Nitrogen removal characteristics of enhanced in situ indigenous aerobic denitrification bacteria for micro-polluted reservoir source water.

PubMed

Zhou, Shilei; Huang, Tinglin; Zhang, Haihan; Zeng, Mingzheng; Liu, Fei; Bai, Shiyuan; Shi, Jianchao; Qiu, Xiaopeng; Yang, Xiao

2016-02-01

Indigenous oligotrophic aerobic denitrifiers nitrogen removal characteristics, community metabolic activity and functional genes were analyzed in a micro-polluted reservoir. The results showed that the nitrate in the enhanced system decreased from 1.71±0.01 to 0.80±0.06mg/L, while the control system did little to remove and there was no nitrite accumulation. The total nitrogen (TN) removal rate of the enhanced system reached 38.33±1.50% and the TN removal rate of surface sediment in the enhanced system reached 23.85±2.52%. TN removal in the control system experienced an 85.48±2.37% increase. The densities of aerobic denitrifiers in the enhanced system ranged from 2.24×10(5) to 8.13×10(7)cfu/mL. The abundance of nirS and nirK genes in the enhanced system were higher than those of in the control system. These results suggest that the enhanced in situ indigenous aerobic denitrifiers have potential applications for the bioremediation of micro-polluted reservoir system. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water Pollution, Causes and Cures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manufacturing Chemists Association, Washington, DC.

This commentary on sources of water pollution and water pollution treatment systems is accompanied by graphic illustrations. Sources of pollution such as lake bottom vegetation, synthetic organic pollutants, heat pollution, radioactive substance pollution, and human and industrial waste products are discussed. Several types of water purification…

A micro case study of the legal and administrative arrangements for river health in the Kangaroo River (NSW).

PubMed

Mooney, C; Farrier, D

2002-01-01

Kangaroo Valley is a drinking water supply catchment for Kangaroo Valley village, parts of the Southern Highlands and Sydney. It is also a popular recreation area both for swimming and canoeing. Land use has traditionally been dominated by dairy farming but there has been significant and continuing development of land for hobby farms and rural residential subdivision. Dairy industry restructuring has affected the viability of some farms in the Valley and created additional pressure for subdivision. River health is a function of flows, water quality, riparian vegetation, geomorphology and aquatic habitat and riverine biota. River flows in the Kangaroo River are affected by water extraction and storage for urban water supply and extraction by commercial irrigators and riparian land holders which have a significant impact at low flows. Current water quality often does not meet ANZECC Guidelines for primary contact and recreation and the river is a poor source of raw drinking water. Key sources of contaminants are wastewater runoff from agriculture, and poorly performing on-site sewage management systems. Riparian vegetation, which is critical to the maintenance of in-stream ecosystems suffers from uncontrolled stock access and weed infestation. The management of land use and resulting diffuse pollution sources is critical to the long term health of the river. The Healthy Rivers Commission of New South Wales Independent Inquiry into the Shoalhaven River System Final Report July, 1999 found that the longer term protection of the health of the Kangaroo River is contingent upon achievement of patterns of land use that have regard to land capability and also to the capability of the river to withstand the impacts of inappropriate or poorly managed land uses. This micro case study of Kangaroo Valley examines the complex legal and administrative arrangements with particular reference to the management of diffuse pollution for river health. In the past, diffuse pollution has fallen through the gaps in legislation and its administration. Although water pollution legislation is broad enough to embrace diffuse pollution, in practice the Environment Protection Authority has focused on regulating point sources. Water legislation has traditionally been concerned with issues of water quantity rather than water quality. Legislation which allows agency intervention in relation to land degradation has grown from soil conservation roots, neglecting the flow-on effects upon water quality. Under the land use planning system existing land uses are protected from new regulatory requirements. A number of recent developments in NSW law and its administration have set the scene for addressing this past neglect. Water planning provisions in the Water Management Act 2000 have the potential to enable community based Water Management Committees to move away from a narrow focus on water quantity to the broader issues of river health, including water quality. Improved management of on-site sewage management systems is expected as a result of the Local Government (Approvals) Amendment (Sewage Management Regulation) 1998. A draft Regional Environmental Plan prepared for the Sydney Catchment Authority aims to improve the assessment of new development in terms of its impact on drinking water quality. It also moves away from an exclusive concern with controlling new development towards grappling with existing uses. Proposed amendments to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, 1979 as detailed in the White Paper, Plan First (2001) include the integration of imperatives derived from catchment strategies and water management plans into local land use plans.

The risk assessment of sudden water pollution for river network system under multi-source random emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, D.

2016-12-01

Sudden water pollution accidents are unavoidable risk events that we must learn to co-exist with. In China's Taihu River Basin, the river flow conditions are complicated with frequently artificial interference. Sudden water pollution accident occurs mainly in the form of a large number of abnormal discharge of wastewater, and has the characteristics with the sudden occurrence, the uncontrollable scope, the uncertainty object and the concentrated distribution of many risk sources. Effective prevention of pollution accidents that may occur is of great significance for the water quality safety management. Bayesian networks can be applied to represent the relationship between pollution sources and river water quality intuitively. Using the time sequential Monte Carlo algorithm, the pollution sources state switching model, water quality model for river network and Bayesian reasoning is integrated together, and the sudden water pollution risk assessment model for river network is developed to quantify the water quality risk under the collective influence of multiple pollution sources. Based on the isotope water transport mechanism, a dynamic tracing model of multiple pollution sources is established, which can describe the relationship between the excessive risk of the system and the multiple risk sources. Finally, the diagnostic reasoning algorithm based on Bayesian network is coupled with the multi-source tracing model, which can identify the contribution of each risk source to the system risk under the complex flow conditions. Taking Taihu Lake water system as the research object, the model is applied to obtain the reasonable results under the three typical years. Studies have shown that the water quality risk at critical sections are influenced by the pollution risk source, the boundary water quality, the hydrological conditions and self -purification capacity, and the multiple pollution sources have obvious effect on water quality risk of the receiving water body. The water quality risk assessment approach developed in this study offers a effective tool for systematically quantifying the random uncertainty in plain river network system, and it also provides the technical support for the decision-making of controlling the sudden water pollution through identification of critical pollution sources.

Microbial adaptation to biodegrade toxic organic micro-pollutants in membrane bioreactor using different sludge sources.

PubMed

Boonnorat, Jarungwit; Chiemchaisri, Chart; Chiemchaisri, Wilai; Yamamoto, Kazuo

2014-08-01

Biodegradation of toxic organic micro-pollutants in municipal solid waste (MSW) leachate by membrane bioreactor (MBR) was investigated. The MBR systems were seeded with different sludge sources, one was from a pilot-scale MBR system treating MSW leachate and the other was from an activated sludge sewage treatment plant. The biodegradation of BPA, 2,6-DTBP, BHT, DEP, DBP and DEHP, DCP and BBzP, by sludge from both reactors were found improved with time. However, enhanced biodegradation of micro-pollutants was observed in MBR operated under long sludge age condition. Bacterial population analyses determined by PCR-DGGE revealed the development of phenol and phthalate degrading bacteria consortium in MBR sludge during its operation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sulfur-based autotrophic denitrification from the micro-polluted water.

PubMed

Zhou, Weili; Liu, Xu; Dong, Xiaojing; Wang, Zheng; Yuan, Ying; Wang, Hui; He, Shengbing

2016-06-01

Eutrophication caused by high concentrations of nutrients is a huge problem for many natural lakes and reservoirs. Removing the nitrogen contamination from the low C/N water body has become an urgent need. Autotrophic denitrification with the sulfur compound as electron donor was investigated in the biofilter reactors. Through the lab-scale experiment, it was found that different sulfur compounds and different carriers caused very different treatment performances. Thiosulfate was selected to be the best electron donor and ceramsite was chosen as the suitable carrier due to the good denitrification efficiency, low cost and the good resistibility against the high hydraulic loads. Later the optimum running parameters of the process were determined. Then the pilot-scale experiment was carried out with the real micro-polluted water from the West Lake, China. The results indicated that the autotrophic denitrification with thiosulfate as electron donor was feasible and applicable for the micro-polluted lake water. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A review of the impacts of tobacco heating system on indoor air quality versus conventional pollution sources.

PubMed

Kaunelienė, Violeta; Meišutovič-Akhtarieva, Marija; Martuzevičius, Dainius

2018-05-08

With the introduction of novel and potentially less polluting nicotine containing products to the market, the impacts of their usage to indoor air quality as opposed to conventional pollution sources must be reviewed and considered. This review study aimed to comparatively analyse changes in indoor air quality as the consequence of tobacco heating system (THS) generated pollution against general indoor air quality in various micro-environments, especially with combustion-based pollution sources present. Indoor concentrations of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzene, toluene, nicotine and PM 2.5 were reviewed and compared; concentrations of other harmful and potentially harmful substances (HPHCs) were discussed. Generally, the usage of THS has been associated with lower or comparable indoor air pollutant concentrations compared against other conventional indoor sources or environments, in most cases distinguishable above background, thus potentially being associated with health effects at prolonged exposures as any other artificial air pollution source. In the controlled environment the use of THS (as well as an electronic cigarette) resulted in the lowest concentrations of formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, PM 2.5, among majority researched pollution sources (conventional cigarettes, waterpipe, incense, mosquito coils). The exposure to significantly higher pollution levels of benzene, toluene, and formaldehyde occurred in public environments, especially transport micro-environments. Such low levels of conventionally-assessed indoor pollutants resulting from the use of new nicotine containing products raise challenges for epidemiological studies of second-hand exposure to THS aerosol in real-life environments. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Nitrogen Removal from Micro-Polluted Reservoir Water by Indigenous Aerobic Denitrifiers

PubMed Central

Huang, Ting-Lin; Zhou, Shi-Lei; Zhang, Hai-Han; Zhou, Na; Guo, Lin; Di, Shi-Yu; Zhou, Zi-Zhen

2015-01-01

Treatment of micro-polluted source water is receiving increasing attention because of environmental awareness on a global level. We isolated and identified aerobic denitrifying bacteria Zoogloea sp. N299, Acinetobacter sp. G107, and Acinetobacter sp. 81Y and used these to remediate samples of their native source water. We first domesticated the isolated strains in the source water, and the 48-h nitrate removal rates of strains N299, G107, and 81Y reached 33.69%, 28.28%, and 22.86%, respectively, with no nitrite accumulation. We then conducted a source-water remediation experiment and cultured the domesticated strains (each at a dry cell weight concentration of 0.4 ppm) together in a sample of source water at 20–26 °C and a dissolved oxygen concentration of 3–7 mg/L for 60 days. The nitrate concentration of the system decreased from 1.57 ± 0.02 to 0.42 ± 0.01 mg/L and that of a control system decreased from 1.63 ± 0.02 to 1.30 ± 0.01 mg/L, each with no nitrite accumulation. Total nitrogen of the bacterial system changed from 2.31 ± 0.12 to 1.09 ± 0.01 mg/L, while that of the control system changed from 2.51 ± 0.13 to 1.72 ± 0.06 mg/L. The densities of aerobic denitrification bacteria in the experimental and control systems ranged from 2.8 × 104 to 2 × 107 cfu/mL and from 7.75 × 103 to 5.5 × 105 cfu/mL, respectively. The permanganate index in the experimental and control systems decreased from 5.94 ± 0.12 to 3.10 ± 0.08 mg/L and from 6.02 ± 0.13 to 3.61 ± 0.11 mg/L, respectively, over the course of the experiment. Next, we supplemented samples of the experimental and control systems with additional bacteria or additional source water and cultivated the systems for another 35 days. The additional bacteria did little to improve the water quality. The additional source water provided supplemental carbon and brought the nitrate removal rate in the experimental system to 16.97%, while that in the control system reached only 3.01%, with no nitrite accumulation in either system. Our results show that aerobic denitrifying bacteria remain highly active after domestication and demonstrate the applicability of such organisms in the bioremediation of oligotrophic ecosystems. PMID:25867475

Footprints of Urban Micro-Pollution in Protected Areas: Investigating the Longitudinal Distribution of Perfluoroalkyl Acids in Wildlife Preserves

PubMed Central

Rodriguez-Jorquera, Ignacio A.; Silva-Sanchez, Cecilia; Strynar, Mark; Denslow, Nancy D.; Toor, Gurpal S.

2016-01-01

Current approaches to protect biodiversity by establishing protected areas usually gloss over water pollution as a threat. Our objective was to determine the longitudinal and seasonal distribution of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in water column and sediments from a wastewater dominated stream that enters preservation areas. Water samples were collected along the longitudinal section (six sites, 1000 m away from each other) of the stream during the dry and wet seasons. Sediments were collected from three sites along the stream from three depths. Water and sediments were analyzed for PFAAs using high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Eleven PFAAs with 5 to 14 carbon atoms were detected in the water column at all sampling points, with a minor reduction at the last point suggesting a dilution effect. The most detected PFAAs was PFOS, followed by perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA). Seasonal differences in PFAAs concentrations suggested contribution of stormwater runoff during the wet season. All analyzed PFAAs in sediments were under the limit of quantification, likely due to the high proportion of sand and low organic matter. However, high concentrations of PFAAs were detected in the water column inside the protected areas, which includes PFOS in concentrations considered not safe for avian wildlife. Water samples appear to be more relevant than sediments to determine PFAAs micro-pollution in water bodies with sandy sediments. Inclusion of a management plans on micro-pollution research, monitoring, and mitigation is recommended for protected areas. PMID:26909512

Spatial distribution and source apportionment of water pollution in different administrative zones of Wen-Rui-Tang (WRT) river watershed, China.

PubMed

Yang, Liping; Mei, Kun; Liu, Xingmei; Wu, Laosheng; Zhang, Minghua; Xu, Jianming; Wang, Fan

2013-08-01

Water quality degradation in river systems has caused great concerns all over the world. Identifying the spatial distribution and sources of water pollutants is the very first step for efficient water quality management. A set of water samples collected bimonthly at 12 monitoring sites in 2009 and 2010 were analyzed to determine the spatial distribution of critical parameters and to apportion the sources of pollutants in Wen-Rui-Tang (WRT) river watershed, near the East China Sea. The 12 monitoring sites were divided into three administrative zones of urban, suburban, and rural zones considering differences in land use and population density. Multivariate statistical methods [one-way analysis of variance, principal component analysis (PCA), and absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) methods] were used to investigate the spatial distribution of water quality and to apportion the pollution sources. Results showed that most water quality parameters had no significant difference between the urban and suburban zones, whereas these two zones showed worse water quality than the rural zone. Based on PCA and APCS-MLR analysis, urban domestic sewage and commercial/service pollution, suburban domestic sewage along with fluorine point source pollution, and agricultural nonpoint source pollution with rural domestic sewage pollution were identified to the main pollution sources in urban, suburban, and rural zones, respectively. Understanding the water pollution characteristics of different administrative zones could put insights into effective water management policy-making especially in the area across various administrative zones.

Distributed Water Pollution Source Localization with Mobile UV-Visible Spectrometer Probes in Wireless Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Ma, Junjie; Meng, Fansheng; Zhou, Yuexi; Wang, Yeyao; Shi, Ping

2018-02-16

Pollution accidents that occur in surface waters, especially in drinking water source areas, greatly threaten the urban water supply system. During water pollution source localization, there are complicated pollutant spreading conditions and pollutant concentrations vary in a wide range. This paper provides a scalable total solution, investigating a distributed localization method in wireless sensor networks equipped with mobile ultraviolet-visible (UV-visible) spectrometer probes. A wireless sensor network is defined for water quality monitoring, where unmanned surface vehicles and buoys serve as mobile and stationary nodes, respectively. Both types of nodes carry UV-visible spectrometer probes to acquire in-situ multiple water quality parameter measurements, in which a self-adaptive optical path mechanism is designed to flexibly adjust the measurement range. A novel distributed algorithm, called Dual-PSO, is proposed to search for the water pollution source, where one particle swarm optimization (PSO) procedure computes the water quality multi-parameter measurements on each node, utilizing UV-visible absorption spectra, and another one finds the global solution of the pollution source position, regarding mobile nodes as particles. Besides, this algorithm uses entropy to dynamically recognize the most sensitive parameter during searching. Experimental results demonstrate that online multi-parameter monitoring of a drinking water source area with a wide dynamic range is achieved by this wireless sensor network and water pollution sources are localized efficiently with low-cost mobile node paths.

Distributed Water Pollution Source Localization with Mobile UV-Visible Spectrometer Probes in Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Zhou, Yuexi; Wang, Yeyao; Shi, Ping

2018-01-01

Pollution accidents that occur in surface waters, especially in drinking water source areas, greatly threaten the urban water supply system. During water pollution source localization, there are complicated pollutant spreading conditions and pollutant concentrations vary in a wide range. This paper provides a scalable total solution, investigating a distributed localization method in wireless sensor networks equipped with mobile ultraviolet-visible (UV-visible) spectrometer probes. A wireless sensor network is defined for water quality monitoring, where unmanned surface vehicles and buoys serve as mobile and stationary nodes, respectively. Both types of nodes carry UV-visible spectrometer probes to acquire in-situ multiple water quality parameter measurements, in which a self-adaptive optical path mechanism is designed to flexibly adjust the measurement range. A novel distributed algorithm, called Dual-PSO, is proposed to search for the water pollution source, where one particle swarm optimization (PSO) procedure computes the water quality multi-parameter measurements on each node, utilizing UV-visible absorption spectra, and another one finds the global solution of the pollution source position, regarding mobile nodes as particles. Besides, this algorithm uses entropy to dynamically recognize the most sensitive parameter during searching. Experimental results demonstrate that online multi-parameter monitoring of a drinking water source area with a wide dynamic range is achieved by this wireless sensor network and water pollution sources are localized efficiently with low-cost mobile node paths. PMID:29462929

Investigating the effects of point source and nonpoint source pollution on the water quality of the East River (Dongjiang) in South China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wu, Yiping; Chen, Ji

2013-01-01

Understanding the physical processes of point source (PS) and nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is critical to evaluate river water quality and identify major pollutant sources in a watershed. In this study, we used the physically-based hydrological/water quality model, Soil and Water Assessment Tool, to investigate the influence of PS and NPS pollution on the water quality of the East River (Dongjiang in Chinese) in southern China. Our results indicate that NPS pollution was the dominant contribution (>94%) to nutrient loads except for mineral phosphorus (50%). A comprehensive Water Quality Index (WQI) computed using eight key water quality variables demonstrates that water quality is better upstream than downstream despite the higher level of ammonium nitrogen found in upstream waters. Also, the temporal (seasonal) and spatial distributions of nutrient loads clearly indicate the critical time period (from late dry season to early wet season) and pollution source areas within the basin (middle and downstream agricultural lands), which resource managers can use to accomplish substantial reduction of NPS pollutant loadings. Overall, this study helps our understanding of the relationship between human activities and pollutant loads and further contributes to decision support for local watershed managers to protect water quality in this region. In particular, the methods presented such as integrating WQI with watershed modeling and identifying the critical time period and pollutions source areas can be valuable for other researchers worldwide.

Effects of cattle manure on erosion rates and runoff water pollution by faecal coliforms.

PubMed

Ramos, M C; Quinton, J N; Tyrrel, S F

2006-01-01

The large quantities of slurry and manure that are produced annually in many areas in which cattle are raised could be an important source of organic matter and nutrients for agriculture. However, the benefits of waste recycling may be partially offset by the risk of water pollution associated with runoff from the fields to which slurry or manure has been applied. In this paper, the effects of cattle manure application on soil erosion rates and runoff and on surface water pollution by faecal coliforms are analysed. Rainfall simulations at a rate of 70 mm h(-1) were conducted in a sandy loam soil packed into soil flumes (2.5m long x 1m wide) at a bulk density of 1400 kg m(-3), with and without cattle slurry manure applied on the surface. For each simulation, sediment and runoff rates were analysed and in those simulations with applied slurry, presumptive faecal coliform (PFC) concentrations in the runoff were evaluated. The application of slurry on the soil surface appeared to have a protective effect on the soils, reducing soil detachment by up to 70% but increasing runoff volume by up to 30%. This practice implies an important source of pollution for surface waters especially if rainfall takes place within a short period after application. The concentrations of micro-organisms (presumptive faecal coliforms (PFCs)) found in water runoff ranged from 1.9 x 10(4) to 1.1 x 10(6) PFC 100mL(-1), depending on the initial concentration in the slurry, and they were particularly high during the first phases of the rainfall event. The result indicates a strong relationship between the faecal coliforms transported by runoff and the organic matter in the sediment.

Pollution source localization in an urban water supply network based on dynamic water demand.

PubMed

Yan, Xuesong; Zhu, Zhixin; Li, Tian

2017-10-27

Urban water supply networks are susceptible to intentional, accidental chemical, and biological pollution, which pose a threat to the health of consumers. In recent years, drinking-water pollution incidents have occurred frequently, seriously endangering social stability and security. The real-time monitoring for water quality can be effectively implemented by placing sensors in the water supply network. However, locating the source of pollution through the data detection obtained by water quality sensors is a challenging problem. The difficulty lies in the limited number of sensors, large number of water supply network nodes, and dynamic user demand for water, which leads the pollution source localization problem to an uncertainty, large-scale, and dynamic optimization problem. In this paper, we mainly study the dynamics of the pollution source localization problem. Previous studies of pollution source localization assume that hydraulic inputs (e.g., water demand of consumers) are known. However, because of the inherent variability of urban water demand, the problem is essentially a fluctuating dynamic problem of consumer's water demand. In this paper, the water demand is considered to be stochastic in nature and can be described using Gaussian model or autoregressive model. On this basis, an optimization algorithm is proposed based on these two dynamic water demand change models to locate the pollution source. The objective of the proposed algorithm is to find the locations and concentrations of pollution sources that meet the minimum between the analogue and detection values of the sensor. Simulation experiments were conducted using two different sizes of urban water supply network data, and the experimental results were compared with those of the standard genetic algorithm.

River water quality and pollution sources in the Pearl River Delta, China.

PubMed

Ouyang, Tingping; Zhu, Zhaoyu; Kuang, Yaoqiu

2005-07-01

Some physicochemical parameters were determined for thirty field water samples collected from different water channels in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone river system. The analytical results were compared with the environmental quality standards for surface water. Using the SPSS software, statistical analyses were performed to determine the main pollutants of the river water. The main purpose of the present research is to investigate the river water quality and to determine the main pollutants and pollution sources. Furthermore, the research provides some approaches for protecting and improving river water quality. The results indicate that the predominant pollutants are ammonium, phosphorus, and organic compounds. The wastewater discharged from households in urban and rural areas, industrial facilities, and non-point sources from agricultural areas are the main sources of pollution in river water in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone.

Water quality assessment of the River Nile system: an overview.

PubMed

Wahaab, Rifaat A; Badawy, Mohamed I

2004-03-01

The main objective of the present article is to assess and evaluate the characteristics of the Nile water system, and identify the major sources of pollution and its environmental and health consequences. The article is also aimed to highlight the importance of water management via re-use and recycle of treated effluents for industrial purpose and for cultivation of desert land. An intensive effort was made by the authors to collect, assess and compile the available data about the River Nile. Physico-chemical analyses were conducted to check the validity of the collected data. For the determination of micro-pollutants, Gas Chromatography (GC) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) were used. Heavy metals were also determined to investigate the level of industrial pollution in the river system. The available data revealed that the river receives a large quantity of industrial, agriculture and domestic wastewater. It is worth mentioning that the river is still able to recover in virtually all the locations, with very little exception. This is due to the high dilution ratio. The collected data confirmed the presence of high concentrations of chromium and manganese in all sediment samples. The residues of organo-chlorine insecticides were detected in virtually all locations. However, the levels of such residues are usually below the limit set by the WHO for use as drinking water. The most polluted lakes are Lake Maryut and Lake Manzala. Groundwater pollution is closely related to adjacent (polluted) surface waters. High concentrations of nutrients, E. coli, sulfur, heavy metals, etc. have been observed in the shallow groundwater, largely surpassing WHO standards for drinking water use. A regular and continuous monitoring scheme shall be developed for the River Nile system. The environmental law shall be enforced to prohibit the discharge of wastewater (agricultural, domestic or industrial) to River Nile system.

The Other Water Pollution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barton, Kathy

1978-01-01

Nonpoint source pollution, water pollution not released at one specific identifiable point, now accounts for 50 percent of the nation's water pollution problem. Runoff is the primary culprit and includes the following sources: agriculture, mining, hydrologic modifications, and urban runoff. Economics, legislation, practices, and management of this…

Stable Isotope Mixing Models as a Tool for Tracking Sources of Water and Water Pollutants

EPA Science Inventory

One goal of monitoring pollutants is to be able to trace the pollutant to its source. Here we review how mixing models using stable isotope information on water and water pollutants can help accomplish this goal. A number of elements exist in multiple stable (non-radioactive) i...

Water Pollution. Project COMPSEP.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lantz, H. B., Jr.

This is an introductory program on water pollution. Examined are the cause and effect relationships of water pollution, sources of water pollution, and possible alternatives to effect solutions from our water pollution problems. Included is background information on water pollution, a glossary of pollution terminology, a script for a slide script…

Polluted Runoff: Nonpoint Source Pollution

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Nonpoint Source (NPS) pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground, it picks up and carries natural and human-made pollutants, depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and ground waters.

Bacteriological assessment of urban water sources in Khamis Mushait Governorate, southwestern Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

AlOtaibi, Eed L Sh

2009-03-21

Urban water sources of Khamis Mushait Governorate, southwestern Saudi Arabia, were studied to assess their bacteriological characteristics and suitability for potable purposes. A cross-sectional epidemiological method was adopted to investigate the four main urban water sources (i.e. bottled, desalinated, surface, and well water). These were sampled and examined between February and June 2007. A total of 95 water samples from bottled, desalinated, surface, and well water were collected randomly from the study area using different gathering and analysing techniques. The bacteriological examination of water samples included the most probable number of presumptive coliforms, faecal coliforms, and faecal streptococci (MPN/100 ml). The results showed that the total coliform count (MPN/100 ml) was not detected in any samples taken from bottled water, while it was detected in those taken from desalinated, surface, and well water: percentages were 12.9, 80.0, and 100.0, respectively. Faecal coliforms were detected in desalinated, surface, and well water, with percentages of 3.23, 60.0 and 87.88, respectively. About 6.45% of desalinated water, 53.33% of surface water, and 57.58% of well water was found positive for faecal streptococci. Colonies of coliforms were identified in different micro-organisms with various percentages. Water derived from traditional sources (wells) showed increases in most of the investigated bacteriological parameters, followed by surface water as compared to bottled or desalinated water. This may be attributed to the fact that well and surface water are at risk of contamination as indicated by the higher levels of most bacteriological parameters. Moreover, well water is exposed to point sources of pollution such as septic wells and domestic and farming effluents, as well as to soil with a high humus content. The lower bacteriological characteristics in samples from bottled water indicate that it is satisfactory for human drinking purposes. Contamination of desalinated water that is the main urban water source may occur during transportation from the desalination plant or in the house reservoir of the consumer. Improving and expanding the existing water treatment and sanitation systems is more likely to provide safe and sustainable sources of water over the long term. Strict hygienic measures should be applied to improve water quality and to avoid deleterious effects on public health, by using periodical monitoring programmes to detect sewage pollution running over local hydrological networks and valleys.

Bacteriological assessment of urban water sources in Khamis Mushait Governorate, southwestern Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Sh AlOtaibi, Eed L

2009-01-01

Background Urban water sources of Khamis Mushait Governorate, southwestern Saudi Arabia, were studied to assess their bacteriological characteristics and suitability for potable purposes. A cross-sectional epidemiological method was adopted to investigate the four main urban water sources (i.e. bottled, desalinated, surface, and well water). These were sampled and examined between February and June 2007. Results A total of 95 water samples from bottled, desalinated, surface, and well water were collected randomly from the study area using different gathering and analysing techniques. The bacteriological examination of water samples included the most probable number of presumptive coliforms, faecal coliforms, and faecal streptococci (MPN/100 ml). The results showed that the total coliform count (MPN/100 ml) was not detected in any samples taken from bottled water, while it was detected in those taken from desalinated, surface, and well water: percentages were 12.9, 80.0, and 100.0, respectively. Faecal coliforms were detected in desalinated, surface, and well water, with percentages of 3.23, 60.0 and 87.88, respectively. About 6.45% of desalinated water, 53.33% of surface water, and 57.58% of well water was found positive for faecal streptococci. Colonies of coliforms were identified in different micro-organisms with various percentages. Conclusion Water derived from traditional sources (wells) showed increases in most of the investigated bacteriological parameters, followed by surface water as compared to bottled or desalinated water. This may be attributed to the fact that well and surface water are at risk of contamination as indicated by the higher levels of most bacteriological parameters. Moreover, well water is exposed to point sources of pollution such as septic wells and domestic and farming effluents, as well as to soil with a high humus content. The lower bacteriological characteristics in samples from bottled water indicate that it is satisfactory for human drinking purposes. Contamination of desalinated water that is the main urban water source may occur during transportation from the desalination plant or in the house reservoir of the consumer. Improving and expanding the existing water treatment and sanitation systems is more likely to provide safe and sustainable sources of water over the long term. Strict hygienic measures should be applied to improve water quality and to avoid deleterious effects on public health, by using periodical monitoring programmes to detect sewage pollution running over local hydrological networks and valleys. PMID:19302710

Vacuum isostatic micro/macro molding of PTFE materials for laser beam shaping in environmental applications: large scale UV laser water purification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lizotte, Todd; Ohar, Orest

2009-08-01

Accessibility to fresh clean water has determined the location and survival of civilizations throughout the ages [1]. The tangible economic value of water is demonstrated by industry's need for water in fields such as semiconductor, food and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Economic stability for all sectors of industry depends on access to reliable volumes of good quality water. As can be seen on television a nation's economy is seriously affected by water shortages through drought or mismanagement and as such those water resources must therefore be managed both for the public interest and the economic future. For over 50 years ultraviolet water purification has been the mainstay technology for water treatment, killing potential microbiological agents in water for leisure activities such as swimming pools to large scale waste water treatment facilities where the UV light photo-oxidizes various pollutants and contaminants. Well tailored to the task, UV provides a cost effective way to reduce the use of chemicals in sanitization and anti-biological applications. Predominantly based on low pressure Hg UV discharge lamps, the system is plagued with lifetime issues (~1 year normal operation), the last ten years has shown that the technology continues to advance and larger scale systems are turning to more advanced lamp designs and evaluating solidstate UV light sources and more powerful laser sources. One of the issues facing the treatment of water with UV lasers is an appropriate means of delivering laser light efficiently over larger volumes or cross sections of water. This paper examines the potential advantages of laser beam shaping components made from isostatically micro molding microstructured PTFE materials for integration into large scale water purification and sterilization systems, for both lamps and laser sources. Applying a unique patented fabrication method engineers can form micro and macro scale diffractive, holographic and faceted reflective structures into fused and semi-fused PTFE materials and compounds for use in UV Reactors. The materials unique attributes provide an unusual but effective hybrid element, by combining Lambertian diffusion and spectral reflective attributes. This paper will provide examples of the applications where this technology could be applied and typical constructions. An overview of UV sources commonly used in water treatment, including high power UV lasers and solid state UV light sources will be discussed. The paper will summarize how beam shaping elements produced in PTFE materials would provide further benefits to the emerging water disinfection or treatment market.

