Water quality in Imbang River, Negros Occidental: effluents and pollutant loads from
agriculture, sugar mills, households, and shrimp farms
GA Gonzales, HJ Gonzales, RC Sanares, ET Taberna
Institute of Aquaculture, University of the Philippines in the Visayas
Miagao, Iloilo
Abstract
An ecological assessment of Imbang River in
Negros Occidental was undertaken from December
1992 to February 1995. The effluents from sugar
mills, households, shrimp farms, sugarcane
plantations and rice fields were characterized and
their pollutant loads estimated. Water quality and
invertebrate assemblages were analyzed at several
sites along the river to determine the environmental
status. Results showed significant seasonal and site
variations in water quality along Imbang River. The
dry season, coinciding with the milling season, was
the more critical time of the year as water quality
tended to deteriorate. The segments of the river near
the sugar mills and households had the poorest water
quality. Sugar mill effluents had high water
temperature (average 33oC but as high as 50oC), low
dissolved oxygen, high total solids, the highest
settleable solids (average 2.5 and as high as 17 m/l),
and the highest biochemical oxygen demand
(average 259 ppm but as high as 14,800 ppm BOD).
Domestic effluents had low pH, high ammonia, very
high BOD, plus detergents or surfactants and high
levels of fecal coliform bacteria. Agricultural run-
off had high nitrate, high total solids, and the highest
total suspended solids (average 296 ppm but as high
as 5,095 ppm TSS). Shrimp ponds used saline water
of average 23 ppt, and had the highest total solids
(average 23,456 ppm and as high as 57,400 p p m ) .
By far the major contributor of pollutant loads into
Imbang River was agriculture, due to its huge areal
extent and huge volume of water use and run-off.
Agricultural run-off carried the highest annual loads
of 7,858 kg phosphate; 6,495 kg ammonia; 794 kg
nitrite; 67,212 kg nitrate; 16,987 metric tons
settleable solids; 16,800,000 mt total solids, and
11,890,000 mt total suspended solids; but only 297
mt BOD. Sugar mill effluents had the highest BOD
load (1,583 mt/yr) and also had high nutrient loads.
Household effluents contributed the second largest
loads of solids next to agriculture, and also added
surfactants (966 kg/yr) and fecal coliforms into the
river. The six shrimp farms at the lower reaches of
Imbang River were a minor contributor of pollutants
into the river, annually adding about 891 kg
ammonia; 1,077 kg phosphate; and 181,325 mt total
solids.
Introduction
The deterioration of rivers is a consequence of
human population growth and accelerated
urbanization. People demand increasing amounts of
clean water, and discharge waste water into the
nearest waterways. A river provides a convenient
means of disposing waste products and used water.
A river has self-purifying capacity but excessive and
unabated addition of pollutants could lead to
ecological imbalance, endanger public health, and
adversely affect the livelihood of communities using
the river water. Moreover, competing interests and
demands of the various users of communal water
resources have also spawned socioeconomic and
even political disturbances. For these reasons, there
is heightened interest and growing concern over the
status and management of rivers and other natural
waters in the Philippines and elsewhere.
Many of the country's rivers are widely
perceived to be badly degraded but there is scarce
historical data and little documentation of their
present condition. Reported pollution from
industrialization is mostly circumstantial or
anecdotal in nature. The lack of adequate baseline
information has hampered attempts to intervene and
rationalize use of river resources.
The present research project was designed to
generate information that could be used to assess the
state of a river of socioeconomic importance in
Region VI and fill some of the information gaps
about rivers in the country in general. Results of an
investigation of this type are useful considerations
for any scheme to rationalize use of the river and get
sustained benefits from it.
The specific objectives of this study were:
To characterize the effluents from agriculture,
sugar mills, households, and shrimp farms along
Imbang River
To estimate the pollutant loads of the effluents
from these four sectors
To assess the effects of these effluents on the
river water quality and invertebrate fauna
To evaluate the status of the river and
recommend ways to properly manage the
various uses of the river
36 Fisheries Sector Program

Figure 1. The Imbang River system in Negros Occidental and the sampling stations during the study, May 1993 to February1995

Table 1. Sampling stations along Imbang River and tributaries, Negros Occidental, 1993-1995

Station Location Distance to sea (km)

1 Most upstream station on the main channel of Imbang River, Talisay town 31.5
2 Upstream of sugar mill A on Imbang River, Silay City 24.3
3 Downstream of sugar mill A 18.3
4 Downstream of Imbang-Hinalinan junction 18.2
6 Upstream of the junction with Muyao Creek 14.1
10 Upstream of the junction with Malisbog River 5.6
12 Downstream of junction with Malisbog, upstream of the Luguay Bridge 3.2
13 In Barangay Balaring, upstream of fish and shrimp ponds 0.9
14 Mouth of Imbang River into Guimaras Strait 0.05

Table 2. Analytical procedures for water quality determination (after APHA 1989)

Water quality variable Analytical procedure

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) Incubation at 20°C for 5 days
Orthophosphate-phosphorus (PO4-P) Ascorbic acid method
Ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) Phenate method
Nitrite-nitrogen (NO2-N) Diazotization method
Nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) Cadmium reduction method
Total solids (TS) Gravimetric method, evaporation, and oven drying
Total suspended solids (TSS) Glass fiber filtration and oven drying
Settleable solids (SS) Volumetric method, settling in Imhoff cones after 1 hour
Surfactants Methylene blue method

