5
5.2
6.2
5.2
3.9
0.0
2.3
0.0
0.0
35.4
25.3
15.1
59.4
15.1
51.4
0.0
0.4
0.0
7.6
W-9
14.5
3.7
14.3
3.6
0.2
0.1
0.0
0.0
32.3
23.9
11.9
64.9
11.8
60.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
4.9
WEST,
TOTAL
8.1
6.4
8.0
4.6
0.1
1.8
0.0
0.0
34.1
25.6
13.9
58.9
13.9
51.3
0.0
0.1
0.0
7.5
U)
u>
-------
PERCENTAGE
(D
U)
D
f
H-
O)
O)
cn
CD
o
(D
ft-
0
Hi
ft
O
ft
(1)
N
0
•8
M
9)
W
ft
O
3
0)
ft
H-
O
-------
In the West Lagoon the fluctuations in the numbers of Daphnia were much
less marked as the population remained below 100 Daphnia. The general trends
in this lagoon, however, were quite similar to those in the East Lagoon.
Daphnia comprised 51% of the zooplankton in the East Lagoon during the
18 month period this lagoon received wastewater, and 52% during the period of
no wastewater flow. The cessation of wastewater influent to this lagoon during
the last six months of study had little apparent effect on the Daphnia assem-
blage. The population change in the West Lagoon before and during wastewater
flow was somewhat different. During the 18 month period of no wastewater in-
fluent to this lagoon Daphnia accounted for 51% of the zooplankton. However,
with the onset of wastewater discharge into this lagoon, the abundance of this
cladoceran declined, comprising only 14% of the zooplankters during the remaining
six month period. This may be due to the dramatic change in water quality with
the onset of wastewater discharge as compared to the slow recovery after the
cessation of wastewater inflow.
The only other cladoceran commonly recovered was Chydorus sphaericus.
This cladoceran comprised 7.5% of the total zooplankton in the West Lagoon
during the period of no wastewater flow, but was virtually eliminated during
the period when wastewater was discharged into this lagoon. The greatest abun-
dance of C. sphaericus was noted during August and September 1974 when about
20 per liter were recovered. This cladoceran never became a common form in the
East Lagoon. Bosmina longirostris remained scarce in both lagoons throughout
this investigation.
Cyclopoid copepods were more common during the period of wastewater flow
than during the period of no flow (Figure 4). in the East Lagoon during the
first 18 months of study, cyclopoids accounted for 41% of the zooplankton popu-
lation, but when the discharge of wastewater to this lagoon ceased, their abun-
35
-------
PERCENTAGE
U)
en
I I I I I I I
-------
dance dropped to 18% of the population. Similarly, cyclopoids comprised only
15% of the zooplankters during the period of no wastewater flow into the West
Lagoon. They rapidly increased in number during the last six months of study
when wastewater was discharged into this lagoon and comprised 52% of the zoo-
plankton during this time.
Cyclops vernalis remained the dominant cyclopoid throughout this study.
The abundance of this cyclopoid was also greater during periods of wastewater
flow than during no flow. An abundance of over 50 C_. vernalis per liter was
common during the summer months. Mesocyclops edax was a common cyclopoid,
followed in decreasing order of abundance by C_. sp., C_. excilis, and M. sp.
Mesocyclops dybowskii remained scarce.
Cyclopoid copepods were most common from May through September during
both years of investigation. The population quickly plunged after September,
remained at a minimum throughout both winters, and increased rapidly during
May.
Diaptomus was the only common calanoid copepod noted during this study.
The seasonal population fluctuations of this copepod were very similar to the
cyclopoid fluctuations. The abundance of Diaptomus increased greatly after
the elimination of wastewater flow into the East Lagoon in March 1975. During
the summer of 1974, the Diaptomus population in the East Lagoon generally re-
mained below 10 per liter, but during the summer of 1975 an abundance of over
100 was frequently noted. The abundance of this calanoid also increased in
the West Lagoon during the summer of 1975, although not as much as in the East
Lagoon.
The shifts which occurred in the cyclopoid population upon alteration of
the direction of wastewater flow correspond well to the general trend for
37
-------
changing zooplankton composition as waters go from oligotrophic to eutrophic.
The proportion of calanoids decreases while the predominance of cyclopoids
increases (Patalas, 1972) .
Rotifers appeared to form only a minor component of the lagoon zooplankton.
Because rotifers are largely sessile organisms and are associated with substrata
(Wetzel, 1975), they are mostly littoral inhabitants. Rotifers are commonly
found only in waters of low organic content, for they require an environment
containing several mg/1 of DO. In these respects, the Muskegon lagoons do not
appear to offer a favorable environment. However, the diet of rotifers con-
sists primarily of bacteria and small algae, and may also include small organic
particles. A rich food source appears to exist in these reservoirs for the
rotifers. Filinia longiseta was recovered only during the first few months of
study. Keratella quadrata, Brachionus calyciflorus, and B_. urceolares were
rare forms during the first year but were more common during the second. It has
been suggested that certain algae, such as some species of Chlorella, may be
inhibitory to planktonic rotifers (Hutchinson, 1967). Chlorella was a major
component of the phytoplankton throughout the first year of this investigation,
but rapidly diminished in numbers after that time.
K. quadrata was common in most of the collections from December 1974
through June 1975. A slight increase in abundance was noted during the period
of wastewater discharge to this lagoon. It was surprising to note K. quadrata,
a cold stenothermic form, as a common taxa in June.
It is apparent that at times zooplankton, as a result of direct cropping,
can have appreciable effects on phytoplankton populations. Through selective graz-
ing, they can influence the seasonal succession of the phytoplankton (Wetzel, 1975).
There does not appear to be any clear relationship between the zooplankton and
phytoplankton populations in the Muskegon lagoons, however. This could be caused
38
-------
partly by the methods used to enumerate the zooplankton and phytoplankton since
numbers were determined and not biomass. There are several other difficulties in
determining a relationship among the plankters. There is a difference in the di-
gestibility of the various algae, depending upon the thickness and other properties
of the cell wall.
A major component of the zooplankton was composed of cyclopoid copepods.
The two genera present, Cyclops and Mesocyclops, are largely carnivorous forms.
The food of these carnivores in the Muskegon lagoons included microcrustaceans
and dipteran larvae, and therefore they had little direct effect upon the phyto-
plankton. Although the collection of fine particles appeared to be a prevalant
mode of nutrition for the calanoid copepods, they also seize small animals, espec-
ially other zooplankton (Mullin, 1966). In the Muskegon lagoons the filter-
feeding Daphnia probably consume the greatest quantities of algae, particularly
the unicellulars. Daphnia are among the most efficient filter-feeders of the
zooplankton (Brooks, 1969), and show a preference for Chlorella vulgaris and
£. pyrenoidosa (Hutchinson, 1967). If it is desirable to reduce the algal con-
tent of the lagoon effluent, studies on the Daphnia assemblage should be continued.
