Effects of sewage effluent on 'outfall' infaunal assemblages.

This experiment tested the effects of secondary treated sewage effluent on infaunal assemblages that were collected 50m from a sewage outfall ('outfall' assemblage). Twelve intact sediment cores were collected from this site on the Western Treatment Plant foreshore (Port Phillip Bay, Victoria) and brought back to the laboratory. Four cores were assigned to each of three treatments, which were no dose of effluent, high dose (7mls effluent per minute) or a 'no escape' treatment. The experiment ran for 13 days in December 1999. Throughout the experimental period, dissolved oxygen levels were measured and animals that migrated from the sediment were collected, counted and identified. At the end of the experiment, infauna remaining in the sediment were counted and identified and the wet weight biomass of each species group was recorded.

本实验探究了二级处理污水出水对底栖生物群落（infaunal assemblages）的影响，该群落采集自距排污口50米的区域（下称“排污口群落”）。研究人员于维多利亚州菲利普港湾西部污水处理厂前滨的该采样点采集了12根完整沉积物岩芯，并将其带回实验室。将岩芯分配至3组处理，每组各4根，分别为无污水出水添加组、高剂量组（每分钟投放7毫升污水出水）以及“无逃逸”组。本实验于1999年12月开展，持续时长为13天。实验全程监测溶解氧浓度，并收集、计数并鉴定从沉积物中迁出的动物。实验结束后，对沉积物中残留的底栖生物进行计数与鉴定，并记录各物种类群的湿重生物量。