Department of Agriculture
Research Output Volume 2
Materials and methods
Study area
The Imbang River System in Negros Occidental
consists of the main channel, Imbang River, and its
tributaries, Malisbog and Hinalinan Rivers and
Muyao Creek (Fig. 1). The headwaters of Imbang is
located in the municipality of Talisman, from where
it flows westerly through Silay City towards
Guimaras Strait. Near the mouth, the river splits
into two branches, one that exits at Barangay Lailtad
and another that exits at Barangay Balaring.
Silay City lies outside the typhoon belt, and has
Type III climate, where seasons are not pronounced,
but relatively dry from November to April and wet
the rest of the year. Silay City has a mean annual
temperature of 27oC and mean annual rainfall of
about 250 cm. The Imbang River area receives a
total of 170 cm of rain annually. The river's
drainage area is about 19,684 ha, a largely broad
plain terrain and gently rolling slopes. Soil types
include clay loam, sand loam, sandy clay, and sandy
loam. Agricultural land surrounds much of the river.
Imbang River and its tributaries are used by
bordering communities and establishments as
sources of water and as sinks of wastes and waste
waters. Sources of pollution include two sugar
mills, sugarcane plantations, shrimp farms, and
numerous households. Parts of the river bed are
quarried for sand and gravel. The river also supports
sustenance fishing by municipal fisherman.
River monitoring
Monitoring stations were designated along Imbang
River and its tributaries (Fig. 1); for reference,
distances from the sea are given for some stations
(Table 1). The sampling sites were chosen on the
basis of inflow influences and on accessibility.
Water samples were collected monthly from
December 1992 to October 1994. At each station,
samples were from mid-depth at the middle of the
river, and at two tide-influenced stations, also from
the surface and bottom. Each station was sampled at
three places for coliform analyses. On three
occasions before and during the rainy season, river
water was sampled for organochlorine pesticide
residues. Samples of bottom sediment and snails
were also collected for pesticide analyses.
Invertebrates were collected with a dredge from
three places across the river bottom. Organisms were
preserved in 70% alcohol, identified, and
enumerated. The Shannon-Weaver diversity index
was calculated from the counts as a measure of
environmental quality.
Bureau of Agricultural Research
37
Effluent sampling
Establishments discharging waste waters into
Imbang River were identified and specific sites for
effluent disposal were located and sampled at
different intervals during the period from May 1993
to February 1995. Included were the following:
Sugar mill A along Imbang's main channel and
Sugar mill B along the tributary Malisbog
108 ha of shrimp farms
19,714 ha of sugar cane plantations and rice
fields
16,486 households
Sugar mill effluents were collected from the
outfalls into the river and tributary and from
secondary outlets—seven sampling stations in all.
Collections were made during the height of the
milling season and also after cessation of milling
operations. On several dates, 24-h monitoring was
conducted. River water samples were also taken
from upstream and downstream of each sugar mill.
Aquaculture effluents were taken from six semi-
intensive shrimp farms. Waste waters were sampled
from the pond gate during routine water exchange
and during total drainage at harvest.
Agricultural run-off from nine farms was
sampled from open ditches during the wet season.
At two sites on two dates, the flows were also
monitored for 24 hours.
Domestic effluents were sampled from open
canals with different types of household discharges
including laundry, bathroom washings, kitchen
washings, and septic tank overflows. Effluents from
groups of households were sampled from eight
locations, some of which were also monitored for 24
hours.
Processing and analysis of samples
Dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, and salinity of
water and effluents were determined in situ with a
YSI dissolved oxygen meter, a Hach pH meter, and
an Atago refractometer.
All effluent samples were stored in polyethylene
bottles, preserved with a saturated solution of
mercuric chloride, and chilled. The samples were
brought to the laboratory and analyzed within 24–48
h according to procedures prescribed by the APHA
(1989). The specific procedures employed are listed
in Table 2.
Samples for pesticide residue analyses were
frozen in dry ice and air-freighted to the Natural
Sciences Research Institute of the University of the
Philippines Diliman for gas chromatography.
Samples of domestic sewage for microbial
analyses were stored in sterilized glass bottles and
chilled. Total and fecal coliforms were determined
within 24–36 h after collection following the most
probable number (MPN) procedure (ICMSF 1978).
38
Table 3. The secondary information and sources used in the study
Agency/Office/Individual
Provincial Agricultural Office,
Bacolod, Negros Occidental
Municipal Planning Offices of Silay
and Talisay
Assessor's Offices of Silay and Talisay
Regional Office of the National
Irrigation Authority, Iloilo City
Victorias Milling Corporation
Pollution Control Officers of 2 sugars mills
Private aquaculture farm owners and managers Fish farming practices
Plantation owners and overseers
Barangay Captains
Estimates of discharge rates and pollutant loads
Discharge rates of all waste water were measured
during sample collection, except for agricultural run-
off. Discharges from shrimp ponds were calculated
based on actual volumes of pond water drained out
during water exchanges and total drainage.
Outflows from sugar mills were estimated from the
cross-section of the discharging conduits, and from
the flow velocity as indicated by a current meter.
The discharge from agriculture was estimated
from the drainage area, average rainfall, and a run-
off constant value considered appropriate for the
area on the basis of its topography, ground cover,
and soil type.
Discharge from households could not be
measured in the absence of a centralized and