With the absence of predators by planktivorous fish, the small planktonic
herbivores such as the rotifers and Bosmina will continue to be reduced competi-
tively in numbers by the larger more efficient food gathering zooplankton. Thus,
it appears that Daphnia and Diaptomus will continue to be among the dominant zoo-
plankton of the Muskegon lagoons. The blue-green algae inhibit either mechanically
or chemically the filtering rate of these zooplankton (Saunders, 1969). Since the
dominant zooplankton do little grazing upon the Cyanophyta, an increase in the
abundance of Daphnia and Diaptomus may give a competitive edge to the blue-green
algae over other algal forms.
39
-------
Plankton
A total of 541 samples were analyzed, identified, and enumerated dur-
ing this two year investigation. Perhaps the most striking feature of these
data is the extreme variability of this assemblage, both with respect to
total abundance and to the distribution of particular entities (Figure 5) .
This variability is attributed to the diverse assemblage of organisms with
differing physiological requirements and variations in terms of limits of
tolerance to physical and chemical environmental parameters.
Plankton trends and dominants
The percentage composition of this group is found in Table 6. Although
the water quality differed greatly between the two lagoons because of the
discharge of wastewater into only one lagoon, the green algae clearly domi-
nated the plankton population of both lagoons during the first year of study.
It is interesting to note that the percentage of this population comprised of
green algae increased in the East Lagoon as the distance from the point of
wastewater discharge increased.
Several Chlorophyta blooms were noted during the winter, spring, and
summer of 1974 (Figure 6). After the August 1974 pulse, the green algae
population rapidly plummeted and remained reduced in number during the rest
of this study. Smaller numbers of the three most abundant green algae, C_.
vulgaris, C. pyrenoidosa, and Chlamydomonas spp., account for most of this
reduction in the Chlorophyta population. These species were frequently the
cominant forms during the first year of study, but were only common components
of the green algae during the second. Their continued presence is important.
40
-------
UNITS/ML X 102
c
(D
U1
O
Ml
0)
^
rt
O
3
H-
3
rt
(D
cn
X
(D
U3
o
-------
TABLE 6. PERCENTAGE COMPOSITION PLANKTON
KEY
WW = Period of wastewater flow NWW = Period of no wastewater flow
TAXA
No. of samples
A. Chlorophyta, Chlorophceae WW
NWW
B. Cyanophyta, Myxophyceae WW
NWW
C. Chrysophyta, WW
Bacillariophyceae NWW
1 . Pennate WW
NWW
2. Centric WW
NWW
D. Euglenophyta, WW
Euglenophyceae NWW
STATIONS
E-l
103
38.5%
5.3
4.7
17.3
21.1
2.3
0.4
0.2
20.7
2.1
6.5
1.5
E-5
70
46.5?
14.4
6.2
19.7
27.0
9.3
0.8
0.2
26.2
9.1
5.4
4.7
E-8
98
66.8%
11.4
2.9
15.6
10.3
5.7
0.6
1.2
9.7
4.5
2.3
2.5
EAST,
TOTAL
271
53.4%
8.4
4.2
17.3
17.0
4.4
0.6
0.5
16.4
3.9
4.3
2.3
W-l
100
11.9%
82.2
7.9
j 11.1
i
16.2
3.1
6.5
0.8
9.7
2.3
10.8
0.6
W-5
70
10.0%
41.3
7.0
34.7
19.1
7.2
7.0
1.4
12.1
5.8
4.8
2.7
W-9
100
14.9%
68.0
5.8
18.5
23.2
6.1
13.6
1.4
9.6
4.7
5.3
2.3
WEST,
TOTAL
270
12.5%
72.3
6.9
16.6
19.6
4.4
9.3
1.0
10.3
3.4
7.1
1.4
-------
TABLE 6 CONCLUDED
TAXA
E. Ciliophora WW
NWW
F. Mastigophora WW
NWW
STATIONS
E-l
9.5
0.3
20.4
73.1
E-5
2.8
1.5
12.2
50.3
E-8
3.7
1.3
13.9
63.4
EAST,
TOTAL
5.4
0.8
15.7
66.8
W-l
27.2
0.9
26.0
2.1
W-5
11.7
0.9
47.3
13.2
W-9
6.3
1.3
43.8
4.0
WEST,
TOTAL
15.2
1.0
38.6
4.3
-------
o
2:
w
w
JFMAMJJASOND
1974
FLOW:
Figure 6 Chlorophyta as a percentage of the total plankton population
44
-------
since they are significant in maintaining a desired free oxygen level in the
lagoons, especially during periods of ice cover when the numbers of other
oxygen producers are greatly reduced. It appears that C. vulgaris, C. pyrenoi-
dosa, and Chlamydomonas spp. will remain common forms in the Muskegon lagoons
in the future. These algae have been among the first genera to have become
established in other lagoons worldwide, and they have remained typical com-
ponents of the Chlorophyta throughout the year (Davis, 1964; Davis, et al,
1964; Gloyna, 1971; Jayangoudar and Ganapati, 1964; Potten, 1972; Raschke,
1968, Silva and Papenfuss, 1953).
The above authors also cite Ankistrodesmus and Scenedesmus as common lagoon
phytoplankton. In the Muskegon lagoons, these genera together with Golenkina
and Pediastrum were common green algae during the summer months.
The Cyanophyta were more abundant during periods without wastewater dis-
charge than during periods of wastewater flow. During the first 18 months
of study, when wastewater was discharged into the East Lagoon, the blue-greens
accounted for 4.2% of the population in the East Lagoon and 16.6% in the West
Lagoon. During the next six months, when wastewater was discharged into the
West Lagoon, the blue-greens comprised 17.3% of the protistan population in
the East Lagoon and 6.9% in the West Lagoon.
O. rubescens was the dominant blue-green in late spring, followed by
Anabaena spp. in early summer. A.(Microcystis) aeruginosa and A. flos-aguae
bloomed in late summer. Although not numerically dominant, A^ (Chroococcus)
dispersus and A_._ (Chroococcus) minor were common cyanophytes throughout the
year.
Greater numbers of diatoms, euglenophytes, and ciliophores were noted
during periods of wastewater flow than during those periods without. The
only diatom noted by Gloyna (1971) as being typical of the lagoon biota was
45
-------
Nitzschia. N. palea is also the only diatom included in a list of over 200
organisms common in trickling filters (Cooke, 1967). The four dominant centric
diatoms in the Muskegon lagoons are all common representatives of the diatom
population in eutrophic waters (Hutchinson, 1967; Schelske and Roth, 1973).
