Effects of wastewater on fish and macroinvertebrates of selected small East Tennessee streams

This study Investigated the impacts of several municipal and industrial wastewater discharges on the aquatic fauna of four small east Tennessee streams. Water samples were collected at 13 locations and analyzed for 25 chemical parameters. Aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish were collected quantitatively and qualitatively at the same 13 sample stations. The data were used to determine if damage had occurred to the aquatic communities and, if so, to determine the specific cause of the damage. The results indicated severe impacts to the fish and macroinvertebrate communities existed downstream of most of the effluent discharge points. In some cases, copper, zinc, or lead appeared to be the cause of the ecosystem degradation; in other cases, ammonia and chlorine toxicity seemed to cause the damage. Closer scrutiny of effluent constituents and toxicity is cited as a need to better protect the aquatic fauna of small streams that receive large amounts of complex industrial and municipal wastes.