Impact assessment of nuclear and thermal power plants on zooplankton in cooling ponds

The current state of assessment of nuclear and thermal power plant toxic effects on zooplankton entrained in the water supply hardware is reviewed. Common research approaches and their inherent problems are considered and particular emphasis is given to specific features of cooling reservoirs and their ecosystems. Complex analysis of zooplankton mortality in various conditions and areas of a cooling reservoir is presented. Our data from field and laboratory studies allow major factors resulting in damage to and mortality of zooplankton to be determined and suggest that, among all plankton species in the cooling reservoir, zooplankton is the most sensitive group to entrainment-induced stress. Our results clearly demonstrate that both field observations and laboratory studies are required to reliably estimate power plant impact on zooplankton and to predict mortality of organisms.