Euglenophytes were noted in greatest abundance during the summer months,
decreased during the fall, remained at or near zero during ice cover, and in-
creased in numbers during the spring. Trachelomonas, Euglena, and Phacus
were the principal euglenoids in the Muskegon lagoons. The latter two genera
are common dominants of the Euglenophyta in other lagoons (Davis, et al,
1964; Gloyna, 1971) whereas all three genera are common in polluted waters
rich in nitrogenous organic compounds (Hutchinson, 1967).
During the winter months, the ciliophore population was at or near zero
in the lagoon not receiving wastewater but was near the summer maximum in the
lagoon that was receiving wastewater. Cyclidium, Glaucoma, and Vorticella
were dominant. The latter genus is often the dominant protozoan present in
secondary wastewater effluent (Yarma, et al, 1975), and all three genera are
common Ciliophora in trickling filters (Cooke, 1967). These three genera can
grow well in greatly reduced oxygen or anaerobic conditions (Wetzel, 1975).
This microaerophillic ability allows for their development in the organic-rich
and polluted lagoons, even during periods of ice cover when free oxygen was
almost lacking.
The ciliophores of the Muskegon lagoons apparently feed mainly on algae
and supplement this nutrition by feeding on bacteria and particulate detritus.
Due to their small size and limited numbers, however, the ciliophores are not
expected to have appreciable effects on the algal population in the Muskegon
lagoons.
46
-------
The abundance of mastigophores was not noted to be related to the
direction of wastewater flow, but rather greater numbers were present in
both lagoons during the spring and summer of 1975 (Figure 7). Bodo, Chilo-
monas, Trimastigamoeba, Chroomonas, and Cryptomonas were the common micro-
flagellates. Several monad blooms were noted in the East Lagoon during the
last six months of study while Trimastigamoeba and Bodo remained common in
the West Lagoon.
Implications of lagoon plankton —
The plankton remove a good portion of the various nutrients and trace
elements from the lagoons by incorporating them into protoplasm. Research
of many workers has shown that these organisms can accumulate more of these
substances than they need for growth (Patrick, 1969). This luxury consumption
results in this group exerting a significant effect on the improvement of
water quality in the lagoons. However, the use of a biological-lagoon system
alone can not be expected to be a dependable method of water pollution control
at this time. It appears that this community will remain rather unstable and
will experience population pulses and crashes, as well as seasonal changes.
These large fluctuations hinder the system's manageability. Other difficulties
also exist. Upon death, the protistan cells sink to the bottom, retaining
nutrients and trace elements within the water body. Harvesting of the con-
centrated components, in the form of live or dead protistan cells, is not yet
feasible. The food web in the Muskegon lagoons is not complex enough to
control the periodic protistan blooms.
Chlorophyll a_
In aquatic plants, as in terrestial plants, chlorophyll is the initiator
47
-------
PERCENTAGE
03
H-
c
CD
~J
cn
rt
O
K
3*
O
cn
&)
O
fD
3
rt
rt
n>
rt
O
rt
rt
0
3
rt
H-
O
3
CD
O
t-0
O
OJ
O
in
O
O
CO
O
H
cn
-------
in a series of physical-chemical changes which are responsible for the cul-
mination of the flora and fauna. Due to chlorophyll's importance in photo-
synthesis, chlorophyll measurements may be used as indirect indices of po-
tential productivity (Prescott, 1962; Odum, 1971). Since the amount of
chlorophyll increases in bodies of water as the water becomes more eutrophic,
chlorophyll measurements may also provide comparative data on eutrophication
(Mackenthun, 1973). Chlorophyll a_ is the most abundant and important pig-
ment in algae (Vollenweider, 1974) and hence was measured.
A total of 574 chlorophyll a_ samples were analyzed during this investi-
gation. As indicated in Figure 8, there was a great deal of variability in
the quantity of chlorophyll £ present in the Muskegon lagoons. Although a
few of the chlorophyll a_ peaks occurred during algal blooms, in general a clear
relationship between the two parameters was not evident.
During the winter of 1973-1974 a major peak occurred in the level of
chlorophyll a in the West Lagoon but not in the East Lagoon. On 13 February
1974, 43 mg/m3 of this pigment were present at W-l, and 58 mg/m3 at W-9. On
this date the algal population was approximately 9,400 units/ml at W-l but only
4,400 at W-9. By 27 February 1974 the level of chlorophyll a_ increased to 56
at W-l and decreased sharply to 9.7 at W-9, yet the number of phytoplankton re-
mained fairly constant at W-l and increased sharply to over 11,000 at W-9.
Since the environmental conditions did not fluctuate greatly during this two
week period and because the same species, C. vulgaris, was dominant, it appears
that the viability of the algal cells varied during this period. Due to this
large variation in a short period of time, the use of chlorophyll measure-
ments as indices of productivity, biomass and/or eutrophy should be cautioned,
at least in the Muskegon lagoons.
49
-------
o
s
• E-l, W-l
I » I I I I »
0 N D
1973
JFMAMJJASOND
1974
JPMAMJJA
1975
O EAST
6 —
3 ~
FLOW:
Figure 8 Quantity of chlorophyll a. in the Muskegon Lagoons
50
-------
No peak in chlorophyll a. was noted in the East Lagoon during ice cover
in 1974, although a green algae pulse did occur. During August 1974, a diatom
and green algae bloom in the East Lagoon and a blue-green algae bloom in the
West Lagoon were reflected in chlorophyll a_ pulses. The concentration of
chlorophyll a_ again peaked in both lagoons during August of the following year,
although no phytoplankton bloom was noted at this time.
The levels of chlorophyll a_ are not exceedingly high compared to natural
waters. Caution must be exercised, however, in making comparisons since the
quantity of chlorophyll per unit of algae present is influenced by various
environmental, nutritional, and internal factors as well as the species and
age or viability of the algal cells present (Vollenweider, 1974; Weber, 1973) .
Primary productivity
The basic aim of these measurements was to provide an estimate of the
quantity of organic matter which was produced from inorganic substances within
the lagoons. It is assumed that during photosynthesis one molecule of oxygen
is released for each atom of carbon assimilated (American Public Health As-
sociation, et al, 1976). These measurements, therefore, also provided infor-
mation concerning the rate of oxygen production, an important consideration in
the heavily stressed lagoon environment.
As shown in Figure 9 , there was a great deal of variability in the primary
productivity in the Muskegon lagoons, and, as was the case with chlorophyll a_
and the plankton population, there was little similarity from one year to the
next, with greater values occurring in 1974 than in 1975. During 1974 the rates
of carbon fixation ranged from lows of less than 1 mg C/m /hr during spring in
both lagoons to highs in August of 137 in the East Lagoon and 126 in the West
Lagoon. The maxima occurred concurrently with the summer 1975 highs for chloro-
51
-------
45
Figure 9 Primary productivity in the Muskegon Lagoons
52
-------
phyll a_ levels or number of phytoplankton.
PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PARAMETERS
Dissolved oxygen
Only minor differences in DO concentrations were noted with depth. This
homogeneous distribution with depth was apparent in most of the physical and
chemical parameters investigated, and indicates a lack of stratification in
the Muskegon lagoons. The shallowness of the lagoons, combined with wind action,
aided in keeping the waters vertically mixed.
Dissolved oxygen is one of the more indicative and affected parameters
of biological interactions in aquatic systems. The DO levels in the lagoon
receiving wastewater consistently remained lower than those levels in the other
lagoon, with the exception of several weeks following the change in direction
of wastewater flow in March 1975 (Table 7). During the first few months of
investigation the DO levels at E-l, the station nearest to the point of waste-
water discharge in the East Lagoon, were much lower than at E-8. During the
same time period, 6005 and ammonia nitrogen were much higher at E-l than at
E-8. By February, these large differences between stations had decreased and
the DO had dropped at E-8. The distribution of DO remained more uniform
between stations in most subsequent samples.
During the first 18 months of study, free oxygen was never abundant in
the East Lagoon. Peak values were noted only in October and November 1974
when the wastewater was used directly as irrigation-water rather than being
discharged into the lagoon. At this time DO values of 7 mg/1 were common,
whereas during the other 16 months of wastewater flow, 4 mg DO/1 and less
were frequent in the East Lagoon. There were three periods of especially low
DO in this lagoon, during ice cover of 1974 and 1975 and during the summer of
53
-------
TABLE 7. COMPARISON OF TEMPERATURE, DISSOLVED OXYGEN, AND BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND IN THE
MUSKEGON LAGOONS. DATA ARE PRESENTED AS THE MONTHLY MEAN +_ ONE STANDARD DEVIATION.
KEY
TEMP = Temperature, °C = Dissolved Oxygen, mg/1 BOD = Five Day Biochemical Oxygen Demand, mg/1
DATE
LAGOON
10-73
11
12
1-74
2
3
4
5
6
7
TEMP
10.3 + 0.3
8.7 + 0.8
0.8 + 0.3
1.6 + 1.0
1.9 + 0.5
3.4 + 0.6
10.5 + 2.4
15.8 + 2.4
10.8 + 0.0
25.6 + 1.9
EAST
DO
3.1 +_ 1.9
6.7 + 4.0
3.7 + 2.5
2.3 + 2.3
0.2 +_ 0.1
5.1 + 0.6
2.8 +_ 0.7
2.1 + 0.2
2.1 + 1.0
0.0 + 0.1
BOD5
14.7 + 13.3
23.7 + 23.0
34.5 + 27.5
13.1 +_ 5.9
16.9 + 3.4
16.7 + 1.4
12.2 + 7.3
12.5 + 3.3
31.3 +_ 3.4
17.4 + 4.7
WEST
TEMP
10.0 + 0.0
8.6 +_ 0.9
0.5 + 0.0
0.5 + 0.7
0.8 + 0.3
2.3 + 1.1
9.3 + 4.7
13.5 + 3.5
23.3 + 0.7
25.6 + 0.2
DO
8.4 + 0.2
11.3 + 0.7
11.3 + 0.1
12.2 + 0.7
11.5 + 0.3
13.7 + 0.9
9.4 + 0.3
7.7 + 0.5
5.4 +_ 0.2
6.4 + 0.3
BOD5
3.7 + 2.5
2.2 + 0.3
6.5 + 0.7
7.0 + 0.0
6.5 + 3.1
4.9 + 0.5
5.8 + 1.4
3.2 + 0.1
7.3 +_ 1.2
3.6 + 0.9
-------
TABLE 7 CONCLUDED
DATE
LAGOON
8-74
9
10
11
12
1-75
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
EAST
TEMP
24.9 + 0.1
16.5 + 4.2
12.0 + 0.0
8.0 + 2.8
3.0 + 2.8
1.3 + 1.8
2.3 + 0.3
1.7 + 1.4
11.2 + 0.8
20.0 + 4.7
21.3 + 2.3
28.3 + 1.7
23.0 + 2.8
DO
2.0 +_ 1.6
2.5 + 1.5
7.4 + 0.4
7.6 + 0.7
4.8 + 0.4
6.1 + 2.5
0.4 + 0.1
0.6 +_ 0.1
6.3 + 0.4
2.5 + 0.4
4.0 +_ 0.1
5.4 + 0.2
6.1 + 0.7
BOD 5
13.5 + 5.1
4.1 + 1.0
5.6 + 2.3
5.1 + 1.5
21.3 + 8.9
17.7 +_ 8.4
16.7 + 5.9
17.7 + 0.4
8.1 + 0.3
20.0 + 1.0
8.1 + 3.0
3.8 +_ 0.5
3.7 + 1.0
WEST
TEMP
23.1 + 0.2
17.0 + 3.5
9.0 + 0.0
7.5 + 2.1
0.6 + 0.5
0.6 + 0.9
0.9 + 0.5
1.5 + 0.3
10.2 + 3.5
19.9 + 6.0
22.6 + 2.2
27.3 + 1.0
23.5 + 3.5
DO
9.1 + 0.3
8.0 + 0.3
10.6 -f 0.2
10.9 + 0.2
11.7 + 0.3
12.3 + 0.1
9.1 + 2.5
4.1 + 2.6
5.0 + 0.8
1.0 +_ 0.1
1.2 + 0.6
1.0 + 0.4
0.7 + 0.1
BOD5
3.0 + 0.4
3.4 + 0.3
2.3 + 0.2
4.6 + 3.0
4.3 + 1.2
5.3 +_ 0.3
2.6 + 0.1
10.2 + 6.6
16.2 +_ 7.7
10.9 + 6.7
8.8 + 5.6
10.9 + 1.3
15.4 + 4.5
-------
1974. During these periods less than 1 mg DO/1 was frequently noted, especially
at E-l. After the cessation of wastewater flow to this lagoon in March 1975,
the DO levels slowly increased and a summer minimum did not occur in the East
Lagoon in 1975.
The oxygen demanding wastes in the heavily stressed East Lagoon environ-
ment masked any DO pulses that may have occurred due to phytoplankton blooms.
