Abstract
Two complementary indices of estuarine quality have been developed as a management tool and to facilitate intercomparison of diverse estuarine types. The indices used here have been devised as relatively quick and inexpensive and taking into account both the biological and the environmental information from a systematic survey of the intertidal regions of an estuary.
The Biological Quality Index (BQI) is based on the proportions of the estuary classified abiotic, opportunistic or stable. The Pollution Load Index (PLI) is obtained from analysis of the intertidal sediments for pollutants which are then scored according to baseline (i.e. unpolluted) and threshold (i.e. at which adverse biological effects occur) values.
The BQI and PLI were then tested in seven Irish estuaries which represented the range of sizes and industrialisation present in Ireland. The results for BQI ranged from 0.0 (completely abiotic) to 9.94 (largely unpolluted), and for PLI from 0.0 to 2.56, although individual site PLI values ranged up to 10.0.
Modification of the indices and their wider application to other European estuaries are discussed.
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Jeffrey, D.W., Wilson, J.G., Harris, C.R., Tomlinson, D.L. (1985). The Application of Two Simple Indices to Irish Estuary Pollution Status. In: Wilson, J.G., Halcrow, W. (eds) Estuarine Management and Quality Assessment. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9418-5_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-9418-5_14
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