Probabilistic Analysis of Earthquake-Led Water Contamination: A Case of Sichuan, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yan; Li, Lin; Benjamin Zhan, F.; Zhuang, Yanhua

2016-06-01

The objective of this paper is to evaluate seismic-led point source and non-point source water pollution, under the seismic hazard of 10 % probability of exceedance in 50 years, and with the minimum value of the water quality standard in Sichuan, China. The soil conservation service curve number method of calculating the runoff depth in the single rainfall event combined with the seismic damage index were applied to estimate the potential degree of non-point source water pollution. To estimate the potential impact of point source water pollution, a comprehensive water pollution evaluation framework is constructed using a combination of Water Quality Index and Seismic Damage Index methods. The four key findings of this paper are: (1) The water catchment that has the highest factory concentration does not have the highest risk of non-point source water contamination induced by the outbreak of potential earthquake. (2) The water catchment that has the highest numbers of cumulative water pollutants types are typically located in the south western parts of Sichuan where the main river basins in the regions flow through. (3) The most common pollutants in sample factories studied is COD and NH3-N which are found in all catchments. The least common pollutant is pathogen—found present in W1 catchment which has the best rating in the water quality index. (4) Using water quality index as a standardization parameter, parallel comparisons is made among the 16 water catchments. Only catchment W1 reaches level II water quality status which has the rating of moderately polluted in events of earthquake induced water contamination. All other areas suffer from severe water contamination with multiple pollution sources. The results from the data model are significant to urban planning commissions and businesses to strategically choose their factory locations in order to minimize potential hazardous impact during the outbreak of earthquake.

Controlling Nonpoint-Source Water Pollution: A Citizen's Handbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Nancy Richardson; And Others

Citizens can play an important role in helping their states develop pollution control programs and spurring effective efforts to deal with nonpoint-source pollution. This guide takes the reader step-by-step through the process that states must follow to comply with water quality legislation relevant to nonpoint-source pollution. Part I provides…

Fecal pollution source tracking toolbox for identification, evaluation and characterization of fecal contamination in receiving urban surface waters and groundwater.

PubMed

Tran, Ngoc Han; Gin, Karina Yew-Hoong; Ngo, Huu Hao

2015-12-15

The quality of surface waters/groundwater of a geographical region can be affected by anthropogenic activities, land use patterns and fecal pollution sources from humans and animals. Therefore, the development of an efficient fecal pollution source tracking toolbox for identifying the origin of the fecal pollution sources in surface waters/groundwater is especially helpful for improving management efforts and remediation actions of water resources in a more cost-effective and efficient manner. This review summarizes the updated knowledge on the use of fecal pollution source tracking markers for detecting, evaluating and characterizing fecal pollution sources in receiving surface waters and groundwater. The suitability of using chemical markers (i.e. fecal sterols, fluorescent whitening agents, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, and artificial sweeteners) and/or microbial markers (e.g. F+RNA coliphages, enteric viruses, and host-specific anaerobic bacterial 16S rDNA genetic markers) for tracking fecal pollution sources in receiving water bodies is discussed. In addition, this review also provides a comprehensive approach, which is based on the detection ratios (DR), detection frequencies (DF), and fate of potential microbial and chemical markers. DR and DF are considered as the key criteria for selecting appropriate markers for identifying and evaluating the impacts of fecal contamination in surface waters/groundwater. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Combining land use information and small stream sampling with PCR-based methods for better characterization of diffuse sources of human fecal pollution.

PubMed

Peed, Lindsay A; Nietch, Christopher T; Kelty, Catherine A; Meckes, Mark; Mooney, Thomas; Sivaganesan, Mano; Shanks, Orin C

2011-07-01

Diffuse sources of human fecal pollution allow for the direct discharge of waste into receiving waters with minimal or no treatment. Traditional culture-based methods are commonly used to characterize fecal pollution in ambient waters, however these methods do not discern between human and other animal sources of fecal pollution making it difficult to identify diffuse pollution sources. Human-associated quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) methods in combination with low-order headwatershed sampling, precipitation information, and high-resolution geographic information system land use data can be useful for identifying diffuse source of human fecal pollution in receiving waters. To test this assertion, this study monitored nine headwatersheds over a two-year period potentially impacted by faulty septic systems and leaky sanitary sewer lines. Human fecal pollution was measured using three different human-associated qPCR methods and a positive significant correlation was seen between abundance of human-associated genetic markers and septic systems following wet weather events. In contrast, a negative correlation was observed with sanitary sewer line densities suggesting septic systems are the predominant diffuse source of human fecal pollution in the study area. These results demonstrate the advantages of combining water sampling, climate information, land-use computer-based modeling, and molecular biology disciplines to better characterize diffuse sources of human fecal pollution in environmental waters.

IDENTIFICATION OF SOURCES OF FECAL POLLUTION IN ENVIRONMENTAL WATERS

EPA Science Inventory

A number of Microbial Source Tracking (MST) methods are currently used to determine the origin of fecal pollution impacting environmental waters. MST is based on the assumption that given the appropriate method and indicator organism, the source of fecal microbial pollution can ...

[Research advances in identifying nitrate pollution sources of water environment by using nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes].

PubMed

Mao, Wei; Liang, Zhi-wei; Li, Wei; Zhu, Yao; Yanng, Mu-yi; Jia, Chao-jie

2013-04-01

Water body' s nitrate pollution has become a common and severe environmental problem. In order to ensure human health and water environment benign evolution, it is of great importance to effectively identify the nitrate pollution sources of water body. Because of the discrepant composition of nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes in different sources of nitrate in water body, nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes can be used to identify the nitrate pollution sources of water environment. This paper introduced the fractionation factors of nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes in the main processes of nitrogen cycling and the composition of these stable isotopes in main nitrate sources, compared the advantages and disadvantages of five pre-treatment methods for analyzing the nitrogen and oxygen isotopes in nitrate, and summarized the research advances in this aspect into three stages, i. e. , using nitrogen stable isotope alone, using nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes simultaneously, and combining with mathematical models. The future research directions regarding the nitrate pollution sources identification of water environment were also discussed.

Estimation of contribution ratios of pollutant sources to a specific section based on an enhanced water quality model.

PubMed

Cao, Bibo; Li, Chuan; Liu, Yan; Zhao, Yue; Sha, Jian; Wang, Yuqiu

2015-05-01

Because water quality monitoring sections or sites could reflect the water quality status of rivers, surface water quality management based on water quality monitoring sections or sites would be effective. For the purpose of improving water quality of rivers, quantifying the contribution ratios of pollutant resources to a specific section is necessary. Because physical and chemical processes of nutrient pollutants are complex in water bodies, it is difficult to quantitatively compute the contribution ratios. However, water quality models have proved to be effective tools to estimate surface water quality. In this project, an enhanced QUAL2Kw model with an added module was applied to the Xin'anjiang Watershed, to obtain water quality information along the river and to assess the contribution ratios of each pollutant source to a certain section (the Jiekou state-controlled section). Model validation indicated that the results were reliable. Then, contribution ratios were analyzed through the added module. Results show that among the pollutant sources, the Lianjiang tributary contributes the largest part of total nitrogen (50.43%), total phosphorus (45.60%), ammonia nitrogen (32.90%), nitrate (nitrite + nitrate) nitrogen (47.73%), and organic nitrogen (37.87%). Furthermore, contribution ratios in different reaches varied along the river. Compared with pollutant loads ratios of different sources in the watershed, an analysis of contribution ratios of pollutant sources for each specific section, which takes the localized chemical and physical processes into consideration, was more suitable for local-regional water quality management. In summary, this method of analyzing the contribution ratios of pollutant sources to a specific section based on the QUAL2Kw model was found to support the improvement of the local environment.

Water Source Pollution and Disease Diagnosis in a Nigerian Rural Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sangodoyin, A. Y.

1991-01-01

Samples from five water sources (spring, borehole, pond, stream, and well) in rural Nigerian communities were tested. Results include source reliabilities in terms of water quality and quantity, pollution effects upon water quality, epidemiological effects related to water quantity and waste disposal, and impact of water quality improvement upon…

Energy and phosphorus recovery from black water.

PubMed

de Graaff, M S; Temmink, H; Zeeman, G; Buisman, C J N

2011-01-01

Source-separated black water (BW) (toilet water) containing 38% of the organic material and 68% of the phosphorus in the total household waste (water) stream including kitchen waste, is a potential source for energy and phosphorus recovery. The energy recovered, in the form of electricity and heat, is more than sufficient for anaerobic treatment, nitrogen removal and phosphorus recovery. The phosphorus balance of an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor treating concentrated BW showed a phosphorus conservation of 61% in the anaerobic effluent. Precipitation of phosphate as struvite from this stream resulted in a recovery of 0.22 kgP/p/y, representing 10% of the artificial phosphorus fertiliser production in the world. The remaining part of the phosphorus ended up in the anaerobic sludge, mainly due to precipitation (39%). Low dilution and a high pH favour the accumulation of phosphorus in the anaerobic sludge and this sludge could be used as a phosphorus-enriched organic fertiliser, provided that it is safe regarding heavy metals, pathogens and micro-pollutants.

Reuse of spent granular activated carbon for organic micro-pollutant removal from treated wastewater.

PubMed

Hu, Jingyi; Shang, Ran; Heijman, Bas; Rietveld, Luuk

2015-09-01

Spent granular activated carbons (sGACs) for drinking water treatments were reused via pulverizing as low-cost adsorbents for micro-pollutant adsorption from a secondary treated wastewater effluent. The changes of physicochemical characteristics of the spent carbons in relation to the fresh carbons were determined and were correlated to the molecular properties of the respective GAC influents (i.e. a surface water and a groundwater). Pore size distribution analysis showed that the carbon pore volume decreased over a wider size range due to preloading by surface water, which contains a broader molecular weight distribution of organic matter in contrast to the groundwater. However, there was still considerable capacity available on the pulverized sGACs for atrazine adsorption in demineralized water and secondary effluent, and this was particularly the case for the groundwater spent GAC. However, as compared to the fresh counterparts, the decreased surface area and the induced surface acidic groups on the pulverized sGACs contributed both to the lower uptake and the more impeded adsorption kinetic of atrazine in the demineralized water. Nonetheless, the pulverized sGACs, especially the one preloaded by surface water, was less susceptible to adsorption competition in the secondary effluent, due to its negatively charged surface which can repulse the accessibility of the co-present organic matter. This suggests the reusability of the drinking water spent GACs for micro-pollutant adsorption in the treated wastewater. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of Diffused Sourcers of Water Pollution In The Basin of Volga River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasilchenco, O.

The intensive development of industry and agriculture, great growth of cities in the last decades result in an increase of the nature water consumption and deterioration. Different anthropogenic load change characteristics of water objects regime and de- pletion and qualitative degradation of water resources. Sources of pollution are divided on two classes: controlled and uncontrolled. The first includes industrial and domestic wastewater disposal. Their discharge and concentration of pollutants are quite stable. These sources of pollution are identified as "point". Surface run-off from of cities, industrial platforms, agricultural object, navigation, recreation are not controlled have dispersed nature and are identification as diffuse. Pollution from such sources is es- timates by computation. Quantitative assumption of pollution amounts reaches water objects is complicated and independent problem. The significant amount of full-scale observations and information processes of concerning dissolved and fluidized frag- ments movement are required. According to available guidelines the part of the pollu- tant entering water objects, is about 1-10For estimation of pollution mass and transport are mathematical modeling. Preliminary calculations of contaminants transport for different territories under an- thropogenic impact of river-Volga basin were made either for point sources of pol- lution or for non-point. Received data made it possible to analyze the correlation of contaminant volumes, coming from different sources pollution.

Removal of organic micro-pollutants (phenol, aniline and nitrobenzene) via forward osmosis (FO) process: Evaluation of FO as an alternative method to reverse osmosis (RO).

PubMed

Cui, Yue; Liu, Xiang-Yang; Chung, Tai-Shung; Weber, Martin; Staudt, Claudia; Maletzko, Christian

2016-03-15

In this study, we have explored and compared the effectiveness of using (1) lab-fabricated forward osmosis (FO) membranes under both FO and reverse osmosis (RO) modes and (2) commercially available RO membranes under the RO mode for the removal of organic micro-pollutants. The lab-fabricated FO membranes are thin film composite (TFC) membranes consisting of a polyamide layer and a porous substrate cast from three different materials; namely, Matrimid, polyethersulfone (PESU) and sulfonated polyphenylene sulfone (sPPSU). The results show that the FO mode is superior to the RO mode in the removal of phenol, aniline and nitrobenzene from wastewater. The rejections of all three TFC membranes to all the three organic micro-pollutants under the FO processes are higher than 72% and can be even higher than 90% for aniline when a 1000 ppm aromatic aqueous solution and 1 M NaCl are employed as feeds. These performances outperform the results obtained from themselves and commercially available RO membranes under the RO mode. In addition, the rejection can be maintained even when treating a more concentrated feed solution (2000 ppm). The removal performance can be further enhanced by using a more concentrated draw solution (2 M). The water flux is almost doubled, and the rejection increment can reach up to 17%. Moreover, it was observed that annealing as a post-treatment would help compact the membrane selective layer and further enhance the separating efficiency. The obtained organic micro-pollutant rejections and water fluxes under various feasible operating conditions indicate that the FO process has potential to be a viable treatment for wastewater containing organic micro-pollutants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detection of Pollution Caused by Solid Wastes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golueke, Clarence G.

1971-01-01

To develop a means of detecting pollution, it s necessary to know something about the source and nature of the pollution. The type of pollution rising from solid wastes differs considerably from hat from liquid wastes or that from gaseous wastes ni its effect on the immediate environment. It may be "defined" by a series of negatives. When solid wastes are discarded on land, the resulting pollution is not land pollution in the sense of air and water pollution. For one thing, the solid wastes do not become a "part" of the land in that the wastes are neither intimately mixed nor homogenized into the land as are liquid and gaseous wastes into their respective media. The waste particles retain not only their chemical identity but also their visible (i.e., physical) characteristics. When buried, for example, the soil is under, above, and around the solids, because the wastes are there as discrete units. Secondly, solid wastes neither diffuse nor are they carried from the place at which they were deposited. In other words they remain stationary, providing of course the disposal site is land and not moving water. In a given area, solid wastes be not distributed uniformly over that area. Even the solid wastes falling into the specification of letter meets these specifications. In contrast liquid and gaseous wastes become intimately mixed, homogenized, and even dissolved in their media. Because solid wastes remain stationary, pollution constituted by their presence is highly localized and heavily concentrated, even to the extent that the pollution could be termed "micro" when compared to the macro-pollution arising from liquid and gasequs wastes.

[Spatio-temporal characteristics and source identification of water pollutants in Wenruitang River watershed].

PubMed

Ma, Xiao-xue; Wang, La-chun; Liao, Ling-ling

2015-01-01

Identifying the temp-spatial distribution and sources of water pollutants is of great significance for efficient water quality management pollution control in Wenruitang River watershed, China. A total of twelve water quality parameters, including temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), total nitrogen (TN), ammonia nitrogen (NH4+ -N), electrical conductivity (EC), turbidity (Turb), nitrite-N (NO2-), nitrate-N(NO3-), phosphate-P(PO4(3-), total organic carbon (TOC) and silicate (SiO3(2-)), were analyzed from September, 2008 to October, 2009. Geographic information system(GIS) and principal component analysis(PCA) were used to determine the spatial distribution and to apportion the sources of pollutants. The results demonstrated that TN, NH4+ -N, PO4(3-) were the main pollutants during flow period, wet period, dry period, respectively, which was mainly caused by urban point sources and agricultural and rural non-point sources. In spatial terms, the order of pollution was tertiary river > secondary river > primary river, while the water quality was worse in city zones than in the suburb and wetland zone regardless of the river classification. In temporal terms, the order of pollution was dry period > wet period > flow period. Population density, land use type and water transfer affected the water quality in Wenruitang River.

Reduced nutrient pollution in a rural stream following septic tank upgrade and installation of runoff retention measures.

PubMed

Ockenden, M C; Quinton, J N; Favaretto, N; Deasy, C; Surridge, B

2014-07-01

Surface water quality in the UK and much of Western Europe has improved in recent decades, in response to better point source controls and the regulation of fertilizer, manure and slurry use. However, diffuse sources of pollution, such as leaching or runoff of nutrients from agricultural fields, and micro-point sources including farmyards, manure heaps and septic tank sewerage systems, particularly systems without soil adsorption beds, are now hypothesised to contribute a significant proportion of the nutrients delivered to surface watercourses. Tackling such sources in an integrated manner is vital, if improvements in freshwater quality are to continue. In this research, we consider the combined effect of constructing small field wetlands and improving a septic tank system on stream water quality within an agricultural catchment in Cumbria, UK. Water quality in the ditch-wetland system was monitored by manual sampling at fortnightly intervals (April-October 2011 and February-October 2012), with the septic tank improvement taking place in February 2012. Reductions in nutrient concentrations were observed through the catchment, by up to 60% when considering total phosphorus (TP) entering and leaving a wetland with a long residence time. Average fluxes of TP, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and ammonium-N (NH4-N) at the head of the ditch system in 2011 (before septic tank improvement) compared to 2012 (after septic tank improvement) were reduced by 28%, 9% and 37% respectively. However, TP concentration data continue to show a clear dilution with increasing flow, indicating that the system remained point source dominated even after the septic tank improvement.

Bio-diatomite dynamic membrane reactor for micro-polluted surface water treatment.

PubMed

Chu, Huaqiang; Cao, Dawen; Dong, Bingzhi; Qiang, Zhimin

2010-03-01

This work investigated the feasibility of treating micro-polluted surface water for drinking water production with a bio-diatomite dynamic membrane reactor (BDDMR) at lab-scale in continuous-flow mode. Results indicate that the BDDMR was effective in removing COD(Mn), DOC, UV(254), NH(3)-N and trihalomethanes' formation potential (THMFP) at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 3.5h due to its high concentrations of mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) and mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS). The removal of pollutants was mainly ascribed to microbial degradation in BDDMR because the dynamic membrane alone was much less effective in pollutant removal. Though the diatomite particles (5-20microm) were much smaller in size than the aperture of the stainless steel support mesh (74microm), microorganisms and their extracellular polymer substances could bind these particles tightly to form bio-diatomite particles which were completely retained by the support mesh. The analysis of molecular weight (MW) distribution by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) shows that the BDDMR could effectively remove the hydrophilic fraction of dissolved organic materials present in the raw water. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gulls identified as major source of fecal pollution in coastal waters: a microbial source tracking study.

PubMed

Araújo, Susana; Henriques, Isabel S; Leandro, Sérgio Miguel; Alves, Artur; Pereira, Anabela; Correia, António

2014-02-01

Gulls were reported as sources of fecal pollution in coastal environments and potential vectors of human infections. Microbial source tracking (MST) methods were rarely tested to identify this pollution origin. This study was conducted to ascertain the source of water fecal contamination in the Berlenga Island, Portugal. A total of 169 Escherichia coli isolates from human sewage, 423 isolates from gull feces and 334 water isolates were analyzed by BOX-PCR. An average correct classification of 79.3% was achieved. When an 85% similarity cutoff was applied 24% of water isolates were present in gull feces against 2.7% detected in sewage. Jackknifing resulted in 29.3% of water isolates classified as gull, and 10.8% classified as human. Results indicate that gulls constitute a major source of water contamination in the Berlenga Island. This study validated a methodology to differentiate human and gull fecal pollution sources in a real case of a contaminated beach. © 2013.

Risk assessment of water pollution sources based on an integrated k-means clustering and set pair analysis method in the region of Shiyan, China.

PubMed

Li, Chunhui; Sun, Lian; Jia, Junxiang; Cai, Yanpeng; Wang, Xuan

2016-07-01

Source water areas are facing many potential water pollution risks. Risk assessment is an effective method to evaluate such risks. In this paper an integrated model based on k-means clustering analysis and set pair analysis was established aiming at evaluating the risks associated with water pollution in source water areas, in which the weights of indicators were determined through the entropy weight method. Then the proposed model was applied to assess water pollution risks in the region of Shiyan in which China's key source water area Danjiangkou Reservoir for the water source of the middle route of South-to-North Water Diversion Project is located. The results showed that eleven sources with relative high risk value were identified. At the regional scale, Shiyan City and Danjiangkou City would have a high risk value in term of the industrial discharge. Comparatively, Danjiangkou City and Yunxian County would have a high risk value in terms of agricultural pollution. Overall, the risk values of north regions close to the main stream and reservoir of the region of Shiyan were higher than that in the south. The results of risk level indicated that five sources were in lower risk level (i.e., level II), two in moderate risk level (i.e., level III), one in higher risk level (i.e., level IV) and three in highest risk level (i.e., level V). Also risks of industrial discharge are higher than that of the agricultural sector. It is thus essential to manage the pillar industry of the region of Shiyan and certain agricultural companies in the vicinity of the reservoir to reduce water pollution risks of source water areas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

FECAL POLLUTION, PUBLIC HEALTH AND MICROBIAL SOURCE TRACKING

EPA Science Inventory

Microbial source tracking (MST) seeks to provide information about sources of fecal water contamination. Without knowledge of sources, it is difficult to accurately model risk assessments, choose effective remediation strategies, or bring chronically polluted waters into complian...

Analysis of non-point and point source pollution in China: case study in Shima Watershed in Guangdong Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Huaiyang; Lu, Qingshui; Gao, Zhiqiang; Shi, Runhe; Gao, Wei

2013-09-01

China economy has been rapidly increased since 1978. Rapid economic growth led to fast growth of fertilizer and pesticide consumption. A significant portion of fertilizers and pesticides entered the water and caused water quality degradation. At the same time, rapid economic growth also caused more and more point source pollution discharge into the water. Eutrophication has become a major threat to the water bodies. Worsening environment problems forced governments to take measures to control water pollution. We extracted land cover from Landsat TM images; calculated point source pollution with export coefficient method; then SWAT model was run to simulate non-point source pollution. We found that the annual TP loads from industry pollution into rivers are 115.0 t in the entire watershed. Average annual TP loads from each sub-basin ranged from 0 to 189.4 ton. Higher TP loads of each basin from livestock and human living mainly occurs in the areas where they are far from large towns or cities and the TP loads from industry are relatively low. Mean annual TP loads that delivered to the streams was 246.4 tons and the highest TP loads occurred in north part of this area, and the lowest TP loads is mainly distributed in middle part. Therefore, point source pollution has much high proportion in this area and governments should take measures to control point source pollution.

Using CSLD Method to Calculate COD Pollution Load of Wei River Watershed above Huaxian Section, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Lei; Song, JinXi; Liu, WanQing

2017-12-01

Huaxian Section is the last hydrological and water quality monitoring section of Weihe River Watershed. Weihe River Watershed above Huaxian Section is taken as the research objective in this paper and COD is chosen as the water quality parameter. According to the discharge characteristics of point source pollutions and non-point source pollutions, a new method to estimate pollution loads—characteristic section load(CSLD) method is suggested and point source pollution and non-point source pollution loads of Weihe River Watershed above Huaxian Section are calculated in the rainy, normal and dry season in the year 2007. The results show that the monthly point source pollution loads of Weihe River Watershed above Huaxian Section discharge stably and the monthly non-point source pollution loads of Weihe River Watershed above Huaxian Section change greatly and the non-point source pollution load proportions of total pollution load of COD decrease in the normal, rainy and wet period in turn.

Calculating NH3-N pollution load of wei river watershed above Huaxian section using CSLD method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Lei; Song, JinXi; Liu, WanQing

2018-02-01

Huaxian Section is the last hydrological and water quality monitoring section of Weihe River Watershed. So it is taken as the research objective in this paper and NH3-N is chosen as the water quality parameter. According to the discharge characteristics of point source pollutions and non-point source pollutions, a new method to estimate pollution loads—characteristic section load (CSLD)method is suggested and point source pollution and non-point source pollution loads of Weihe River Watershed above Huaxian Section are calculated in the rainy, normal and dry season in the year 2007. The results show that the monthly point source pollution loads of Weihe River Watershed above Huaxian Section discharge stably and the monthly non-point source pollution loads of Weihe River Watershed above Huaxian Section change greatly. The non-point source pollution load proportions of total pollution load of NH3-N decrease in the normal, rainy and wet period in turn.

Assessment of semi-volatile organic compounds in drinking water sources in Jiangsu, China.

PubMed

Wu, Yifeng; Jia, Yongzhi; Lu, Xiwu

2013-08-01

Many xenobiotic compounds, especially organic pollutants in drinking water, can cause threats to human health and natural ecosystems. The ability to predict the level of pollutants and identify their source is crucial for the design of pollutant risk reduction plans. In this study, 25 semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) were assessed at 16 monitoring sites of drinking water sources in Jiangsu, east China, to evaluate water quality conditions and source of pollutants. Four multivariate statistical techniques were used for this analysis. The correlation test indicated that 25 SVOCs parameters variables had a significant spatial variability (P<0.05). The results of correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) suggested that at least four sources, i.e., agricultural residual pesticides, industrial sewage, water transportation vehicles and miscellaneous sources, were responsible for the presence of SVOCs in the drinking water sites examined, accounting for 89.6% of the total variance in the dataset. The analysis of site similarity showed that 16 sites could be divided into high, moderate, and low pollutant level groups at (D(link)/D(max))×25<10, and each group had primary typical SVOCs. These results provide useful information for developing appropriate strategies for contaminants control in drinking water sources. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sanitary survey of the drinking water supply of Kombinati suburb-Tirana, Albania.

PubMed

Angjeli, V; Reme, B; Leno, L; Bukli, R; Bushati, G

2000-01-01

Microbiological pollution of drinking water is a major health problem in the suburbs of the Albanian capital. Intermittent supply and contamination, resulting in several gastrointestinal manifestations, are the main concerns for the population and health workers. The risk of outbreaks of water-borne diseases is high. Pollution originates from contamination of drinking water with domestic sewage. This research investigated the drinking water cycle from its natural source to the consumer, analysing samples and verifying pollution levels in the microbiological and chemical setting. The most important pollution sources were found in the distribution network, due to cross-contamination with sewers and illegal connections. The second pollution source was found around the extraction wells. This is related to abusive constructions within the sanitary zone around the wells and maybe the highly sewage-contaminated river water which feeds the aquifer.

Review on fate and mechanism of removal of pharmaceutical pollutants from wastewater using biological approach.

PubMed

Tiwari, Bhagyashree; Sellamuthu, Balasubramanian; Ouarda, Yassine; Drogui, Patrick; Tyagi, Rajeshwar D; Buelna, Gerardo

2017-01-01

Due to research advancement and discoveries in the field of medical science, maintains and provides better human health and safer life, which lead to high demand for production of pharmaceutical compounds with a concomitant increase in population. These pharmaceutical (biologically active) compounds were not fully metabolized by the body and excreted out in wastewater. This micro-pollutant remains unchanged during wastewater treatment plant operation and enters into the receiving environment via the discharge of treated water. Persistence of pharmaceutical compounds in both surface and ground waters becomes a major concern due to their potential eco-toxicity. Pharmaceuticals (emerging micro-pollutants) deteriorate the water quality and impart a toxic effect on living organisms. Therefore, from last two decades, plenty of studies were conducted on the occurrence, impact, and removal of pharmaceutical residues from the environment. This review provides an overview on the fate and removal of pharmaceutical compounds via biological treatment process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Effect analysis on the two total load control methods for poisonous heavy metals].

PubMed

Fu, Guo-Wei

2012-12-01

Firstly it should be made clear that implementation of source total load control for the first type of pollutants is necessary for environmental pollution control legislation and economic structure regulation. This kind of surveillance method has been more practical to be implemented since the Manual of the Industry Discharge Coefficient of First National Pollution Sources Investigation was published. The source total load control and water environment total load control are independent of each other and none of them is redundant, on the other side they can be complementary to each other. In the present, some local planning managers are blurring and confusing the contents and styles of the two surveillance methods. They just use the water total load control to manage all the pollutants, and source total load control is discarded, which results in the loss of control for the first type of pollutants especially for the drinking water source surveillance. There is a big difference between the water quality standards and the water environmental background concentration values for the first type of pollutants in the Environmental quality standard for surface water (GB 3838-88), which means that there are problems such as "relaxing the pollutant discharge permit" and "risk induced by valence state change". Taking an enterprise with 10t electrolytic lead production capacity as an example, there is a big difference between the allowable lead discharged loads by the two total load surveillance methods. In summary, it will bring a lot of harmful effects if the water total load control is implemented for the two types of pollutants, so the source total load control and water environmental total load control should be implemented strictly at the same time.

A conceptual ground-water-quality monitoring network for San Fernando Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Setmire, J.G.

1985-01-01

A conceptual groundwater-quality monitoring network was developed for San Fernando Valley to provide the California State Water Resources Control Board with an integrated, basinwide control system to monitor the quality of groundwater. The geology, occurrence and movement of groundwater, land use, background water quality, and potential sources of pollution were described and then considered in designing the conceptual monitoring network. The network was designed to monitor major known and potential point and nonpoint sources of groundwater contamination over time. The network is composed of 291 sites where wells are needed to define the groundwater quality. The ideal network includes four specific-purpose networks to monitor (1) ambient water quality, (2) nonpoint sources of pollution, (3) point sources of pollution, and (4) line sources of pollution. (USGS)

Spatio-temporal patterns and source apportionment of pollution in Qiantang River (China) using neural-based modeling and multivariate statistical techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Shiliang; Zhi, Junjun; Lou, Liping; Huang, Fang; Chen, Xia; Wu, Jiaping

Characterizing the spatio-temporal patterns and apportioning the pollution sources of water bodies are important for the management and protection of water resources. The main objective of this study is to describe the dynamics of water quality and provide references for improving river pollution control practices. Comprehensive application of neural-based modeling and different multivariate methods was used to evaluate the spatio-temporal patterns and source apportionment of pollution in Qiantang River, China. Measurement data were obtained and pretreated for 13 variables from 41 monitoring sites for the period of 2001-2004. A self-organizing map classified the 41 monitoring sites into three groups (Group A, B and C), representing different pollution characteristics. Four significant parameters (dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, total phosphorus and total lead) were identified by discriminant analysis for distinguishing variations of different years, with about 80% correct assignment for temporal variation. Rotated principal component analysis (PCA) identified four potential pollution sources for Group A (domestic sewage and agricultural pollution, industrial wastewater pollution, mineral weathering, vehicle exhaust and sand mining), five for Group B (heavy metal pollution, agricultural runoff, vehicle exhaust and sand mining, mineral weathering, chemical plants discharge) and another five for Group C (vehicle exhaust and sand mining, chemical plants discharge, soil weathering, biochemical pollution, mineral weathering). The identified potential pollution sources explained 75.6% of the total variances for Group A, 75.0% for Group B and 80.0% for Group C, respectively. Receptor-based source apportionment was applied to further estimate source contributions for each pollution variable in the three groups, which facilitated and supported the PCA results. These results could assist managers to develop optimal strategies and determine priorities for river pollution control and effective water resources management.

Effect of PAC dosage in a pilot-scale PAC-MBR treating micro-polluted surface water.

PubMed

Hu, Jingyi; Shang, Ran; Deng, Huiping; Heijman, Sebastiaan G J; Rietveld, Luuk C

2014-02-01

To address the water scarcity issue and advance the traditional drinking water treatment technique, a powdered activated carbon-amended membrane bioreactor (PAC-MBR) is proposed for micro-polluted surface water treatment. A pilot-scale study was carried out by initially dosing different amounts of PAC into the MBR. Comparative results showed that 2g/L performed the best among 0, 1, 2 and 3g/L PAC-MBR regarding organic matter and ammonia removal as well as membrane flux sustainability. 1g/L PAC-MBR exhibited a marginal improvement in pollutant removal compared to the non-PAC system. The accumulation of organic matter in the bulk mixture of 3g/L PAC-MBR led to poorer organic removal and severer membrane fouling. Molecular weight distribution of the bulk liquid in 2g/L PAC-MBR revealed the synergistic effects of PAC adsorption/biodegradation and membrane rejection on organic matter removal. Additionally, a lower amount of soluble extracellular polymer substances in the bulk can be secured in 21 days operation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Importance of diffuse pollution control in the Patzcuaro Lake Basin in Mexico.