Such was not the case in the West Lagoon that did not receive significant
amounts of wastewater until March 1975. A green algal bloom in this lagoon
during ice cover in 1974 kept the DO levels at or near saturation during this
period. A decline in DO was noted as the water temperature rose and the
phytoplankton population decreased greatly during the spring. A minimum of
5.5 mg DO/1 was reached in June, coinciding with the smallest phytoplankton
population in the West Lagoon during this study. The DO levels increased
to over 9 during the blue-green algal bloom in August, and remained near
saturation until March 1975. The DO levels in the West Lagoon quickly plum-
meted when wastewater flowed into this lagoon, and from May through August
1975 remained close to 1.
Although periods of low DO were noted in the Muskegon lagoons, on the
whole they remained aerobic. It appears that this situation will continue
and possibly the DO minima will become less severe as the phytoplankton as-
semblage becomes better acclimatized to this wastewater lagoon environment
and become more diverse.
Biochemical oxygen demand (6005)
Because of the high amount of organic matter in wastewater, the BOD5
was consistently greater in the lagoon receiving wastewater than in the other
lagoon (Table 7). Similar to the situation for DO, there were large differences
56
-------
in the BOD5 at E-l, 5, and 8 during the first several months of this study.
By February, however, the wastewater constituents had obtained a more homo-
geneous distribution within this lagoon and smaller differences in BOD5 from
station to station were noted.
Large variations in BOD5 through time were apparent, especially in the
East Lagoon. The levels at E-l initially increased to a high of 54 mg/1 by
December 1973, but then quickly plummeted to 17 early in January. BOD5 re-
mained near this level for the next four months throughout the East Lagoon be-
fore increasing to over 30 mg/1 in June 1974. 6005 then decreased to its
pre-June level for the next two months before reaching a minimum of 4.1 mg/1
in September. At this time the direction of wastewater flow was directly to
irrigation. From December through March BOD5 remained near 20 mg/1 and con-
tinued to fluctuate while on a general downward trend after the flow of waste-
water to this lagoon ceased in March.
The fluctuations of BODs in the West Lagoon were not nearly as large and
therefore a mean is more meaningful. During the 18 month period without waste-
water flow to this lagoon, the mean was 4.48 mg/1 +_ 1.68. However, the BOD5
quickly increased when wastewater was discharged into the West Lagoon for the
next six months. The mean BODs during this period was 12.1 mg/1 +3.0. BOD5
was highest at W-l compared to W-5 and 8 because of this station's proximity to
the point of discharge.
Temperature
Water temperature followed air temperature in a normal manner, with little
response to transient climatological phenomena (Table 7). Thermal stratification
was not evident which indicated vertical mixing.
Generally, temperatures were slightly greater in the lagoon receiving waste-
57
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water. This relationship was most evident at the station nearest the point
of wastewater discharge. Heat budgets are complex and even just one phase of
this budget, the absorption of solar energy by the lagoon water, is influenced
by an array of physical, chemical, and, under certain conditions, biotic proper-
ties of the water. However, it appears that a combination of three factors,
each taking on different importance during the year, account for the difference
in temperature between the lagoons. The higher content of dissolved organic
matter in the lagoon receiving wastewater increases the absorption of light
energy. During cooler weather the temperature of the incoming wastewater was
above ambient. Greater biological, especially microbial, activity occurred in
the lagoon receiving wastewater.
Of greatest significance to the water quality and biological productivity
of the lagoons is the fact that the water temperature maintained levels in the
20-24° C range over essentially a four month period each year.
Secchi disk transparency
The transparency in the East Lagoon during the period of wastewater flow
was small and consistently remained much less than in the West Lagoon (Table 8).
During this time period, the mean in the East Lagoon, 17.0 cm, was only 14.5%
of the mean in the West Lagoon, 117.5 cm. The lowest values were at E-l on all
but one occasion, 9 August 1974. On this date the exit to the outlet lagoon
(Figure 1) was open and it appears, from these and from other chemical data,
that the incoming wastewater was not mixing completely with the lagoon waste-
water but rather was short-circuiting directly to the outlet.
After the flow of wastewater was shifted to the West Lagoon in March 1975,
the transparency slowly increased in the East Lagoon but rapidly plummeted in
the West, especially at W-l.
58
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TABLE 8. COMPARISON OF TURBIDITY, SECCHI DISK TRANSPARENCY, pH, CONDUCTIVITY AND TOG IN
THE MUSKEGON LAGOONS. DATA ARE GIVEN AS THE MEAN + ONE STANDARD DEVIATION.
WW = Period of wastewater flow
KEY
NWW = Period of no wastewater flow
PARAMETER
STATIONS
Turbidity WW
NWW
Secchi Disk WW
Transparency, cm NWW
pH WW
NWW
Conductivity, WW
micro-mho NWW
TOC, mg/1 WW
NWW
E-l
17.3 + 8.7
7.5 + 2.0
14.4 + 5.4
27.3 + 16.2
7.69 + 0.18
7.84 + 0.32
1030 + 225
1030 + 85
40.0 + 13.3
54.8 + 23.4
E-5
10.6 + 7.0
6.4 + 0.9
21.9 + 5.1
31.0 + 10.0
7.76 + 0.13
7.86 + 0.23
1170 + 215
1020 + 91
35.6 + 13.3
44.4 + 18.9
E-8
12.0 + 7.1
6.7 +_ 1.1
21.7 + 5.1
31.2 + 17.9
7.77 + 0.20
7.87 + 0.30
1010 + 214
1020 + 94
33.9 + 8.4
49.2 + 17.9
W-l
21.7 + 2.9
3.1 + 1.0
22.6 + 8.0
112.6 + 32.9
7.61 + 1.40
8.13 +0.27
949 + 117
776 +_ 171
73.0 + 43.2
21.2 + 4.5
W-5
6.9 + 1.1
3.1 + 1.0
24.6 + 8.0
121.5 + 41.6
7.68 + 0.90
8.24 + 0.38
954 + 108
876 + 129
56.4 + 49.1
20.9 + 4.5
W-9
6.8 + 2.0
3.1 + 0.9
41.3 + 21.0
119.3 + 36.0
7.68 + 0.08
8.18 + 0.29
907 + 137
754 + 157
64.2 + 42.8
21.3 + 8.3
-------
No seasonal trends were evident and the plankton pulses did not appear
to reduce transparency.
The limited transparency, and hence the rapid vertical extinction of
light in the lagoon receiving wastewater, has several implications. The very
narrow photic zone limits oxygen production and productivity, at least auto-
trophic productivity. It gives a competitive advantage to heterotrophic and
mixautrophic organisms over the obligate photoautotrphs. Most phytoplankton
fall into the latter category. The limited transparency excludes rooted
aquatics, plants that could be managed and harvested more easily than the
algae. It also excludes benthic algae and periphyton and is one of several
factors keeping the lagoon food web or chain relatively short and unstable.
