| Abstract |
ΧRunning waters in the island of Crete have been significally reduced in quantity during the last fifteen years. As the rain level has not so much fluctuated during that period, we beleive that this reduction happened due to anthropogenetic activities such as the intesiviness in agriculture, the destroy of middle and low vegetation, the extensive cultivation of land, grazing e.t.c. Running waters of Crete have also received great pollution loads due to the big consuming of fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides e.t.c., the washing off of which enters the streams and rivers.There has been also another big threat for the running water ecosystems of Crete, that from the deposition of olive oil mill wet wastes, a problem which still exists nowadays and which is the subject of this study. Olive oil mill wastes are mainly disposed into intermittent streams in big quantities and during only a period of 5 months (November till March). They are characterized by a high organic load, due to big quantities of sugars, organic acids, polylhenols e.t.c., which causes organic and chemical pollution. Biological indicators were used in order to estimate the effects of olive oil wastes on the running water ecosystems of Crete. The biological indicators which were used, were benthic aquatic organisms which possess a different degree of sensitiveness against specific quantities and qualities of pollutants. Three intermittent streams, Almyros in Chaniaarea, Agios Georgios-Aposelemis and Prinopotamos both in Iraklion area, were chosen for the needs of the study. (abstract truncated)
|
Επιπτώσεις των υγρών αποβλήτων των ελαιουργείων στα οικοσυστήματα των τρεχούμενων νερών της Κρήτης
