Excessive presence of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in the Drini River and their impact on the Kune-Vain lagoon ecosystem: how anthropization can affect biodiversity

Abstract

In the western part of Albania there are various examples of lagoons and wetlands ecosystems; the object of this manuscript is addressing the environmental conditions of The Kune-Vain Lagoon, located in proximity of the city of Lezhë and south of the Drini River and its delta and providing suggestions about its preservation: it has been calculated that about 10 million m3 of polluted water are released, in many ways, every year into the Drini River. Because of its biodiversity this land has both national and international protection status. However, the flux of contaminants and pollutants derived from anthropic activities is strongly affecting this transitional body of water which is located at the interface of the river and the Adriatic Sea. Due to human activities, mobile aqueous species of nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) have become an actual environmental issue because high levels of such chemical elements are linked to the eutrophication of the lagoon’s waters, causing the proliferation of invasive species (mostly microorganisms, plants and crustaceans). As mentioned above a very high quantity of N and P from anthropogenic sources can infiltrate the ecosystem in many ways, like from mining activity, liquid and solid wastes from the urban aera of Lezhë, from farms and livestock, from fires and more. But the main cause of this problem is associated with the use that people make with soils and lands: the increment of fallow uncultivated areas from abandoned agricultural sites contribute indeed to the surface runoff, erosion and subsequent transport of N and P chemical species to the actually cultivated territory in which cultivation and managements practices for forage and cereals are present; this leads to ulterior release of soil particles that are rich in N and P chemicals compounds into the aqueous phase of the land. A very big portion of those aforementioned particles have been and still are depositing in the main area of the Kune-Vain Lagoon. The Lagoon is part of the coastal area, thus it is very important for economy, industry and tourism and it also act as a ‘buffer zone’ between the sea and the agricultural areas because of its biological function as natural filter for nutrients overload through its characteristic vegetation. Nevertheless, the Kune-Vain lagoon waters show a clear tendency toward degradation and something must be done to prevent heavy ecological issues. It would be useful to constantly monitor the chemical composition and the state of the waters. Also, the employment of meanings of phytoremediation would represent a practical, cheap and environmental-friendly way to help the process of recovery toward better environmental conditions of the Kune-Vain Lagoon.