Turbidity
Turbidity was consistently greater in the lagoon receiving wastewater
than in the other lagoon (Table 8). Values were similar at each depth and
among stations in the same lagoon, with the exception of higher turbidity at
stations E-l and W-l. Fluctuations were noted, however, through time. During
the periods of wastewater discharge, the range at E-l was from 4.2 to 34 FTU
and from 3.7 to 22 FTU at E-5 and 8, whereas the range at W-l was from 14 to
34 and 4.0 to 10 at W-5 and 9. During the periods without wastewater dis-
charge, the mean in the West Lagoon was 3.1 FTU ^0.9 and 6.9 FTU + 1.2 in the
East Lagoon.
Since turbidity and transparency did not correspond with the fluctuating
plankton population and because the lowest transparency and highest turbidity
was at W-l and E-l during wastewater flow, it appears that suspended particulate
matter such as clay, silt and finely divided organic and inorganic detritus,
rather than aquatic organisms, exert the greater influence upon these parameters.
60
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Conductivity
The specific conductance of both lagoons was quite high and remained
greater in the East Lagoon than in the West Lagoon, even during the final
six months of study when wastewater was discharged only into the latter
lagoon (Table 8). The mean conductance during the first 18 months of study
was 1020 micro-mhos +_ 217 in the East Lagoon and 768 + 156 in the West Lagoon,
The mean in the West Lagoon increased to 925 +_ 128, but remained at 1020 +
86.7 in the East Lagoon during the final six months of study. As evidenced
by the large standard deviation, a wide range of conductance was recorded
through time. The lowest values in both lagoons, 800 micro-mhos in the
East and 549 in the West, occurred in March 1974. A high was reached in
the East Lagoon during September 1974, 1,480 micro-mhos, and in the West
Lagoon during July, 1,037.
pH
The lagoon receiving wastewater was slightly less alkaline than the
lagoon not receiving wastewater (Table 8). Only very minor variations
occurred among stations and depths within each lagoon. Little variation
was noted through time, other than when the flow of wastewater was altered.
Periods of high photosynthetic activity usually elevate the pH in natural
bodies of water due to photosynthetic removal of CC>2- This phenomenon was
not experienced in the Muskegon Lagoons, indicating a good buffering capa-
city in these waters. Due to the abundance of bicarbonate and calcium, it
is unlikely that the pH will change greatly in the future.
Total organic carbon (TOG)
TOC levels were generally greater in the lagoon receiving watewater than
61
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in the lagoon not receiving wastewater (Table 8), During the first 18 months
of study the mean TOG was 37.36 mg/1 + 10.25 in the East Lagoon and 20.75 + 7.80
in the West. During the last six months of study the mean increased to 64.16 +
41.23 in the West and to 51.98 + 21.30 in the East Lagoon. Large fluctuations
in TOC occurred throughout this investigation, with monthly means ranged from 24
to 82 in the East Lagoon and from 11 to 133 mg/1 in the West Lagoon. The pulses
did not correspond with any plankton pulses and apparently are due to bacteria,
detritus, and the re-suspension of sediments.
Ammonia nitrogen
High levels of ammonia nitrogen are present in domestic and industrial
wastewater, and the level of this parameter was generally much higher in the
lagoon receiving wastewater than in the lagoon lacking this input (Table 9).
In the West Lagoon during the first 18 months of study the concentration of
ammonia nitrogen consistently remained less than 0.4 mg/1 and was often below
0.1. The mean concentration during this period was 0.15 mg NH4 - N/l + 0.12 in
the West Lagoon and 3.1 + 1.7 in the East Lagoon.
In the East Lagoon from January through June 1974 there was a general
increase in the amount of ammonia nitrogen from a low of 1.0 mg/1 to a high
of 5.6. During August and October the wastewater flow pattern was altered
for short periods of time and the levels of ammonia nitrogen plummeted to less
than 0.6 mg/1. From the flow of surface foam and from the color pattern that
developed when the gate to the outlet cell was opened, it appeared that the in-
coming wastewater was short-circuiting and flowing out of the East Lagoon before
appreciable mixing with the lagoon water occurred. There was also a short period
when wastewater was used directly for irrigation and did not flow into the lagoons.
Ammonia nitrogen was the only parameter related to a great extent to these tempor-
62
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TABLE 9. COMPARISON OF NUTRIENT AND ANION LEVELS IN THE MUSKEGON LAGOONS
DATA ARE GIVEN AS THE (mg/1) +_ ONE STANDARD DEVIATION.
KEY
WW = Period of wastewater flow
NWW = Period of no wastewater flow
PARAMETER
Ammonia nitrogen, WW
NH4 - N NWW
Nitrate nitrogen, WW
NO3 - N NWW
Or thophosphate, WW
P NWW
Sulfate, WW
SO4 NWW
Chloride, WW
CL NWW
STATIONS
E-l
3.39 + 1.97
2.76 + 2.76
1.04 + 0.85
2.38 + 2.08
1.48 + 0.33
1.54 + 0.35
97 + 12
99 +_ 7
166 + 16
168 +_ 24
E-5
2.55 + 2.16
2.02 + 2.63
1.70 + 0.99
2.83 + 1.79
1.51 + 0.37
1.43 + 0.28
89 + 8
92 + 9
162 + 9
160 + 23
E-8
2.62 + 1.87
2.50 + 2.84
1.31 + 0.96
2.35 + 1.86
1.39 + 0.43
1.52 + 0.32
97 + 12
95 + 6
163 + 15
166 + 24
W-l
4.32 + 1.91
0.15 + 0.12
0.76 + 1.17
0.52 + 0.35
1.24 + 0.50
0.13 + 0.11
79 + 8
74 + 11
140 + 23
105 + 18
W-5
4.56 + 1.91
0.13 +_ 0.13
0.93 + 1.25
0.58 + 0.41
1.25 + 0.33
0.16 +_ 0.10
76 + 9
68 + 9
139 + 22
109 + 10
W-9
3.87 + 2.42
0.15 + 0.13
0.93 + 1.35
0.47 + 0.33
1.14 + 0.65
0.11 + 0.10
76 + 9
75 + 11
131 + 23
106 + 12
-------
ary changes in flow patterns. This probably resulted from the rapid oxidation
of this parameter to nitrite and then to nitrate nitrogen, or its release to
the atmosphere as ammonia gas. Therefore a continual influx was required in
order to ma-.ntain the high levels of ammonia nitrogen that were present. With-
out constant replenishment, the concentration of this form of nitrogen declined.
