Bioindicator

INTRODUCTION
A bioindicator is any species (an indicator species) or group of species whose function,
population, or status can reveal the qualitative status of the environment. For example, copepods
and other small water crustaceans that are present in many water bodies can be monitored for
changes (biochemical, physiological, or behavioural) that may indicate a problem within their
ecosystem. Bioindicators can tell us about the cumulative effects of different pollutants in the
ecosystem and about how long a problem may have been present, which physical and chemical
testing cannot.
A biological monitor or biomonitor is an organism that provides quantitative information on the
quality of the environment around it. Therefore, a good biomonitor will indicate the presence of
the pollutant and can also be used in an attempt to provide additional information about the
amount and intensity of the exposure.
A biological indicator is also the name given to a process for assessing the sterility of an
environment through the use of resistant microorganism strains (eg. Bacillus or Geobacillus).
Biological indicators can be described as the introduction of a highly resistant microorganisms to
a given environment before sterilization, tests are conducted to measure the effectiveness of the
sterilization processes. As biological indicators use highly resistant microorganisms, any
sterilization process that renders them inactive will have also killed off more common, weaker
pathogens.
The advantages associated with using Bioindicators are as follows:
(a) Biological impacts can be determined.
(b) To monitor synergetic and antagonistic impacts of various pollutants on a creature.
(c) Early stage diagnosis as well as harmful effects of toxins to plants, as well as human beings,
can be monitored.
(d) Can be easily counted, due to their prevalence.
(e) Economically viable alternative when compared with other specialized measuring systems.
Types of bioindicators and their uses include the following:
1) MICROBIAL INDICATORS - Microorganisms are often used as health indicators of
aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Due to their abundance, they are easy to test and readily
available. Some
microorganisms when exposed to cadmium and benzene contaminants develops new proteins
known as stress proteins which can be used as early warning signs. Microorganisms are an
important part of oceanic biomass and are responsible for the majority of productivity and
nutrient cycle in a marine ecosystem. Microorganisms have a rapid rate of growth, and react to
even low levels of contaminants and other physicochemical and biological changes. From a
research perspective they give important signs of environmental change. Microbial indicators can
be used in a variety of ways to detect environmental pollutants in water including the use of
bioluminescent bacteria. The presence of toxins in waters can be easily monitored either by
changes in the digestion system of microbes which is hindered or disturbed by the presence of
toxins which may result in changes in the amount of light emitted by the bacteria. In comparison
to other available traditional tests, these tests are very quick to monitor; however, their limitation
is they can only indicate the changes in the organisms due to presence of toxins. One such
example is the bacterium Vogesella indigofera which reacts to heavy metals quantitatively.
Under the influence no metal pollution, this bacterium produces blue pigmentation which is an
important marker of morphological change that has taken place which can be effectively
observed visually. Alternatively, under the vicinity of hexavalent chromium, the production of
pigment is blocked. This pigment production can be attributed due to the relationship between
concentration of chromium and the generation of blue pigmentation by the bacterium.
2) PLANT INDICATORS - Plants are used as very sensitive tools for prediction and
recognition of environmental stresses. In recent time, due to industrialization and urbanization
the problem of contamination of water and water pollution has intensified. Marine plants provide
valuable information to predict the status of oceanic environment, as they are immobile and
rapidly obtain equilibrium with their natural surroundings. The presence or absence of some
specific plants or other vegetation provides ample information about environmental health.
Lichens generally found on the trunks of trees and rocks are composed of algae and fungi both.
They react to ecological changes in forests, including changes in the structure of the forest, air
quality, and climate. Environmental stress can be indicated by the disappearance of lichen in
forests, as caused by changes such as increases in the level of sulfur dioxide (SO2), pollutants of
sulfur and nitrogen (N2). Wolffia globose is an important tool for showing cadmium sensitivity
and also used for indicating cadmium contamination. Changes in the diversity of species of
phytoplankton,
including Euglena clastica, Phacus tortus, and Trachelon anas, indicate the pollution of marine
ecosystems
3) ANIMAL INDICATORS - An increase or decrease in an animal population may indicate
damage to ecosystem caused by pollution. For example, if pollution causes the depletion of
important food sources, animal species dependent upon these food sources will also be reduced
in number. In addition to monitoring the size and number of certain species, other mechanisms of
animal indication include monitoring the concentration of toxins in animal tissues, or monitoring
the rate at which deformities arise in animal population. For example, invertebrates can be
bioindicators. Aquatic invertebrates live in the bottom parts of waters. They are also called
benthic macroinvertebrates, or benthos (benthic=bottom, macro=large, invertebrate=animal
without a backbone) and make good indicators of watershed health because they: are easy to
identify in a laboratory, often live for more than one year, have limited mobility and are
integrators of environmental condition. Also, frogs can be boindicators of environmental quality
and change: Frogs are likely to be affected by changes that occur in terrestrial and freshwater
habitats, and to be exposed to contaminants in air, sediment and water. This make them potential
bioindicators of environmental quality and change. Reasons why frogs are particulary affected by
changes and contamination include: most frogs spend time in fresh water as aquatic eggs and
larvae, most frog spend time out of water as terrestrial immatures and adults, frogs lay naked
eggs and frogs have semi-permeable skin. Some bioindicators that are high on the food chain are
most comparable to humans and most sensitive to stressors, but are often rare and difficult to
study. Others that are at an intermediate trophic level may be consumed by humans, hence be
directly relevant to human exposure. Indicator species that are lower on the food chain can be
used to indicate potential damage to higher trophic level organisms within ecosystems, as well as
to humans who consumed them. Three species that can be used to examine both ecological and
human health include Mourning Doves, Raccoons,and fish. These are useful because they are
common, widespread, of interest to the public, and consumed by humans.