PubMed

Carro, Marco Mijangos; Dávila, Jorge Izurieta; Balandra, Antonieta Gómez; López, Rubén Hernández; Delgadillo, Rubén Huerto; Chávez, Javier Sánchez; Inclán, Luís Bravo

2008-01-01

In the catchment area of the Lake Patzcuaro in Central Mexico (933 km2) the apportionments of erosion, sediment, nutrients and pathogen coming from thirteen micro basins were estimated with the purpose of identifying critical areas in which best management practices need to be implemented in order to reduce their contribution to the lake pollution and eutrophication. The ArcView Generalized Watershed Loading Functions model (AV-GWLF) was applied to estimate the loads and sources of nutrients. The main results show that the total annual contribution of nitrogen from point sources were 491 tons and from diffuse pollution 2,065 tons, whereas phosphorus loads where 116 and 236 tons, respectively during a thirty year simulation period. Micro basins with predominant agricultural and animal farm land use (56% of the total area) accounts for a high percentage of nitrogen load 33% and phosphorus 52%. On the other hand, Patzcuaro and Quiroga micro basins which comprise approximately 10% of the total catchment area and are the most populated and visited towns by tourist 686,000 people every year, both contributes with 10.1% of the total nitrogen load and 3.2% of phosphorus. In terms of point sources of nitrogen and phosphorus the last towns contribute with 23.5% and 26.6% respectively. Under this situation the adoption of best management practices are an imperative task since the sedimentation and pollution in the lake has increased dramatically in the last twenty years. Copyright (c) IWA Publishing 2008.

An early warning system for groundwater pollution based on the assessment of groundwater pollution risks.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Weihong.; Zhao, Yongsheng; Hong, Mei; Guo, Xiaodong

2009-04-01

Groundwater pollution usually is complex and concealed, remediation of which is difficult, high cost, time-consuming, and ineffective. An early warning system for groundwater pollution is needed that detects groundwater quality problems and gets the information necessary to make sound decisions before massive groundwater quality degradation occurs. Groundwater pollution early warning were performed by considering comprehensively the current groundwater quality, groundwater quality varying trend and groundwater pollution risk . The map of the basic quality of the groundwater was obtained by fuzzy comprehensive evaluation or BP neural network evaluation. Based on multi-annual groundwater monitoring datasets, Water quality state in sometime of the future was forecasted using time-sequenced analyzing methods. Water quality varying trend was analyzed by Spearman's rank correlative coefficient.The relative risk map of groundwater pollution was estimated through a procedure that identifies, cell by cell,the values of three factors, that is inherent vulnerability, load risk of pollution source and contamination hazard. DRASTIC method was used to assess inherent vulnerability of aquifer. Load risk of pollution source was analyzed based on the potential of contamination and pollution degree. Assessment index of load risk of pollution source which involves the variety of pollution source, quantity of contaminants, releasing potential of pollutants, and distance were determined. The load risks of all sources considered by GIS overlay technology. Early warning model of groundwater pollution combined with ComGIS technology organically, the regional groundwater pollution early-warning information system was developed, and applied it into Qiqiha'er groundwater early warning. It can be used to evaluate current water quality, to forecast water quality changing trend, and to analyze space-time influencing range of groundwater quality by natural process and human activities. Keywords: groundwater pollution, early warning, aquifer vulnerability, pollution load, pollution risk, ComGIS

Monitor-based evaluation of pollutant load from urban stormwater runoff in Beijing.

PubMed

Liu, Y; Che, W; Li, J

2005-01-01

As a major pollutant source to urban receiving waters, the non-point source pollution from urban runoff needs to be well studied and effectively controlled. Based on monitoring data from urban runoff pollutant sources, this article describes a systematic estimation of total pollutant loads from the urban areas of Beijing. A numerical model was developed to quantify main pollutant loads of urban runoff in Beijing. A sub-procedure is involved in this method, in which the flush process influences both the quantity and quality of stormwater runoff. A statistics-based method was applied in computing the annual pollutant load as an output of the runoff. The proportions of pollutant from point-source and non-point sources were compared. This provides a scientific basis for proper environmental input assessment of urban stormwater pollution to receiving waters, improvement of infrastructure performance, implementation of urban stormwater management, and utilization of stormwater.

Retention and mitigation of metals in sediment, soil, water, and plant of a newly constructed root-channel wetland (China) from slightly polluted source water.

PubMed

Wang, Baoling; Wang, Yu; Wang, Weidong

2014-01-01

Constructed root-channel wetland (CRCW) is a term for pre-pond/wetland/post-pond complexes, where the wetland includes plant-bed/ditch landscape and root-channel structure. Source water out of pre-ponds flows through alternate small ditches and plant beds with root-channels via a big ditch under hydraulic regulation. Then source water flows into post-ponds to finish final polishing. This article aims to explore the potential of components of a pilot CRCW in China on mitigating metals in micro-polluted source water during its initial operation stage. We investigated six heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, and Pb) in surface sediment, plant-bed subsurface soil, water, and aquatic plants during 2012-2013. Monitoring results showed that pond/ditch sediments and plant-bed soil retained a significant amount of Cr, Ni, and Zn with 93.1%, 72.4%, and 57.5% samples showing contamination factor above limit 1 respectively. Remarkably the high values of metal enrichment factor (EF) occurred in root-channel zones. Water monitoring results indicated that Ni, Zn, and Pb were removed by 78.5% (66.7%), 57.6% (59.6%), and 26.0% (7.5%) in east (west) wetland respectively. Mass balance estimation revealed that heavy metal mass in the pond/ditch sediments accounted for 63.30% and that in plant-bed soil 36.67%, while plant uptake occupied only 0.03%. The heavy metal accretion flux in sediments was 0.41 - 211.08 μg · cm(-2) · a(-1), less than that in plant-bed soil (0.73 - 543.94 μg · cm(-2) · a(-1)). The 1.83 ha wetland has retained about 86.18 kg total heavy metals within 494 days after operation. This pilot case study proves that constructed root-channel wetland can reduce the potential ecological risk of purified raw water and provide a new and effective method for the removal of heavy metals from drinking water sources.

Cattle-derived microbial input to source water catchments: An experimental assessment of stream crossing modification.

PubMed

Smolders, Andrew; Rolls, Robert J; Ryder, Darren; Watkinson, Andrew; Mackenzie, Mark

2015-06-01

The provision of safe drinking water is a global issue, and animal production is recognized as a significant potential origin of human infectious pathogenic microorganisms within source water catchments. On-farm management can be used to mitigate livestock-derived microbial pollution in source water catchments to reduce the risk of contamination to potable water supplies. We applied a modified Before-After Control Impact (BACI) design to test if restricting the access of livestock to direct contact with streams prevented longitudinal increases in the concentrations of faecal indicator bacteria and suspended solids. Significant longitudinal increases in pollutant concentrations were detected between upstream and downstream reaches of the control crossing, whereas such increases were not detected at the treatment crossing. Therefore, while the crossing upgrade was effective in preventing cattle-derived point source pollution by between 112 and 158%, diffuse source pollution to water supplies from livestock is not ameliorated by this intervention alone. Our findings indicate that stream crossings that prevent direct contact between livestock and waterways provide a simple method for reducing pollutant loads in source water catchments, which ultimately minimises the likelihood of pathogenic microorganisms passing through source water catchments and the drinking water supply system. The efficacy of the catchment as a primary barrier to pathogenic risks to drinking water supplies would be improved with the integration of management interventions that minimise direct contact between livestock and waterways, combined with the mitigation of diffuse sources of livestock-derived faecal matter from farmland runoff to the aquatic environment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of mercury and arsenic from industrial effluents on the drinking water and comparison of the water quality of polluted and non-polluted areas: a case study of Peshawar and Lower Dir.

PubMed

Ishaq, M; Jan, F Akbar; Khan, Murad Ali; Ihsanullah, I; Ahmad, I; Shakirullah, M; Roohullah

2013-02-01

The purpose of the present study was to find out the sources of mercury and arsenic pollution of water in the industrial area of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Samples of effluents, mud, and water were collected from the target area (industrial area of Peshawar), the area of water supply source, and from the less polluted area, the Lower Dir district, as the control. Hg was determined by the cold vapor generation technique, while arsenic was determined using the electrothermal atomic absorption technique. Data of the water from the industrial area were compared with that of the source area, control area, as well as with the WHO and some international drinking water quality standards. The results show that some parameters, i.e., TDS, DO, pH, and hardness, were more than the permissible limits. Textile and glass industries were found to be the major sources of Hg and As pollution. Downstream dilution of these contaminants was also observed.

A spatial model to aggregate point-source and nonpoint-source water-quality data for large areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

White, D.A.; Smith, R.A.; Price, C.V.; Alexander, R.B.; Robinson, K.W.

1992-01-01

More objective and consistent methods are needed to assess water quality for large areas. A spatial model, one that capitalizes on the topologic relationships among spatial entities, to aggregate pollution sources from upstream drainage areas is described that can be implemented on land surfaces having heterogeneous water-pollution effects. An infrastructure of stream networks and drainage basins, derived from 1:250,000-scale digital-elevation models, define the hydrologic system in this spatial model. The spatial relationships between point- and nonpoint pollution sources and measurement locations are referenced to the hydrologic infrastructure with the aid of a geographic information system. A maximum-branching algorithm has been developed to simulate the effects of distance from a pollutant source to an arbitrary downstream location, a function traditionally employed in deterministic water quality models. ?? 1992.

Will urban expansion lead to an increase in future water pollution loads?--a preliminary investigation of the Haihe River Basin in northeastern China.

PubMed

Dong, Yang; Liu, Yi; Chen, Jining

2014-01-01

Urban expansion is a major driving force changing regional hydrology and nonpoint source pollution. The Haihe River Basin, the political, economic, and cultural center of northeastern China, has undergone rapid urbanization in recent decades. To investigate the consequences of future urban sprawl on nonpoint source water pollutant emissions in the river basin, the urban sprawl in 2030 was estimated, and the annual runoff and nonpoint source pollution in the Haihe River basin were simulated. The Integrated Model of Non-Point Sources Pollution Processes (IMPULSE) was used to simulate the effects of urban sprawl on nonpoint source pollution emissions. The outcomes indicated that the urban expansion through 2030 increased the nonpoint source total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorous (TP), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) emissions by 8.08, 0.14, and 149.57 kg/km(2), respectively. Compared to 2008, the total nonpoint emissions rose by 15.33, 0.57, and 12.39 %, respectively. Twelve percent of the 25 cities in the basin would increase by more than 50 % in nonpoint source TN and COD emissions in 2030. In particular, the nonpoint source TN emissions in Xinxiang, Jiaozuo, and Puyang would rise by 73.31, 67.25, and 58.61 %, and the nonpoint source COD emissions in these cities would rise by 74.02, 51.99, and 53.27 %, respectively. The point source pollution emissions in 2008 and 2030 were also estimated to explore the effects of urban sprawl on total water pollution loads. Urban sprawl through 2030 would bring significant structural changes of total TN, TP, and COD emissions for each city in the area. The results of this study could provide insights into the effects of urbanization in the study area and the methods could help to recognize the role that future urban sprawl plays in the total water pollution loads in the water quality management process.

ALTERNATIVE POLICIES FOR CONTROLLING NONPOINT AGRICULTURAL SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION

EPA Science Inventory

This study of policies for controlling water pollution from nonpoint agricultural sources includes a survey of existing state and Federal programs, agencies, and laws directed to the control of soil erosion. Six policies representing a variety of approaches to this pollution prob...

NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION

EPA Science Inventory

Non-point source pollution is a diffuse source that is difficult to measure and is highly variable due to different rain patterns and other climatic conditions. In many areas, however, non-point source pollution is the greatest source of water quality degradation. Presently, stat...

Water Pollution Prediction in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area and Countermeasures for Sustainable Development of the Water Environment.

PubMed

Li, Yinghui; Huang, Shuaijin; Qu, Xuexin

2017-10-27

The Three Gorges Project was implemented in 1994 to promote sustainable water resource use and development of the water environment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (hereafter "Reservoir Area"). However, massive discharge of wastewater along the river threatens these goals; therefore, this study employs a grey prediction model (GM) to predict the annual emissions of primary pollution sources, including industrial wastewater, domestic wastewater, and oily and domestic wastewater from ships, that influence the Three Gorges Reservoir Area water environment. First, we optimize the initial values of a traditional GM (1,1) model, and build a new GM (1,1) model that minimizes the sum of squares of the relative simulation errors. Second, we use the new GM (1,1) model to simulate historical annual emissions data for the four pollution sources and thereby test the effectiveness of the model. Third, we predict the annual emissions of the four pollution sources in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area for a future period. The prediction results reveal the annual emission trends for the major wastewater types, and indicate the primary sources of water pollution in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area. Based on our predictions, we suggest several countermeasures against water pollution and towards the sustainable development of the water environment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area.

Nonpoint Source Pollution: Agriculture, Forestry, and Mining. Instructor Guide. Working for Clean Water: An Information Program for Advisory Groups.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buskirk, E. Drannon, Jr.

Nonpoint sources of pollution have diffuse origins and are major contributors to water quality problems in both urban and rural areas. Addressed in this instructor's manual are the identification, assessment, and management of nonpoint source pollutants resulting from mining, agriculture, and forestry. The unit, part of the Working for Clean Water…

Analysis of point source pollution and water environmental quality variation trends in the Nansi Lake basin from 2002 to 2012.

PubMed

Wang, Weiliang; Liu, Xiaohui; Wang, Yufan; Guo, Xiaochun; Lu, Shaoyong

2016-03-01

Based on the data analysis of the water environmental quality and economic development from 2002 to 2012 in the Nansi Lake basin, the correlation and change between the water environmental quality and economic development were studied. Results showed that the GDP and wastewater emissions of point source in the Nansi Lake basin had an average annual growth of 7.30 and 7.68 %, respectively, from 2002 to 2012. The emissions of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) had the average annual decrease of 7.69 and 6.79 % in 2012, respectively, compared to 2002. Basin water quality overall improved, reaching the Class III of the "Environmental quality standards for surface water (GB3838-2002)," in which the main reason was that sewage treatment rate increased gradually and was above 90 % in 2012 (an increase of 10 % compared to 2002) with the progress of pollution abatement technology and the implementation of relevant policies and regulations. The contribution of water environmental pollution was analyzed from related cities (Ji'ning, Zaozhuang, Heze). Results indicated that Ji'ning had the largest contribution to water pollution of the Nansi Lake basin, and the pollutant from domestic sources accounted for a higher percentage compared to industrial sources. The wastewater, COD, and NH3-N mainly came from mining and washing of coal, manufacture of raw chemical materials and chemical products, papermaking industry, and food processing industry. According to the water pollution characteristics of the Nansi Lake basin, the basin pollution treatment strategy and prevention and treatment system were dissected to provide a scientific basis for prevention and control of lakeside point source pollution along the Nansi Lake.

Incentive Analysis for Clean Water Act Reauthorization: Point Source/Nonpoint Source Trading for Nutrient Discharge Reductions (1992)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Paper focuses on trading schemes in which regulated point sources are allowed to avoid upgrading their pollution control technology to meet water quality-based effluent limits if they pay for equivalent (or greater) reductions in nonpoint source pollution.

Characteristic variation and original analysis of emergent water source pollution accidents in China between 1985 and 2013.

PubMed

Qu, Jianhua; Meng, Xianlin; Ye, Xiuqing; You, Hong

2016-10-01

China has suffered various water source pollution incidents in the past decades, which have resulted in severe threats to the safety of the water supply for millions of residents. From the aspects of quantity fluctuation, temporal volatility, regional inequality, pollutant category variation, and accident type differences, this study first characterizes the current status of water source contaminations in China by analyzing 340 pollution events for the period spanning from 1985 to 2013. The results show a general increase in the number of accidents during the period 1985-2006 and then a rapid decline starting in 2007. Spring and summer are high-incidence seasons for pollution, and the accident rate in developed southeastern coastal areas is far higher than that in the northwestern regions. Hazardous chemicals and petroleum are the most frequently occurring pollutants, whereas heavy metals and tailings are becoming emerging contaminants during occasional pollutions. Most of the accidents that occurred before 2005 were blamed on illegal emissions or traffic accidents; however, leakage in production has gradually become a major accident type in the past decade. Then, in combination with government actions and policy constraints, this paper explores the deep inducements and offers valuable insight into measures that should be taken to ensure future prevention and mitigation of emergent source water pollution.

Chemical, biological, and DNA markers for tracing slaughterhouse effluent.

PubMed

Harvey, P J; Taylor, M P; Handley, H K; Foster, S; Gillings, M R; Asher, A J

2017-07-01

Agricultural practices, if not managed correctly, can have a negative impact on receiving environments via waste disposal and discharge. In this study, a chicken slaughter facility on the rural outskirts of Sydney, Australia, has been identified as a possible source of persistent effluent discharge into a peri-urban catchment. Questions surrounding the facility's environmental management practices go back more than four decades. Despite there having never been a definitive determination of the facility's impact on local stream water quality, the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (NSW EPA) has implemented numerous pollution reduction requirements to manage noise and water pollution at the slaughter facility. However, assessment of compliance remains complicated by potential additional sources of pollution in the catchment. To unravel this long-standing conundrum related to water pollution we apply a forensic, multiple lines of evidence approach to delineate the origin of the likely pollution source(s). Water samples collected between 2014 and 2016 from irrigation pipes and a watercourse exiting the slaughter facility had elevated concentrations of ammonia (max: 63,000µg/L), nitrogen (max: 67,000µg/L) and phosphorus (max: 39,000µg/L), which were significantly higher than samples from adjacent streams that did not receive direct runoff from the facility. Arsenic, sometimes utilised in growth promoting compounds, was detected in water discharging from the facility up to ~4 times (max 3.84µg/L) local background values (<0.5µg/L), with inorganic As (∑V+III) being the dominant species. The spatial association of elevated water pollution to the facility could not unequivocally distinguish a source and consequently DNA analysis of a suspected pollution discharge event was undertaken. Analysis of catchment runoff from several local streams showed that only water sampled at the downstream boundary of the facility tested positive for chicken DNA, with traces of duck DNA being absent, which was a potential confounder given that wild ducks are present in the area. Further, PCR analysis showed that only the discharge water emanating from the slaughter facility tested positive for a generalized marker of anthropogenic pollution, the clinical class 1 integron-integrase gene. The environmental data collected over a three-year period demonstrates that the slaughter facility is indisputably the primary source of water-borne pollution in the catchment. Moreover, application of DNA and PCR for confirming pollution sources demonstrates its potential for application by regulators in fingerprinting pollution sources. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Empirical study on non-point sources pollution based on landscape pattern & ecological processes theory: a case of soil water loss on the Loess Plateau in China].

PubMed

Suo, An-ning; Wang, Tian-ming; Wang, Hui; Yu, Bo; Ge, Jian-ping

2006-12-01

Non-point sources pollution is one of main pollution modes which pollutes the earth surface environment. Aimed at soil water loss (a typical non-point sources pollution problem) on the Losses Plateau in China, the paper applied a landscape patternevaluation method to twelve watersheds of Jinghe River Basin on the Loess Plateau by means of location-weighted landscape contrast index(LCI) and landscape slope index(LSI). The result showed that LSI of farm land, low density grass land, forest land and LCI responded significantly to soil erosion modulus and responded to depth of runoff, while the relationship between these landscape index and runoff variation index and erosion variation index were not statistically significant. This tell us LSI and LWLCI are good indicators of soil water loss and thus have big potential in non-point source pollution risk evaluation.

Intermittent flux from a sand filter for household wastewater and integrated solute transfer to the vadose zone.

PubMed

Nasri, Behzad; Fouché, Olivier

2018-02-24

Depending on the actual number of soil-based on-site wastewater treatment system (OWTS) in an area, on-site sanitation may be a significant source of pollutants and a threat to groundwater. Even in the case of a system functioning correctly, here, a sand filter substituted for the in-situ soil, as the treated effluent may reach to the water table, it is necessary evaluating in situ how much the sand and underneath soil respectively contribute to pollutant removal. On the plot of a household in a small rural community, the functioning of a real scale OWTS was monitored for 1.5 years. This system, composed of a septic tank connected to a 5 × 5 m 2 and 0.7-m thick aerobic sand filter was equipped with soil hydrodynamic probes (water content and matrix potential) during construction. By using the instantaneous profile method of water content, the intermittent infiltrated flux was determined across the sand-pack according to position and time. Treated water infiltrates into underneath soil acting as post-treatment. Quality of interstitial liquid from the sand and the soil was analysed each month on a 12-h pumping sample obtained through porous plates. Results of water fluxes and concentrations provide an estimate of the annual flux to the vadose zone and groundwater of metals, nutrients and some organic micro-pollutants (parabens and triclosan) through the OWTS and subsoil.

Remediation of water pollution caused by pharmaceutical residues based on electrochemical separation and degradation technologies: a review.

PubMed

Sirés, Ignasi; Brillas, Enric

2012-04-01

In the last years, the decontamination and disinfection of waters by means of direct or integrated electrochemical processes are being considered as a very appealing alternative due to the significant improvement of the electrode materials and the coupling with low-cost renewable energy sources. Many electrochemical technologies are currently available for the remediation of waters contaminated by refractory organic pollutants such as pharmaceutical micropollutants, whose presence in the environment has become a matter of major concern. Recent reviews have focused on the removal of pharmaceutical residues upon the application of other important methods like ozonation and advanced oxidation processes. Here, we present an overview on the electrochemical methods devised for the treatment of pharmaceutical residues from both, synthetic solutions and real pharmaceutical wastewaters. Electrochemical separation technologies such as membrane technologies, electrocoagulation and internal micro-electrolysis, which only isolate the pollutants from water, are firstly introduced. The fundamentals and experimental set-ups involved in technologies that allow the degradation of pharmaceuticals, like anodic oxidation, electro-oxidation with active chlorine, electro-Fenton, photoelectro-Fenton and photoelectrocatalysis among others, are further discussed. Progress on the promising solar photoelectro-Fenton process devised and further developed in our laboratory is especially highlighted and documented. The abatement of total organic carbon or reduction of chemical oxygen demand from contaminated waters allows the comparison between the different methods and materials. The routes for the degradation of the some pharmaceuticals are also presented. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fecal Pollution of Water

EPA Science Inventory

Fecal pollution of water from a health point of view is the contamination of water with disease-causing organisms (pathogens) that may inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of mammals, but with particular attention to human fecal sources as the most relevant source of human illnesse...

Fecal Pollution of Water.

EPA Science Inventory

Fecal pollution of water from a health point of view is the contamination of water with disease-causing organisms (pathogens) that may inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of mammals, but with particular attention to human fecal sources as the most relevant source of human illnesse...

Risk Assessment of Pollution Emergencies in Water Source Areas of the Hanjiang-to-Weihe River Diversion Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Luyao; Feng, Minquan

2018-03-01

[Objective] This study quantitatively evaluated risk probabilities of sudden water pollution accidents under the influence of risk sources, thus providing an important guarantee for risk source identification during water diversion from the Hanjiang River to the Weihe River. [Methods] The research used Bayesian networks to represent the correlation between accidental risk sources. It also adopted the sequential Monte Carlo algorithm to combine water quality simulation with state simulation of risk sources, thereby determining standard-exceeding probabilities of sudden water pollution accidents. [Results] When the upstream inflow was 138.15 m3/s and the average accident duration was 48 h, the probabilities were 0.0416 and 0.0056 separately. When the upstream inflow was 55.29 m3/s and the average accident duration was 48 h, the probabilities were 0.0225 and 0.0028 separately. [Conclusions] The research conducted a risk assessment on sudden water pollution accidents, thereby providing an important guarantee for the smooth implementation, operation, and water quality of the Hanjiang-to-Weihe River Diversion Project.

Water Quality Field Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soil Conservation Service (USDA), Washington, DC.

Nonpoint source pollution is both a relatively recent concern and a complex phenomenon with many unknowns. Knowing the extent to which agricultural sources contribute to the total pollutant load, the extent to which various control practices decrease this load, and the effect of reducing the pollutants delivered to a water body are basic to the…

Study on the quantitative relationship between Agricultural water and fertilization process and non-point source pollution based on field experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H.; Chen, K.; Wu, Z.; Guan, X.

2017-12-01

In recent years, with the prominent of water environment problem and the relative increase of point source pollution governance, especially the agricultural non-point source pollution problem caused by the extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides has become increasingly aroused people's concern and attention. In order to reveal the quantitative relationship between agriculture water and fertilizer and non-point source pollution, on the basis of elm field experiment and combined with agricultural drainage irrigation model, the agricultural irrigation water and the relationship between fertilizer and fertilization scheme and non-point source pollution were analyzed and calculated by field emission intensity index. The results show that the variation of displacement varies greatly under different irrigation conditions. When the irrigation water increased from 22cm to 42cm, the irrigation water increased by 20 cm while the field displacement increased by 11.92 cm, about 66.22% of the added value of irrigation water. Then the irrigation water increased from 42 to 68, irrigation water increased 26 cm, and the field displacement increased by 22.48 cm, accounting for 86.46% of irrigation water. So there is an "inflection point" between the irrigation water amount and field displacement amount. The load intensity increases with the increase of irrigation water and shows a significant power correlation. Under the different irrigation condition, the increase amplitude of load intensity with the increase of irrigation water is different. When the irrigation water is smaller, the load intensity increase relatively less, and when the irrigation water increased to about 42 cm, the load intensity will increase considerably. In addition, there was a positive correlation between the fertilization and load intensity. The load intensity had obvious difference in different fertilization modes even with same fertilization level, in which the fertilizer field unit load intensity increased the most in July. The results provide some basis for the field control and management of agricultural non-point source pollution.

40 CFR 467.35 - Pretreatment standards for existing sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) 110 53 Subpart C Solution Heat Treatment Contact Cooling Water Pollutant or pollutant property PSES...) 69 35 Subpart C Press Heat Treatment Contact Cooling Water Pollutant or pollutant property PSES...

40 CFR 467.35 - Pretreatment standards for existing sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) 110 53 Subpart C Solution Heat Treatment Contact Cooling Water Pollutant or pollutant property PSES...) 69 35 Subpart C Press Heat Treatment Contact Cooling Water Pollutant or pollutant property PSES...

40 CFR 467.35 - Pretreatment standards for existing sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) 110 53 Subpart C Solution Heat Treatment Contact Cooling Water Pollutant or pollutant property PSES...) 69 35 Subpart C Press Heat Treatment Contact Cooling Water Pollutant or pollutant property PSES...

BACTERIA SOURCE TRACKING AND HOST SPECIES SPECIFICITY ANALYSIS

EPA Science Inventory

Point and non-point pollution sources of fecal pollution on a watershed adversely impact the quality of drinking source waters and recreational waters. States are required to develop total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) and devise best management practices (BMPs) to reduce the pollu...

Potential pollutant sources in a Choptank River subwatershed: Influence of agricultural and residential land use and aqueous and atmospheric sources

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agriculture and animal feeding operations have been implicated as sources of water pollution along the Choptank River, an estuary and tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. This study examined a subwatershed within the Choptank River watershed for effects of land use on water quality. Water and sediment...

40 CFR 467.36 - Pretreatment standards for new sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) 20.37 20.37 Subpart C Solution Heat Treatment Contact Cooling Water Pollutant or pollutant property....29 13.29 Subpart C Press Heat Treatment Contact Cooling Water Pollutant or pollutant property PSNS...

40 CFR 467.36 - Pretreatment standards for new sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) 20.37 20.37 Subpart C Solution Heat Treatment Contact Cooling Water Pollutant or pollutant property....29 13.29 Subpart C Press Heat Treatment Contact Cooling Water Pollutant or pollutant property PSNS...

40 CFR 467.36 - Pretreatment standards for new sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) 20.37 20.37 Subpart C Solution Heat Treatment Contact Cooling Water Pollutant or pollutant property....29 13.29 Subpart C Press Heat Treatment Contact Cooling Water Pollutant or pollutant property PSNS...

Water quality assessment and apportionment of pollution sources using APCS-MLR and PMF receptor modeling techniques in three major rivers of South Florida.

PubMed

Haji Gholizadeh, Mohammad; Melesse, Assefa M; Reddi, Lakshmi

2016-10-01

In this study, principal component analysis (PCA), factor analysis (FA), and the absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) receptor modeling technique were used to assess the water quality and identify and quantify the potential pollution sources affecting the water quality of three major rivers of South Florida. For this purpose, 15years (2000-2014) dataset of 12 water quality variables covering 16 monitoring stations, and approximately 35,000 observations was used. The PCA/FA method identified five and four potential pollution sources in wet and dry seasons, respectively, and the effective mechanisms, rules and causes were explained. The APCS-MLR apportioned their contributions to each water quality variable. Results showed that the point source pollution discharges from anthropogenic factors due to the discharge of agriculture waste and domestic and industrial wastewater were the major sources of river water contamination. Also, the studied variables were categorized into three groups of nutrients (total kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus, total phosphate, and ammonia-N), water murkiness conducive parameters (total suspended solids, turbidity, and chlorophyll-a), and salt ions (magnesium, chloride, and sodium), and average contributions of different potential pollution sources to these categories were considered separately. The data matrix was also subjected to PMF receptor model using the EPA PMF-5.0 program and the two-way model described was performed for the PMF analyses. Comparison of the obtained results of PMF and APCS-MLR models showed that there were some significant differences in estimated contribution for each potential pollution source, especially in the wet season. Eventually, it was concluded that the APCS-MLR receptor modeling approach appears to be more physically plausible for the current study. It is believed that the results of apportionment could be very useful to the local authorities for the control and management of pollution and better protection of important riverine water quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

WATERSHEDSS

EPA Science Inventory

To adequately control nonpoint source pollution of a water resource, water quality managers must focus on minimizing the impacts of individual nonpoint source pollutants. The strategic choice and placement of best management practices (BMPs) in the watershed can successfully redu...

Sources of water pollution and evolution of water quality in the Wuwei basin of Shiyang river, Northwest China.

PubMed

Ma, Jinzhu; Ding, Zhenyu; Wei, Guoxiao; Zhao, Hua; Huang, Tianming

2009-02-01

Based on surveys and chemical analyses, we performed a case study of the surface water and groundwater quality in the Wuwei basin, in order to understand the sources of water pollution and the evolution of water quality in Shiyang river. Concentrations of major chemical elements in the surface water were related to the distance downstream from the source of the river, with surface water in the upstream reaches of good quality, but the river from Wuwei city to the Hongya reservoir was seriously polluted, with a synthetic pollution index of 25. Groundwater quality was generally good in the piedmont with dominant bicarbonate and calcium ions, but salinity was high and nitrate pollution occurs in the northern part of the basin. Mineralization of the groundwater has changed rapidly during the past 20 years. There are 23 wastewater outlets that discharge a total of 22.4 x 10(6)m(3)y(-1) into the river from Wuwei city, which, combined with a reduction of inflow water, were found to be the major causes of water pollution. Development of fisheries in the Hongya reservoir since 2000 has also contributed to the pollution. The consumption of water must be decreased until it reaches the sustainable level permitted by the available resources in the whole basin, and discharge of wastes must also be drastically reduced.

DNA BASED MOLECULAR METHODS FOR BACTERIAL SOURCE TRACKING IN WATERSHEDS

EPA Science Inventory

Point and non-point pollution sources of fecal pollution on a watershed adversely impact the quality of drinking source waters and recreational waters. States are required to develop total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) and devise best management practices (BMPs) to reduce the po...

Water Pollution Prediction in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area and Countermeasures for Sustainable Development of the Water Environment

PubMed Central

Huang, Shuaijin; Qu, Xuexin

2017-01-01

The Three Gorges Project was implemented in 1994 to promote sustainable water resource use and development of the water environment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (hereafter “Reservoir Area”). However, massive discharge of wastewater along the river threatens these goals; therefore, this study employs a grey prediction model (GM) to predict the annual emissions of primary pollution sources, including industrial wastewater, domestic wastewater, and oily and domestic wastewater from ships, that influence the Three Gorges Reservoir Area water environment. First, we optimize the initial values of a traditional GM (1,1) model, and build a new GM (1,1) model that minimizes the sum of squares of the relative simulation errors. Second, we use the new GM (1,1) model to simulate historical annual emissions data for the four pollution sources and thereby test the effectiveness of the model. Third, we predict the annual emissions of the four pollution sources in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area for a future period. The prediction results reveal the annual emission trends for the major wastewater types, and indicate the primary sources of water pollution in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area. Based on our predictions, we suggest several countermeasures against water pollution and towards the sustainable development of the water environment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area. PMID:29077006

Integration of Rs/gis for Surface Water Pollution Risk Modeling. Case Study: Al-Abrash Syrian Coastal Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yaghi, Y.; Salim, H.