Most of the other physical-chemical parameters do not change form so rapidly and
thus their levels did not fluctuate as quickly. During the last six months of
study when wastewater was discharged only to the West Lagoon, the ammonia nitro-
gen levels decreased to a minimum of 0.3 mg/1 in the East Lagoon and rose to a
maximum of 6 mg/1 in the West Lagoon,
Nitrate nitrogen
The levels of nitrate nitrogen fluctuated greatly with time (Table 9)„
In the East Lagoon the range of monthly means was from 0.05 to 2.94 mg NO3 _ N/i
during the six month period without such flow. In the West Lagoon, the range
was from 0.15 to 1.47 during the 18 month period without wastewater flow and
from 0.09 to 3.60 during the six month period with such flow. As indicated in
Table 9, however, the nitrate nitrogen concentration was generally greater
in the East Lagoon throughout this study. Highest levels of this nutrient
generally occurred during the summer months.
Although nitrate nitrogen is the principal source of nitrogen for algal
growth, the supplies of nitrate were not depleted during phytoplankton blooms.
Ample amounts of both ammonia nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen were present in the
Muskegon Lagoons to allow for algal demands, and it appears that nitrogen will
not become a limiting factor in the near future.
64
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Orthophosphate
The most available and important form of phosphorus for plan nutri-
tion is orthophosphate, which is found in great quantities in wastewater. The
mean concentration of orthophosphate was quite high, 1.44 mg P/l +_ 0.39, in
the East Lagoon during the 18 month period of wastewater flow. It also re-
mained near this level during the six-month period without wastewater dis-
charge into this lagoon due in part to the rapid biotic cycling of phosphorus.
Only minor spatial and seasonal variations were noted in the East Lagoon (Table
9).
Larger fluctuations occurred in the West Lagoon. Without the input of
wastewater during the first 18 months, the orthophosphate levels in this lagoon
varied from a below detectable level in February 1974 to 0,32 mg P/l in July
1974. Higher values were continually noted during the summer months. In
September the concentration of this nutrient declined rapidly in the West
Lagoon and remained less than 0.8 mg P/l throughout February 1975. When waste-
water was discharged into this lagoon in the following month, the concentration
increased quickly, reached a high of 1.6 by June, and remained near this level
through the remainder of this investigation.
Compounds containing phosphorus play major roles in nearly all phases of
metabolism, particularly in energy transformation associated with phosphory-
lation reactions in photosynthesis„ Phosphorus is required in the synthesis
of nucleotides, phosphatides, sugar phosphates, and other phosphorylated
intermediate compounds. Further, phosphate is bonded usually as an ester in
a number of low molecular weight enzymes and vitamins essential for algal metabo-
lism (Wetzel, 1975). Despite the importance of phosphorus in algal physiology,
phytoplankton blooms were not reflected in reduced levels of orthophosphate.
65
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This nutrient was present in the lagoon in amounts far beyond the needs of
algae. Therefore, unlike the situation in many natural waters, it appears
that phosphorus will not limit phytoplankton growth or control standing
crops in the Muskegon lagoons.
Sulfate
High levels of sulfate, an abundant anion in natural bodies of water,
were common in both Muskegon lagoons (Table 9). Small spatial and seasonal
variations were noted in the levels of this anion, even before and after the
discharge of wastewater. During the first 18 months of study the mean was
97 mg SO4/1 + 12 in the East Lagoon and 74 + 10 in the West Lagoon. Only minor
changes were noted during the final six months of study when the West Lagoon
received the wastewater. During this period the mean decreased to 95 + 4
in the East Lagoon and increased to 77 + 8 in the West Lagoon.
Chloride
The concentrations of chloride remained high in each lagoon throughout
this study with a rather homogeneous spatial and seasonal distribution (Table
9). The lack of major fluctuations partly result from the fact that chloride
is a conservative ion and metabolic utilization or biotically mediated changes
in the environment do not cause large variations in its level.
The concentration of this ion was consistently higher in the East Lagoon
than in the West Lagoon, even during the period of wastewater flow to the
West Lagoon. During the first 18 months, the mean chloride level was 165 mg/1
+ 13 in the East Lagoon and 105 + 15 in the West Lagoon. During the six month
period of wastewater flow to the West Lagoon, the mean chloride level increased
to 135 + 30 in this lagoon, but remained near the previous average in the East
66
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Lagoon, 166 + 23. Wastewater normally contains a high concentration of
chloride ions since sodium chloride passes unchanged through the digestive
system.
Calcium
Only minor variations in the concentration of calcium occurred verti-
cally and among stations, with no apparent seasonal trends (Table 10).
Throughout this investigation, the concentration of calcium in the East
Lagoon, approximately 60 mg/1, remained slightly higher than the concentra-
tion in the West Lagoon of 55. Calcium is not present in high concentrations
in wastewater, and the levels of this cation in the Muskegon lagoons are
largely controlled by the mineralogical characteristics of the basins and
the surrounding land.
Magnesium
Magnesium is required universally by the algae as the porphyrin component
of the chlorophyll molecules. It is also needed as a micronutrient in enzymatic
transformations of organisms, especially in transphosphoralations of algae, fungi
and bacteria (Wetzel, 1975). Only minor fluctuations in this cation were noted
during this study, because the demands for magnesium in metabolism are minor
in comparison to the quantities available (Table 10).
This cation is a common constituent in natural waters, and levels remained
slightly higher in the West Lagoon than in the East Lagoon due to the inflow
of interception ditch water into the West Lagoon. The concentration of magnesium
in both lagoons remained near 16 mg/1.
67
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TABLE 10. COMPARISON OF METAL AND CATION LEVELS IN THE MUSKEGON LAGOONS
DATA ARE GIVEN AS THE MEAN (mg/1) + ONE STANDARD DEVIATION.
KEY
WW = Period of wastewater flow NWW - Period of no wastewater flow
PARAMETER
Calcium WW
NWW
Magnesium WW
NWW
Sodium WW
NWW
Potassium WW
NWW
Manganese WW
NWW
Zinc WW
NWW
Iron WW
NWW
E-l
64.3 + 6.6
59.3 + 1.6
16.0 + 1.5
15.7 + 1.3
248 + 13
161 + 8
11.5 + 1.6
9.7 + 0.6
0.21 + 0.05
0.21 +_ 0.04
0.13 + 0.03
1.07 + 0.32
1.17 + 0.07
STATIONS
E-5
62.0 +_ 7.9
58.4 + 2.3
17.0 + 1.1
15.7 + 1.1
141 + 9
163 + 9
11.3 + 0.5
9.8 + 0.6
0.18 + 0.09
0.17 + 0.05
0.11 + 0.01
1.06 + 0.40
1.10 + 0.08
E-8
63.5 + 6.6
59.8 + 3.3
16.0 + 1.5
15.3 + 1.4
147 + 11
161 + 9
11.5 + 1.9
9.7 +_ 0.7
0.20 + 0.72
0.21 + 0.04
0.11 + 0.03
1.15 + 0.36
1.10 + 0.09
W-l
58.7 + 2.4
53.3 + 8.7
16.8 + 1.6
17.0 + 1.0
137 + 16
93 + 12
8.3 + 0.7
5.9 + 1.0
0.04 + 0.02
0.11 + 0.03
0.09 + 0.03
0.79 + 0.30
0.68 + 0.33
W-5
57.8 + 3.7
54.5 + 2.3
16.0 + 0.6
17.3 + 0.6
137 + 14
98 + 8
8.2 + 1.0
6.0 + 0.7
0.03 + 0.18
0.09 + 0.03
0.08 + 0.04
0.77 + 0.33
0.51 + 0.17
W-9
57.5 + 4.3
53.9 + 5.5
16.0 + 1.4
16.7 + 1.2
130 + 22
92 + 10
7.9 + 1.2
5.8 + 0.9
0.04 +0.02
0.09 + 0.03
0.07 + 0.03
0.78 + 0.31
0.71 + 0.40
00
-------
Sodium
Throughout this investigation the levels of sodium remained higher in
the East Lagoon than in the West Lagoon (Table 10). The concentration of
this cation in the East Lagoon was less during the period of wastewater flow,
148 mg/1 +_ 12, than during the following period without such flow, 161 +_ 9,
yet the level of sodium increased from 93 +_ 11 prior to wastewater flow, to
133 +_ 18 during the flow in the West Lagoon.
