1. INTRODUCTION MATERIALS & METHOD RESULTS & DISCUSSION CONCLUSION
ASSESSMENT OF WATER QUALITY IN BEN TRE RIVER
Mekong Delta, Vietnam
Savoeurn Soum1, Tri Truong3 , Thai Tran2, Dang Le2, Ratha Sor3,
Long Ho3 , Wout Van Echelpoel3 , Marie Anne Eurie Forio3 , Quang Ngo2 and Peter L. M. Goethals3
1 Chea Sim University of Kamchaymear, Smong chherng commune, Kamchaymear distric, Prey Veng Province, Cambodia
2 Institute of Tropical Biology, 85 Tran Quoc Toan, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
3 Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
INTRODUCTION
Ben Tre River is located in the Mekong Delta and impacted by sea level rise during the dry season and human activities (e.g. wastes, chemical fertilizer, pesticide).
 Physical-chemical properties are necessary to determine ecosystem health.
MATERIALS & METHOD
Samples of 50 sites were collected from upstream to downstream during the dry season, 2018
Process of analysis:
Water Samples
MRC Aquatic life index
Full Prati index
Physical - chemical water quality analysis
Cl- DO
NH4+
NO3-
PO43-
COD
BOD pH
Ben Tre Province
2,321.6 km2
Population: 1,345,600
Density: 580/km2 
Farmland: 137,224 ha
3 main industrial zones
NH4+, pH, PO43-,DO, NO3-
NH4+, pH, COD, BOD, DO, NO3-
Source: Mother Nature and a hydropower
onslaught aren’t the Mekong Delta’s only problems, 2016
 Assess the water quality of rivers in Ben Tre province
 Compare two water quality indices used (Full prati and Mekong River Commission)
RESULTS & DISCUSSION
Overall water quality based on full Prati index
Good quality: 1/50
Acceptable: 32/50
Polluted: 16/50
Heavily polluted: 1/50
Centre of Ben Tre Province
MRC water quality index for aquatic life
Very Good: 3/50
Good: 12/50
Acceptable: 9/50
Polluted: 26/50
Coastal area
CONCLUSION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Water quality in most of sites in Ben Tre, in particular the upstream part, is degraded due to pollution (according to Prati and MRC indices)
Due to combined impact of human activities (e.g. high population, agricultural intensity, wastes etc.) and sea water intrusion.
Most of sites the coastal area has acceptable quality to good water quality
Possibly due to lesser impacts from human activities
Probably mainly due to sea water intrusion
Coastal area are characterized by higher dissolved oxygen concentration which could be due to the wave action