supervised sewerage system in the area.
The quantities of pollutants loaded into Imbang
River were calculated from the discharge rates and
the concentration of the pollutant in the effluent.
Short-term load estimates were extrapolated to give
long-term or annual estimates.
program.
Fisheries Sector Program
Information provided
Data on geography, climate, topography, edaphic
characteristics, and other background information on
the municipalities of Silay and Talisay
Land use information and related matters
Land use information and related matters
Drainage area of Imbang River
Rainfall data
Information on sugar milling operations, effluent
treatment and disposal, and related matters
Farming practices
Number of households, waste-disposing households
Secondary information
Secondary data were provided by a number of
government and private offices and individuals
(Table 3). Some secondary data needed for the
research were unavailable or non-existent. Available
data, on the other hand, were often incomplete and
sometimes conflicting. Given the private ownership
of the establishments discharging waste waters into
Imbang River, the project team had no control over
access, schedule of wastewater releases, and other
factors that had direct bearing on the conduct and
results of the study.
Analysis of data
Variations in water quality variables, biodiversity
index, and other factors by seasons and sites were
analyzed by ANOVA, correlation analysis,
agglomerate clustering, using the Statistical Package
for Social Science program.
Department of Agriculture
Research Output Volume 2
Results
Effluent quality and pollutant loads
Table 4 summarizes the physicochemical
characteristics of waste waters from shrimp ponds,
agriculture (sugarcane plantations and rice fields),
sugar mills, and households.
Sugar mill effluents had high water temperature
(average 33oC but as high as 50oC), low dissolved
oxygen, high total solids, the highest settleable
solids (average 2.5 and as high as 17 m/l), and the
highest biochemical oxygen demand (average 259
ppm but as high as 14,800 ppm BOD).
Domestic effluents from households and other
human settlements had low pH, low dissolved
oxygen, high ammonia, and also very high BOD.
Effluents from households also contained detergents
or surfactants, and the sewage naturally had high
levels of coliform bacteria, 85% of which were
fecal coliforms.
Agricultural run-off had high nitrate, high total
solids, and the highest total suspended solids
(average 296 ppm but as high as 5,095 ppm TSS).
Shrimp ponds used saline water of average 23
ppt, and had the highest total solids (average 23,456
ppm and as high as 57,400 ppm).
Sugar mill effluents and domestic effluents
exceeded the allowable limits of BOD and solids for
Class C water intended for fish propagation or
fishing (DENR 1990). Agricultural run-off and
shrimp pond effluents also exceeded the limits for
total solids and total suspended solids (Table 4).
Table 5 summarizes the estimated pollutant
loads into Imbang River from the four sectors.
Pollutant load were estimated from the
concentration of the substance in the effluent times
the total volume of the effluent.
By far the major contributor of pollutant loads
into Imbang River was agriculture, due to its huge
areal extent and huge volume of water use and run-
off. Agricultural run-off carried the highest annual
loads of 7,858 kg phosphate; 6,495 kg ammonia;
794 kg nitrite; 67,212 kg nitrate; 16,987 metric tons
settleable solids; 16,800,000 mt total solids, and
11,890,000 mt total suspended solids; but only 297
mt BOD.
Sugar mill effluents had the highest BOD load
(1,583 mt/yr) and was potentially the most
degrading of river water quality. These mill
effluents also had high nutrient loads.
Household effluents contributed the second
largest loads of solids next to agriculture, and also
loaded surfactants (966 kg/yr) and fecal coliforms
into the river.
Shrimp ponds were a minor contributor of
pollutants into the river, annually adding about 891
kg ammonia; 1,077 kg phosphate; and 181,325 mt
total solids.
Bureau of Agricultural Research
39
Thus, the data in Table 5 supports the common
knowledge that agriculture is a major contributor to
water pollution in terms of nutrients and silt from
erosion. The data in Table 5 refutes the widely held
perception that shrimp farming is a major
contributor to water pollution.
It is also very important to note that sugar mills,
households, and agriculture consumed fresh water
and were thus almost completely dependent on
Imbang River. Shrimp ponds do not consume fresh
water, do not even consume sea water, but merely
use water as habitat or medium for growing shrimp.
High BOD effluents are of immediate concern
in the management of river water quality. High
BOD materials consume oxygen in the water,
causes fish kills, and reduces the abundance and
diversity of river flora and fauna. Decomposing
materials in the water make the water unfit for
household use and human consumption.
According to the sugar mill personnel, the
effluents go through primary and secondary
treatment to reduce the BOD, organic solids,
temperature, and acidity. Despite this treatment,
obnoxious odors, black water, and organic sludge
were observed around the discharge outlets.
Also of high BOD, raw sewage from
households was highly objectionable because of lack
of treatment. Some homes had septic tanks, but
these were inefficient and overflowed eventually
into Imbang River. Coliform bacteria come from
the soil and the feces of people and farm animals,
and high coliform counts provide warning of
potential enteric diseases in people (Hammer 1977).
To regulate water uses and protect the water
quality in rivers and lakes, the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR
1990) set effluent standards for domestic sewage
discharged into various receiving waters. For
Class C waters primarily intended for fishing and
fish farming, the allowable limits are:
pH 6-9
Biochemical oxygen demand 80 ppm
Settleable solids 0.5 ppm
Total suspended solids 90 ppm
Total solids 1,000 ppm
Surfactants 7 ppm
Total coliforms 150 mpn/ml
40 Fisheries Sector Program