2017-09-01

Recently the topic of the quality of surface water (rivers - lakes) and the sea is an important topics at different levels. It is known that there are two major groups of pollutants: Point Source Pollution (PSP) and non-point Source pollution (NPSP). Historically most of the surface water pollution protection programs dealing with the first set of pollutants which comes from sewage pipes and factories drainage. With the growing need for current and future water security must stand on the current reality of the coastal rivers basin in terms of freshness and cleanliness and condition of water pollution. This research aims to assign the NPS pollutants that reach Al Abrash River and preparation of databases and producing of risk Pollution map for NPS pollutants in order to put the basin management plan to ensure the reduction of pollutants that reach the river. This research resulted of establishing of Databases of NPSP (Like pesticides and fertilizers) and producing of thematic maps for pollution severity and pollution risk based on the pollution models designed in GIS environment and utilizing from remote sensing data. Preliminary recommendations for managing these pollutants were put.

Combining Watershed Variables with PCR-based Methods for Better Characterization and Management of Fecal Pollution in Small Streams

EPA Science Inventory

Ability to distinguish between human and animal fecal pollution is important for risk assessment and watershed management, particularly in bodies of water used as sources of drinking water or for recreation. PCR-based methods were used to determine the source of fecal pollution ...

A Methodology for the Characterization and Management of Nonpoint Source Water Pollution

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-09-01

Nonpoint Source water pollution management tool. However, the stormwater runoff sampling program conducted at the Air Force Academy for validation proved...17 Nationwide Urban Runoff Program (NUEP) . 19 Urban Runoff Pollutant Characteristics . 20 Annual Urban Runoff Loads . . . . . . . 22...55 Sampling Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Samples for Baseline Data. ... . . .... 56 Samples for Runoff Data

An Integrated Risk Management Model for Source Water Protection Areas

PubMed Central

Chiueh, Pei-Te; Shang, Wei-Ting; Lo, Shang-Lien

2012-01-01

Watersheds are recognized as the most effective management unit for the protection of water resources. For surface water supplies that use water from upstream watersheds, evaluating threats to water quality and implementing a watershed management plan are crucial for the maintenance of drinking water safe for humans. The aim of this article is to establish a risk assessment model that provides basic information for identifying critical pollutants and areas at high risk for degraded water quality. In this study, a quantitative risk model that uses hazard quotients for each water quality parameter was combined with a qualitative risk model that uses the relative risk level of potential pollution events in order to characterize the current condition and potential risk of watersheds providing drinking water. In a case study of Taipei Source Water Area in northern Taiwan, total coliforms and total phosphorus were the top two pollutants of concern. Intensive tea-growing and recreational activities around the riparian zone may contribute the greatest pollution to the watershed. Our risk assessment tool may be enhanced by developing, recording, and updating information on pollution sources in the water supply watersheds. Moreover, management authorities could use the resultant information to create watershed risk management plans. PMID:23202770

FECAL BACTERIA SOURCE TRACKING AND BACTEROIDES SPP. HOST SPECIES SPECIFICITY ANALYSIS

EPA Science Inventory

Point and non-point pollution sources of fecal pollution on a watershed adversely impact the quality of drinking source waters and recreational waters. States are required to develop total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) and devise best management practices (BMPs) to reduce the po...

[GIS and scenario analysis aid to water pollution control planning of river basin].

PubMed

Wang, Shao-ping; Cheng, Sheng-tong; Jia, Hai-feng; Ou, Zhi-dan; Tan, Bin

2004-07-01

The forward and backward algorithms for watershed water pollution control planning were summarized in this paper as well as their advantages and shortages. The spatial databases of water environmental function region, pollution sources, monitoring sections and sewer outlets were built with ARCGIS8.1 as the platform in the case study of Ganjiang valley, Jiangxi province. Based on the principles of the forward algorithm, four scenarios were designed for the watershed pollution control. Under these scenarios, ten sets of planning schemes were generated to implement cascade pollution source control. The investment costs of sewage treatment for these schemes were estimated by means of a series of cost-effective functions; with pollution source prediction, the water quality was modeled with CSTR model for each planning scheme. The modeled results of different planning schemes were visualized through GIS to aid decision-making. With the results of investment cost and water quality attainment as decision-making accords and based on the analysis of the economic endurable capacity for water pollution control in Ganjiang river basin, two optimized schemes were proposed. The research shows that GIS technology and scenario analysis can provide a good guidance to the synthesis, integrity and sustainability aspects for river basin water quality planning.

Water Conservation and Nonpoint Source Pollution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farrell-Poe, Kitt

This book contains science activities that are designed to make learning and demonstrating nonpoint source pollution concepts exciting and fun. These activities can either be used alone or with an existing water resources education curricula. Activities include: Water Tasting, Acting Out the Hydrologic Cycle, Concentration of Chemical Pollutants…

[Survey on the contamination of microcystin-LR in water supply of Shanghai city].

PubMed

Wu, He-yan; Zheng, Li-xing; Su, Jin; Shi, Wei

2005-03-01

To study the pollution level of microcystin-LR in water supply of Shanghai city and the removal efficacy for microcystin-LR through routine water treatment technique. High performance liquid chromatogram (HPLC) was applied to determine the concentration of microcystin-LR in source water, water samples after various water treatment procedures and tap water. The concentration of microcystin-LR varied with sampling seasons and sites and reached peak during summer and fall. The maximum of microcystin-LR was 2.38 microg/L in source water. Coagulation plus chlorine disinfection were found to be effective for the removal of microcystin-LR, while the remove rate through filtration was not significant. And it could also be detected in tap water as high as 1.27 microg/L. The source waters of Shanghai city were polluted by cyanobacteria toxins represented by microcystin-LR. The source water in suburb was more polluted. Routine water treatment techniques can not remove the toxins effectively.

Nitrogen Removal Characteristics of a Newly Isolated Indigenous Aerobic Denitrifier from Oligotrophic Drinking Water Reservoir, Zoogloea sp. N299.

PubMed

Huang, Ting-Lin; Zhou, Shi-Lei; Zhang, Hai-Han; Bai, Shi-Yuan; He, Xiu-Xiu; Yang, Xiao

2015-05-04

Nitrogen is considered to be one of the most widespread pollutants leading to eutrophication of freshwater ecosystems, especially in drinking water reservoirs. In this study, an oligotrophic aerobic denitrifier was isolated from drinking water reservoir sediment. Nitrogen removal performance was explored. The strain was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis as Zoogloea sp. N299. This species exhibits a periplasmic nitrate reductase gene (napA). Its specific growth rate was 0.22 h-1. Obvious denitrification and perfect nitrogen removal performances occurred when cultured in nitrate and nitrite mediums, at rates of 75.53%±1.69% and 58.65%±0.61%, respectively. The ammonia removal rate reached 44.12%±1.61% in ammonia medium. Zoogloea sp. N299 was inoculated into sterilized and unsterilized reservoir source waters with a dissolved oxygen level of 5-9 mg/L, pH 8-9, and C/N 1.14:1. The total nitrogen removal rate reached 46.41%±3.17% (sterilized) and 44.88%±4.31% (unsterilized). The cell optical density suggested the strain could survive in oligotrophic drinking water reservoir water conditions and perform nitrogen removal. Sodium acetate was the most favorable carbon source for nitrogen removal by strain N299 (p<0.05). High C/N was beneficial for nitrate reduction (p<0.05). The nitrate removal efficiencies showed no significant differences among the tested inoculums dosage (p>0.05). Furthermore, strain N299 could efficiently remove nitrate at neutral and slightly alkaline and low temperature conditions. These results, therefore, demonstrate that Zoogloea sp. N299 has high removal characteristics, and can be used as a nitrogen removal microbial inoculum with simultaneous aerobic nitrification and denitrification in a micro-polluted reservoir water ecosystem.

An application of Landsat and computer technology to potential water pollution from soil erosion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, W. J.

1981-01-01

Agricultural activity has been recognized as the primary source of nonpoint source water pollution. Water quality planners have needed information that is timely, accurate, easily reproducible, and relatively inexpensive to utilize to implement 'Best Management Practices' for water quality. In this paper, a case study shows how the combination of satellite data, which can give accurate land-cover/land-use information, and a computerized geographic information system, can assess nonpoint pollution at a regional scale and be cost effective.

Temporal trend and source apportionment of water pollution in different functional zones of Qiantang River, China.

PubMed

Su, Shiliang; Li, Dan; Zhang, Qi; Xiao, Rui; Huang, Fang; Wu, Jiaping

2011-02-01

The increasingly serious river water pollution in developing countries poses great threat to environmental health and human welfare. The assignment of river function to specific uses, known as zoning, is a useful tool to reveal variations of water environmental adaptability to human impact. Therefore, characterizing the temporal trend and identifying responsible pollution sources in different functional zones could greatly improve our knowledge about human impacts on the river water environment. The aim of this study is to obtain a deeper understanding of temporal trends and sources of water pollution in different functional zones with a case study of the Qiantang River, China. Measurement data were obtained and pretreated for 13 variables from 41 monitoring sites in four categories of functional zones during the period 1996-2004. An exploratory approach, which combines smoothing and non-parametric statistical tests, was applied to characterize trends of four significant parameters (permanganate index, ammonia nitrogen, total cadmium and fluoride) accounting for differences among different functional zones identified by discriminant analysis. Aided by GIS, yearly pollution index (PI) for each monitoring site was further mapped to compare the within-group variations in temporal dynamics for different functional zones. Rotated principal component analysis and receptor model (absolute principle component score-multiple linear regression, APCS-MLR) revealed that potential pollution sources and their corresponding contributions varied among the four functional zones. Variations of APCS values for each site of one functional zone as well as their annual average values highlighted the uncertainties associated with cross space-time effects in source apportionment. All these results reinforce the notion that the concept of zoning should be taken seriously in water pollution control. Being applicable to other rivers, the framework of management-oriented source apportionment is thus believed to have potentials to offer new insights into water management and advance the source apportionment framework as an operational basis for national and local governments. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

State of the art molecular markers for fecal pollution source tracking in water.

PubMed

Roslev, Peter; Bukh, Annette S

2011-03-01

Most environmental waters are susceptible to fecal contamination from animal and/or human pollution sources. To attenuate or eliminate such contamination, it is often critical that the pollution sources are rapidly and correctly identified. Fecal pollution source tracking (FST) is a promising research area that aims to identify the origin(s) of fecal pollution in water. This mini-review focuses on the potentials and limitations of library independent molecular markers that are exclusively or strongly associated with fecal pollution from humans and different animals. Fecal-source-associated molecular markers include nucleic acid sequences from prokaryotes and viruses associated with specific biological hosts, but also sequences such as mitochondrial DNA retrieved directly from humans and animals. However, some fecal-source-associated markers may not be absolutely specific for a given source type, and apparent specificity and frequency established in early studies are sometimes compromised by new studies suggesting variation in specificity and abundance on a regional, global and/or temporal scale. It is therefore recommended that FST studies are based on carefully selected arrays of markers, and that identification of human and animal contributions are based on a multi-marker toolkit with several markers for each source category. Furthermore, future FST studies should benefit from increased knowledge regarding sampling strategies and temporal and spatial variability of marker ratios. It will also be important to obtain a better understanding of marker persistence and the quantitative relationship between marker abundance and the relative contribution from individual fecal pollution source types. A combination of enhanced pathogen screening methods, and validated quantitative source tracking techniques could then contribute significantly to future management of environmental water quality including improved microbial risk assessment.

Influence of the South-to-North Water Transfer and the Yangtze River Mitigation Projects on the water quality of Han River, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, W.; Kuo, Y. M.

2016-12-01

The Middle Route of China's South-to-North Water Transfer (MSNW) and Yangtze-Han River Water Diversion (YHWD) Projects have been operated since 2014, which may deteriorate water quality in Han River. The 11 water sampling sites distributed from the middle and down streams of Han River watershed were monitored monthly between July 2014 and December 2015. Factor analysis and cluster analysis were applied to investigate the major pollution types and main variables influencing water quality in Han River. The factor analysis distinguishes three main pollution types (agricultural nonpoint source, organic, and phosphorus point source pollution) affecting water quality of Han River. Cluster analysis classified all sampling sites into four groups and determined their pollution source for both Dry and Wet seasons. The sites located at central city receive point source pollution in both seasons. The water quality in downstream Han River (excluding central city sites) was influenced by nonpoint source pollution from Jianghan Plain. Variations of water qualities are associated with hydrological conditions varied from operations of engineering projects and seasonal variability especially in Dry season. Good water quality as Class III mainly occurred when flow rate is greater than 800 cms in Dry season. The low average flow rate below 583 cms will degrade water quality as Class V at almost all sites. Elevating the flow rate discharged from MSNW and YHWD Projects to Han River can avoid degrading water quality especially in low flow conditions and may decrease the probability of algal bloom occurrence in Han River. Increasing the flow rate from 400 cms to 700 cms in main Han River can obviously improve the water quality of Han River. The investigation of relationships between water quality and flow rate in both projects can provide management strategies of water quality for various flow conditions.

40 CFR 420.95 - Pretreatment standards for existing sources (PSES).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS IRON AND STEEL MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Acid Pickling... for existing sources. (a) Sulfuric acid (spent acid solutions and rinse waters)—(1) Rod, wire, and... pickling (spent acid solutions and rinse waters)—(1) Rod, wire, and coil. Subpart I Pollutant or pollutant...

Compact solid source of hydrogen gas

DOEpatents

Kravitz, Stanley H.; Hecht, Andrew M.; Sylwester, Alan P.; Bell, Nelson S.

2004-06-08

A compact solid source of hydrogen gas, where the gas is generated by contacting water with micro-disperse particles of sodium borohydride in the presence of a catalyst, such as cobalt or ruthenium. The micro-disperse particles can have a substantially uniform diameter of 1-10 microns, and preferably about 3-5 microns. Ruthenium or cobalt catalytic nanoparticles can be incorporated in the micro-disperse particles of sodium borohydride, which allows a rapid and complete reaction to occur without the problems associated with caking and scaling of the surface by the reactant product sodium metaborate. A closed loop water management system can be used to recycle wastewater from a PEM fuel cell to supply water for reacting with the micro-disperse particles of sodium borohydride in a compact hydrogen gas generator. Capillary forces can wick water from a water reservoir into a packed bed of micro-disperse fuel particles, eliminating the need for using an active pump.

40 CFR 463.14 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... contact cooling and heating water processes at a new source times the following pollutant concentrations: Subpart A [Contact cooling and heating water] Concentration used to calculate NSPS Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day (mg/l) BOD5 26 Oil and grease 29 TSS 19 pH (1) 1 Within the range of 6.0 to...

Combining Land Use Information and Small Stream Sampling with PCR-Based Methods for Better Characterization of Diffuse Sources of Human Fecal Pollution

EPA Science Inventory

Diffuse sources of human fecal pollution allow for the direct discharge of waste into receiving waters with minimal or no treatment. Traditional culture-based methods are commonly used to characterize fecal pollution in ambient waters, however these methods do not discern between...

The Mediterranean Plastic Soup: synthetic polymers in Mediterranean surface waters.

PubMed

Suaria, Giuseppe; Avio, Carlo G; Mineo, Annabella; Lattin, Gwendolyn L; Magaldi, Marcello G; Belmonte, Genuario; Moore, Charles J; Regoli, Francesco; Aliani, Stefano

2016-11-23

The Mediterranean Sea has been recently proposed as one of the most impacted regions of the world with regards to microplastics, however the polymeric composition of these floating particles is still largely unknown. Here we present the results of a large-scale survey of neustonic micro- and meso-plastics floating in Mediterranean waters, providing the first extensive characterization of their chemical identity as well as detailed information on their abundance and geographical distribution. All particles >700 μm collected in our samples were identified through FT-IR analysis (n = 4050 particles), shedding for the first time light on the polymeric diversity of this emerging pollutant. Sixteen different classes of synthetic materials were identified. Low-density polymers such as polyethylene and polypropylene were the most abundant compounds, followed by polyamides, plastic-based paints, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene and polyvinyl alcohol. Less frequent polymers included polyethylene terephthalate, polyisoprene, poly(vinyl stearate), ethylene-vinyl acetate, polyepoxide, paraffin wax and polycaprolactone, a biodegradable polyester reported for the first time floating in off-shore waters. Geographical differences in sample composition were also observed, demonstrating sub-basin scale heterogeneity in plastics distribution and likely reflecting a complex interplay between pollution sources, sinks and residence times of different polymers at sea.

The Mediterranean Plastic Soup: synthetic polymers in Mediterranean surface waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suaria, Giuseppe; Avio, Carlo G.; Mineo, Annabella; Lattin, Gwendolyn L.; Magaldi, Marcello G.; Belmonte, Genuario; Moore, Charles J.; Regoli, Francesco; Aliani, Stefano

2016-11-01

The Mediterranean Sea has been recently proposed as one of the most impacted regions of the world with regards to microplastics, however the polymeric composition of these floating particles is still largely unknown. Here we present the results of a large-scale survey of neustonic micro- and meso-plastics floating in Mediterranean waters, providing the first extensive characterization of their chemical identity as well as detailed information on their abundance and geographical distribution. All particles >700 μm collected in our samples were identified through FT-IR analysis (n = 4050 particles), shedding for the first time light on the polymeric diversity of this emerging pollutant. Sixteen different classes of synthetic materials were identified. Low-density polymers such as polyethylene and polypropylene were the most abundant compounds, followed by polyamides, plastic-based paints, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene and polyvinyl alcohol. Less frequent polymers included polyethylene terephthalate, polyisoprene, poly(vinyl stearate), ethylene-vinyl acetate, polyepoxide, paraffin wax and polycaprolactone, a biodegradable polyester reported for the first time floating in off-shore waters. Geographical differences in sample composition were also observed, demonstrating sub-basin scale heterogeneity in plastics distribution and likely reflecting a complex interplay between pollution sources, sinks and residence times of different polymers at sea.

Controlling measures of micro-plastic and nano pollutants: A short review of disposing waste toners.

PubMed

Ruan, Jujun; Qin, Baojia; Huang, Jiaxin

2018-05-31

Micro-plastic and nano-particle have been the focal pollutants in environmental science. The printer toner is omitted micro-plastic and nano pollutant. It is comprised of micro polyacrylate styrene and nano-Fe 3 O 4 particles. Polyacrylate styrene and nano-metal were proved to be irreversibly toxic to biological cells. Therefore, toners have the potential environmental risk and healthy harm due to include micro plastics and nano-metal. To our knowledge, few studies provided the specific collection and treatment of micro-plastic pollutant. This paper has chosen a kind of micro-plastic and nano pollutant toxic toner and provided technical guidance and inspiration for controlling the micro-plastic and nano pollutants. The method of vacuum-gasification-condensation was adopted for controlling the micro-plastic and nano pollutant toner. We believe this review will open up a potential avenue for controlling micro-plastic and nano pollutants for environmental protection. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coagulation of micro-polluted Pearl River water with IPF-PACls.

PubMed

Xu, Yi; Sun, Wei; Wang, Dong-sheng; Tang, Hong-xiao

2004-01-01

Water samples collected from early March 2001 to the end of April 2002 at the branch of Pearl River around the Guangzhou City were analyzed for its micro-polluted characteristics. The coagulation behavior of polyaluminum chlorides (PACls) was then examined focusing on the effect of primary water quality and speciation distribution. The results showed that PACls exhibit better coagulation efficiency than alum in accordance with the different speciation. The turbidity removal property of PACls is evidently better than alum at low dosage. While in neutral zone (about 6.5-7.5), the turbidity removal of PACls decreases owing to the restabilization of particles at higher dosage. The organic matters in raw water exhibit marked influence on coagulation. In acidic zone, organic matters complex with polymer species and promote the formation of flocs. With an increase in pH, the complexation of organics with polymer species gradually decreases, and the removal of organics mainly depends on adsorption. The effect is evidently improved with the raise of B value.

Detection of spatial fluctuations of non-point source fecal pollution in coral reef surrounding waters in southwestern Puerto Rico using PCR-based assays.

PubMed

Bonkosky, M; Hernández-Delgado, E A; Sandoz, B; Robledo, I E; Norat-Ramírez, J; Mattei, H

2009-01-01

Human fecal contamination of coral reefs is a major cause of concern. Conventional methods used to monitor microbial water quality cannot be used to discriminate between different fecal pollution sources. Fecal coliforms, enterococci, and human-specific Bacteroides (HF183, HF134), general Bacteroides-Prevotella (GB32), and Clostridium coccoides group (CP) 16S rDNA PCR assays were used to test for the presence of non-point source fecal contamination across the southwestern Puerto Rico shelf. Inshore waters were highly turbid, consistently receiving fecal pollution from variable sources, and showing the highest frequency of positive molecular marker signals. Signals were also detected at offshore waters in compliance with existing microbiological quality regulations. Phylogenetic analysis showed that most isolates were of human fecal origin. The geographic extent of non-point source fecal pollution was large and impacted extensive coral reef systems. This could have deleterious long-term impacts on public health, local fisheries and in tourism potential if not adequately addressed.

A geographic information system screening tool to tackle diffuse pollution through the use of sustainable drainage systems.

PubMed

Todorovic, Zorica; Breton, Neil P

2014-01-01

Sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) offer many benefits that traditional solutions do not. Traditional approaches are unable to offer a solution to problems of flood management and water quality. Holistic consideration of the wide range of benefits from SUDS can result in advantages such as improved flood resilience and water quality enhancement through consideration of diffuse pollution sources. Using a geographical information system (GIS) approach, diffuse pollutant sources and opportunities for SUDS are easily identified. Consideration of potential SUDS locations results in source, site and regional controls, leading to improved water quality (to meet Water Framework Directive targets). The paper will discuss two different applications of the tool, the first of which is where the pollutant of interest is known. In this case the outputs of the tool highlight and isolate the areas contributing the pollutants and suggest the adequate SUDS measures to meet the required criteria. The second application is where the tool identifies likely pollutants at a receiving location, and SUDS measures are proposed to reduce pollution with assessed efficiencies.

Photocatalytic Oxidation of Oil Contaminated Water Using TiO2/UV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vargas Solla, Monica; Romero Rojas, Jairo

2017-04-01

Currently, oil is one of the most used energy sources all around the world, for example to make motor engines work. That prevailing usage of oil is the reason why water sources are under serious pollution risks with compounds that are hard to remove, such as hydrocarbons. There are a few water treatment processes known as Advanced Oxidation Processes, which search for a way to treat polluted water with toxic refractory compounds, to make its reuse more feasible and to avoid or at least appease the injurious effects of pollution over ecosystems. A heterogeneous photocatalysis water treatment technology, sorted as an Advanced Oxidation Process, which is intended to treat refractory compound polluted water by the use of TiO2 and UV light, is presented in this investigation. The evidence about its efficiency in hydrocarbon removal from used motor oil polluted water, since it is an extremely important pollutant due to its complexity, toxicity and recalcitrant characteristics, is also presented through COD, Oil and Grease and Hydrocarbons analysis.

Treatability Aspects of Urban Stormwater Stressors

EPA Science Inventory

Eleven years into the 21st century, pollution from diffuse sources (pollution from contaminants picked up and carried into surface waters by stormwater runoff) remains the nation's largest source of water quality problems. Scientists and engineers still seek solutions that will ...

An novel identification method of the environmental risk sources for surface water pollution accidents in chemical industrial parks.

PubMed

Peng, Jianfeng; Song, Yonghui; Yuan, Peng; Xiao, Shuhu; Han, Lu

2013-07-01

The chemical industry is a major source of various pollution accidents. Improving the management level of risk sources for pollution accidents has become an urgent demand for most industrialized countries. In pollution accidents, the released chemicals harm the receptors to some extent depending on their sensitivity or susceptibility. Therefore, identifying the potential risk sources from such a large number of chemical enterprises has become pressingly urgent. Based on the simulation of the whole accident process, a novel and expandable identification method for risk sources causing water pollution accidents is presented. The newly developed approach, by analyzing and stimulating the whole process of a pollution accident between sources and receptors, can be applied to identify risk sources, especially on the nationwide scale. Three major types of losses, such as social, economic and ecological losses, were normalized, analyzed and used for overall consequence modeling. A specific case study area, located in a chemical industry park (CIP) along the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province, China, was selected to test the potential of the identification method. The results showed that there were four risk sources for pollution accidents in this CIP. Aniline leakage in the HS Chemical Plant would lead to the most serious impact on the surrounding water environment. This potential accident would severely damage the ecosystem up to 3.8 km downstream of Yangtze River, and lead to pollution over a distance stretching to 73.7 km downstream. The proposed method is easily extended to the nationwide identification of potential risk sources.

[Study of the bacteriological quality of water used in the agro-food industry in the North of Morocco].

PubMed

Haijoubi, El Houcine; Benyahya, Fatiha; Bendahou, Abdrezzak; Essadqui, Faima Zahra; Behhari, Mohammed El; El Mamoune, Ahmed Fouad; Ghailani, Naima Nourouti; Mechita, Mohcine Bennani; Barakat, Amina

2017-01-01

Water is used predominantly in food manufacturing process. Northern morocco agro-food industries use different sources of water, but public water and wells water are the main sources of water used. This water can be the main source of possible food contaminations and alterations. This study aims is to assess the bacteriological quality of water used in the agro-food industries in the Northern region of Morocco, to identify the different types of germs responsible for the pollution of these waters and to establish the main causes of this pollution. Water samples taken from taps or wells were analyzed to detect pollution indicator germs (total coliform (TC), fecal coliform (FC), intestinal enterococci (E), revivable microorganisms (RM), sulphite-reducing anaerobes) and pathogens (Salmonella, Staphylococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The enumeration of the bacteria was performed by filtration technique and incorporation obtained through supercooled solid state. The results showed that public-supply waters were of satisfactory bacteriological quality while 40% of the wells water was non-compliant with water quality standards due to the presence of TC, FC, E and RM pollution indicators. In contrast, pathogens, particularly Salmonellae, were absent in all the wells water analyzed. Well water pollution was generally due to failure to meet hygienic requirements for water pumping. Bacteriological quality of these wells water could be improved by adequate protection.

Effluent trading in river systems through stochastic decision-making process: a case study.

PubMed

Zolfagharipoor, Mohammad Amin; Ahmadi, Azadeh

2017-09-01

The objective of this paper is to provide an efficient framework for effluent trading in river systems. The proposed framework consists of two pessimistic and optimistic decision-making models to increase the executability of river water quality trading programs. The models used for this purpose are (1) stochastic fallback bargaining (SFB) to reach an agreement among wastewater dischargers and (2) stochastic multi-criteria decision-making (SMCDM) to determine the optimal treatment strategy. The Monte-Carlo simulation method is used to incorporate the uncertainty into analysis. This uncertainty arises from stochastic nature and the errors in the calculation of wastewater treatment costs. The results of river water quality simulation model are used as the inputs of models. The proposed models are used in a case study on the Zarjoub River in northern Iran to determine the best solution for the pollution load allocation. The best treatment alternatives selected by each model are imported, as the initial pollution discharge permits, into an optimization model developed for trading of pollution discharge permits among pollutant sources. The results show that the SFB-based water pollution trading approach reduces the costs by US$ 14,834 while providing a relative consensus among pollutant sources. Meanwhile, the SMCDM-based water pollution trading approach reduces the costs by US$ 218,852, but it is less acceptable by pollutant sources. Therefore, it appears that giving due attention to stability, or in other words acceptability of pollution trading programs for all pollutant sources, is an essential element of their success.

[Classification of Priority Area for Soil Environmental Protection Around Water Sources: Method Proposed and Case Demonstration].

PubMed

Li, Lei; Wang, Tie-yu; Wang, Xiaojun; Xiao, Rong-bo; Li, Qi-feng; Peng, Chi; Han, Cun-liang

2016-04-15

Based on comprehensive consideration of soil environmental quality, pollution status of river, environmental vulnerability and the stress of pollution sources, a technical method was established for classification of priority area of soil environmental protection around the river-style water sources. Shunde channel as an important drinking water sources of Foshan City, Guangdong province, was studied as a case, of which the classification evaluation system was set up. In detail, several evaluation factors were selected according to the local conditions of nature, society and economy, including the pollution degree of heavy metals in soil and sediment, soil characteristics, groundwater sensitivity, vegetation coverage, the type and location of pollution sources. Data information was mainly obtained by means of field survey, sampling analysis, and remote sensing interpretation. Afterwards, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was adopted to decide the weight of each factor. The basic spatial data layers were set up respectively and overlaid based on the weighted summation assessment model in Geographical Information System (GIS), resulting in a classification map of soil environmental protection level in priority area of Shunde channel. Accordingly, the area was classified to three levels named as polluted zone, risky zone and safe zone, which respectively accounted for 6.37%, 60.90% and 32.73% of the whole study area. Polluted zone and risky zone were mainly distributed in Lecong, Longjiang and Leliu towns, with pollutants mainly resulted from the long-term development of aquaculture and the industries containing furniture, plastic constructional materials and textile and clothing. In accordance with the main pollution sources of soil, targeted and differentiated strategies were put forward. The newly established evaluation method could be referenced for the protection and sustainable utilization of soil environment around the water sources.

Spatiotemporal patterns and source attribution of nitrogen pollution in a typical headwater agricultural watershed in Southeastern China.

PubMed

Chen, Wenjun; He, Bin; Nover, Daniel; Duan, Weili; Luo, Chuan; Zhao, Kaiyan; Chen, Wen

2018-01-01

Excessive nitrogen (N) discharge from agriculture causes widespread problems in aquatic ecosystems. Knowledge of spatiotemporal patterns and source attribution of N pollution is critical for nutrient management programs but is poorly studied in headwaters with various small water bodies and mini-point pollution sources. Taking a typical small watershed in the low mountains of Southeastern China as an example, N pollution and source attribution were studied for a multipond system around a village using the Hydrological Simulation Program-Fortran (HSPF) model. The results exhibited distinctive spatio-seasonal variations with an overall seriousness rank for the three indicators: total nitrogen (TN) > nitrate/nitrite nitrogen (NO x - -N) > ammonia nitrogen (NH 3 -N), according to the Chinese Surface Water Quality Standard. TN pollution was severe for the entire watershed, while NO x - -N pollution was significant for ponds and ditches far from the village, and the NH 3 -N concentrations were acceptable except for the ponds near the village in summer. Although food and cash crop production accounted for the largest source of N loads, we discovered that mini-point pollution sources, including animal feeding operations, rural residential sewage, and waste, together contributed as high as 47% of the TN and NH 3 -N loads in ponds and ditches. So, apart from eco-fertilizer programs and concentrated animal feeding operations, the importance of environmental awareness building for resource management is highlighted for small farmers in headwater agricultural watersheds. As a first attempt to incorporate multipond systems into the process-based modeling of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution, this work can inform other hydro-environmental studies on scattered and small water bodies. The results are also useful to water quality improvement for entire river basins.

Source apportionment of nitrogen and phosphorus from non-point source pollution in Nansi Lake Basin, China.

PubMed

Zhang, Bao-Lei; Cui, Bo-Hao; Zhang, Shu-Min; Wu, Quan-Yuan; Yao, Lei

2018-05-03

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from non-point source (NPS) pollution in Nansi Lake Basin greatly influenced the water quality of Nansi Lake, which is the determinant factor for the success of East Route of South-North Water Transfer Project in China. This research improved Johnes export coefficient model (ECM) by developing a method to determine the export coefficients of different land use types based on the hydrological and water quality data. Taking NPS total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) as the study objects, this study estimated the contributions of different pollution sources and analyzed their spatial distributions based on the improved ECM. The results underlined that the method for obtaining output coefficients of land use types using hydrology and water quality data is feasible and accurate, and is suitable for the study of NPS pollution at large-scale basins. The average output structure of NPS TN from land use, rural breeding and rural life is 33.6, 25.9, and 40.5%, and the NPS TP is 31.6, 43.7, and 24.7%, respectively. Especially, dry land was the main land use source for both NPS TN and TP pollution, with the contributed proportions of 81.3 and 81.8% respectively. The counties of Zaozhuang, Tengzhou, Caoxian, Yuncheng, and Shanxian had higher contribution rates and the counties of Dingtao, Juancheng, and Caoxian had the higher load intensities for both NPS TN and TP pollution. The results of this study allowed for an improvement in the understanding of the pollution source contribution and enabled researchers and planners to focus on the most important sources and regions of NPS pollution.

