Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
4374155 | Ecological Indicators | 2011 | 8 Pages |
Lagoon systems have particular ecological, morphological and hydrodynamic characteristics and act like transitional zones between inland and open waters. The aim of this study is to develop a Lagoon Water Quality Index (L-WQI) for environmental control of polluted lagoon systems by focusing on primary problems such as increasing stress on aquatic biota, eutrophication and organic pollution. The indicators used in L-WQI are dissolved oxygen saturation, total nitrogen to total phosphorus ratio, nitrate, orthophosphate, chlorophyll-a, chemical oxygen demand, pH, turbidity and electrical conductivity. L-WQI establishes a new normalization function for each variable and uses a modified version of the weighted aggregation method. L-WQI has been adapted to Küçükçekmece Lagoon, a highly polluted watershed located in western Istanbul. The results correlated with the observed water quality trends in this lagoon and highlighted the impact of pollution in its tributaries.