Table 4. Water quality of effluents from six shrimp farms at downstream end of Imbang River,
Negros Occidental, May 1993 to February 1995

User sector Water temp (oC) Salinity (ppt) pH Diss oxygen (ppm)
Mean range Mean range Mean range Mean range

Sugar mills 33 23–50 0.3 0–2 6.6 4.4–9.1 3.5 2.2–4.9

Households 28 25–34 0.4 0–7 6.6 4.1–7.6 3.3 0.5–7.2
Agriculture 28 25–38 0 0 6.9 6.2–7.8 5.5 2.1–7.4
Shrimp ponds 29 26–34 23 10–40 7.9 6.8–9.5 5.2 1.1–14.3

P04-P (ppm) NH3-N (ppm) N02-N (ppm) N03-N (ppm)

Mean range Mean range Mean range Mean range

Sugar mills 0.8 0.1–2.7 0.4 0–1.0 0.01 0–0.05 0.4 0–2.1
Households 0.7 0.1–1.9 0.7 0–2.5 0.04 0–0.44 1.0 0–7.1
Agriculture 0.2 0–0.8 0.2 0–1.1 0.02 0–0.11 1.7 0.1–6.1
Shrimp ponds 0.2 0–2.2 0.1 0–0.8 0.003 0–0.04 0.1 0–0.7

Settleable solids Total solids Total suspended Biochem oxygen

(ml/l) (ppm) solids (ppm) demand (ppm)
Mean range Mean range Mean range Mean range

Sugar mills 2.5 0–17 1,000 140–3,790 118 42–498 259 8–14,800
Households 0.8 0–18 469 167–2,240 132 26–474 142 2–440
Agriculture 0.4 0–9 465 100–5,700 296 26–5,095 7 1–49
Shrimp ponds 0.2 0–2 23,456 8,000–57,400 231 48–598 20 2–114

Table 5. Estimated annual pollutant loads from four sources

Sources Loads of nutrients , particulates, and coliform bacteria

P04-P NH3-N N02-N N03-N Biochemical Surfactants
(kg/yr) (kg/yr) (kg/yr) (kg/yr) oxygen demand (kg/yr)
(mt/yr)

Sugar mills 2,455 2,714 39 2,473 1,583 –

Households 807 820 48 1,245 178 966
Agriculture 7,858 6,495 794 67,212 297 –
Shrimp ponds 1,077 891 17 317 154 –

Sources Settleable Total solids Total suspended Total Fecal

solids (mt/yr) solids coliforms coliforms
(mt/yr) (mt/yr) (xl010/yr) (xl010/yr)

Sugar mills 13 8,667 7,330 – –

Households 974 590,000 164,000 3.7 3.2
Agriculture 16,987 16,800,000 11,890,000 – –
Shrimp ponds 1 181,325 1,285 – –

Department of Agriculture
Research Output Volume 2
Invertebrate fauna
Aquatic invertebrates are ideal indicator organisms
of environmental quality because they are typically
abundant, relatively immobile, and have a wide
tolerance for pollution. The benthic invertebrates
gathered during the study included about 30
identified taxa (Table 6).
The Shannon-Weaver diversity index averaged
0.50 over the study period, with marked differences
among stations, but little seasonal variation (Table
7). The headwaters (stations 1 and 2) had the most
diverse assemblage of benthic invertebrates, whereas
stations 2A and 12 had the poorest quality.
Statistical analyses showed positive correlations
of diversity with pH and DO, but negative
correlations with water temperature, ammonia, and
phosphate.
Pesticides
The water, sediments, and snails in Imbang River
contained traces of various organochlorine
pesticides, higher during the wet season (Tables 8-
9). The pesticide concentrations detected in the
water passed the standards of the US Environment
Protection Agency and the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (Table 8).
However, during one collection date at the peak of
the rainy season, the organochlorine DDT exceeded
EPA‘s maximum limits at all stations except at the
mouth, and heptachlor reached unacceptable level at
station 10. Occasionally, the water contained
lindane, aldrin, chlordane, and dieldrin at
concentrations that bordered on the maximum
allowable limits.
Organochlorines are considered the most
environmentally harmful pesticides because of their
persistence and bioaccumulation ability. An
indication of their potential for magnification in
various components of the ecosystem is suggested
by the data in Table 9. For instance, the
concentrations of o,p DDT, DDD, and endosulfan II
in soil and snails were 10x greater than in water.
Similarly, the p-p DDT and aldrin in snail tissues
were 5x greater than the concentrations in water and
soil.
The sugarcane and rice farms around Imbang
River rely on a variety of pesticides for successful
crop production and harvest. Residues of pesticides
are transported from farms dissolved in run-off
water and adsorbed in sediments eroded from the
surrounding lands. Pesticides in effluents are an
environmental concern because of toxicity even to
non-target organisms and the ability to concentrate
in the receiving ecosystem.
Bureau of Agricultural Research
41
Larger concentrations of pesticides are carried
and loaded by agricultural overflows into freshwater
bodies in particulate, rather than in dissolved form
(Overcash and Davidson 1980). The volume of
agricultural soil that erodes increases during the
rains, settling to the bottom of the receiving water.
Whereas the water itself may contain low pesticide
concentrations, a reservoir of pesticide-contaminated
bottom sediments may periodically release toxic
amounts when disturbed, such as during floods.
Pesticide-containing sediments would be intolerable
to benthic fauna.
Site variations in water quality
Imbang River showed significant differences in
water quality by location (Figs. 2-16). The stations
in this study differed in all water quality variables
except nitrate, settleable solids, total suspended
solids, and fecal coliforms, which come more from
nonpoint sources—farmlands and households.
Stations 1 and 2 near the river‘s head waters
were markedly different from station 14 at the
mouth, being different types of habitats. The head
waters were cooler fresh water, whereas the river
mouth was a warm estuarine habitat— with widely
fluctuating and stressful physical conditions, but
plenty of food. Agriculture and a few scattered
houses were the influences at the upstream stations,
whereas aquaculture affected the river mouth,
albeit in a localized and temporary way.
Station 2A immediately below the sugar mill
and Station 12 near the river mouth shared the
common characteristics of high BOD, low dissolved
oxygen (DO), high solids, and high coliforms. Both
stations received large volumes of organic matter.
Station 2A received cane milling effluents with
some domestic and agricultural drainage. Station 12
received mainly solid and liquid wastes from a dense
community of local residents and also the discharge
from the tributary Malisbog River, which has a sugar
mill B and numerous households.
The middle segment of the river received a
wider mix of both solid and liquid contaminants.
Station 10 was affected by agricultural drainage but
remained relatively clean with inflowing water from
the tributary Muyao Creek. Self-purification by the
river was evident from the partial recovery of water
quality at station 10 from a low at station 2A, and
also at station 14 from a low at station 12.
Total solids were greater than the allowable 90
ppm at three sites— between stations 3 and 2A, 10
and 6, and 12 and 13. The most downstream stations
13 and 14 had markedly more total solids than the
rest of the river, less due to suspended materials,
and more due to dissolved salt from sea water. The
river mouth flushed out polluted water continuously,
helped regularly by the ebb tides. The flushing was
adequate since station 14 had relatively good water
quality.
42 Fisheries Sector Program