Evaluation of hazardous metal pollution in irrigation and drinking water systems in the vicinity of a coal mine area of northwestern Bangladesh.

PubMed

Bhuiyan, Mohammad A H; Islam, M A; Dampare, Samuel B; Parvez, Lutfar; Suzuki, Shigeyuki

2010-07-15

An integrated approach of pollution evaluation indices, principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) was employed to evaluate the intensity and sources of pollution in irrigation and drinking water systems of northwestern Bangladesh. Temperature, BOD, chemical oxygen demand (COD), Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Pb levels in most of the water samples exceed the Bangladesh and international standards. The heavy metal pollution index (HPI) and degree of contamination (C(d)) yield different results despite significant correlations between them. The heavy metal evaluation index (HEI) shows strong correlations with HPI and C(d), and gives a better assessment of pollution levels. Modifications to the existing HPI and C(d) schemes show comparable results with HEI, and indicate that about 55% of the mine drainage/irrigation waters and 50% of the groundwaters are moderately to highly contaminated. The CA, PCA and pollution indices suggest that the mine drainage water (DW) is contaminated by anthropogenic (mining operation and agrogenic) sources, and the proximal parts are more contaminated than the distal part. The groundwater system in the vicinity of the coal mine site is also heavily polluted by anthropogenic sources. The pollution status of irrigation and drinking water systems in the study area are of great environmental and health concerns. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling the contribution of point sources and non-point sources to Thachin River water pollution.

PubMed

Schaffner, Monika; Bader, Hans-Peter; Scheidegger, Ruth

2009-08-15

Major rivers in developing and emerging countries suffer increasingly of severe degradation of water quality. The current study uses a mathematical Material Flow Analysis (MMFA) as a complementary approach to address the degradation of river water quality due to nutrient pollution in the Thachin River Basin in Central Thailand. This paper gives an overview of the origins and flow paths of the various point- and non-point pollution sources in the Thachin River Basin (in terms of nitrogen and phosphorus) and quantifies their relative importance within the system. The key parameters influencing the main nutrient flows are determined and possible mitigation measures discussed. The results show that aquaculture (as a point source) and rice farming (as a non-point source) are the key nutrient sources in the Thachin River Basin. Other point sources such as pig farms, households and industries, which were previously cited as the most relevant pollution sources in terms of organic pollution, play less significant roles in comparison. This order of importance shifts when considering the model results for the provincial level. Crosschecks with secondary data and field studies confirm the plausibility of our simulations. Specific nutrient loads for the pollution sources are derived; these can be used for a first broad quantification of nutrient pollution in comparable river basins. Based on an identification of the sensitive model parameters, possible mitigation scenarios are determined and their potential to reduce the nutrient load evaluated. A comparison of simulated nutrient loads with measured nutrient concentrations shows that nutrient retention in the river system may be significant. Sedimentation in the slow flowing surface water network as well as nitrogen emission to the air from the warm oxygen deficient waters are certainly partly responsible, but also wetlands along the river banks could play an important role as nutrient sinks.

7 CFR 1781.11 - Other considerations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... department because the water is being polluted from an upstream or other source. (g) Environmental.... Facilities will be designed, installed and operated to prevent pollution of water in excess of established standards. Effluent disposal will conform with appropriate State and Federal Water Pollution Control...

Developing a multi-pollutant conceptual framework for the selection and targeting of interventions in water industry catchment management schemes.

PubMed

Bloodworth, J W; Holman, I P; Burgess, P J; Gillman, S; Frogbrook, Z; Brown, P

2015-09-15

In recent years water companies have started to adopt catchment management to reduce diffuse pollution in drinking water supply areas. The heterogeneity of catchments and the range of pollutants that must be removed to meet the EU Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC) limits make it difficult to prioritise areas of a catchment for intervention. Thus conceptual frameworks are required that can disaggregate the components of pollutant risk and help water companies make decisions about where to target interventions in their catchments to maximum effect. This paper demonstrates the concept of generalising pollutants in the same framework by reviewing key pollutant processes within a source-mobilisation-delivery context. From this, criteria are developed (with input from water industry professionals involved in catchment management) which highlights the need for a new water industry specific conceptual framework. The new CaRPoW (Catchment Risk to Potable Water) framework uses the Source-Mobilisation-Delivery concept as modular components of risk that work at two scales, source and mobilisation at the field scale and delivery at the catchment scale. Disaggregating pollutant processes permits the main components of risk to be ascertained so that appropriate interventions can be selected. The generic structure also allows for the outputs from different pollutants to be compared so that potential multiple benefits can be identified. CaRPow provides a transferable framework that can be used by water companies to cost-effectively target interventions under current conditions or under scenarios of land use or climate change. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Pollutant source identification model for water pollution incidents in small straight rivers based on genetic algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shou-ping; Xin, Xiao-kang

2017-07-01

Identification of pollutant sources for river pollution incidents is an important and difficult task in the emergency rescue, and an intelligent optimization method can effectively compensate for the weakness of traditional methods. An intelligent model for pollutant source identification has been established using the basic genetic algorithm (BGA) as an optimization search tool and applying an analytic solution formula of one-dimensional unsteady water quality equation to construct the objective function. Experimental tests show that the identification model is effective and efficient: the model can accurately figure out the pollutant amounts or positions no matter single pollution source or multiple sources. Especially when the population size of BGA is set as 10, the computing results are sound agree with analytic results for a single source amount and position identification, the relative errors are no more than 5 %. For cases of multi-point sources and multi-variable, there are some errors in computing results for the reasons that there exist many possible combinations of the pollution sources. But, with the help of previous experience to narrow the search scope, the relative errors of the identification results are less than 5 %, which proves the established source identification model can be used to direct emergency responses.

Treatability Aspects of Urban Stormwater Stressors - journal

EPA Science Inventory

Eleven years into the 21st century, pollution from diffuse sources (pollution from contaminants picked up and carried into surface waters by stormwater runoff) remains the nation's largest source of water quality problems. Scientists and engineers still seek solutions that will a...

Treatability Aspects of Urban Stormwater Stressors - paper

EPA Science Inventory

Eleven years into the 21st century, pollution from diffuse sources (pollution from contaminants picked up and carried into surface waters by stormwater runoff) remains the nation's largest source of water quality problems. Scientists and engineers still seek solutions that will a...

Application of Artificial Neuro-Fuzzy Logic Inference System for Predicting the Microbiological Pollution in Fresh Water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouharati, S.; Benmahammed, K.; Harzallah, D.; El-Assaf, Y. M.

The classical methods for detecting the micro biological pollution in water are based on the detection of the coliform bacteria which indicators of contamination. But to check each water supply for these contaminants would be a time-consuming job and a qualify operators. In this study, we propose a novel intelligent system which provides a detection of microbiological pollution in fresh water. The proposed system is a hierarchical integration of an Artificial Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS). This method is based on the variations of the physical and chemical parameters occurred during bacteria growth. The instantaneous result obtained by the measurements of the variations of the physical and chemical parameters occurred during bacteria growth-temperature, pH, electrical potential and electrical conductivity of many varieties of water (surface water, well water, drinking water and used water) on the number Escherichia coli in water. The instantaneous result obtained by measurements of the inputs parameters of water from sensors.

Implications of salinity pollution hotspots on agricultural production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Floerke, Martina; Fink, Julia; Malsy, Marcus; Voelker, Jeanette; Alcamo, Joseph

2016-04-01

Salinity pollution can have many negative impacts on water resources used for drinking, irrigation, and industrial purposes. Elevated concentrations of salinity in irrigation water can lead to decreased crop production or crop death and, thus, causing an economic problem. Overall, salinity pollution is a global problem but tends to be more severe in arid and semi-arid regions where the dilution capacity of rivers and lakes is lower and the use of irrigation higher. Particularly in these regions agricultural production is exposed to high salinity of irrigation water as insufficient water quality further reduces the available freshwater resources. According to the FAO, irrigated agriculture contributes about 40 percent of the total food production globally, and therefore, high salinity pollution poses a major concern for food production and food security. We use the WaterGAP3 modeling framework to simulate hydrological, water use, and water quality conditions on a global scale for the time period 1990 to 2010. The modeling framework is applied to simulate total dissolved solids (TDS) loadings and in-stream concentrations from different point and diffuse sources to get an insight on potential environmental impacts as well as risks to agricultural food production. The model was tested and calibrated against observed data from GEMStat and literature sources. Although global in scope, the focus of this study is on developing countries, i.e., in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, as these are most threatened by salinity pollution. Furthermore, insufficient water quality for irrigation and therefore restrictions in irrigation water use are examined, indicating limitations to crop production. Our results show that elevated salinity concentrations in surface waters mainly occur in peak irrigation regions as irrigated agriculture is not only the most relevant water use sector contributing to water abstractions, but also the dominant source of salinity pollution. Additionally, large metropolitan regions are initially loading hotspots and pollution, too, and prevention becomes important as point sources are dependent on sewer connection rates and treatment levels. In conclusion, this study provides a detailed picture of the spatial and temporal distribution of salinity pollution and identifies hotspot areas as well as the dominant sources. Furthermore, impacts of water quality degradation on agricultural production and food security are quantified, which aim for a better understanding of the risks for food security caused by water quality impairment.

Combined air and water pollution control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolverton, Billy C. (Inventor); Jarrell, Lamont (Inventor)

1990-01-01

A bioaquatic air pollution control system for controlling both water and atmospheric pollution is disclosed. The pollution control system includes an exhaust for directing polluted gases out of a furnace and a fluid circulating system which circulates fluid, such as waste water, from a source, past the furnace where the fluid flow entrains the pollutants from the furnace. The combined fluid and pollutants are then directed through a rock/plant/microbial filtering system. A suction pump pumps the treated waste water from the filter system past the exhaust to again entrain more pollutants from the furnace where they are combined with the fluid (waste water) and directed to the filter system.

Mitigation of nonpoint source pollution in rural areas: From control to synergies of multi ecosystem services.

PubMed

Wu, Yonghong; Liu, Junzhuo; Shen, Renfang; Fu, Bojie

2017-12-31

Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution produced by human activities in rural areas has induced excessive nutrient input into surface waters and the decline of water quality. The essence of NPS pollution is the transport of nutrients between soil and water. Traditional NPS pollution control strategies, however, are mainly based on the solid and liquid phases, with little focus on the bio-phase between water and soil. The pollutants produced from NPS can be regarded as a resource if recycled or reused in an appropriate way in the agricultural ecosystem. This mini review proposes novel strategies for NPS pollution control based on three phases (liquid, solid and bio-phase) and highlights the regulating services of an agricultural ecosystem by optimizing land use/cover types. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Concentration and source identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and phthalic acid esters in the surface water of the Yangtze River Delta, China.

PubMed

Zhang, Lifei; Dong, Liang; Ren, Lijun; Shi, Shuangxin; Zhou, Li; Zhang, Ting; Huang, Yeru

2012-01-01

The pollution from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in the surface water of the rapidly urbanized Yangtze River Delta region was investigated. Fourteen surface water samples were collected in June 2010. Water samples were liquid-liquid extracted using methylene chloride and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Concentrations of PAHs and PAEs ranged 12.9-638.1 ng/L and 61-28550 ng/L, respectively. Fluoranthene, naphthalene, pyrene, phenanthrene, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, and di-n-butyl phthalate were the most abundant compounds in the samples. The water samples were moderately polluted with benzo[a]pyrene according to China's environmental quality standard for surface water. The two highest concentrations of PAHs and PAEs occurred in samples from Taihu Lake, Wuxi City and the western section of Yangchenghu Lake. Potential sources of pollution at S7 were petroleum combustion and the plastics industry, and at Yangchenghu Lake were petroleum combustion and domestic waste. Pollution in samples from the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal originated from diesel engines. There were no obvious sources of pollution for the other water samples. These results can be used as reference levels for future monitoring programs of pollution from PAHs and PAEs.

Water quality modeling using geographic information system (GIS) data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Engel, Bernard A

1992-01-01

Protection of the environment and natural resources at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is of great concern. The potential for surface and ground water quality problems resulting from non-point sources of pollution was examined using models. Since spatial variation of parameters required was important, geographic information systems (GIS) and their data were used. The potential for groundwater contamination was examined using the SEEPAGE (System for Early Evaluation of the Pollution Potential of Agricultural Groundwater Environments) model. A watershed near the VAB was selected to examine potential for surface water pollution and erosion using the AGNPS (Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution) model.

Identification of Major Risk Sources for Surface Water Pollution by Risk Indexes (RI) in the Multi-Provincial Boundary Region of the Taihu Basin, China

PubMed Central

Yao, Hong; Li, Weixin; Qian, Xin

2015-01-01

Environmental safety in multi-district boundary regions has been one of the focuses in China and is mentioned many times in the Environmental Protection Act of 2014. Five types were categorized concerning the risk sources for surface water pollution in the multi-provincial boundary region of the Taihu basin: production enterprises, waste disposal sites, chemical storage sites, agricultural non-point sources and waterway transportations. Considering the hazard of risk sources, the purification property of environmental medium and the vulnerability of risk receptors, 52 specific attributes on the risk levels of each type of risk source were screened out. Continuous piecewise linear function model, expert consultation method and fuzzy integral model were used to calculate the integrated risk indexes (RI) to characterize the risk levels of pollution sources. In the studied area, 2716 pollution sources were characterized by RI values. There were 56 high-risk sources screened out as major risk sources, accounting for about 2% of the total. The numbers of sources with high-moderate, moderate, moderate-low and low pollution risk were 376, 1059, 101 and 1124, respectively, accounting for 14%, 38%, 5% and 41% of the total. The procedure proposed could be included in the integrated risk management systems of the multi-district boundary region of the Taihu basin. It could help decision makers to identify major risk sources in the risk prevention and reduction of surface water pollution. PMID:26308032

Identification of Major Risk Sources for Surface Water Pollution by Risk Indexes (RI) in the Multi-Provincial Boundary Region of the Taihu Basin, China.

PubMed

Yao, Hong; Li, Weixin; Qian, Xin

2015-08-21

Environmental safety in multi-district boundary regions has been one of the focuses in China and is mentioned many times in the Environmental Protection Act of 2014. Five types were categorized concerning the risk sources for surface water pollution in the multi-provincial boundary region of the Taihu basin: production enterprises, waste disposal sites, chemical storage sites, agricultural non-point sources and waterway transportations. Considering the hazard of risk sources, the purification property of environmental medium and the vulnerability of risk receptors, 52 specific attributes on the risk levels of each type of risk source were screened out. Continuous piecewise linear function model, expert consultation method and fuzzy integral model were used to calculate the integrated risk indexes (RI) to characterize the risk levels of pollution sources. In the studied area, 2716 pollution sources were characterized by RI values. There were 56 high-risk sources screened out as major risk sources, accounting for about 2% of the total. The numbers of sources with high-moderate, moderate, moderate-low and low pollution risk were 376, 1059, 101 and 1124, respectively, accounting for 14%, 38%, 5% and 41% of the total. The procedure proposed could be included in the integrated risk management systems of the multi-district boundary region of the Taihu basin. It could help decision makers to identify major risk sources in the risk prevention and reduction of surface water pollution.

Micro-zooplankton grazing as a means of fecal bacteria removal in stormwater BMPs.

PubMed

Burtchett, Jade M; Mallin, Michael A; Cahoon, Lawrence B

2017-06-01

A priority for environmental managers is control of stormwater runoff pollution, especially fecal microbial pollution. This research was designed to determine if fecal bacterial grazing by micro-zooplankton is a significant control on fecal bacteria in aquatic best management practices (BMPs); if grazing differs between a wet detention pond and a constructed wetland; and if environmental factors enhance grazing. Both 3-day grazing tests and 24-h dilution assays were used to determine grazing differences between the two types of BMP. Micro-zooplankton grazing was a stronger bacteria removal mechanism in stormwater wetlands rich in aquatic vegetation compared to a standard wet detention pond, although grazing was important in detention ponds as well. Our experiments indicated that the majority of grazers that fed on fecal bacteria were <20 μm in size. Grazing rates were positively correlated with fecal coliform abundance and increased water temperatures. Enumeration of grazers demonstrated that protozoans were significantly more abundant among wetland vegetation than in open water, and open wetland waters contained more flagellates and dinoflagellates than open wet detention pond waters. Grazing on fecal bacteria in BMPs is enhanced by aquatic vegetation, and grazing in aquatic BMPs in warmer climates should be greater than in cooler climates.

Policy Guidance From a Multi-scale Suite of Natural Field and Digital Laboratories of Change: Hydrological Catchment Studies of Nutrient and Pollutant Source Releases, Waterborne Transport-Transformations and Mass Flows in Water Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Destouni, G.

2008-12-01

Continental fresh water transports and loads excess nutrients and pollutants from various land surface sources, through the landscape, into downstream inland and coastal water environments. Our ability to understand, predict and control the eutrophication and the pollution pressures on inland, coastal and marine water ecosystems relies on our ability to quantify these mass flows. This paper synthesizes a series of hydro- biogeochemical studies of nutrient and pollutant sources, transport-transformations and mass flows in catchment areas across a range of scales, from continental, through regional and national, to individual drainage basin scales. Main findings on continental scales include correlations between country/catchment area, population and GDP and associated pollutant and nutrient loading, which differ significantly between world regions with different development levels. On regional scales, essential systematic near-coastal gaps are identified in the national monitoring of nutrient and pollutant loads from land to the sea. Combination of the unmonitored near-coastal area characteristics with the relevant regional nutrient and pollutant load correlations with these characteristics shows that the unmonitored nutrient and pollutant mass loads to the sea may often be as large as, or greater than the monitored river loads. Process studies on individual basin- scales show long-term nutrient and pollutant memories in the soil-groundwater systems of the basins, which may continue to uphold large mass loading to inland and coastal waters long time after mitigation of the sources. Linked hydro-biogeochemical-economic model studies finally demonstrate significant comparative advantages of policies that demand explicit quantitative account of the uncertainties implied by these monitoring gaps and long-term nutrient-pollution memories and time lags, and other knowledge, data and model limitations, instead of the now common neglect or subjective implicit handling of such uncertainties in strategies and practices for combating water pollution and eutrophication.

A novel two-stage evaluation system based on a Group-G1 approach to identify appropriate emergency treatment technology schemes in sudden water source pollution accidents.

PubMed

Qu, Jianhua; Meng, Xianlin; Hu, Qi; You, Hong

2016-02-01

Sudden water source pollution resulting from hazardous materials has gradually become a major threat to the safety of the urban water supply. Over the past years, various treatment techniques have been proposed for the removal of the pollutants to minimize the threat of such pollutions. Given the diversity of techniques available, the current challenge is how to scientifically select the most desirable alternative for different threat degrees. Therefore, a novel two-stage evaluation system was developed based on a circulation-correction improved Group-G1 method to determine the optimal emergency treatment technology scheme, considering the areas of contaminant elimination in both drinking water sources and water treatment plants. In stage 1, the threat degree caused by the pollution was predicted using a threat evaluation index system and was subdivided into four levels. Then, a technique evaluation index system containing four sets of criteria weights was constructed in stage 2 to obtain the optimum treatment schemes corresponding to the different threat levels. The applicability of the established evaluation system was tested by a practical cadmium-contaminated accident that occurred in 2012. The results show this system capable of facilitating scientific analysis in the evaluation and selection of emergency treatment technologies for drinking water source security.

Water pollution in Pakistan and its impact on public health--a review.

PubMed

Azizullah, Azizullah; Khattak, Muhammad Nasir Khan; Richter, Peter; Häder, Donat-Peter

2011-02-01

Water pollution is one of the major threats to public health in Pakistan. Drinking water quality is poorly managed and monitored. Pakistan ranks at number 80 among 122 nations regarding drinking water quality. Drinking water sources, both surface and groundwater are contaminated with coliforms, toxic metals and pesticides throughout the country. Various drinking water quality parameters set by WHO are frequently violated. Human activities like improper disposal of municipal and industrial effluents and indiscriminate applications of agrochemicals in agriculture are the main factors contributing to the deterioration of water quality. Microbial and chemical pollutants are the main factors responsible exclusively or in combination for various public health problems. This review discusses a detailed layout of drinking water quality in Pakistan with special emphasis on major pollutants, sources of pollution and the consequent health problems. The data presented in this review are extracted from various studies published in national and international journals. Also reports released by the government and non-governmental organizations are included. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monitoring coastal marine waters for spore-forming bacteria of faecal and soil origin to determine point from non-point source pollution.

PubMed

Fujioka, R S

2001-01-01

The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have established recreational water quality standards limiting the concentrations of faecal indicator bacteria (faecal coliform, E. coli, enterococci) to ensure that these waters are safe for swimming. In the application of these hygienic water quality standards, it is assumed that there are no significant environmental sources of these faecal indicator bacteria which are unrelated to direct faecal contamination. However, we previously reported that these faecal indicator bacteria are able to grow in the soil environment of humid tropical island environments such as Hawaii and Guam and are transported at high concentrations into streams and storm drains by rain. Thus, streams and storm drains in Hawaii contain consistently high concentrations of faecal indicator bacteria which routinely exceed the EPA and WHO recreational water quality standards. Since, streams and storm drains eventually flow out to coastal marine waters, we hypothesize that all the coastal beaches which receive run-off from streams and storm drains will contain elevated concentrations of faecal indicator bacteria. To test this hypothesis, we monitored the coastal waters at four beaches known to receive water from stream or storm drains for salinity, turbidity, and used the two faecal indicator bacteria (E. coli, enterococci) to establish recreational water quality standards. To determine if these coastal waters are contaminated with non-point source pollution (streams) or with point source pollution (sewage effluent), these same water samples were also assayed for spore-forming bacteria of faecal origin (Cl. perfringens) and of soil origin (Bacillus species). Using this monitoring strategy it was possible to determine when coastal marine waters were contaminated with non-point source pollution and when coastal waters were contaminated with point source pollution. The results of this study are most likely applicable to all countries in the warm and humid region of the world.

Incorporation of Complex Hydrological and Socio-economic Factors for Non-point Source Pollution Control: A Case Study at the Yincungang Canal, the Lake Tai Basin of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, X.; Luo, X.; Zheng, Z.

2012-04-01

It is increasingly realized that non-point pollution sources contribute significantly to water environment deterioration in China. Compared to developed countries, non-point source pollution in China has the unique characteristics of strong intensity and composition complexity due to its special socioeconomic conditions. First, more than 50% of its 1.3 billion people are rural. Sewage from the majority of the rural households is discharged either without or only with minimal treatment. The large amount of erratic rural sewage discharge is a significant source of water pollution. Second, China is plagued with serious agricultural pollution due to widespread improper application of fertilizers and pesticides. Finally, there lack sufficient disposal and recycling of rural wastes such as livestock manure and crop straws. Pollutant loads from various sources have far exceeded environmental assimilation capacity in many parts of China. The Lake Tai basin is one typical example. Lake Tai is the third largest freshwater lake in China. The basin is located in the highly developed and densely populated Yangtze River Delta. While accounting for 0.4% of its land area and 2.9% of its population, the Lake Tai basin generates more than 14% of China's Gross Domestic Production (GDP), and the basin's GDP per capita is 3.5 times as much as the state average. Lake Tai is vital to the basin's socio-economic development, providing multiple services including water supply for municipal, industrial, and agricultural needs, navigation, flood control, fishery, and tourism. Unfortunately, accompanied with the fast economic development is serious water environment deterioration in the Lake Tai basin. The lake is becoming increasingly eutrophied and has frequently suffered from cyanobacterial blooms in recent decades. Chinese government has made tremendous investment in order to mitigate water pollution conditions in the basin. Nevertheless, the trend of deteriorating water quality has yet to be reversed. At least two factors contribute to the dichotomy between huge investment and limited results. First, the majority of the efforts have been limited to engineering approaches to water pollution control, ignoring the important roles of non-engineering approaches and stakeholder participation. Second, the complex hydrological regime of the basin may aggravate the impacts of various pollutant sources. Using the Yincungang canal, one major tributary to the Lake Tai, as an example, we discuss our work on both hydrological and socio-economic factors affecting the water quality of the canal, as well as the grand challenges of coupling hydrological systems and socio-economic systems in the region. Keywords non-point source pollution, rural sewage, agricultural pollution, spatio-temporal pattern, stakeholder participation

Modelling fate and transport of glyphosate and AMPA in the Meuse catchment to assess the contribution of different pollution sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desmet, Nele; Seuntjens, Piet

2013-04-01

Large river basins have multiple sources of pesticides and usually the pollution sources are spread over the entire catchment. The cumulative effect of pesticides entering the river system in upstream areas and the formation of persistent degradation products can compromise downstream water use e.g. raw water quality for drinking water abstractions. For assessments at catchment scale pesticide fluxes coming from different sources and sub basins need to be taken into account. To improve management strategies, a sound understanding of the sources, emission routes, transport, environmental fate and conversion of pesticides is needed. In the Netherlands, the Meuse river basin is an important source for drinking water production. The river suffers from elevated concentrations of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA). For AMPA it is rather unclear to what extent the pollution is related to glyphosate degradation and what is the contribution of other sources, especial phosphonates in domestic and industrial waste water. Based on the available monitoring data only it is difficult to distinguish between AMPA sources in such a large river basin. This hampers interpretation and decision making for water quality management in the Meuse catchment. Here, application of water quality models is very useful to obtain complementary information and insights. Modelling allows accounting for temporal and spatial variability in discharge and concentrations as well as distinguishing the contribution from conversion processes. In this study, a model for the river Meuse was developed and applied to assess the contribution of tributary and transnational influxes, glyphosate degradation and other sources to the AMPA pollution.

Combined multivariate statistical techniques, Water Pollution Index (WPI) and Daniel Trend Test methods to evaluate temporal and spatial variations and trends of water quality at Shanchong River in the Northwest Basin of Lake Fuxian, China.

PubMed

Wang, Quan; Wu, Xianhua; Zhao, Bin; Qin, Jie; Peng, Tingchun

2015-01-01

Understanding spatial and temporal variations in river water quality and quantitatively evaluating the trend of changes are important in order to study and efficiently manage water resources. In this study, an analysis of Water Pollution Index (WPI), Daniel Trend Test, Cluster Analysis and Discriminant Analysis are applied as an integrated approach to quantitatively explore the spatial and temporal variations and the latent sources of water pollution in the Shanchong River basin, Northwest Basin of Lake Fuxian, China. We group all field surveys into 2 clusters (dry season and rainy season). Moreover, 14 sampling sites have been grouped into 3 clusters for the rainy season (highly polluted, moderately polluted and less polluted sites) and 2 clusters for the dry season (highly polluted and less polluted sites) based on their similarities and the level of pollution during the two seasons. The results show that the main trend of pollution was aggravated during the transition from the dry to the rainy season. The Water Pollution Index of Total Nitrogen is the highest of all pollution parameters, whereas the Chemical Oxygen Demand (Chromium) is the lowest. Our results also show that the main sources of pollution are farming activities alongside the Shanchong River, soil erosion and fish culture at Shanchong River reservoir area and domestic sewage from scattered rural residential area. Our results suggest that strategies to prevent water pollutionat the Shanchong River basin need to focus on non-point pollution control by employing appropriate fertilizer formulas in farming, and take the measures of soil and water conservation at Shanchong reservoir area, and purifying sewage from scattered villages.

Combined Multivariate Statistical Techniques, Water Pollution Index (WPI) and Daniel Trend Test Methods to Evaluate Temporal and Spatial Variations and Trends of Water Quality at Shanchong River in the Northwest Basin of Lake Fuxian, China

PubMed Central

Wang, Quan; Wu, Xianhua; Zhao, Bin; Qin, Jie; Peng, Tingchun

2015-01-01

Understanding spatial and temporal variations in river water quality and quantitatively evaluating the trend of changes are important in order to study and efficiently manage water resources. In this study, an analysis of Water Pollution Index (WPI), Daniel Trend Test, Cluster Analysis and Discriminant Analysis are applied as an integrated approach to quantitatively explore the spatial and temporal variations and the latent sources of water pollution in the Shanchong River basin, Northwest Basin of Lake Fuxian, China. We group all field surveys into 2 clusters (dry season and rainy season). Moreover, 14 sampling sites have been grouped into 3 clusters for the rainy season (highly polluted, moderately polluted and less polluted sites) and 2 clusters for the dry season (highly polluted and less polluted sites) based on their similarities and the level of pollution during the two seasons. The results show that the main trend of pollution was aggravated during the transition from the dry to the rainy season. The Water Pollution Index of Total Nitrogen is the highest of all pollution parameters, whereas the Chemical Oxygen Demand (Chromium) is the lowest. Our results also show that the main sources of pollution are farming activities alongside the Shanchong River, soil erosion and fish culture at Shanchong River reservoir area and domestic sewage from scattered rural residential area. Our results suggest that strategies to prevent water pollutionat the Shanchong River basin need to focus on non-point pollution control by employing appropriate fertilizer formulas in farming, and take the measures of soil and water conservation at Shanchong reservoir area, and purifying sewage from scattered villages. PMID:25837673

The quality of rivers: From pristine stage to global pollution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meybeck, Michel; Helmer, Richard

1989-12-01

River water quality is highly variable by nature due to environmental conditions such as basin lithology, vegetation and climate. In small watersheds spatial variations extend over orders of magnitude for most major elements and nutrients, while this variability is an order of magnitude lower for major basins. A standard river water for use as reference is therefore not applicable. As a consequence natural waters can possibly be unfit for various human uses, even including drinking. The Water Quality (WQ) concept has greatly evolved since the beginning of the century in accordance with expanding water uses and analytical developments. Even in well developed countries the dissolved heavy metal measurements in rivers are not very reliable while dissolved organic micro-pollutants are even rarely analysed routinely. Major WQ problems have been identified according to river basin size, including organic pollution, salinity, total suspended solids, heavy metals, eutrophication, nitrate, organic micro-pollutants, acidification. They generally occurred in this order over a period of about 100 years in the industrialized countries. Historical records of WQ are rare but can be established indirectly through studies of lake sediments. When proper control action is taken at an early stage, numerous examples of WQ recovery have been found in rivers for most of the common pollution problems. Future WQ problems will mostly derive from mine tailings and toxic waste disposal in both developed and developing countries, industrial accidents and organic micropollutants which emerge faster than our analytical capacities. The newly industrializing countries will face all the above-mentioned problems within a very short time period without having the means to cope with them one at a time. River studies point out the global alteration of the biogeochemical cycles of many major elements and nutrients (S, Na, K, N, P). For heavy metals such as lead, present estimates of global river loads emphasize the role of interim storage on land, thus delaying downstream pollution problems.

Occurrence of Surface Water Contaminations: An Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahabudin, M. M.; Musa, S.

2018-04-01

Water is a part of our life and needed by all organisms. As time goes by, the needs by human increased transforming water quality into bad conditions. Surface water contaminated in various ways which is pointed sources and non-pointed sources. Pointed sources means the source are distinguished from the source such from drains or factory but the non-pointed always occurred in mixed of elements of pollutants. This paper is reviewing the occurrence of the contaminations with effects that occurred around us. Pollutant factors from natural or anthropology factors such nutrients, pathogens, and chemical elements contributed to contaminations. Most of the effects from contaminated surface water contributed to the public health effects also to the environments.

