The response of estuarine fish and benthos to an increasing discharge of sewage effluent

The Tyne Estuary is one of the most anthropogenically impacted estuaries on the east coast of England. Since 1974, some 200 major sewage discharges to the estuary have been intercepted and redirected to Howdon Sewage Treatment Works for primary treatment. This study examines trends in the benthic fauna and fish populations in the vicinity of the sewage works discharge in relation to an increase in the load of sewage effluent discharged to the estuary at Howdon in the period September 1992 to March 1994. The value of observations of both fish and infauna as a monitoring tool is discussed. These are compared to observations of effluent chemistry and also sediment quality of receiving waters