Table 6. Benthic invertebrates in Imbang River Table 8. Organochlorine pesticides (means) in

Imbang River during the wet and dry
Gastropoda Coleoptera seasons
Bythinia sp. Narpus sp.
Helisoma sp. Dixa sp. Concentrations ( g/l)
Lymnaea sp. Cybister sp. Organochlorines Wet Dry Standards*
Pleurocera sp. DENR EPA
Tarebia sp. Plecoptera
Goniobasis sp. Isogenus sp. Aldrin 0.5–1 0.1–0.5 1 3
Gyraulus sp. Isoperla sp. DDT 0.1–13 0.1–1 50 1
Campeloma sp. Dieldrin 0.5–1 0.2–0.5 1 3
Neritina sp. Diptera Endosulfan I 0.3–1 0.5 3
Pomacea sp. Simulium sp. Endosulfan 11 0.3–1 0.5–2 3
Amnicola sp. Chironomus sp. Endrin 0.2–1 0.5 nil 4
Aedes sp. Heptachlor 0.1–2 0.1–0.5 nil 1
Bivalvia Culex sp. Lindane 0.1–4 0.5–0.9 4 10
Corbicula sp. Lymnophylla sp. Methoxychlor 0.5–1 4 100 30
Crassostrea sp. Chlordane 0.3–3 0.1–2 3 10
Sphaerium sp. Odonata
Helocordulia sp.
Oligochaeta *Maximum pesticide concentrations for Class AA
Tubifex sp. and Class A waters
Branchiura sp. DENR Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR 1990b)
Decapoda EPA United States Environmental Protection
Gammarus sp. Agency (Creswell 1993)
Penaeid mysis

Table 7. Shannon-Weaver diversity index Table 9. Organochlorine pesticides in water,

(means) at stations along Imbang soil, and snails in Imbang River in
River, 1993-1995 February 1995

Station Milling Milling Wet Dry Concentrations ( g/l)

season off season season season Organochlorines Water Soil Snails

1 1.03 0.90 0.89 1.08 p,p DDT 1.0 1.0 5.0

2 1.01 0.86 0.87 1.05 o,p DDT 0.1 1.0 1.0
2A 0.29 0.17 0.21 0.22 Aldrin 0.1 0.5 0.5
3 0.26 0.37 0.46 0.05 Dieldrin 0.2 0.2 0.2
5 0.48 0.37 0.45 0.36 Lindane 0.9 1.0 1.0
6 0.33 0.37 0.35 0.35 Endosulfan 0.5 1.0 1.0
10 0.64 0.88 0.78 0.76 Heptachlor 0.1 0.1 0.1
12 0.30 0.08 0.19 0.16 Chlordane 0.1 0.1 0.1
13 0.32 0.24 0.24 0.34 DE 2.4 2.5 2.5
14 0.70 0.68 0.68 0.70 DDD 0.9 9.0 9.0
Endosulfan sulfate 8.0 8.0 8.0
Means 0.54 0.50 0.51 0.52 Endosulfan 11 0.5 5.0 5.0

