Water quality and macroinvertebrate populations of Finley Creek before and after a hazardous waste cleanup

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Authors
Miller, Carla J.
Advisor
Siewert, Horst F.
Issue Date
1988
Keyword
Degree
Thesis (M.S.)
Department
Department of Natural Resources
Other Identifiers
Abstract

Water samples and macroinvertebrates were collected from three stations of Finley Creek, Indiana before and after a surface cleanup of an adjacent hazardous waste disposal site. Water quality parameters: iron, total dissolved solids, conductance, hardness, total suspended solids and pH were compared between stations and years. The water quality above the landfill was high but decreased downstream. The water below the disposal site contained high levels of chemicals in both studies. However, the concentrations of chemicals were lower in the water two years after the cleanup.Numbers of macroinvertebrates and the number of taxa were determined and species diversity indicies were established. The results showed a statistically significant increase in macroinvertebrate taxa and mean species diversity indicies below the waste disposal site after the cleanup. These results indicate an improvement of water quality.

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