Biomonitoring

Bio-organisms are basically used to define the characteristics of a biosphere. These organisms
are known as Bioindicators or biomonitors, both of which may vary considerably. When
studying the environment, the quality of changes taking place can be determined by
Bioindicators while
biomonitors are used to get quantitative information on the quality of the environment biological
monitoring also incorporating data regarding past aggravations and the impacts of various
variables. Monitoring can be done for various biological processes or systems with the objective
of observing the temporal and spatial changes in health status, assessing the impacts of specific
environment or anthropogenic stressors and assessing the viability of anthropogenic measures
(e.g. reclamation, remediation, and reintroduction). The species diversity is used as a prime
aspect in biological monitoring, which is considered to be a valuable parameter in determining
the health of the environment. Biomonitoring is one of the essential components for assessing the
quality of water and has become an integral element of conducting studies on water pollution.
Figure 2. Sub-types of Bioindicators
PLANKTONS

In many water bodies, such as, seas, lakes, streams, and swamps, significant biological
production is carried out by plankton. Planktons are composed of organisms with chlorophyll
(i.e. phytoplankton and animals such as zooplanktons). These planktons consist of communities
that float along currents and tides, yet they fuse and cycle important quantities of energy that is
then passed on to higher trophic levels. Indian lentic ecosystems were researched for planktons
amid the mid-twentieth century. These studies demonstrated that the predominant planktons and
their regularity are exceptionally variable in diverse water bodies relying upon their supplement
status, age, morphometry, and other location variables. Hence, they are also used as indicators of
the trophic state of lakes. Planktons react rapidly to ecological changes and are viewed as
excellent indicators of water quality and trophic conditions due to their short time and rapid rate
of reproduction. Under natural conditions, the occurrence of planktonic organisms is identified
with the resistance range in relation to abiotic ecological components (Temperature, Oxygen
fixation, and pH) as well as the biotic connections among organisms. The changes that occur
within the communities of planktons provide the platform to determine the trophic state of water
bodies.

Figure: Flow chart of planktons indicating pollution (lake condition).

PHYTOPLANKTON
Phytoplanktons, also known as microalgae, are similar to terrestrial plants in that they contain
chlorophyll and require daylight to live and develop. Most are light and swim in the upper
portion of the sea, where light infiltrates the water. Development and photosynthesis are closely
related, each one being a function of usage of light and food supplements. Algae are quite
sensitive to contamination, and this may be reflected in their population levels and/or rates or
photosynthesis Affects development of population or photosynthesis, for the most part, algae are
as sensitive to contaminations as other species. When there is change in the diversity of
phytoplankton species, it may indicate pollution of the marine ecosystem. Evidences pertaining
to phytoplankton Phytoplanktons have been used for successful observation of water
contamination and are a useful indicator of water quality.
Zooplanktons
Zooplanktons are microscopic animals living near to the surface of the water body. They are
poor swimmers, instead relying on tides and currents as a transport mechanism. They feed upon
phytoplanktons, bacterioplanktons, or detritus (i.e. marine snow). Zooplanktons constitute a vital
food source for fish. They also play an important role as Bioindicators and help to evaluate the
level of water pollution. In freshwater communities, along with fish, they are the main food
supplement to many other marine species. They are assumed to be a vital part in indicating water
quality, eutrophication, and production of a freshwater body. In order to determine the status of a
freshwater body it is necessary to measure seasonal variations and presence of zooplanktons.
Differing varieties of species, biomass diversity and wealth of zooplankton groups can be
utilized to determine the strength of a biological system. The potential of zooplankton as a
bioindicators species is high on the grounds that their development and conveyance are subject to
some abiotic (e.g. temperature, saltiness, stratification, and pollutants) and biotic parameters (e.g.
limitation of food, predation, and competition).
 Gradation
of the presented species

•• Thls water is not recommended to drink