The high concentration of sodium in wastewater is probably caused by
synthetic detergents and domestic sewage. The sodium input to domestic sewage
comes from sodium chloride passing unchanged through the digestive system.
Potassium
Potassium was distributed uniformly throughout the lagoons with little
seasonal variation, indicative of the conservative nature of this cation
similar to sodium and magnesium (Table 10). The levels of potassium were
elevated in each lagoon during the period of wastewater flow. Although the
concentration of this cation declined in the East Lagoon and increased in the
West Lagoon when the flow of wastewater was changed from the East to the West
Lagoon, the concentration remained greater in the East Lagoon.
Manganese
Higher levels of manganese, an essential micronutrient, were present in
the East Lagoon than were present in the West Lagoon (Table 10). The mean
during the period of wastewater flow to the East Lagoon was 0.24 mg/1 +_ 0.02
in the West Lagoon. Because of these low concentrations, manganese data were
not collected after February, 1975.
69
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It appears that manganese will not reach levels inhibitory to phyto-
plankton in the Muskegon lagoons, since the highest value during this period
was only 0.27 mg/1, and toxic effects do not appear until levels are over 1
mg/1 (Patrick, et al, 1966).
Iron
The concentration of iron was high in each lagoon and fluctuated through
time (Table 10). During the first 18 months of study the levels of iron ranged
from 0.64 to 1.8 mg/1 in the East Lagoon and from 0.35 to 1.4 in the West Lagoon.
Because of the high content of iron in Muskegon industrial wastewater, the
levels remained greater in the East Lagoon than in the West Lagoon. The large
variations in time mask much of the difference that was apparently related to
wastewater flow patterns.
Iron levels in the Muskegon lagoons are more than adequate to allow the
biota to use this essential micronutrient.
Zinc
Due to industrial waste pollution, high concentrations of zinc, greater
than 0.25 mg/1, occurred in the East Lagoon during the period of wastewater
flow to this lagoon (Table 10). During the same time period, levels of zinc
less than 0.08 mg/1 were common in the West Lagoon. After March 1975, the zinc
levels decreased to a mean of 0.12 in the East Lagoon and rose to a mean of 0.09
in the West Lagoon.
The zinc levels in the Muskegon lagoons are in the toxic range for many
organisms. Levels exceeding 0.2 mg/1 are toxic to many invertebrates (Hynes,
1960), whereas levels exceeding 0.1 constitute a hazard in the aquatic environ-
ment (Committee on Water Quality Criteria, 1972). The above cited Committee
70
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found zinc in concentrations as low as 0.1 mg/1 to be toxic to Daphnia.
It should be noted that there is a synergistic effect when other heavy
metals, such as copper and cadmium, both of which are components of the
Muskegon lagoons, are present with zinc (La Roche, 1972). Bioaccumulation of
zinc through the food web, with high concentrations occurring particularly in
the invertebrates, may also increase the zinc toxicity problem in the Muskegon
lagoons.
71
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SECTION VI
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TECHNICAL REPORT DATA
(Please read Instructions on the reverse before completing)
1. REPORT NO.
EPA-600/3-77-039
4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE
Muskegon, Michigan Industrial-Municipal Wastewater
Storage Lagoons: Biota and Environment
3. RECIPIENT'S ACCESSION-NO.
5. REPORT DATE
April 1977
6. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION CODE
7. AUTHOR(S)
W. Randolph Frykberg, Clarence Goodnight, and
Peter G. Meier
8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NO
9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS
Northeast Michigan Council of Governments
Gaylord, Michigan 49735
10. PROGRAM ELEMENT NO.
1BA608
11. CONTRACT/GBALII NO.
04J1P01534
12. SPONSORING AGENCY NAME AND ADDRESS
Corvallis Environmental Research Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Corvallis, Oregon 97330
13. TYPE OF REPORT AND PERIOD COVERED
Final 8/73-8/75
14. SPONSORING AGENCY CODE
15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES
To be published in Ecological Research Series of EPA
16. ABSTRACT
A limnological investigation was carried out on two 344 hectare (850 acre)
industrial-municipal wastewater storage lagoons from August 1973 until August 1975.
Besides monitoring physical and chemical parameters during the period of the
initial filling, the biological community was critically examined for the purpose
of documenting ecological succession over this two year period.
In general, the lagoons remained aerobic, well mixed vertically and slightly
alkaline. The low transparency within the lagoons was an important factor which
limited the phytoplankton population and excluded rooted aquatics and benthic algae.
Ample nutrients were present for algal demands.
The lagoon's phytoplankton-protozoan assemblage was extremely variable with respect
to total abundance and distribution. The zooplankton community was composed of
fourteen species of free living crustaceans and four species of rotifers. The
benthic fauna consisted of a small number of organisms representing only a few
taxonomic groups.
KEY WORDS AND DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
DESCRIPTORS
Lagoons
Waste Treatment
Limnology
Municipal Wastewater
Industrial Waste Treatment
b.IDENTIFIERS/OPEN ENDED TERMS
Stabilization Ponds
Waste disposal
Sewage disposal
Phytoplankton
Zooplankton
c. COSATI Field/Group
06/F
08/H
3. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT
Release Unlimited
19. SECURITY CLASS (This Report)
Unclassified
21. NO. OF PAGES
20. SECURITY CLASS (This page)
Unclassified
22. PRICE
EPA Form 2220-1 (9-73)
78
U- S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1977—797-588/102 REGION 10
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