Skip main navigation

New offer! Get 30% off one whole year of Unlimited learning. Subscribe for just £249.99 £174.99. New subscribers only. T&Cs apply

Find out more

Bioindicators to Evaluate Water Quality in River and Stream Ecosystems

The use of bioindicators has become an important tool in monitoring and evaluating the water quality of river and stream ecosystems.

In this video, the concept of bioindicators has been introduced to assess the water quality of river or stream ecosystems.

River or stream ecosystems are important for human livelihood, and they have four values: supporting, provisioning, regulating, and cultural. However, human activities have caused pollution in many rivers and streams, leading to health risks for humans and negatively impacting mental health. The three main types of pollution found in rivers and streams are nutrient pollution, inorganic chemical pollution (such as heavy metals), and organic chemical pollution (such as oils or gasoline). Bioindicators can be used to monitor and evaluate the level of pollution in rivers or streams, which can help to prevent further damage and restore the ecosystem.

Review questions:

  • What are the four values of river or stream ecosystems?
  • What are the three main types of pollution found in rivers and streams?
  • How can bioindicators help assess the water quality of river or stream ecosystems?
This article is from the free online

Sustainable Development in Health and Ecology

Created by
FutureLearn - Learning For Life

Reach your personal and professional goals

Unlock access to hundreds of expert online courses and degrees from top universities and educators to gain accredited qualifications and professional CV-building certificates.

Join over 18 million learners to launch, switch or build upon your career, all at your own pace, across a wide range of topic areas.

Start Learning now