A case study of sewage discharge in the shallow coastal area of the Adriatic Sea (Gulf of Trieste)

Mozetič, Patricija (author), Malačič, Vlado (author), Turk, Valentina (author)

A case study was carried out in 2000 in the shallow coastal area of the Adriatic Sea (Gulf of Trieste) where untreated domestic sewage and industrial wastes are discharged at rate of 5500 m3/day. The sewage plume above the outfall was followed using faecal coliforms (FC) and overturning length scale (lt). The latter was rejected as a marker as the discharge conditions prohibit following the turbulence of sewage water. Intermittent sewage discharge is reflected in the minimal effect of eutrophication. Increase of phytoplankton biomass is thus only minor compared with the unpolluted area regardless of elevated concentration of sewage-derived nutrienta (confirmed by correlation coefficients between FC and NH4+, TP, PO4supp3-:0.78, 0.71 and 0.67, respectively). Deteriorated trophic status, determined by the TRIX index, was observed only in the surface layer (Average TRIX:5.67). High FC content well above the regulation limit (up to 2.6X10supp5 FC.100/ml) represents, therfore, the major negative impact of the improperly treated waste and the risk to human health.

• Language: English
• Keywords: morje, Severni Jadran, evtrofikacija, efluenti, fekalne odplake, TRIX, Jadransko morje, hranilne snovi, fitoplankton, fekalni koliformi, bakterioplankton, Tržaški zaliv, odpadne vode, onesnaževanje, nutrienti, MBP-Piran, obalno morje, Adriatic Sea, eutrophication, faecal coliforms, Gulf of Trieste, bacterioplankton, shallow waters, nutrients, phytoplankton, microbial foodweb, sewage, submarine outfalls
• Work type: Not categorized
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Year: 2008
• Number of pages: Str. 483-494
• Numbering: Vol. 29, Issue 4
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-37173
• UDC: 574+59
• ISSN on article: 0173-9565
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0485.2008.00257.x
• COBISS.SI-ID: 1897295
• Publication date in RUL: 10.07.2015

MOZETIČ, Patricija, MALAČIČ, Vlado and TURK, Valentina, 2008, A case study of sewage discharge in the shallow coastal area of the Adriatic Sea (Gulf of Trieste). Marine ecology [online]. 2008. Vol. 29, no. 4, p. 483–494. [Accessed 14 April 2025]. DOI 10.1111/j.1439-0485.2008.00257.x. Retrieved from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0485.2008.00257.x

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Marine ecology
• Shortened title: Mar. ecol.
• Publisher: Blackwell
• ISSN: 0173-9565
• COBISS.SI-ID: 25900800