Water quality assessment of a shrimp farm: A study in a salinity prone area of Bangladesh

Abstract

The study was conducted in a shrimp farm to assess the water quality status of the farm. Standard methods were used to analyze the collected samples. The water temperature was found to vary between 18 0C and 32 0C in the farm at different months of the study period. The pH value of the water was found slightly alkaline (7.4 to 7.9) during the study period. The values of alkalinity, free carbon dioxide, dissolved oxygen, transparency, salinity, and hardness were found to vary between 154.6 to 167.2 mg/l, 4.1 to 5.7 mg/l, 5.6 mg/l to 6.8 mg/l, 24.4 cm to 42.2 cm, 15.2 ppt to 18.3 ppt and 89.01 mg/l to 117.83mg/l respectively. There was no significant variation in two parameters such as water salinity and pH in the farm. However alkalinities, hardness, acidity, DO fluctuated significantly in the farm. Air temperature showed seasonal trends in fluctuation during the study period. The air temperature was recorded lowrnduring winter and high during summer. During the study period the lowest evaporation, sunshine hour and rainfall was recorded in rainy season and the highest was recorded in summer. But there was no significant variation found in relative humidity during this study period. Air pressure was recorded throughout the year. During the study period the lowest air pressure was recorded 996.4 mb in January and the highest was recorded as 1150.12 mb in April. The overall behavior and nature of an environment was largely governed by the interaction of the respected meteorological, physical, chemical and biological parameters.