Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

THE EFFECTS OF DOMESTIC WASTEWATER EFFLUENT ON THE MANGROVES FOREST OF THE KING’S ROYALLY INITIATED LAEM PHAK BIA ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, THAILAND

Parkin Makulrath, Naruchit Dumpin, Thanit Pattamapitoon1, Watcharapong Wararam, Kasem Chankao, Thitikorn Boontongmai, Chutimon Thowsakul, Camille Nguyen Thi and Chalisa Tudsanton

Abstract

This study aims to examine to relationship between the mangroves forest that was influenced but the output of a nature by nature wastewater treatment system (W transect) to a natural control site (T transect) at the King’s Royally Initiated Laem Phak Bia Environmental Research and Development Project, in Phetchaburi Province Thailand. The methods used in comparing these two sites were having each site be placed into the transect and dividing them into 3 zone as there are 250-meter distance correlated with tidal flooding’s between 25 - 30 days, 20 - 25 days or less than 18 days. The Mangroves water and soils parameters physical and chemical parameters were then collected as the period in which the measurement took place was from August and September of 2018 and January of 2019. With the effluent water from the oxidation pond system during the experimental period containing 4.40 and 0.06 mg/l of available N and P respectively. The results were that there was a significant difference in the mangroves density of the wastewater effluent site has a lower tree density in the W transect of 1.17, 1.32 and 0.50 tree/m2 while in the T transect densities were 1.27,1.60 and 1.15 tree/m2 respectively, as this was in relation to the higher nutrient content. The results also showed that the Diameter (DBH) were also higher transect larger as the averages were 23.6974, 23.1333 and 34.3680 while in the reference transect were 21.7622, 21.8994 and 24.2539 cm respectively. In explanation to this results it was suggested that there were a higher concentration of phosphorus and nitrogen availability as the treated domestic wastewater from the treatment system was found to be the addition sources for these nutrients as they promote a higher growth for the mangroves forest.