A review on the sources and spatial-temporal distributions of Pb in Jiaozhou Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Dongfang; Zhang, Jie; Wang, Ming; Zhu, Sixi; Wu, Yunjie

2017-12-01

This paper provided a review on the source, spatial-distribution, temporal variations of Pb in Jiaozhou Bay based on investigation of Pb in surface and waters in different seasons during 1979-1983. The source strengths of Pb sources in Jiaozhou Bay were showing increasing trends, and the pollution level of Pb in this bay was slight or moderate in the early stage of reform and opening-up. Pb contents in the marine bay were mainly determined by the strength and frequency of Pb inputs from human activities, and Pb could be moving from high content areas to low content areas in the ocean interior. Surface waters in the ocean was polluted by human activities, and bottom waters was polluted by means of vertical water’s effect. The process of spatial distribution of Pb in waters was including three steps, i.e., 1), Pb was transferring to surface waters in the bay, 2) Pb was transferring to surface waters, and 3) Pb was transferring to and accumulating in bottom waters.

Integrating sentinel watershed-systems into the monitoring and assessment of Minnesota's (USA) waters quality.

PubMed

Magner, J A; Brooks, K N

2008-03-01

Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act requires States and Tribes to list waters not meeting water quality standards. A total maximum daily load must be prepared for waters identified as impaired with respect to water quality standards. Historically, the management of pollution in Minnesota has been focused on point-source regulation. Regulatory effort in Minnesota has improved water quality over the last three decades. Non-point source pollution has become the largest driver of conventional 303(d) listings in the 21st century. Conventional pollutants, i.e., organic, sediment and nutrient imbalances can be identified with poor land use management practices. However, the cause and effect relationship can be elusive because of natural watershed-system influences that vary with scale. Elucidation is complex because the current water quality standards in Minnesota were designed to work best with water quality permits to control point sources of pollution. This paper presents a sentinel watershed-systems approach (SWSA) to the monitoring and assessment of Minnesota waterbodies. SWSA integrates physical, chemical, and biological data over space and time using advanced technologies at selected small watersheds across Minnesota to potentially improve understanding of natural and anthropogenic watershed processes and the management of point and non-point sources of pollution. Long-term, state-of-the-art monitoring and assessment is needed to advance and improve water quality standards. Advanced water quality or ecologically-based standards that integrate physical, chemical, and biological numeric criteria offer the potential to better understand, manage, protect, and restore Minnesota's waterbodies.

The use of chemical and molecular microbial indicators for faecal source identification.

PubMed

Gilpin, B; James, T; Nourozi, F; Saunders, D; Scholes, P; Savill, M

2003-01-01

Identifying the source of faecal pollution is important to enable appropriate management of faecal pollution of water. We are developing and evaluating a combination of these microbial and chemical indicators better able to identify the source of faecal pollution. These assays make use of a combination of direct PCR, culturing, and colony hybridisation to identify source specific species of Bifidobacterium, Rhodococcus and Bacteroides. In conjunction with assays for (a) fluorescent whitening agents and (b) faecal sterols and stanols, these indicators were able to identify human derived faecal pollution in river water containing inputs from septic tanks, municipal oxidation ponds, farmed animals and feral animals. Differentiating amongst the animal sources was more difficult and will require development of molecular assays for organisms specific to each animal group.

FIRST ORDER ESTIMATES OF ENERGY REQUIREMENTS FOR POLLUTION CONTROL

EPA Science Inventory

This report presents estimates of the energy demand attributable to environmental control of pollution from 'stationary point sources.' This class of pollution source includes powerplants, factories, refineries, municipal waste water treatment plants, etc., but excludes 'mobile s...

Sensitivity analysis for the total nitrogen pollution of the Danjiangkou Reservoir based on a 3-D water quality model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Libin; Yang, Zhifeng; Liu, Haifei

2017-12-01

Inter-basin water transfers containing a great deal of nitrogen are great threats to human health, biodiversity, and air and water quality in the recipient area. Danjiangkou Reservoir, the source reservoir for China's South-to-North Water Diversion Middle Route Project, suffers from total nitrogen pollution and threatens the water transfer to a number of metropolises including the capital, Beijing. To locate the main source of nitrogen pollution into the reservoir, especially near the Taocha canal head, where the intake of water transfer begins, we constructed a 3-D water quality model. We then used an inflow sensitivity analysis method to analyze the significance of inflows from each tributary that may contribute to the total nitrogen pollution and affect water quality. The results indicated that the Han River was the most significant river with a sensitivity index of 0.340, followed by the Dan River with a sensitivity index of 0.089, while the Guanshan River and the Lang River were not significant, with the sensitivity indices of 0.002 and 0.001, respectively. This result implies that the concentration and amount of nitrogen inflow outweighs the geographical position of the tributary for sources of total nitrogen pollution to the Taocha canal head of the Danjiangkou Reservoir.

Sustainable microbial water quality monitoring programme design using phage-lysis and multivariate techniques.

PubMed

Nnane, Daniel Ekane

2011-11-15

Contamination of surface waters is a pervasive threat to human health, hence, the need to better understand the sources and spatio-temporal variations of contaminants within river catchments. River catchment managers are required to sustainably monitor and manage the quality of surface waters. Catchment managers therefore need cost-effective low-cost long-term sustainable water quality monitoring and management designs to proactively protect public health and aquatic ecosystems. Multivariate and phage-lysis techniques were used to investigate spatio-temporal variations of water quality, main polluting chemophysical and microbial parameters, faecal micro-organisms sources, and to establish 'sentry' sampling sites in the Ouse River catchment, southeast England, UK. 350 river water samples were analysed for fourteen chemophysical and microbial water quality parameters in conjunction with the novel human-specific phages of Bacteroides GB-124 (Bacteroides GB-124). Annual, autumn, spring, summer, and winter principal components (PCs) explained approximately 54%, 75%, 62%, 48%, and 60%, respectively, of the total variance present in the datasets. Significant loadings of Escherichia coli, intestinal enterococci, turbidity, and human-specific Bacteroides GB-124 were observed in all datasets. Cluster analysis successfully grouped sampling sites into five clusters. Importantly, multivariate and phage-lysis techniques were useful in determining the sources and spatial extent of water contamination in the catchment. Though human faecal contamination was significant during dry periods, the main source of contamination was non-human. Bacteroides GB-124 could potentially be used for catchment routine microbial water quality monitoring. For a cost-effective low-cost long-term sustainable water quality monitoring design, E. coli or intestinal enterococci, turbidity, and Bacteroides GB-124 should be monitored all-year round in this river catchment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nutrient pollution of coastal rivers, bays, and seas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Howarth, Robert; Anderson, Donald; Cloern, James; Elfring, Chris; Hopkinson, Charles; Lapointe, Brian; Malone, Tom; Marcus, Nancy; McGlathery, Karen; Sharpley , Andrew; Walker, Dan

2000-01-01

Over the past 40 years, antipollution laws have greatly reduced discharges of toxic substances into our coastal waters. This effort, however, has focused largely on point-source pollution of industrial and municipal effluent. No comparable effort has been made to restrict the input of nitrogen (N) from municipal effluent, nor to control the flows of N and phosphorus (P) that enter waterways from dispersed or nonpoint sources such as agricultural and urban runoff or as airborne pollutants. As a result, inputs of nonpoint pollutants, particularly N, have increased dramatically. Nonpoint pollution from N and P now represents the largest pollution problem facing the vital coastal waters of the United States.

Quantifying climate change impacts on runoff of zoonotic pathogens from land

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sterk, Ankie; de Roda Husman, Ana Maria; Stergiadi, Maria; de Nijs, Ton; Schijven, Jack

2013-04-01

Several studies have shown a correlation between rainfall and waterborne disease outbreaks. One of the mechanisms whereby rainfall may cause outbreaks is through an increase in runoff of animal faeces from fields to surface waters. Faeces originating from wildlife, domestic animals or manure-fertilized fields, is considered an important source of zoonotic pathogens to which people may be exposed by water recreation or drinking-water consumption. Climate changes affect runoff because of increasing winter precipitation and more extreme precipitation events, as well as changes in evaporation. Furthermore, drier summers are leading to longer periods of high soil moisture deficits, increasing the hydrophobicity of soil and consequently changing infiltration capacities. A conceptual model is designed to describe the impacts of climate changes on the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, which are both directly and indirectly affecting pathogen loads in the environment and subsequent public health risks. One of the major outcomes was the lack of quantitative data and limited qualitative analyses of impacts of climate changes on pathogen runoff. Quantifying the processes by which micro-organisms are transported from fields to waters is important to be able to estimate such impacts to enable targeted implementation of effective intervention measures. A quantitative model using Mathematica software will be developed to estimate concentrations of pathogens originating from overland flow during runoff events. Different input sources will be included by applying different land-use scenarios, including point source faecal pollution from dairy cows and geese and diffuse source pollution by fertilization. Zoonotic pathogens, i.e. Cryptosporidium and Campylobacter, were selected based on transport properties, faecal loads and disease burden. Transport and survival rates of these pathogens are determined including effects of changes in precipitation but also temperature induced changes on die-off. Moreover, besides climate and surface variables, changes in soil or vegetation and adjustments in agricultural policy are considered. Output of this model can be used to assess how expected climate changes could affect pathogen concentrations in surface waters. The long term aim is to include this information in a larger framework, to quantify the impact of climate change on the infection and eventual disease risks due to exposure to water transmitted pathogens.

Energy-Water Nexus Relevant to Baseload Electricity Source Including Mini/Micro Hydropower Generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujii, M.; Tanabe, S.; Yamada, M.

2014-12-01

Water, food and energy is three sacred treasures that are necessary for human beings. However, recent factors such as population growth and rapid increase in energy consumption have generated conflicting cases between water and energy. For example, there exist conflicts caused by enhanced energy use, such as between hydropower generation and riverine ecosystems and service water, between shale gas and ground water, between geothermal and hot spring water. This study aims to provide quantitative guidelines necessary for capacity building among various stakeholders to minimize water-energy conflicts in enhancing energy use. Among various kinds of renewable energy sources, we target baseload sources, especially focusing on renewable energy of which installation is required socially not only to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions but to stimulate local economy. Such renewable energy sources include micro/mini hydropower and geothermal. Three municipalities in Japan, Beppu City, Obama City and Otsuchi Town are selected as primary sites of this study. Based on the calculated potential supply and demand of micro/mini hydropower generation in Beppu City, for example, we estimate the electricity of tens through hundreds of households is covered by installing new micro/mini hydropower generation plants along each river. However, the result is based on the existing infrastructures such as roads and electric lines. This means that more potentials are expected if the local society chooses options that enhance the infrastructures to increase micro/mini hydropower generation plants. In addition, further capacity building in the local society is necessary. In Japan, for example, regulations by the river law and irrigation right restrict new entry by actors to the river. Possible influences to riverine ecosystems in installing new micro/mini hydropower generation plants should also be well taken into account. Deregulation of the existing laws relevant to rivers and further incentives for business owners of micro/mini hydropower generation along with current feed-in tariff are required if our society choose an option to enhance the renewable energy.

Waters Without Borders: Scarcity and the Future of State Interactions over Shared Water Resources

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

urbanization, increasing per capita consumption (associated with globalization and economic development), pollution , and climate change will exacerbate...Standards of Living, and Pollution : Water is fundamental to ensuring an adequate food supply. Agricultural irrigation accounts for 70% of fresh water...Agricultural run-off is also a major source of pollution reducing the quality and availability of drinking water. Energy: Water is also needed for the

First Order Estimates of Energy Requirements for Pollution Control. Interagency Energy-Environment Research and Development Program Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barker, James L.; And Others

This U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report presents estimates of the energy demand attributable to environmental control of pollution from stationary point sources. This class of pollution source includes powerplants, factories, refineries, municipal waste water treatment plants, etc., but excludes mobile sources such as trucks, and…

COMPARISON OF OZONE INDICATORS MONITORED AT CASTNET AND RURALLY - DESIGNATED SLAMS SITES

EPA Science Inventory

Many water-bodies within the United States are contaminated by non-point source (NPS) pollution, which is defined as those materials posing a threat to water quality arising from a number of individual sources and diffused through hydrologic 13romses. One such NPS pollutant is fe...

Microbial community evolution of black and stinking rivers during in situ remediation through micro-nano bubble and submerged resin floating bed technology.

PubMed

Sun, Yanmei; Wang, Shiwei; Niu, Junfeng

2018-06-01

Microbes play important roles during river remediation and the interaction mechanism illustration between microorganisms and sewage is of great significance to improve restoration technology. In this study, micro-nano bubble and submerged resin floating bed composite technology (MBSR) was firstly used to restore two black and stinking urban rivers. After restoration, the water pollution indices such as dissolved oxygen (DO), ammonia nitrogen (NH 4 + -N), total phosphorous (TP), chemical oxygen demand (COD Cr ), water clarity, and the number of facial coliform were significantly improved. Microbial community composition and relative abundance both varied and more aerobic microbes emerged after remediation. The microbial changes showed correlation with DO, NH 4 + -N, TP and COD Cr of the rivers. In summary, the MBSR treatment improved the physiochemical properties of the two black and stinking urban rivers probably through oxygen enrichment of micro-nano bubble and adsorption of submerged resin floating bed, which thereby stimulated functional microbes to degrade pollutants. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sourcing faecal pollution: a combination of library-dependent and library-independent methods to identify human faecal pollution in non-sewered catchments.

PubMed

Ahmed, W; Stewart, J; Gardner, T; Powell, D; Brooks, P; Sullivan, D; Tindale, N

2007-08-01

Library-dependent (LD) (biochemical fingerprinting of Escherichia coli and enterococci) and library-independent (LI) (PCR detection of human-specific biomarkers) methods were used to detect human faecal pollution in three non-sewered catchments. In all, 550 E. coli isolates and 700 enterococci isolates were biochemically fingerprinted from 18 water samples and compared with metabolic fingerprint libraries of 4508 E. coli and 4833 enterococci isolates. E. coli fingerprints identified human unique biochemical phenotypes (BPTs) in nine out of 18 water samples; similarly, enterococci fingerprints identified human faecal pollution in 10 water samples. Seven samples were tested by PCR for the detection of biomarkers. Human-specific HF134 Bacteroides and enterococci surface protein (esp) biomarkers were detected in five samples. Four samples were also positive for HF183 Bacteroides biomarker. The combination of biomarkers detected human faecal pollution in six out of seven water samples. Of the seven samples analysed for both the indicators/markers, at least one indicator/marker was detected in every sample. Four of the seven PCR-positive samples were also positive for one of the human-specific E. coli or enterococci BPTs. The results indicated human faecal pollution in the studied sub-catchments after storm events. LD and LI methods used in this study complimented each other and provided additional information regarding the polluting sources when one method failed to detect human faecal pollution. Therefore, it is recommended that a combination of methods should be used to identify the source(s) of faecal pollution where possible.

Toolbox Approaches Using Molecular Markers and 16S rRNA Gene Amplicon Data Sets for Identification of Fecal Pollution in Surface Water

PubMed Central

Staley, C.; Sadowsky, M. J.; Gyawali, P.; Sidhu, J. P. S.; Palmer, A.; Beale, D. J.; Toze, S.

2015-01-01

In this study, host-associated molecular markers and bacterial 16S rRNA gene community analysis using high-throughput sequencing were used to identify the sources of fecal pollution in environmental waters in Brisbane, Australia. A total of 92 fecal and composite wastewater samples were collected from different host groups (cat, cattle, dog, horse, human, and kangaroo), and 18 water samples were collected from six sites (BR1 to BR6) along the Brisbane River in Queensland, Australia. Bacterial communities in the fecal, wastewater, and river water samples were sequenced. Water samples were also tested for the presence of bird-associated (GFD), cattle-associated (CowM3), horse-associated, and human-associated (HF183) molecular markers, to provide multiple lines of evidence regarding the possible presence of fecal pollution associated with specific hosts. Among the 18 water samples tested, 83%, 33%, 17%, and 17% were real-time PCR positive for the GFD, HF183, CowM3, and horse markers, respectively. Among the potential sources of fecal pollution in water samples from the river, DNA sequencing tended to show relatively small contributions from wastewater treatment plants (up to 13% of sequence reads). Contributions from other animal sources were rarely detected and were very small (<3% of sequence reads). Source contributions determined via sequence analysis versus detection of molecular markers showed variable agreement. A lack of relationships among fecal indicator bacteria, host-associated molecular markers, and 16S rRNA gene community analysis data was also observed. Nonetheless, we show that bacterial community and host-associated molecular marker analyses can be combined to identify potential sources of fecal pollution in an urban river. This study is a proof of concept, and based on the results, we recommend using bacterial community analysis (where possible) along with PCR detection or quantification of host-associated molecular markers to provide information on the sources of fecal pollution in waterways. PMID:26231650

Effectiveness of barnyard best management practices in Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stuntebeck, Todd D.; Bannerman, Roger T.

1998-01-01

In 1978, the Wisconsin Legislature committed to protecting water quality by enacting the Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Abatement Program. Through this program, cost-share money is provided within priority watersheds to control sources of nonpoint pollution. Most of the cost-share dollars for rural watersheds have been used to implement barnyard Best Management Practices (BMPs) because barnyards are believed to be a major source of pollutants, most notably phosphorus. Reductions in phosphorus loads of as much as 95 percent have been predicted for the barnyard BMPs recommended for priority watersheds.

The most serious problem facing mankind on Pb pollution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Dongfang; Miao, Zhenqing; Li, Haixia; Zhang, Xiaolong; Wang, Qi

2017-12-01

Pb pollution is one of the most critical environmental issues in the world. This paper analyzed the content, pollution level and pollution source of Pb in Jiaozhou Bay based on investigation data in surface waters in 1987. Results showed that Pb contents in surface waters in May, July and November 1987 were 1.95-7.96 μg L-1, 5.02-61.61 μg L-1 and 3.98-24.64 μg L-1, respectively, and the pollution levels were moderate, heavy and relative heavy, respectively. The major Pb sources in this bay were river flow and marine current, whose source strengths could be as high as 61.61 μg L-1and 24.64 μg L-1, respectively. The pollution level of Pb in Jiaozhou Bay was serious enough in 1987, and the pollution control and environmental remediation were necessary.

Beach boundary layer: a framework for addressing recreational water quality impairment at enclosed beaches.

PubMed

Grant, Stanley B; Sanders, Brett F

2010-12-01

Nearshore waters in bays, harbors, and estuaries are frequently contaminated with human pathogens and fecal indicator bacteria. Tracking down and mitigating this contamination is complicated by the many point and nonpoint sources of fecal pollution that can degrade water quality along the shore. From a survey of the published literature, we propose a conceptual and mathematical framework, the "beach boundary layer model", for understanding and quantifying the relative impact of beach-side and bay-side sources of fecal pollution on nearshore water quality. In the model, bacterial concentration in ankle depth water C(ankle) [bacteria L(-3)] depends on the flux m'' [bacteria L(-2) T(-1)] of fecal bacteria from beach-side sources (bather shedding, bird and dog feces, tidal washing of sediments, decaying vegetation, runoff from small drains, and shallow groundwater discharge), a cross-shore mass transfer velocity k [L T(-1)] that accounts for the physics of nearshore transport and mixing, and a background concentration C(bay) [bacteria L(-3)] attributable to bay-side sources of pollution that impact water quality over large regions (sewage outfalls, creeks and rivers): C(ankle) = m''/k + C(bay). We demonstrate the utility of the model for identifying risk factors and pollution sources likely to impact shoreline water quality, and evaluate the model's underlying assumptions using computational fluid dynamic simulations of flow, turbulence, and mass transport in a trapezoidal channel.

Farmers, Trust, and the Market Solution to Water Pollution: The Role of Social Embeddedness in Water Quality Trading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mariola, Matt J.

2012-01-01

Water quality trading (WQT) is a market arrangement in which a point-source water polluter pays farmers to implement conservation practices and claims the resulting benefits as credits toward meeting a pollution permit. Success rates of WQT programs nationwide are highly variable. Most of the literature on WQT is from an economic perspective…

Effects of hydraulic retention time and [Formula: see text] ratio on thiosulfate-driven autotrophic denitrification for nitrate removal from micro-polluted surface water.

PubMed

Wang, Zheng; Fei, Xiang; He, Sheng-Bing; Huang, Jung-Chen; Zhou, Wei-Li

2017-11-01

This study was carried out to investigate the possibility of a thiosulfate-driven autotrophic denitrification for nitrate-N removal from micro-polluted surface water. The aim was to study the effects of [Formula: see text] ratio (S/N molar ratio) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the autotrophic denitrification performance. Besides, utilization efficiencies of [Formula: see text] along the biofilter and the restart-up of the bioreactor were also investigated. Autotrophic denitrification using thiosulfate as an electron donor for treating micro-polluted surface water without the addition of external alkalinity proved to be feasible and the biofilter could be readied in two weeks. Average nitrate-N removal efficiencies at HRTs of 0.5, 1 and 2 h were 78.7%, 87.8% and 97.4%, respectively, and corresponding removal rates were 186.24, 103.92 and 58.56 g [Formula: see text], respectively. When water temperature was in the range of 8-12°C and HRT was 1 h, average nitrate-N removal efficiencies of 41.9%, 97.1% and 97.0%, nitrite accumulation concentrations of 1.45, 0.46 and 0.22 mg/L and thiosulfate utilization efficiencies of 100%, 98.8% and 92.1% were obtained at S/N ratios of 1.0, 1.2 and 1.5, respectively. Besides, the autotrophic denitrification rate in the filtration media layer was the highest along the biofilter at an S/N ratio of 1.5. Finally, after a one-month period of starvation, the biofilter could be restarted successfully in three weeks without inoculation of seed sludge.

40 CFR 471.44 - Pretreatment standards for existing sources (PSES).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... chill casting contact cooling water. Subpart D—PSES Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any one...) Shot casting contact cooling water. Subpart D—PSES Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average mg/off-kg (pounds per million off-pounds) of precious metals shot cast...

40 CFR 471.44 - Pretreatment standards for existing sources (PSES).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... chill casting contact cooling water. Subpart D—PSES Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any one...) Shot casting contact cooling water. Subpart D—PSES Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average mg/off-kg (pounds per million off-pounds) of precious metals shot cast...

40 CFR 471.44 - Pretreatment standards for existing sources (PSES).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... chill casting contact cooling water. Subpart D—PSES Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any one...) Shot casting contact cooling water. Subpart D—PSES Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average mg/off-kg (pounds per million off-pounds) of precious metals shot cast...

40 CFR 471.44 - Pretreatment standards for existing sources (PSES).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... chill casting contact cooling water. Subpart D—PSES Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any one...) Shot casting contact cooling water. Subpart D—PSES Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average mg/off-kg (pounds per million off-pounds) of precious metals shot cast...

40 CFR 471.44 - Pretreatment standards for existing sources (PSES).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... chill casting contact cooling water. Subpart D—PSES Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any one...) Shot casting contact cooling water. Subpart D—PSES Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day Maximum for monthly average mg/off-kg (pounds per million off-pounds) of precious metals shot cast...

[A landscape ecological approach for urban non-point source pollution control].

PubMed

Guo, Qinghai; Ma, Keming; Zhao, Jingzhu; Yang, Liu; Yin, Chengqing

2005-05-01

Urban non-point source pollution is a new problem appeared with the speeding development of urbanization. The particularity of urban land use and the increase of impervious surface area make urban non-point source pollution differ from agricultural non-point source pollution, and more difficult to control. Best Management Practices (BMPs) are the effective practices commonly applied in controlling urban non-point source pollution, mainly adopting local repairing practices to control the pollutants in surface runoff. Because of the close relationship between urban land use patterns and non-point source pollution, it would be rational to combine the landscape ecological planning with local BMPs to control the urban non-point source pollution, which needs, firstly, analyzing and evaluating the influence of landscape structure on water-bodies, pollution sources and pollutant removal processes to define the relationships between landscape spatial pattern and non-point source pollution and to decide the key polluted fields, and secondly, adjusting inherent landscape structures or/and joining new landscape factors to form new landscape pattern, and combining landscape planning and management through applying BMPs into planning to improve urban landscape heterogeneity and to control urban non-point source pollution.

Effect of different temperatures on performance and membrane fouling in high concentration PAC-MBR system treating micro-polluted surface water.

PubMed

Ma, Cong; Yu, Shuili; Shi, Wenxin; Heijman, S G J; Rietveld, L C

2013-08-01

A bench-scale immersed microfiltration coupled with 50 g/L PAC was developed to treat micro-polluted surface water (MPSW) under 10 and 20 °C and the effects of temperatures on the performance and the membrane fouling were also investigated. The low temperature (10 °C) delayed the time for the start-up by 9 days and the complete nitrification by 10 days. In the stable operation, two systems both had high NH₃-N removal efficiency (above 90%) and better removal of organic matters (10% DOC, 5% UV₂₅₄ and 4% SUVA) at 10 °C. Polysaccharides (SMP) were the main membrane fouling matters at low temperature (10 °C) and low temperature (10 °C) didn't cause serious chemical irreversible membrane fouling. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Mediterranean Plastic Soup: synthetic polymers in Mediterranean surface waters

PubMed Central

Suaria, Giuseppe; Avio, Carlo G.; Mineo, Annabella; Lattin, Gwendolyn L.; Magaldi, Marcello G.; Belmonte, Genuario; Moore, Charles J.; Regoli, Francesco; Aliani, Stefano

2016-01-01

The Mediterranean Sea has been recently proposed as one of the most impacted regions of the world with regards to microplastics, however the polymeric composition of these floating particles is still largely unknown. Here we present the results of a large-scale survey of neustonic micro- and meso-plastics floating in Mediterranean waters, providing the first extensive characterization of their chemical identity as well as detailed information on their abundance and geographical distribution. All particles >700 μm collected in our samples were identified through FT-IR analysis (n = 4050 particles), shedding for the first time light on the polymeric diversity of this emerging pollutant. Sixteen different classes of synthetic materials were identified. Low-density polymers such as polyethylene and polypropylene were the most abundant compounds, followed by polyamides, plastic-based paints, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene and polyvinyl alcohol. Less frequent polymers included polyethylene terephthalate, polyisoprene, poly(vinyl stearate), ethylene-vinyl acetate, polyepoxide, paraffin wax and polycaprolactone, a biodegradable polyester reported for the first time floating in off-shore waters. Geographical differences in sample composition were also observed, demonstrating sub-basin scale heterogeneity in plastics distribution and likely reflecting a complex interplay between pollution sources, sinks and residence times of different polymers at sea. PMID:27876837

Application of an integrated Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)/CALPUFF modeling tool for source apportionment of atmospheric pollutants for air quality management: A case study in the urban area of Benxi, China.

PubMed

Wu, Hao; Zhang, Yan; Yu, Qi; Ma, Weichun

2018-04-01

In this study, the authors endeavored to develop an effective framework for improving local urban air quality on meso-micro scales in cities in China that are experiencing rapid urbanization. Within this framework, the integrated Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)/CALPUFF modeling system was applied to simulate the concentration distributions of typical pollutants (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <10 μm [PM 10 ], sulfur dioxide [SO 2 ], and nitrogen oxides [NO x ]) in the urban area of Benxi. Statistical analyses were performed to verify the credibility of this simulation, including the meteorological fields and concentration fields. The sources were then categorized using two different classification methods (the district-based and type-based methods), and the contributions to the pollutant concentrations from each source category were computed to provide a basis for appropriate control measures. The statistical indexes showed that CALMET had sufficient ability to predict the meteorological conditions, such as the wind fields and temperatures, which provided meteorological data for the subsequent CALPUFF run. The simulated concentrations from CALPUFF showed considerable agreement with the observed values but were generally underestimated. The spatial-temporal concentration pattern revealed that the maximum concentrations tended to appear in the urban centers and during the winter. In terms of their contributions to pollutant concentrations, the districts of Xihu, Pingshan, and Mingshan all affected the urban air quality to different degrees. According to the type-based classification, which categorized the pollution sources as belonging to the Bengang Group, large point sources, small point sources, and area sources, the source apportionment showed that the Bengang Group, the large point sources, and the area sources had considerable impacts on urban air quality. Finally, combined with the industrial characteristics, detailed control measures were proposed with which local policy makers could improve the urban air quality in Benxi. In summary, the results of this study showed that this framework has credibility for effectively improving urban air quality, based on the source apportionment of atmospheric pollutants. The authors endeavored to build up an effective framework based on the integrated WRF/CALPUFF to improve the air quality in many cities on meso-micro scales in China. Via this framework, the integrated modeling tool is accurately used to study the characteristics of meteorological fields, concentration fields, and source apportionments of pollutants in target area. The impacts of classified sources on air quality together with the industrial characteristics can provide more effective control measures for improving air quality. Through the case study, the technical framework developed in this study, particularly the source apportionment, could provide important data and technical support for policy makers to assess air pollution on the scale of a city in China or even the world.

Drinking water contamination by chromium and lead in industrial lands of Karachi.

PubMed

Nadeem-ul-Haq; Arain, Mubashir Aslam; Haque, Zeba; Badar, Nasira; Mughal, Noman

2009-05-01

To identify and quantify chromium and lead as contaminant in water sources of Karachi. This water assessment survey was conducted from June 2007 to February 2008 in all the 18 towns of Karachi. In total 216 water samples were collected from ground (n=108) and surface water sources (n = 108). Water samples were collected in a liter polyethylene acid resistant bottle with extreme care to prevent contamination and concentrations of heavy metals (chromium and lead). Metallic ion contents were estimated by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Statistical analysis was done by applying T-test and chi-square for continuous and categorical variables respectively at 95% confidence level; Pearson correlation was also determined between chromium and lead concentrations. A total of 187 water samples had lead concentration higher than the maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) in drinking water, established by WHO (10 PPB) and lead contaminated sources were in significantly higher proportion than chromium contaminated water samples (n = 49) [chi2 = 128; P- < 0.001]. Mean chromium concentration in ground water was (micro = 49; SE = 3.8) was significantly higher than mean chromium concentration (micro = 33, SE = 3.5) in surface water (P = 0.003). There was a significant and positive correlation between chromium and lead concentrations in ground water (P = 0.04) however Pearson correlation was not significant for surface water (P = 0.6). Industrial towns (Korangi, Landhi and SITE) had significantly higher concentration of chromium (micro = 82.4; SE = 8.9) in their ground and tap water as compared to the mean chromium concentration (micro = 33; SE = 2.2) in the water samples of rest of the towns of Karachi (P < 0.001). Chromium and Lead levels are high in almost all ground water sources, however extremely high concentrations were found in industrial areas. Presence of any one of the heavy metal contamination necessitate the need for the estimation of other heavy metals as significant positive correlation was found between chromium and lead concentration, indicating the possibility of similar contamination sources in Karachi.

Industrial pollution and the management of river water quality: a model of Kelani River, Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Gunawardena, Asha; Wijeratne, E M S; White, Ben; Hailu, Atakelty; Pandit, Ram

2017-08-19

Water quality of the Kelani River has become a critical issue in Sri Lanka due to the high cost of maintaining drinking water standards and the market and non-market costs of deteriorating river ecosystem services. By integrating a catchment model with a river model of water quality, we developed a method to estimate the effect of pollution sources on ambient water quality. Using integrated model simulations, we estimate (1) the relative contribution from point (industrial and domestic) and non-point sources (river catchment) to river water quality and (2) pollutant transfer coefficients for zones along the lower section of the river. Transfer coefficients provide the basis for policy analyses in relation to the location of new industries and the setting of priorities for industrial pollution control. They also offer valuable information to design socially optimal economic policy to manage industrialized river catchments.

Pesticide pollution of multiple drinking water sources in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam: evidence from two provinces.