Department of Agriculture
Research Output Volume 2 43

Seasonal variations in water quality Water temperature, salinity, pH

Unlike the continuous flow of domestic drainage or
the intermittent release of water from ponds, the
annual cycles of wet and dry periods and sugarcane
milling exert seasonal perturbations on Imbang
River. Table 10 shows significant seasonal
differences in most of the water quality variables.
Wet and dry seasons. The meteorological and
hydrological regime around Imbang River differs
between the dry season (November to April) and the
wet season during the rest of the year. Rain
increases the volume and discharge of the tributaries
and the main channel, but also the dilution capacity.
Run-off washes down into the river large loads of
dissolved and particulate matter from the
surrounding plains and slopes. In contrast, during the
dry months, the river contracts to a smaller bed,
concentrates pollutants and other materials, and
receives little run-off.
Milling season and off-season. Along the main
channel of the river, the opening and progress of the
milling season (September-May) were marked by
the release from sugar mill A of warm (up to 50°C)
effluent. During the off-season, the sugar mill was
cleaned for about a month.
The milling season nearly coincided with the
dry season around Imbang River. Figures 2-16 show
plots of the water quality variables along Imbang
River during the wet and dry seasons (left panels)
and during the milling season and off-season (right
panels).
More intense sunlight during dry months caused
water to be significantly warmer than during the
rainy season (Fig. 2). A significant seasonal
difference in temperature was also related to the
release of heated or relatively warm water from the
sugar mill. The average rise in temperature (3.4oC)
just downstream of the sugar mill exceeded the
allowable 3oC (DENR 1990b).
Higher temperature lowers the quantity of
oxygen that dissolves in a given volume of water,
but accelerates the rate of oxygen consumption by
aquatic organisms. Warmer water has greater
potential to develop anoxic conditions, with
unfavorable impacts on fish and other aquatic biota.
Higher temperature also speeds up evaporation and
concentrates particulates in the water. Temperature
also stimulates spawning of aquatic animals, but if
too high, may instead prevent spawning
Only stations 13 and 14 nearest the river mouth
had slightly saline water, higher during the dry
season (Fig. 3).
The pH was lower near the sugar mill, and
significantly lower during the milling season (Fig.
4). Lime treatment moderated the effluent's impact
and the acidity imparted to the river was not as high
as might have been. All stations had acceptable pH
6.5-8.5. The pH can be important because it
regulates the concentration or toxicity of ammonia
and hydrogen sulfide.
DO and BOD

All parts of the river during the rainy season

Table 10. Summary of analyses of variance of contained adequate amounts of dissolved oxygen
water quality and microbiological (DO) and met the DENR standard of 5 ppm (Fig. 5).
conditions of Imbang River by seasons This contrasted with poorly oxygenated water during
the dry season, when only the most upstream
Water quality Probability of differences stations 1 and 2 contained sufficient DO.
variables Milling Dry Significantly lower DO occurred along the river
vs Off-milling vs Wet during the milling season. The sites most obviously
different were those near the sugar mill. After
Water temperature 0* 0 cessation of the year‘s milling season, all parts of the
Salinity ns 0.004* river regained normal DO levels.
pH 0.05 ns The biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in
Dissolved oxygen 0* 0.004 Imbang River increased significantly from the
BOD 0* 0* overall mean of 12 ppm during the wet season to a
PO4 -P ns 0.04 mean of 50 ppm during the dry season (Fig. 6). BOD
NH3-N ns ns was particularly high at the three stations below the
NO2-N 0.01 0.04 mill (stations 2A, 3, and 5). During the dry season,
NO3-N 0 0 BOD was 50x higher at station 2A than at the
Total solids ns 0.01* upstream station 2.
Total suspended solids 0 0.01 During the milling season, BOD increased 11x
Settleable solids 0.01 ns greater than during the off-season, and BOD was 37
Total coliforms 0 0.01 times greater at station 2A than at the upstream
Fecal coliforms 0 0 station 2. In addition to sugar mills, domestic
Surfactants 0.02 ns effluents also added considerable BOD (Table 5).
*Significant interactions with site

