Periphyton as indicator of the ground water quality

Summary

Microscopic examination of the periphyton growing on the walls of wells and on glass slides exposed in the wells for several months provided valuable informations about the water quality in the bank infiltration area near Tlumačov, Moravia. The basic long- term changes of environmental conditions reflected themselves in the periphyton composition and quantity. The records of Sphaerotilus natans common in polluted streams on slides indicated the seepage of organically enriched river water into the wells and the insufficient filtration effect of the soil. Analyses of the periphyton on slides also permitted to follow and quantify the occurrence of undesirable iron and sulphur bacteria in ground water.