Autotrophic and heterotrophic benthic biofilm responses to complex nutrient-contaminant mixtures in municipal wastewater effluent in experimental streams

This file contains data used to assess autotrophic and heterotrophic periphyton community responses to municipal wastewater effluents (MWWE). Data was collected at the Advancing Canadian Water Assets (ACWA) facility are situated adjacent to the Pine Creek WWTP (PCWWTP) along the Bow River in Alberta, Canada. Experiments took place in three experimental streams including a control (Bow River (BR) water only), a 5% (v/v) effluent addition from the PCWWTP (PC5), and a 15% (v/v) effluent addition from the PCWWTP (PC15). Data includes ash-free dry mass and chlorophyll a concentrations of periphyton scrapings from briquettes in rock baskets, and nutrient diffusing substrate (NDS) chlorophyll a concentrations (nutrient treatments included: control (agar only), N only (0.5 M NaNO3), P only (0.5 M KH2PO4), and both N + P (0.5 M NaNO3 + 0.5 M KH2PO4). Cotton strip maximum tensile strength values to determine decomposition rates. Additionally environmental substances of concern (ESOCs) and nutrient concentrations from water samples, daily average temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and pH for each stream.