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44
Nutrients
High concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen in
freshwater bodies are environmental concerns
because they lead to eutrophication. During the
study, Imbang River had no excessive populations of
algae or other aquatic plants. DENR prescribes a
standard of 0.4 ppm phosphorus, but no standards
for ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate. Baker (1980)
considers 0.03 ppm phosphorus sufficient for algal
growth.
Phosphate concentrations in Imbang River were
within the DENR limit the whole year, but were
higher during the dry season (Fig. 7). The dry
season operations of the sugar mill contributed high
phosphate concentrations at station 2A, which
received the mill effluents. During the rainy season,
agricultural run-off was probably a significant
contributor of phosphate and other nutrients to the
river.
Ammonia showed no seasonal differences (Fig.
8), probably because it was loaded from households
and agriculture, spread throughout the year, in
addition to sugar mills.
Nitrate and nitrite levels were higher during the
wet season and lower during the milling season than
during the rest of the year (Figs. 9-10). Both
nutrients were loaded mostly from agricultural run-
off (Table 5).
Solids
The total solids (TS) in Imbang River did not show
significant variations between seasons, except at
stations 13 and 14 nearest the sea (Fig. 11).
Total suspended solids (TSS) were higher
during the rainy months (Fig. 12) due to eroded
materials and disturbed bottom sediments. The
fraction of TS due to TSS rose from 6% during the
dry season to 52% during the wet season; at stations
13 and 14 nearest the sea, the TSS fraction went
from 2% to 11%.
During the milling season, TSS constituted less
than 10% of TS at station 2A, and 90% was due to
settleable solids (SS). After the mill had shut down,
the TSS component rose to 47% and SS fell to 53%;
SS downstream of the mill was 1.6x the upstream
concentration. The SS concentrations did not differ
significantly between the wet and dry seasons (Fig.
13).
Surfactants
There were no substantial differences in surfactant
concentrations between dry and wet seasons and the
river passed the DENR standard (Fig. 14). The
disposal rate of detergent-containing wash water
from households into the river was about the same
throughout the year.
Fisheries Sector Program
Coliform bacteria
The counts of total coliform bacteria and fecal
coliforms were lower during the rainy season (Fig.
15-16), probably because of the higher river
discharge and swifter currents that facilitated export
to sea. Fecal coliforms made up 54% of total during
the dry season but only 30% during the wet. Non-
fecal coliforms were higher during periods of greater
soil erosion. During the milling season, the
coliforms were about 51% fecal and 49% non-fecal
in origin. But the fecal component rose to 81% once
the mill operations closed for the year.
Imbang River is categorized as Class C,
principally intended for fish propagation or fishing.
The total coliform counts passed the DENR standard
of 5000 MPN/100 ml (1990b) for Class C waters.
However, stricter regulations should be applied to
Imbang, such as those for Class AA or A (for
drinking water) or for Class B (for primary contact,
e.g., bathing, swimming, etc.) waters because the
river is often used by local folks for bathing, clothes-
washing, and even for drinking. The river failed the
stringent limits for Class B waters —1000 MPN/100
ml total coliforms during the milling season, or 200
MPN/100 ml fecal coliforms at all times of the year.
The river was therefore hazardous to human health.
Some householders around Imbang River claimed to
have acquired water-related diseases such as skin
disorders, eye irritations, and stomach trouble.
Discussion and conclusion
Imbang River is a stressed water course that receives
a mix of polluting materials from different point and
nonpoint sources. The upstream end was the least
stressed, and the segments near a sugar mill and a
dense community of local residents were the most
disturbed. Partial recovery in water quality occurred
in the middle segments and at the river mouth.
Sugar mills discharged large amounts of high-
BOD effluents during the dry season, when the
river‘s dilution and assimilation capacities were
lowest. The result was poor water quality and a
distressed biota downstream of the mill.
Similarly, dumping of raw sewage by human
settlements seriously degraded the river. Raw
sewage also deoxygenates the water and unloads
pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Fecal pollution is a
health risk that should be curbed as soon as possible.
Local residents reported occasional incidences of
illnesses that may indeed have been caused by water
-borne pathogens.
Nutrient inputs from agricultural lands of other
sources did not show adverse impacts on the river.
No nuisance growths of aquatic plants were
observed to indicate excessive enrichment of the
waterways.
Department of Agriculture
Research Output Volume 2 45

wet dry off-season milling season

Average water temperature (oC)

1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14 1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14
Stations Stations

Figure 2. Average water temperature at stations along Imbang River during the dry and wet seasons (left panel) and
during the milling season and off-season (right panel)
Average salinity (ppt)

1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14 1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14
Stations Stations

Figure 3. Average salinity at stations along Imbang River during the dry and wet seasons (left panel) and during the
milling season and off-season (right panel)
Average water pH

1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14 1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14
Stations Stations

Figure 4. Average water pH at stations along Imbang River during the dry and wet seasons (left panel) and during the
milling season and off-season (right panel)

Bureau of Agricultural Research

46 Fisheries Sector Program

wet dry off-season milling season

Average dissolved oxygen (mg/l)

1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14 1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14
Stations Stations

Figure 5. Average dissolved oxygen concentrations at stations along Imbang River during the dry and wet seasons (left
panel) and during the milling season and off-season (right panel)
Average biochemical oxygen demand (mg/l)

1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14 1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14
Stations Stations

Figure 6. Average biochemical oxygen demand at stations along Imbang River during the dry and wet seasons (left
panel) and during the milling season and off-season (right panel)
Average phosphate (mg/l)

1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14 1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14
Stations Stations

Figure 7. Average phosphate concentrations at stations along Imbang River during the dry and wet seasons (left panel)
and during the milling season and off-season (right panel)

Department of Agriculture
Research Output Volume 2 47

wet dry off-season milling season

Average ammonia (mg/l)

1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14 1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14
Stations Stations

Figure 8. Average ammonia concentrations at stations along Imbang River during the dry and wet seasons (left panel)
and during the milling season and off-season (right panel)
Average nitrite (mg/l)

1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14 1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14
Stations Stations

Figure 9. Average nitrite concentrations at stations along Imbang River during the dry and wet seasons (left panel) and
during the milling season and off-season (right panel)
Average nitrate (mg/l)

1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14 1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14
Stations Stations

Figure 10. Average nitrate concentrations at stations along Imbang River during the dry and wet seasons (left panel)
and during the milling season and off-season (right panel)

Bureau of Agricultural Research

48 Fisheries Sector Program

wet dry off-season milling season

Average total solids (mg/l)

1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14 1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14
Stations Stations

Figure 11. Average total solids at stations along Imbang River during the dry and wet seasons (left panel) and during
the milling season and off-season (right panel)
Average suspended solids (mg/l)

1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14 1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14
Stations Stations

Figure 12. Average suspended solids at stations along Imbang River during the dry and wet seasons (left panel) and
during the milling season and off-season (right panel)
Average settleable solids (mg/l)

1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14 1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14
Stations Stations

Figure 13. Average settleable solids at stations along Imbang River during the dry and wet seasons (left panel) and
during the milling season and off-season (right panel)

Department of Agriculture
Research Output Volume 2 49

wet dry off-season milling season

Average surfactants (mg/l)

1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14 1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14
Stations Stations

Figure 14. Average surfactant concentrations at stations along Imbang River during the dry and wet seasons (left panel)
and during the milling season and off-season (right panel)
Average total coliform count (MPN/100 ml)

1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14 1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14
Stations Stations