PubMed

Chau, N D G; Sebesvari, Z; Amelung, W; Renaud, F G

2015-06-01

Pollution of drinking water sources with agrochemicals is often a major threat to human and ecosystem health in some river deltas, where agricultural production must meet the requirements of national food security or export aspirations. This study was performed to survey the use of different drinking water sources and their pollution with pesticides in order to inform on potential exposure sources to pesticides in rural areas of the Mekong River delta, Vietnam. The field work comprised both household surveys and monitoring of 15 frequently used pesticide active ingredients in different water sources used for drinking (surface water, groundwater, water at public pumping stations, surface water chemically treated at household level, harvested rainwater, and bottled water). Our research also considered the surrounding land use systems as well as the cropping seasons. Improper pesticide storage and waste disposal as well as inadequate personal protection during pesticide handling and application were widespread amongst the interviewed households, with little overall risk awareness for human and environmental health. The results show that despite the local differences in the amount and frequency of pesticides applied, pesticide pollution was ubiquitous. Isoprothiolane (max. concentration 8.49 μg L(-1)), fenobucarb (max. 2.32 μg L(-1)), and fipronil (max. 0.41 μg L(-1)) were detected in almost all analyzed water samples (98 % of all surface samples contained isoprothiolane, for instance). Other pesticides quantified comprised butachlor, pretilachlor, propiconazole, hexaconazole, difenoconazole, cypermethrin, fenoxapro-p-ethyl, tebuconazole, trifloxystrobin, azoxystrobin, quinalphos, and thiamethoxam. Among the studied water sources, concentrations were highest in canal waters. Pesticide concentrations varied with cropping season but did not diminish through the year. Even in harvested rainwater or purchased bottled water, up to 12 different pesticides were detected at concentrations exceeding the European Commission's parametric guideline values for individual or total pesticides in drinking water (0.1 and 0.5 μg L(-1); respectively). The highest total pesticide concentration quantified in bottled water samples was 1.38 μg L(-1). Overall, we failed to identify a clean water source in the Mekong Delta with respect to pesticide pollution. It is therefore urgent to understand further and address drinking water-related health risk issues in the region.

Study of Selecting on Light Source Used for Micro-algae Cultivation in Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ai, Weidang; Ai, Weidang; Guo, Shuang-Sheng; Gao, Feng; Tang, Yong-Kang; Qin, Li-Feng

To select suitable light source for micro-algae cultivation in future space station, the selected Spirulina plastensis(No.7) were cultured under different lightening qualities, including six light sources that were made up of different combinations of red and blue light-emitting diode(LED). The growth, photosynthetic efficiency and nutrition quality of the Spirulina, were analyzed. From the experiments, the red light may promote the cumulation of biomass of the Spirulina, and the cumulating rate was the highest under all red light source, but the syntheses of protein, phycobiliprotein, β-carotene, VE and other nutrients needs a certain portion of blue light; yet, the complete blue light condition is not favorable to the growth of Spirulina, and may bring pollution by chlorella and other kinds of micro-algae. It is concluded that the LEDs can be used as the light resource of micro-algae cultivation. The normal growth and development of microalgae need two light sources of both red and blue LEDs. The comprehensive analyses of the various factors that affect the growth of Spirulina, such as nutrition quality and photosynthetic activities, etc., showed that the combination of 80% red and 20% blue LED is the optimum one among those tested combinations. Key word: light-emitting diode; micro-algae; controlled ecological life support system (CELSS); space cultivation

Evaluating barnyard Best Management Practices in Wisconsin using upstream-downstream monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stuntebeck, Todd D.

1995-01-01

The Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Abatement Program was created in 1978 by the Wisconsin Legislature. The goal of the program is to improve and protect the water quality of lakes, streams, wetlands, and ground water within selected priority watersheds by controlling sources of nonpoint pollution. For each selected watershed, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources drafts a management plan that guides the implementation of pollution-control strategies known as Best Management Practices (BMP's). This plan summarizes resource and land-use inventories, describes the results of pollution-source modeling, and suggests pollution reduction goals. The U.S. Geological Survey, through a cooperative effort with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, is monitoring water-quality improvements that result from the implementation of BMP's. The data collected are then compared to the watershed plans to assess progress and determine whether goals are being realized. This fact sheet describes the data-collection efforts, preliminary results, and planned data-analysis techniques of monitoring projects for pre-BMP conditions at two barnyards, one each on Otter Creek and Halfway Prairie Creek.

The Impact of Urban Development on the Water Quality in the Las Vegas Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, A.; Simmons, C.; Acharya, K.

2009-12-01

Las Vegas, one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, must have its water strictly monitored for quality as well as degree of pollution. Samples at various sites were collected to analyze the current pollution status of our water bodies (in both residential and urban settings) in the Las Vegas watershed. These gathered samples (sediment and water) were collected and analyzed for measuring total phosphorus, total organic carbon, trace metal contents, i.e., selenium, arsenic, mercury and lead, as well as pathogens, i.e., E-coli and total coliform counts. The concentrations of various pollutions will be compared among different sites as well as natural local sites (due to the natural occurrence of a few trace metals and normal levels of other measurements) and analyzed for spatial distribution for source identification and for elucidating the cause and consequence. Preliminary analyses of the results indicate that nonpoint source pollutions (golf courses, construction sites, etc.) have larger impacts than point source pollutions such as wastewater treatment effluents. This study will help understand and evaluate the degradation of the water quality caused by the increase of human actions in recent years in Las Vegas.

Spatial and temporal variations of water quality in Cao-E River of eastern China.

PubMed

Chen, Ding-jiang; Lu, Jun; Yuan, Shao-feng; Jin, Shu-quan; Shen, Ye-na

2006-01-01

Evaluation and analysis of water quality variations were performed with integrated consideration of water quality parameters, hydrological-meteorologic and anthropogenic factors in Cao-E River, Zhejiang Province of China. Cao-E River system has been polluted and the water quality of some reaches are inferior to Grade V according to National Surface Water Quality Standard of China (GB2002). However, mainly polluted indices of each tributary and mainstream are different. Total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in the water are the main polluted indices for mainstream that varies from 1.52 to 45.85 mg/L and 0.02 to 4.02 mg/L, respectively. TN is the main polluted indices for Sub-watershed I, II, IV and V (0.76 to 18.27 mg/L). BOD5 (0.36 to 289.5 mg/L), CODMn (0.47 to 78.86 mg/L), TN (0.74 to 31.09 mg/L) and TP (0 to 3.75 mg/L) are the main polluted indices for Sub-watershed III. There are tow pollution types along the river including nonpoint source pollution and point source pollution types. Remarkably temporal variations with a few spatial variations occur in nonpoint pollution type reaches (including mainstream, Sub-watershed I and II) that mainly drained by arable field and/or dispersive rural dwelling district, and the maximum pollutant concentration appears in flooding seasons. It implied that the runoff increases the pollutant concentration of the water in the nonpoint pollution type reaches. On the other hand, remarkably spatial variations occur in the point pollution type reaches (include Sub-watershed III, IV and V) and the maximum pollutant concentration appears in urban reaches. The runoff always decreases the pollutant concentration of the river water in the seriously polluted reaches that drained by industrial point sewage. But for the point pollution reaches resulted from centralized town domestic sewage pipeline and from frequent shipping and digging sands, rainfall always increased the concentration of pollutant (TN) in the river water too. Pollution controls were respectively suggested for these tow types according to different pollution causes.

Sensitivity Analysis for some Water Pollution Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Dimet, François-Xavier; Tran Thu, Ha; Hussaini, Yousuff

2014-05-01

Sensitivity Analysis for Some Water Pollution Problems Francois-Xavier Le Dimet1 & Tran Thu Ha2 & M. Yousuff Hussaini3 1Université de Grenoble, France, 2Vietnamese Academy of Sciences, 3 Florida State University Sensitivity analysis employs some response function and the variable with respect to which its sensitivity is evaluated. If the state of the system is retrieved through a variational data assimilation process, then the observation appears only in the Optimality System (OS). In many cases, observations have errors and it is important to estimate their impact. Therefore, sensitivity analysis has to be carried out on the OS, and in that sense sensitivity analysis is a second order property. The OS can be considered as a generalized model because it contains all the available information. This presentation proposes a method to carry out sensitivity analysis in general. The method is demonstrated with an application to water pollution problem. The model involves shallow waters equations and an equation for the pollutant concentration. These equations are discretized using a finite volume method. The response function depends on the pollutant source, and its sensitivity with respect to the source term of the pollutant is studied. Specifically, we consider: • Identification of unknown parameters, and • Identification of sources of pollution and sensitivity with respect to the sources. We also use a Singular Evolutive Interpolated Kalman Filter to study this problem. The presentation includes a comparison of the results from these two methods. .

Survey on the micro-pollutants presence in surface water system of northern Serbia and environmental and health risk assessment.

PubMed

Škrbić, Biljana D; Kadokami, Kiwao; Antić, Igor

2018-06-07

This study demonstrates the occurrence of 940 organic micro-pollutants in surface water of four rivers, one irrigation canal system, and two lakes in Vojvodina Province, the northern part of Serbia, summing in total eighteen samples. The number of detected chemicals ranged from 22 to 84, with 127 micro-pollutants detected at least once, representing 13% of the studied substances. The targeted compounds include n-alkanes, sterols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, pharmaceutical active compounds, industrial chemicals, plasticizers, etc. Among the analysed compounds, sterols were the most dominant with maximum quantified concentrations. The substances which were quantified with frequency over 50% were two PAHs (2-methylnaphthalene, benzo(ghi)perylene), five sterols (cholesterol, cholestanol, stigmasterol, fucosterol, beta-sitosterol), three pharmaceuticals and personal care products (L-menthol, diethyltoluamide, caffeine), and ten household chemicals (4-tert-octylphenol, dimethyl phthalate, methyl palmitate, phenylethyl alcohol, 1-nonanol, alpha-terpineol, 2-phenoxy-ethanol, methyl myristate, acetophenone, and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol). The list of priority substances under the European Union Directive 2013/39/EU includes 49 priority substances (PSs) out of which 34 were analysed. Among these, eleven PSs were quantified, and only two compounds (fluoranthene and benzo (a) pyrene) exceeded EU Environmental Quality Standards targeted values. The obtained results were compared with the previously published data that dealt with the same targeted number of micro-pollutants in sediment samples. This revealed connections between the same sampling locations. Environmental risk assessment showed the existence of potential ecological risk as 72% of the obtained values for the ecological hazard index (HI) at investigated locations were higher that the targeted value (HI > 1). Estimated values for hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) for non-carcinogenic risk were lower than the targeted value, indicating no non-carcinogenic risk through dermal contact and non-intentional ingestion of water. Estimated values for cancer risk were all below 1 × 10 -6 , which is not considered to pose significant human health risk. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

"What We Breathe Impacts Our Health: Improving Understanding of the Link between Air Pollution and Health".

PubMed

West, J Jason; Cohen, Aaron; Dentener, Frank; Brunekreef, Bert; Zhu, Tong; Armstrong, Ben; Bell, Michelle L; Brauer, Michael; Carmichael, Gregory; Costa, Dan L; Dockery, Douglas W; Kleeman, Michael; Krzyzanowski, Michal; Künzli, Nino; Liousse, Catherine; Lung, Shih-Chun Candice; Martin, Randall V; Pöschl, Ulrich; Pope, C Arden; Roberts, James M; Russell, Armistead G; Wiedinmyer, Christine

2016-05-17

Air pollution contributes to the premature deaths of millions of people each year around the world, and air quality problems are growing in many developing nations. While past policy efforts have succeeded in reducing particulate matter and trace gases in North America and Europe, adverse health effects are found at even these lower levels of air pollution. Future policy actions will benefit from improved understanding of the interactions and health effects of different chemical species and source categories. Achieving this new understanding requires air pollution scientists and engineers to work increasingly closely with health scientists. In particular, research is needed to better understand the chemical and physical properties of complex air pollutant mixtures, and to use new observations provided by satellites, advanced in situ measurement techniques, and distributed micro monitoring networks, coupled with models, to better characterize air pollution exposure for epidemiological and toxicological research, and to better quantify the effects of specific source sectors and mitigation strategies.

Deep challenges for China's war on water pollution.

PubMed

Han, Dongmei; Currell, Matthew J; Cao, Guoliang

2016-11-01

China's Central government has released an ambitious plan to tackle the nation's water pollution crisis. However, this is inhibited by a lack of data, particularly for groundwater. We compiled and analyzed water quality classification data from publicly available government sources, further revealing the scale and extent of the crisis. We also compiled nitrate data in shallow and deep groundwater from a range of literature sources, covering 52 of China's groundwater systems; the most comprehensive national-scale assessment yet. Nitrate pollution at levels exceeding the US EPA's maximum contaminant level (10 mg/L NO 3 N) occurs at the 90th percentile in 25 of 36 shallow aquifers and 10 out of 37 deep or karst aquifers. Isotopic compositions of groundwater nitrate (δ 15 N and δ 18 O NO3 values ranging from -14.9‰ to 35.5‰ and -8.1‰ to 51.0‰, respectively) indicate many nitrate sources including soil nitrogen, agricultural fertilizers, untreated wastewater and/or manure, and locally show evidence of de-nitrification. From these data, it is clear that contaminated groundwater is ubiquitous in deep aquifers as well as shallow groundwater (and surface water). Deep aquifers contain water recharged tens of thousands of years before present, long before widespread anthropogenic nitrate contamination. This groundwater has therefore likely been contaminated due to rapid bypass flow along wells or other conduits. Addressing the issue of well condition is urgently needed to stop further pollution of China's deep aquifers, which are some of China's most important drinking water sources. China's new 10-point Water Pollution Plan addresses previous shortcomings, however, control and remediation of deep groundwater pollution will take decades of sustained effort. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Study of Water Pollution Early Warning Framework Based on Internet of Things

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chengfang, H.; Xiao, X.; Dingtao, S.; Bo, C.; Xiongfei, W.

2016-06-01

In recent years, with the increasing world environmental pollution happening, sudden water pollution incident has become more and more frequently in China. It has posed a serious threat to water safety of the people living in the water source area. Conventional water pollution monitoring method is manual periodic testing, it maybe miss the best time to find that pollution incident. This paper proposes a water pollution warning framework to change this state. On the basis of the Internet of things, we uses automatic water quality monitoring technology to realize monitoring. We calculate the monitoring data with water pollution model to judge whether the water pollution incident is happen or not. Water pollution warning framework is divided into three layers: terminal as the sensing layer, it with the deployment of the automatic water quality pollution monitoring sensor. The middle layer is the transfer network layer, data information implementation is based on GPRS wireless network transmission. The upper one is the application layer. With these application systems, early warning information of water pollution will realize the high-speed transmission between grassroots units and superior units. The paper finally gives an example that applying this pollution warning framework to water quality monitoring of Beijing, China, it greatly improves the speed of the pollution warning responding of Beijing.

Water and Health. What We Take from our Environment. Science and Technology Education in Philippine Society.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Philippines Univ., Quezon City. Inst. for Science and Mathematics Education Development.

Information about the relationship between water and health is provided in this module. Topics considered include: (1) the various uses of water; (2) water demand of individuals in certain communities; (3) water sources; (4) water cycle; (5) pure water; (6) water pollution, focusing on pollution resulting from heat, chemicals, radioactive…

Stability assessment of a multi-port power electronic interface for hybrid micro-grid applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shamsi, Pourya

Migration to an industrial society increases the demand for electrical energy. Meanwhile, social causes for preserving the environment and reducing pollutions seek cleaner forms of energy sources. Therefore, there has been a growth in distributed generation from renewable sources in the past decade. Existing regulations and power system coordination does not allow for massive integration of distributed generation throughout the grid. Moreover, the current infrastructures are not designed for interfacing distributed and deregulated generation. In order to remedy this problem, a hybrid micro-grid based on nano-grids is introduced. This system consists of a reliable micro-grid structure that provides a smooth transition from the current distribution networks to smart micro-grid systems. Multi-port power electronic interfaces are introduced to manage the local generation, storage, and consumption. Afterwards, a model for this micro-grid is derived. Using this model, the stability of the system under a variety of source and load induced disturbances is studied. Moreover, pole-zero study of the micro-grid is performed under various loading conditions. An experimental setup of this micro-grid is developed, and the validity of the model in emulating the dynamic behavior of the system is verified. This study provides a theory for a novel hybrid micro-grid as well as models for stability assessment of the proposed micro-grid.

Nonpoint Source: Agriculture

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Agricultural runoff as a nonpoint source category of pollution. Resouces to learn more a bout conservation practices to reduce water quality impacts from storm water run off and ground water infiltration

Investigation of pollution characteristics of polychlorinated biphenyls in the typical drinking water sources in Jiangsu Province, China.

PubMed

Hong, Ye; Chunhong, Zhou; Xiaoxiong, Zeng

2009-11-01

Concentration and composition of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the typical drinking water sources in Jiangsu Province were studied by scene investigation and physical and chemical analyses as well. Total amount of PCBs in some surface water and surface microlayers exceeded the standard (20 ng/l) in the "Environmental Quality Standard of Surface Water". There were less PCBs in suspended substances and bottom mud. It reflected that there was less PCB pollution in drinking water sources in Jiangsu Province for quite a long period. The main kind of PCBs in the typical drinking water sources was dichlorobiphenyl. Monochlorobiphenyl and trichlorobiphenyl ranked next to dichlorobiphenyl. In the study of PCB distribution in drinking water sources, it was found that the concentration of PCBs in surface microlayer was higher than that in deep water. The concentration of PCBs along the Yangtze River bank was more than that in the middle of Yangtze River. PCBs in the typical drinking water sources mostly came from by-products in industrial production.

[Nitrogen non-point source pollution identification based on ArcSWAT in Changle River].

PubMed

Deng, Ou-Ping; Sun, Si-Yang; Lü, Jun

2013-04-01

The ArcSWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model was adopted for Non-point source (NPS) nitrogen pollution modeling and nitrogen source apportionment for the Changle River watershed, a typical agricultural watershed in Southeast China. Water quality and hydrological parameters were monitored, and the watershed natural conditions (including soil, climate, land use, etc) and pollution sources information were also investigated and collected for SWAT database. The ArcSWAT model was established in the Changle River after the calibrating and validating procedures of the model parameters. Based on the validated SWAT model, the contributions of different nitrogen sources to river TN loading were quantified, and spatial-temporal distributions of NPS nitrogen export to rivers were addressed. The results showed that in the Changle River watershed, Nitrogen fertilizer, nitrogen air deposition and nitrogen soil pool were the prominent pollution sources, which contributed 35%, 32% and 25% to the river TN loading, respectively. There were spatial-temporal variations in the critical sources for NPS TN export to the river. Natural sources, such as soil nitrogen pool and atmospheric nitrogen deposition, should be targeted as the critical sources for river TN pollution during the rainy seasons. Chemical nitrogen fertilizer application should be targeted as the critical sources for river TN pollution during the crop growing season. Chemical nitrogen fertilizer application, soil nitrogen pool and atmospheric nitrogen deposition were the main sources for TN exported from the garden plot, forest and residential land, respectively. However, they were the main sources for TN exported both from the upland and paddy field. These results revealed that NPS pollution controlling rules should focus on the spatio-temporal distribution of NPS pollution sources.

Industrial water pollution, water environment treatment, and health risks in China.

PubMed

Wang, Qing; Yang, Zhiming

2016-11-01

The negative health effects of water pollution remain a major source of morbidity and mortality in China. The Chinese government is making great efforts to strengthen water environment treatment; however, no studies have evaluated the effects of water treatment on human health by water pollution in China. This study evaluated the association between water pollution and health outcomes, and determined the extent to which environmental regulations on water pollution may lead to health benefits. Data were extracted from the 2011 and 2013 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Random effects model and random effects Logit model were applied to study the relationship between health and water pollution, while a Mediator model was used to estimate the effects of environmental water treatment on health outcomes by the intensity of water pollution. Unsurprisingly, water pollution was negatively associated with health outcomes, and the common pollutants in industrial wastewater had differential impacts on health outcomes. The effects were stronger for low-income respondents. Water environment treatment led to improved health outcomes among Chinese people. Reduced water pollution mediated the associations between water environment treatment and health outcomes. The results of this study offer compelling evidence to support treatment of water pollution in China. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of groundwater quality in the Al- Burayhi and Hedran sub-basin, Taiz, Yemen - A GIS approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naser, Ramzy; El Bakkali, Mohammed; Darwesh, Nabil; El Kharrim, Khadija; Belghyti, Driss

2018-05-01

In many parts of the world, groundwater sources are the single most important supply for the production of drinking water, particularly in areas with limited or polluted surface water sources. Fresh water has become a scarce commodity due to over exploitation and pollution of water. Many countries and international organizations, including Wolrd Health Organization, are seeking to promote people's access to safe drinking water. The situation in Yemen is no exception. Although we rely on groundwater significantly in our lives and our survival, we do not manage it in a way that ensures its sustainability and maintenance of pollution. The objective of this study is to determine the suitability of the groundwater in Al Burayhi and Hedran sub-basin (one of the sub-basins of the Upper Valley Rasyan) as a source of drinking water in the shade of the expected deterioration due to natural processes (water interaction with rocks, semi-dry climate) and human activities.

Potential sources of bacteriological pollution for two bays with marinas in Trinidad.

PubMed

Bullock, Christine Ann; Moonesar, Indar

2005-05-01

Welcome Bay and Chaguaramas Bay in the northwest peninsula of Trinidad contain large marinas and smaller sections of bathing beaches. Bacteriological surveys were conducted at both bays to assess water quality and to determine potential sources of pollution. These surveys were conducted during the wet season of 1996 and the dry season of 1997. Eleven sample stations were established at Welcome Bay and 12 at Chaguaramas Bay. Freshwater samples were collected from rivers and drains within the survey area. Marine water samples were collected from marinas, bathing beaches and inshore and outer areas at both bays. Five water samples were collected from each sampling station during the wet season of 1996 and six during the dry season of 1997. The membrane filter technique was used to determine faecal coliform and Escherichia coli levels in all samples. There was a seasonal effect on water quality, with significantly higher faecal coliform levels in the wet season, when water quality was not in compliance with international standards. This represents a potential health risk in bathing areas. Water quality was better at the outer area of both bays. Water quality at the inner bay areas was most likely adversely affected by land-based sources of pollution identified in this study. These sources include three drains and two rivers, which discharged into the bays. Yachts were apparently not a source of sewage pollution: there was no significant relationship between yacht number and faecal coliform levels.

Hydrological, water-quality, and ecological data for streams in Independence, Missouri, June 2005 through September 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Niesen, Shelley L.; Christensen, Eric D.

2015-01-01

Water-quality, hydrological, and ecological data collected from June 2005 through September 2013 from the Little Blue River and smaller streams within the City of Independence, Missouri, are presented in this report. These data were collected as a part of an ongoing cooperative study between the U.S. Geological Survey and the City of Independence Water Pollution Control Department to characterize the water quality and ecological condition of Independence streams. The quantities, sources of selected constituents, and processes affecting water quality and aquatic life were evaluated to determine the resulting ecological condition of streams within Independence. Data collected for this study fulfill the municipal separate sewer system permit requirements for the City of Independence and can be used to provide a baseline with which city managers can determine the effectiveness of current (2014) and future best management practices within Independence. Continuous streamflow and water-quality data, collected during base flow and stormflow, included physical and chemical properties, inorganic constituents, common organic micro-constituents, pesticides in streambed sediment and surface water, fecal indicator bacteria and microbial source tracking data, and suspended sediment. Dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductance, water temperature, and turbidity data were measured continuously at seven sites within Independence. Base-flow and stormflow samples were collected at eight gaged and two ungaged sites. Fecal sources samples were collected for reference for microbial source tracking, and sewage influent samples were collected as additional source samples. Dry-weather screening was done on 11 basins within Independence to identify potential contaminant sources to the streams. Benthic macroinvertebrate community surveys and habitat assessments were done on 10 stream sites and 2 comparison sites outside the city. Sampling and laboratory procedures and quality-assurance and quality-control methods used in data collection for this study are described in this report.

Nitrogen Removal Characteristics of a Newly Isolated Indigenous Aerobic Denitrifier from Oligotrophic Drinking Water Reservoir, Zoogloea sp. N299

PubMed Central

Huang, Ting-Lin; Zhou, Shi-Lei; Zhang, Hai-Han; Bai, Shi-Yuan; He, Xiu-Xiu; Yang, Xiao

2015-01-01

Nitrogen is considered to be one of the most widespread pollutants leading to eutrophication of freshwater ecosystems, especially in drinking water reservoirs. In this study, an oligotrophic aerobic denitrifier was isolated from drinking water reservoir sediment. Nitrogen removal performance was explored. The strain was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis as Zoogloea sp. N299. This species exhibits a periplasmic nitrate reductase gene (napA). Its specific growth rate was 0.22 h−1. Obvious denitrification and perfect nitrogen removal performances occurred when cultured in nitrate and nitrite mediums, at rates of 75.53% ± 1.69% and 58.65% ± 0.61%, respectively. The ammonia removal rate reached 44.12% ± 1.61% in ammonia medium. Zoogloea sp. N299 was inoculated into sterilized and unsterilized reservoir source waters with a dissolved oxygen level of 5–9 mg/L, pH 8–9, and C/N 1.14:1. The total nitrogen removal rate reached 46.41% ± 3.17% (sterilized) and 44.88% ± 4.31% (unsterilized). The cell optical density suggested the strain could survive in oligotrophic drinking water reservoir water conditions and perform nitrogen removal. Sodium acetate was the most favorable carbon source for nitrogen removal by strain N299 (p < 0.05). High C/N was beneficial for nitrate reduction (p < 0.05). The nitrate removal efficiencies showed no significant differences among the tested inoculums dosage (p > 0.05). Furthermore, strain N299 could efficiently remove nitrate at neutral and slightly alkaline and low temperature conditions. These results, therefore, demonstrate that Zoogloea sp. N299 has high removal characteristics, and can be used as a nitrogen removal microbial inoculum with simultaneous aerobic nitrification and denitrification in a micro-polluted reservoir water ecosystem. PMID:25946341

[Runoff Pollution Experiments of Paddy Fields Under Different Irrigation Patterns].

PubMed

Zhou, Jing-wen; Su, Bao-lin; Huang, Ning-bo; Guan, Yu-tang; Zhao, Kun

2016-03-15

To study runoff and non-point source pollution of paddy fields and to provide a scientific basis for agricultural water management of paddy fields, paddy plots in the Jintan City and the Liyang City were chosen for experiments on non-point source pollution, and flood irrigation and intermittent irrigation patterns were adopted in this research. The surface water level and rainfall were observed during the growing season of paddies, and the runoff amount from paddy plots and loads of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were calculated by different methods. The results showed that only five rain events of totally 27 rainfalls and one artificially drainage formed non-point source pollution from flood irrigated paddy plot, which resulted in a TN export coefficient of 49.4 kg · hm⁻² and a TP export coefficient of 1.0 kg · hm⁻². No any runoff event occurred from the paddy plot with intermittent irrigation even in the case of maximum rainfall of 95.1 mm. Runoff from paddy fields was affected by water demands of paddies and irrigation or drainage management, which was directly correlated to surface water level, rainfall amount and the lowest ridge height of outlets. Compared with the flood irrigation, intermittent irrigation could significantly reduce non-point source pollution caused by rainfall or artificial drainage.

Distributed source pollutant transport module based on BTOPMC: a case study of the Laixi River basin in the Sichuan province of southwest China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hongbo; Ao, Tianqi; Gusyev, Maksym; Ishidaira, Hiroshi; Magome, Jun; Takeuchi, Kuniyoshi

2018-06-01

Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in Chinese river catchments are contributed by agricultural non-point and industrial point sources causing deterioration of river water quality and degradation of ecosystem functioning for a long distance downstream. To evaluate these impacts, a distributed pollutant transport module was developed on the basis of BTOPMC (Block-Wise Use of TOPMODEL with Muskingum-Cunge Method), a grid-based distributed hydrological model, using the water flow routing process of BTOPMC as the carrier of pollutant transport due a direct runoff. The pollutant flux at each grid is simulated based on mass balance of pollutants within the grid and surface water transport of these pollutants occurs between grids in the direction of the water flow on daily time steps. The model was tested in the study area of the Lu county area situated in the Laixi River basin in the Sichuan province of southwest China. The simulated concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus are compared with the available monthly data at several water quality stations. These results demonstrate a greater pollutant concentration in the beginning of high flow period indicating the main mechanism of pollution transport. From these preliminary results, we suggest that the distributed pollutant transport model can reflect the characteristics of the pollutant transport and reach the expected target.

Eutrophication assessment and management methodology of multiple pollution sources of a landscape lake in North China.

PubMed

Chen, Yanxi; Niu, Zhiguang; Zhang, Hongwei

2013-06-01

Landscape lakes in the city suffer high eutrophication risk because of their special characters and functions in the water circulation system. Using a landscape lake HMLA located in Tianjin City, North China, with a mixture of point source (PS) pollution and non-point source (NPS) pollution, we explored the methodology of Fluent and AQUATOX to simulate and predict the state of HMLA, and trophic index was used to assess the eutrophication state. Then, we use water compensation optimization and three scenarios to determine the optimal management methodology. Three scenarios include ecological restoration scenario, best management practices (BMPs) scenario, and a scenario combining both. Our results suggest that the maintenance of a healthy ecosystem with ecoremediation is necessary and the BMPs have a far-reaching effect on water reusing and NPS pollution control. This study has implications for eutrophication control and management under development for urbanization in China.

Distribution, origin, and transformation of metal and metalloid pollution in vegetable fields, irrigation water, and aerosols near a Pb-Zn mine.

PubMed

Luo, Liqiang; Chu, Binbin; Liu, Ying; Wang, Xiaofang; Xu, Tao; Bo, Ying

2014-01-01

Pollution of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in vegetable fields was investigated near a Pb-Zn mine that has been exploited for over 50 years without a tailing reservoir. A total of 205 water, soil, and aerosol samples were taken and quantified by combined chemical, spectrometric, and mineral analytical methods. The pollution origins were identified by Pb isotopes and the pathways of transformation and transport of the elements and minerals was studied. The data showed that the vegetable fields were seriously polluted by As, Cd, and Pb. Some concentrations in the samples were beyond the regulatory levels and not suitable for agricultural activities. This study revealed that: (1) particulate matter is a major pollution source and an important carrier of mineral particles and pollutants; (2) the elements from the polluted water and soils were strongly correlated with each other; (3) Pb isotope ratios from the samples show that Pb minerals were the major pollution sources in the nearby vegetable fields, and the aerosols were the main carrier of mining pollution; (4) the alkaline, rich-carbonate, and wet conditions in this area promoted the weathering and transformation of galena into the secondary minerals, anglesite and cerussite, which are significant evidence of such processes; (5) the soil and the aerosols are a recycled secondary pollution source for each other when being re-suspended with wind.Highlights• Mining activities generated heavy metal pollution in fields around a Pb-Zn mine• The elements from water and soils are strongly correlated• Anglesite and cerussite are evidence of galena transformation into secondary minerals• Particulate matter is an important transport carrier of pollution.

Impact of compost process conditions on organic micro pollutant degradation during full scale composting.

PubMed

Sadef, Yumna; Poulsen, Tjalfe Gorm; Bester, Kai

2015-06-01

Knowledge about the effects of oxygen concentration, nutrient availability and moisture content on removal of organic micro-pollutants during aerobic composting is at present very limited. Impact of oxygen concentration, readily available nitrogen content (NH4(+), NO3(-)), and moisture content on biological transformation of 15 key organic micro-pollutants during composting, was therefore investigated using bench-scale degradation experiments based on non-sterile compost samples, collected at full-scale composting facilities. In addition, the adequacy of bench-scale composting experiments for representing full-scale composting conditions, was investigated using micro-pollutant concentration measurements from both bench- and full-scale composting experiments. Results showed that lack of oxygen generally prevented transformation of organic micro-pollutants. Increasing readily available nitrogen content from about 50 mg N per 100 g compost to about 140 mg N per 100 g compost actually reduced micro-pollutant transformation, while changes in compost moisture content from 50% to 20% by weight, only had minor influence on micro-pollutant transformation. First-order micro-pollutant degradation rates for 13 organic micro-pollutants were calculated using data from both full- and bench-scale experiments. First-order degradation coefficients for both types of experiments were similar and ranged from 0.02 to 0.03 d(-1) on average, indicating that if a proper sampling strategy is employed, bench-scale experiments can be used to represent full-scale composting conditions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

EPA Office of Water (OW): Impaired Waters with TMDLs NHDPlus Indexed Dataset

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Tracking System contains information on waters that are Not Supporting their designated uses. These waters are listed by the state as impaired under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. The status of TMDLs are also tracked. TMDLs are pollution control measures that reduce the discharge of pollutants into impaired waters. A TMDL or Total Maximum Daily Load is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards, and an allocation of that amount to the pollutant's sources. What is a total maximum daily load (TMDL)? Water quality standards are set by States, Territories, and Tribes. They identify the uses for each waterbody, for example, drinking water supply, contact recreation (swimming), and aquatic life support (fishing), and the scientific criteria to support that use. A TMDL is the sum of the allowable loads of a single pollutant from all contributing point and nonpoint sources. The calculation must include a margin of safety to ensure that the waterbody can be used for the purposes the state has designated. The calculation must also account for seasonal variation in water quality. The Clean Water Act, section 303, establishes the water quality standards and TMDL programs.

