Water Quality Assessment Based on Diatom Indices – Small Hilly Streams Case Study

Abstract

Benthic diatoms are group of organisms used as ecological indicators and considered to be valuable in water quality assessment and monitoring. They are included in the European Union Water Framework Directive as one of the biological quality elements. In Serbia, national regulation in the field of parameters of status of groundwater involves diatom indices. The aim of this paper is to present application of benthic diatoms in water quality evaluation. For that purpose diatom indices (IPS, EPI-D, CEE and TDI) are calculated based on data from several small hilly streams in Eastern Serbia.