Figure 15. Average total coliform counts at stations along Imbang River during the dry and wet seasons (left panel)
and during the milling season and off-season (right panel)
Average fecal coliforms (mg/

1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14 1 2 2A 3 5 6 10 12 13 14
Stations Stations

Figure 16. Average fecal coliform counts at stations along Imbang River during the dry and wet seasons (left panel)
and during the milling season and off-season (right panel)

Bureau of Agricultural Research

50
Pesticide pollution was not a problem in Imbang
River at the time of this investigation. There was
some indication, however, that a few specific
organochlorine pesticides may occur at levels that
border on the safe limits during rainy months. Their
persistence and capabilities to be magnified in
different components of the ecosystem make even
low concentrations undesirable. Sediments in the
river bed and some aquatic animals had already
absorbed traces of the organochlorines.
Semi-intensive aquaculture was the least
damaging influence among the four sectors that were
considered. Most of the TS load from ponds was
due to the saline water. The effects of pond
effluents were localized—they did not affect
upstream water quality and the other uses of the
river. But the shrimp farms were clustered along the
same relatively short segment of the river, which
served both as common water source and recipient
of wastes. Hence, the discharge from one farm
could adversely affect neighboring farms and even
itself.
The tides cleansed the lower end of the river up
to the site of the shrimp farms. Imbang River
appeared to have adequate capability to flush out
wastes. This may not necessarily hold true at some
future time.
The state regulates the quality of wastewaters
that are discharged to the country's surface waters
through the Department of Health for sewage and
DENR for industrial and other effluents. However,
the monitoring capabilities of these agencies are
limited. Industrial effluents are monitored with
varying degrees of strictness by concerned
authorities. The set of water quality standards
presently in use is applied across all types of
effluents regardless of the quality peculiarities and
initial strength of each. The standard of 80 ppm for
BOD, for example, is imposed for sewage,
aquaculture effluent, and agriculture run-off. The
DENR prescribes separate standards for BOD only
for different categories of strong industrial wastes.
At present, safe limits for nutrients and pesticides
are still lacking.
Recommendations
A comprehensive water quality management plan
for the river basin should be developed as soon as
possible. It should include both short-term and long-
term courses of action. The plan should include the
following features:
1. Improved sanitation practices and services —
including more toilets for residents, a common
sewerage system and effective solid waste
management
Fisheries Sector Program
2. Improved regulation of sugar mills and effluent
disposals, including economic incentives for
compliance
3. Better programs for soil conservation —
including better farming technologies and
practices, and environment education for
watershed stakeholders
4. Responsible aquaculture practices to minimize
effects on the external environment —including
environment-friendly farming technologies and
effluent treatment
5. A surveillance and monitoring system for water
quality—with frequent and regular sampling
schedules and a data bank that can be used as
reference
6. Research on the waste assimilation capacity of
the river—including the behavior and
magnitudes of pollutants in relation to
hydrological conditions and different soil and
crop management techniques
Literature cited
APHA. 1989. Standard Methods for the
Examination of Water and Wastewater 14th
Edition. American Public Health Association,
Washington DC, 1193 pp.
Baker JC. 1980. Agricultural areas as nonpoint
sources of pollution, pp. 273-309. In: MR
Overcash and JM Davidson (eds) Environmental
Impact of Nonpoint Source Pollution. Science
Publishers, Ann Arbor.
Boyd CE. 1979. Water Quality in Warmwater Fish
Ponds. Auburn University Agricultural
Experiment Station. Craftmaster Printers,
Alabama, 360 pp.
Creswell RL. 1993. Aqua Desk Reference. Harbor
Branch Oceanographic Institution, Inc. Van
Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 206 pp.
DENR 1990a. Revised Effluent Regulations of
1990, Revising and Amending the Effluent
Regulations of 1982. DENR Administrative Order
35 Series of 1990. Department of Environment
and Natural Resources, Quezon City, 15 pp.
DENR 1990b. Revised Water Usage and
Classification/Water Quality Criteria Amending
Section Numbers 68 and 69, Chapter III of the
1978 NPCC Rules and Regulations. DENR
Administrative Order 34 Series of 1990.
Department of Environment and Natural
Resources, Quezon City, 15 pp.
Haedrich RL. 1975. Diversity and overlap as
measures of environmental quality. Water Res. 9:
945-952.
Hammer MJ. 1977. Water and Wastewater
Technology. John Wiley and Sons, New York,
503 pp.
Department of Agriculture
Research Output Volume 2 51

ICMSF. 1978. Microorganisms in Foods 1. Their

Significance and Methods of Enumeration, 2nd
edition. International Commission on
Microbiological Specification for Foods.
University of' Toronto Press, Toronto, 434 pp.
Leopold BL. 1994. Water- A Primer. WH Freeman
and Co., San Francisco, 172 pp.
Madamba LSP, Gallapate RP, Decena AM,
Samaniego NA. 1990a. Pollution load contribution
of San Juan and San Cristobal River to Laguna de
Bay. Philipp. J. Sci. 121: 317-344.
Madamba LSP, Gallapate RP, Decena AM,
Casunuran VB. 1992b. Pollution load contribution
of Sta. Cruz River to Laguna de Bay. Philipp. J.
Sci. 121: 161-180.
Overcash MR, Davidson JM (eds). 1980.
Environmental Impact of Nonpoint Source
Pollution. Science Publishers, Ann Arbor, 449 pp.

Bureau of Agricultural Research