EVALUATION OF HOST SPECIFIC PCR-BASED METHODS FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF FECAL POLLUTION

EPA Science Inventory

Microbial Source Tracking (MST) is an approach to determine the origin of fecal pollution impacting a body of water. MST is based on the assumption that, given the appropriate method and indicator, the source of microbial pollution can be identified. One of the key elements of...

Tracing organic and inorganic pollution sources of agricultural crops and water resources in Güzelhisar Basin of the Aegean Region - Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czarnecki, Sezin; Colak Esetlili, Bihter; Esetlili, Tolga; Tepecik, Mahmut; Anac, Dilek; Düring, Rolf-Alexander

2014-05-01

The study area Güzelhisar Basin is 6 km far from the city Aliaga, Aegean Region in Turkey which represents a rather industrialized area having five large iron and steel factories, but also areas of agriculture. Steel industry in Aliaga is causing metal pollution. Around Güzelhisar Basin and nearby, the dominant crop fields are cotton, maize, vegetables, olive trees and vineyards. Güzelhisar stream and dam water is used for irrigation of the agricultural land. Due to contamination from metal industry in Aliaga, organic farming is not allowed in this region. Industrial activities in the region present a threat on sustainable agriculture. The region is a multi-impacted area in terms of several pollutant sources affecting soil and water quality. The overall objective of the project is to trace back plant nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and B), hazardous substances (i. e. persistent organic pollutants), radionuclides (40K, 232Th, 226Ra/238U), and metal contents (As, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) by examining the soils, agricultural crops and natural plants from Güzelhisar Basin and water and sediments from Güzelhisar stream and dam. Spatial distribution of pollution will be evaluated by regionalization methods. For this, an advanced analytical methodology will be applied which provides an understanding of sources and occurrence of the respective substances of concern. An innovative multi-tracer approach comprising organic and inorganic marker substances, will identify and quantitatively assess sources and their impact on water pollution and the pollutant pathways in this agricultural crop production system.

Microplastics in sediments of the Changjiang Estuary, China.

PubMed

Peng, Guyu; Zhu, Bangshang; Yang, Dongqi; Su, Lei; Shi, Huahong; Li, Daoji

2017-06-01

Microplastics are plastics that measure less than 5 mm in diameter. They enter the marine environment as primary sources directly from industrial uses, as well as secondary sources resulting from the degradation of large plastic debris. To improve the knowledge of microplastic pollution in China, we investigated samples from 53 estuarine sediment locations collected with a box corer within the Changjiang Estuary. Microplastics (<5 mm) were extracted from sediments by density separation, after which they were observed under a microscope and categorized according to shape, color and size. Identification was carried out using Micro-Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (μ-FT-IR). The abundance of microplastics in the Changjiang Estuary was mapped. The mean concentration was 121 ± 9 items per kg of dry weight, varying from 20 to 340 items per kg of dry weight. It was found that the concentration of microplastics was the highest on the southeast coast of Shanghai. The distribution pattern of microplastics may be affected by the Changjiang diluted water in summer. All of the microplastics collected were categorized according to shape, color and size. Among which fiber (93%), transparent (42%) and small microplastics (<1 mm) (58%) were the most abundant types. No clear correlation between microplastics and the finer sediment fraction was found. Rayon, polyester, and acrylic were the most abundant types of microplastics identified, indicating that the main source of microplastics in the Changjiang Estuary was from washing clothes (the primary source). It is possible to compare microplastic abundance in this study with the results of other related studies using the same quantification method. The identification of microplastics raises the awareness of microplastic pollution from drainage systems. The prevalence of microplastic pollution calls for monitoring microplastics at a national scale on a regular basis. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Quantitative microbial faecal source tracking with sampling guided by hydrological catchment dynamics.

PubMed

Reischer, G H; Haider, J M; Sommer, R; Stadler, H; Keiblinger, K M; Hornek, R; Zerobin, W; Mach, R L; Farnleitner, A H

2008-10-01

The impairment of water quality by faecal pollution is a global public health concern. Microbial source tracking methods help to identify faecal sources but the few recent quantitative microbial source tracking applications disregarded catchment hydrology and pollution dynamics. This quantitative microbial source tracking study, conducted in a large karstic spring catchment potentially influenced by humans and ruminant animals, was based on a tiered sampling approach: a 31-month water quality monitoring (Monitoring) covering seasonal hydrological dynamics and an investigation of flood events (Events) as periods of the strongest pollution. The detection of a ruminant-specific and a human-specific faecal Bacteroidetes marker by quantitative real-time PCR was complemented by standard microbiological and on-line hydrological parameters. Both quantitative microbial source tracking markers were detected in spring water during Monitoring and Events, with preponderance of the ruminant-specific marker. Applying multiparametric analysis of all data allowed linking the ruminant-specific marker to general faecal pollution indicators, especially during Events. Up to 80% of the variation of faecal indicator levels during Events could be explained by ruminant-specific marker levels proving the dominance of ruminant faecal sources in the catchment. Furthermore, soil was ruled out as a source of quantitative microbial source tracking markers. This study demonstrates the applicability of quantitative microbial source tracking methods and highlights the prerequisite of considering hydrological catchment dynamics in source tracking study design.

Large accumulation of micro-sized synthetic polymer particles in the sea surface microlayer.

PubMed

Song, Young Kyoung; Hong, Sang Hee; Jang, Mi; Kang, Jung-Hoon; Kwon, Oh Youn; Han, Gi Myung; Shim, Won Joon

2014-08-19

Determining the exact abundance of microplastics on the sea surface can be susceptible to the sampling method used. The sea surface microlayer (SML) can accumulate light plastic particles, but this has not yet been sampled. The abundance of microplastics in the SML was evaluated off the southern coast of Korea. The SML sampling method was then compared to bulk surface water filtering, a hand net (50 μm mesh), and a Manta trawl net (330 μm mesh). The mean abundances were in the order of SML water > hand net > bulk water > Manta trawl net. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) identified that alkyds and poly(acrylate/styrene) accounted for 81 and 11%, respectively, of the total polymer content of the SML samples. These polymers originated from paints and the fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) matrix used on ships. Synthetic polymers from ship coatings should be considered to be a source of microplastics. Selecting a suitable sampling method is crucial for evaluating microplastic pollution.

Salmonella pollution in ground and surface waters. (Latest citations from Pollution abstracts). Published Search

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1993-04-01

The bibliography contains citations concerning the contamination of ground waters and surface waters by Salmonella bacteria. Articles discuss the occurence, survival, origin, and control of these bacteria in water sources including rivers, reservoirs, swimming pools, wastewater, aquifers, and ground water. Citations also address the use of Salmonella populations as biological indicators of pollution in aquatic systems. (Contains a minimum of 102 citations and includes a subject term index and title list.)

Sources of heavy metal pollution in agricultural soils of a rapidly industrializing area in the Yangtze Delta of China.

PubMed

Xu, Xianghua; Zhao, Yongcun; Zhao, Xiaoyan; Wang, Yudong; Deng, Wenjing

2014-10-01

The rapid industrialization and urbanization in developing countries have increased pollution by heavy metals, which is a concern for human health and the environment. In this study, 230 surface soil samples (0-20cm) were collected from agricultural areas of Jiaxing, a rapidly industrializing area in the Yangtze Delta of China. Sequential Gaussian simulation (SGS) and multivariate factorial kriging analysis (FKA) were used to identify and explore the sources of heavy metal pollution for eight metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cd, Hg and As). Localized hot-spots of pollution were identified for Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Ni and Cd with area percentages of 0.48 percent, 0.58 percent, 2.84 percent, 2.41 percent, 0.74 percent, and 0.68 percent, respectively. The areas with Hg pollution covered approximately 38 percent whereas no potential pollution risk was found for As. The soil parent material and point sources of pollution had significant influences on Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn and Cd levels, except for the influence of agricultural management practices also accounted for micro-scale variations (nugget effect) for Cu and Zn pollution. Short-range (4km) diffusion processes had a significant influence on Cu levels, although they did not appear to be the dominant sources of Zn and Cd variation. The short-range diffusion pollution arising from current and historic industrial emissions and urbanization, and long-range (33km) variations in soil parent materials and/or diffusion jointly determined the current concentrations of soil Pb. The sources of Hg pollution risk may be attributed to the atmosphere deposition of industrial emission and historical use of Hg-containing pesticides. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Health impairments arising from drinking water polluted with domestic sewage and excreta in China.

PubMed

Ling, B

2000-01-01

Raw water of poor quality still causes many drinking-water associated health problems all over China, largely because of poor sanitation, inadequate disposal of sewage and excreta. Eutrophication due to excess of total nitrogen and phosphorous in some sources for drinking-water has led to massive proliferation of cyanobacteria. The dominant species of cyanophyta can produce microcystins, a potent liver cancer promotor. As in previous studies, high incidence of liver cancer coincided with high microcystin concentration in the source water, especially in pond water. A frequent consequence of heavy pollution of source water is further the high incidence of infectious intestinal diseases, which are more than 10-100 times as frequent in China than in developed countries.

Toolbox Approaches Using Molecular Markers and 16S rRNA Gene Amplicon Data Sets for Identification of Fecal Pollution in Surface Water.

PubMed

Ahmed, W; Staley, C; Sadowsky, M J; Gyawali, P; Sidhu, J P S; Palmer, A; Beale, D J; Toze, S

2015-10-01

In this study, host-associated molecular markers and bacterial 16S rRNA gene community analysis using high-throughput sequencing were used to identify the sources of fecal pollution in environmental waters in Brisbane, Australia. A total of 92 fecal and composite wastewater samples were collected from different host groups (cat, cattle, dog, horse, human, and kangaroo), and 18 water samples were collected from six sites (BR1 to BR6) along the Brisbane River in Queensland, Australia. Bacterial communities in the fecal, wastewater, and river water samples were sequenced. Water samples were also tested for the presence of bird-associated (GFD), cattle-associated (CowM3), horse-associated, and human-associated (HF183) molecular markers, to provide multiple lines of evidence regarding the possible presence of fecal pollution associated with specific hosts. Among the 18 water samples tested, 83%, 33%, 17%, and 17% were real-time PCR positive for the GFD, HF183, CowM3, and horse markers, respectively. Among the potential sources of fecal pollution in water samples from the river, DNA sequencing tended to show relatively small contributions from wastewater treatment plants (up to 13% of sequence reads). Contributions from other animal sources were rarely detected and were very small (<3% of sequence reads). Source contributions determined via sequence analysis versus detection of molecular markers showed variable agreement. A lack of relationships among fecal indicator bacteria, host-associated molecular markers, and 16S rRNA gene community analysis data was also observed. Nonetheless, we show that bacterial community and host-associated molecular marker analyses can be combined to identify potential sources of fecal pollution in an urban river. This study is a proof of concept, and based on the results, we recommend using bacterial community analysis (where possible) along with PCR detection or quantification of host-associated molecular markers to provide information on the sources of fecal pollution in waterways. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Storm water runoff for the Y-12 Plant and selected parking lots

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Collins, E.T.

1996-01-01

A comparison of storm water runoff from the Y-12 Plant and selected employee vehicle parking lots to various industry data is provided in this document. This work is an outgrowth of and part of the continuing Non-Point Source Pollution Elimination Project that was initiated in the late 1980s. This project seeks to identify area pollution sources and remediate these areas through the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act/Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (RCRA/CERCLA) process as managed by the Environmental Restoration Organization staff. This work is also driven by the Clean Water Act Section 402(p) which, in part, deals withmore » establishing a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for storm water discharges. Storm water data from events occurring in 1988 through 1991 were analyzed in two reports: Feasibility Study for the Best Management Practices to Control Area Source Pollution Derived from Parking Lots at the DOE Y-12 Plant, September 1992, and Feasibility Study of Best Management Practices for Non-Point Source Pollution Control at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, February 1993. These data consisted of analysis of outfalls discharging to upper East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) within the confines of the Y-12 Plant (see Appendixes D and E). These reports identified the major characteristics of concern as copper, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nitrate (as nitrogen), zinc, biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), fecal coliform, and aluminum. Specific sources of these contaminants were not identifiable because flows upstream of outfalls were not sampled. In general, many of these contaminants were a concern in many outfalls. Therefore, separate sampling exercises were executed to assist in identifying (or eliminating) specific suspected sources as areas of concern.« less

Application of enteric viruses for fecal pollution source tracking in environmental waters

EPA Science Inventory

Microbial source tracking (MST) tools are used to identify sources of fecal pollution for accurately assessing public health risk and implementing best management practices (BMPs). This review focuses on the potential of enteric viruses for MST applications. Following host infect...

From Extended Nanofluidics to an Autonomous Solar-Light-Driven Micro Fuel-Cell Device.

PubMed

Pihosh, Yuriy; Uemura, Jin; Turkevych, Ivan; Mawatari, Kazuma; Kazoe, Yutaka; Smirnova, Adelina; Kitamori, Takehiko

2017-07-03

Autonomous micro/nano mechanical, chemical, and biomedical sensors require persistent power sources scaled to their size. Realization of autonomous micro-power sources is a challenging task, as it requires combination of wireless energy supply, conversion, storage, and delivery to the sensor. Herein, we realized a solar-light-driven power source that consists of a micro fuel cell (μFC) and a photocatalytic micro fuel generator (μFG) integrated on a single microfluidic chip. The μFG produces hydrogen by photocatalytic water splitting under solar light. The hydrogen fuel is then consumed by the μFC to generate electricity. Importantly, the by-product water returns back to the photocatalytic μFG via recirculation loop without losses. Both devices rely on novel phenomena in extended-nano-fluidic channels that ensure ultra-fast proton transport. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate that μFG/μFC source achieves remarkable energy density of ca. 17.2 mWh cm -2 at room temperature. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Nonpoint Source Monitoring

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Water quality monitoring for nonpoint sources of pollution includes the important element of relating the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of receiving waters to land use characteristics.

NutrientNet: An Internet-Based Approach to Teaching Market-Based Policy for Environmental Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, To N.; Woodward, Richard T.

2009-01-01

NutrientNet is an Internet-based environment in which a class can simulate a market-based approach for improving water quality. In NutrientNet, each student receives a role as either a point source or a nonpoint source polluter, and then the participants are allowed to trade water quality credits to cost-effectively reduce pollution in a…

Development of a methodology examining the behaviours of VOCs source apportionment with micro-meteorology analysis in an urban and industrial area.

PubMed

Xiang, Yang; Delbarre, Hervé; Sauvage, Stéphane; Léonardis, Thierry; Fourmentin, Marc; Augustin, Patrick; Locoge, Nadine

2012-03-01

During summer 2009, online measurements of 25 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from C6 to C10 as well as micro-meteorological parameters were simultaneously performed in the industrial city of Dunkerque. With the obtained data set, we developed a methodology to examine how the contributions of different source categories depend on atmospheric turbulences, and the results provided identification of emission modes. Eight factors were resolved by using Positive Matrix Factorization model and three of them were associated with mixed sources. The observed behaviours of contributions with turbulences lead to attribute some factors with sources at ground level, and some other factors with sources in the upper part of surface layer. The impact of vertical turbulence on the pollutant dispersion is also affected by the distance between sources and receptor site. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water Pollution: Monitoring the Source.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkes, James W.

1980-01-01

Described is an advanced biology class project involving study of the effects of organic pollution on an aquatic ecosystem from an sewage treatment plant overflow to evaluate the chemical quality and biological activity of the river water. (DS)

Recruitment and Employment of the Water Pollution Control Specialist.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherrard, J. H.; Sherrard, F. A.

1979-01-01

Presented are the basic principles of personnel recruitment and employment for the water pollution control field. Attention is given to determination of staffing requirements, effective planning, labor sources, affirmative action, and staffing policies. (CS)

Contrasting Eutrophication Risks and Countermeasures in Different Water Bodies: Assessments to Support Targeted Watershed Management.

PubMed

Li, Tong; Chu, Chunli; Zhang, Yinan; Ju, Meiting; Wang, Yuqiu

2017-06-29

Eutrophication is a major problem in China. To combat this issue, the country needs to establish water quality targets, monitoring systems, and intelligent watershed management. This study explores a new watershed management method. Water quality is first assessed using a single factor index method. Then, changes in total nitrogen/total phosphorus (TN/TP) are analyzed to determine the limiting factor. Next, the study compares the eutrophication status of two water function districts, using a comprehensive nutritional state index method and geographic information system (GIS) visualization. Finally, nutrient sources are qualitatively analyzed. Two functional water areas in Tianjin, China were selected and analyzed: Qilihai National Wetland Nature Reserve and Yuqiao Reservoir. The reservoir is a drinking water source. Results indicate that total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) pollution are the main factors driving eutrophication in the Qilihai Wetland and Yuqiao Reservoir. Phosphorus was the limiting factor in the Yuqiao Reservoir; nitrogen was the limiting factor in the Qilihai Wetland. Pollution in Qilihai Wetland is more serious than in Yuqiao Reservoir. The study found that external sources are the main source of pollution. These two functional water areas are vital for Tianjin; as such, the study proposes targeted management measures.

40 CFR 463.24 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... usage flow rate for cleaning processes at a new source times the following pollutant concentrations: Subpart B [Cleaning water] Concentration used to calculate NSPS Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day (mg/l) Maximum for monthly average (mg/l) BOD5 49 22 Oil and Grease 71 17 TSS 117 36 pH...

40 CFR 463.24 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... usage flow rate for cleaning processes at a new source times the following pollutant concentrations: Subpart B [Cleaning water] Concentration used to calculate NSPS Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day (mg/l) Maximum for monthly average (mg/l) BOD5 49 22 Oil and Grease 71 17 TSS 117 36 pH...

Granular activated carbon adsorption of organic micro-pollutants in drinking water and treated wastewater--Aligning breakthrough curves and capacities.

PubMed

Zietzschmann, Frederik; Stützer, Christian; Jekel, Martin

2016-04-01

Small-scale granular activated carbon (GAC) tests for the adsorption of organic micro-pollutants (OMP) were conducted with drinking water and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent. In both waters, three influent OMP concentration levels were tested. As long as the influent OMP concentrations are below certain thresholds, the relative breakthrough behavior is not impacted in the respective water. Accordingly, the GAC capacity for OMP is directly proportional to the influent OMP concentration in the corresponding water. The differences between the OMP breakthrough curves in drinking water and WWTP effluent can be attributed to the concentrations of the low molecular weight acid and neutral (LMW) organics of the waters. Presenting the relative OMP concentrations (c/c0) over the specific throughput of the LMW organics (mg LMW organics/g GAC), the OMP breakthrough curves in drinking water and WWTP effluent superimpose each other. This superimposition can be further increased if the UV absorbance at 254 nm (UV254) of the LMW organics is considered. In contrast, using the specific throughput of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) did not suffice to obtain superimposed breakthrough curves. Thus, the LMW organics are the major water constituent impacting OMP adsorption onto GAC. The results demonstrate that knowing the influent OMP and LMW organics concentrations (and UV254) of different waters, the OMP breakthroughs and GAC capacities corresponding to any water can be applied to all other waters. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The '333' integrated strategy for effective pollution control and its application to the heavily polluted Jialu River in north China.

PubMed

Huang, Yu; Sun, Jie; Li, Aimin; Xie, Xianchuan

2018-05-01

In this study, an integrated approach named the '333' strategy was applied to pollution control in the Jialu River, in northern China, which is heavily burdened with anthropogenic pollution. Due to a deficiency of the natural ecological inflow, the Jialu River receives predominantly industrial and municipal effluent. The '333' strategy is composed of three steps of pollution control including industrial point-source pollution control, advanced treatment of municipal wastewater, and ecological restoration; three increased stringency emission standards; and three stages of reclamation. Phase 1 of the '333' strategy focuses on industrial point-source pollution control; phase 2 aims to harness municipal wastewater and minimize sewage effluents using novel techniques for advanced water purification; phase 3 of the '333' strategy focuses on the further purification of effluents flowing into Jialu River with the employment of an engineering-based ecological restoration project. The application of the '333' strategy resulted in the development of novel techniques for water purification including modified magnetic resins (NDMP resin), a two-stage internal circulation anaerobic reactor (IC reactor) and an ecological restoration system. The results indicate that water quality in the river was significantly improved, with increased concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO), as well as reduction of COD by 42.8% and NH 3 -N by 61.4%. In addition, it was observed that the total population of phytoplankton in treated river water notably increased from only one prior to restoration to 8 following restoration. This system also provides a tool for pollution control of other similar industrial and anthropogenic source polluted rivers.

SOURCE ASSESSMENT: PRIORITIZATION OF STATIONARY WATER POLLUTION SOURCES

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives priority lists to aid in selecting specific sources of water effluents for detailed assessment. It describes the general water prioritization model, explains its implementation, and gives a detailed example of its use. It describes hazard factors that were develo...

Detection of human and animal sources of pollution by microbial and chemical methods

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A multi-indicator approach comprising Enterococcus, bacterial source tracking (BST), and sterol analysis was tested for pollution source identification. Fecal contamination was detected in 100% of surface water sites tested. Enterococcus faecium was the dominant species in aged litter samples from p...

A Spatial and Temporal Assessment of Non-Point Groundwater Pollution Sources, Tutuila Island, American Samoa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shuler, C. K.; El-Kadi, A. I.; Dulaiova, H.; Glenn, C. R.; Fackrell, J.

2015-12-01

The quality of municipal groundwater supplies on Tutuila, the main island in American Samoa, is currently in question. A high vulnerability for contamination from surface activities has been recognized, and there exists a strong need to clearly identify anthropogenic sources of pollution and quantify their influence on the aquifer. This study examines spatial relationships and time series measurements of nutrients and other tracers to identify predominant pollution sources and determine the water quality impacts of the island's diverse land uses. Elevated groundwater nitrate concentrations are correlated with areas of human development, however, the mixture of residential and agricultural land use in this unique village based agrarian setting makes specific source identification difficult using traditional geospatial analysis. Spatial variation in anthropogenic impact was assessed by linking NO3- concentrations and δ15N(NO3) from an extensive groundwater survey to land-use types within well capture zones and groundwater flow-paths developed with MODFLOW, a numerical groundwater model. Land use types were obtained from high-resolution GIS data and compared to water quality results with multiple-regression analysis to quantify the impact that different land uses have on water quality. In addition, historical water quality data and new analyses of δD and δ18O in precipitation, groundwater, and mountain-front recharge waters were used to constrain the sources and mechanisms of contamination. Our analyses indicate that groundwater nutrient levels on Tutuila are controlled primarily by residential, not agricultural activity. Also a lack of temporal variation suggests that episodic pollution events are limited to individual water sources as opposed to the entire aquifer. These results are not only valuable for water quality management on Tutuila, but also provide insight into the sustainability of groundwater supplies on other islands with similar hydrogeology and land use history.

Seasonal variation of nitrogen-concentration in the surface water and its relationship with land use in a catchment of northern China.

PubMed

Chen, Li-ding; Peng, Hong-jia; Fu, Bo-Jie; Qiu, Jun; Zhang, Shu-rong

2005-01-01

Surface waters can be contaminated by human activities in two ways: (1) by point sources, such as sewage treatment discharge and storm-water runoff; and (2) by non-point sources, such as runoff from urban and agricultural areas. With point-source pollution effectively controlled, non-point source pollution has become the most important environmental concern in the world. The formation of non-point source pollution is related to both the sources such as soil nutrient, the amount of fertilizer and pesticide applied, the amount of refuse, and the spatial complex combination of land uses within a heterogeneous landscape. Land-use change, dominated by human activities, has a significant impact on water resources and quality. In this study, fifteen surface water monitoring points in the Yuqiao Reservoir Basin, Zunhua, Hebei Province, northern China, were chosen to study the seasonal variation of nitrogen concentration in the surface water. Water samples were collected in low-flow period (June), high-flow period (July) and mean-flow period (October) from 1999 to 2000. The results indicated that the seasonal variation of nitrogen concentration in the surface water among the fifteen monitoring points in the rainfall-rich year is more complex than that in the rainfall-deficit year. It was found that the land use, the characteristics of the surface river system, rainfall, and human activities play an important role in the seasonal variation of N-concentration in surface water.

Characterization of sources and loadings of fecal pollutants using microbial source tracking assays in urban and rural areas of the Grand River Watershed, Southwestern Ontario.

PubMed

Lee, Dae-Young; Lee, Hung; Trevors, Jack T; Weir, Susan C; Thomas, Janis L; Habash, Marc

2014-04-15

Sources of fecal water pollution were assessed in the Grand River and two of its tributaries (Ontario, Canada) using total and host-specific (human and bovine) Bacteroidales genetic markers in conjunction with reference information, such as land use and weather. In-stream levels of the markers and culturable Escherichia coli were also monitored during multiple rain events to gain information on fecal loadings to catchment from diffuse sources. Elevated human-specific marker levels were accurately identified in river water impacted by a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent and at a downstream site in the Grand River. In contrast, the bovine-specific marker showed high levels of cattle fecal pollution in two tributaries, both of which are characterized as intensely farmed areas. The bovine-specific Bacteroidales marker increased with rainfall in the agricultural tributaries, indicating enhanced loading of cattle-derived fecal pollutants to river from non-point sources following rain events. However, rain-triggered fecal loading was not substantiated in urban settings, indicating continuous inputs of human-originated fecal pollutants from point sources, such as WWTP effluent. This study demonstrated that the Bacteroidales source tracking assays, in combination with land use information and hydrological data, may provide additional insight into the spatial and temporal distribution of source-specific fecal contamination in streams impacted by varying land uses. Using the approach described in this study may help to characterize impacted water sources and to design targeted land use management plans in other watersheds in the future. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Method of Manufacturing Micro-Disperse Particles of Sodium Borohydride

DOEpatents

Kravitz, Stanley H.; Hecht, Andrew M.; Sylwester. Alan P.; Bell, Nelson S.

2008-09-23

A compact solid source of hydrogen gas, where the gas is generated by contacting water with micro-disperse particles of sodium borohydride in the presence of a catalyst, such as cobalt or ruthenium. The micro-disperse particles can have a substantially uniform diameter of 1-10 microns, and preferably about 3-5 microns. Ruthenium or cobalt catalytic nanoparticles can be incorporated in the micro-disperse particles of sodium borohydride, which allows a rapid and complete reaction to occur without the problems associated with caking and scaling of the surface by the reactant product sodium metaborate. A closed loop water management system can be used to recycle wastewater from a PEM fuel cell to supply water for reacting with the micro-disperse particles of sodium borohydride in a compact hydrogen gas generator. Capillary forces can wick water from a water reservoir into a packed bed of micro-disperse fuel particles, eliminating the need for using an active pump.

Health and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals pollution in an antimony mining region: a case study from South China.

PubMed

Fei, Jiang-Chi; Min, Xiao-Bo; Wang, Zhen-Xing; Pang, Zhi-Hua; Liang, Yan-Jie; Ke, Yong

2017-12-01

In recent years, international research on the toxicity of the heavy metal, antimony, has gradually changed focus from early medical and pharmacological toxicology to environmental toxicology and ecotoxicology. However, little research has been conducted for sources identification and risk management of heavy metals pollution by long-term antimony mining activities. In this study, a large number of investigations were conducted on the temporal and spatial distribution of antimony and related heavy metal contaminants (lead, zinc, and arsenic), as well as on the exposure risks for the population for the Yuxi river basin in the Hunan province, China. The scope of the investigations included mine water, waste rock, tailings, agricultural soil, surface water, river sediments, and groundwater sources of drinking water. Health and ecological risks from exposure to heavy metal pollution were evaluated. The main pollution sources of heavy metals in the Yuxi River basin were analyzed. Remediation programs and risk management strategies for heavy metal pollution were consequently proposed. This article provides a scientific basis for the risk assessment and management of heavy metal pollution caused by antimony basin ore mining.

[Watershed water environment pollution models and their applications: a review].

PubMed

Zhu, Yao; Liang, Zhi-Wei; Li, Wei; Yang, Yi; Yang, Mu-Yi; Mao, Wei; Xu, Han-Li; Wu, Wei-Xiang

2013-10-01

Watershed water environment pollution model is the important tool for studying watershed environmental problems. Through the quantitative description of the complicated pollution processes of whole watershed system and its parts, the model can identify the main sources and migration pathways of pollutants, estimate the pollutant loadings, and evaluate their impacts on water environment, providing a basis for watershed planning and management. This paper reviewed the watershed water environment models widely applied at home and abroad, with the focuses on the models of pollutants loading (GWLF and PLOAD), water quality of received water bodies (QUAL2E and WASP), and the watershed models integrated pollutant loadings and water quality (HSPF, SWAT, AGNPS, AnnAGNPS, and SWMM), and introduced the structures, principles, and main characteristics as well as the limitations in practical applications of these models. The other models of water quality (CE-QUAL-W2, EFDC, and AQUATOX) and watershed models (GLEAMS and MIKE SHE) were also briefly introduced. Through the case analysis on the applications of single model and integrated models, the development trend and application prospect of the watershed water environment pollution models were discussed.

Changing Regulations of COD Pollution Load of Weihe River Watershed above TongGuan Section, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Lei; Liu, WanQing

2018-02-01

TongGuan Section of Weihe River Watershed is a provincial section between Shaanxi Province and Henan Province, China. Weihe River Watershed above TongGuan Section is taken as the research objective in this paper and COD is chosen as the water quality parameter. According to the discharge characteristics of point source pollutions and non-point source pollutions, a method—characteristic section load (CSLD) method is suggested and point and non-point source pollution loads of Weihe River Watershed above TongGuan Section are calculated in the rainy, normal and dry season in 2013. The results show that the monthly point source pollution loads of Weihe River Watershed above TongGuan Section discharge stably and the monthly non-point source pollution loads of Weihe River Watershed above TongGuan Section change greatly and the non-point source pollution load proportions of total pollution load of COD decrease in the rainy, wet and normal period in turn.

Renewable Energy for the Next Generation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barton, Leslie

2005-01-01

Renewable energy is harnessed from natural and sustainable sources, like wind, sun and water. They offer a pollution-free, endless source of electricity that is crucial in the fight against climate change. Every unit of this "green" electricity directly replaces electricity normally generated from conventional polluting sources such as coal or…

Simulation and evaluation of pollution load reduction scenarios for water environmental management: a case study of inflow river of Taihu Lake, China.

PubMed

Zhang, Ruibin; Qian, Xin; Zhu, Wenting; Gao, Hailong; Hu, Wei; Wang, Jinhua

2014-09-09

In the beginning of the 21st century, the deterioration of water quality in Taihu Lake, China, has caused widespread concern. The primary source of pollution in Taihu Lake is river inflows. Effective pollution load reduction scenarios need to be implemented in these rivers in order to improve the water quality of Taihu Lake. It is important to select appropriate pollution load reduction scenarios for achieving particular goals. The aim of this study was to facilitate the selection of appropriate scenarios. The QUAL2K model for river water quality was used to simulate the effects of a range of pollution load reduction scenarios in the Wujin River, which is one of the major inflow rivers of Taihu Lake. The model was calibrated for the year 2010 and validated for the year 2011. Various pollution load reduction scenarios were assessed using an analytic hierarchy process, and increasing rates of evaluation indicators were predicted using the Delphi method. The results showed that control of pollution from the source is the optimal method for pollution prevention and control, and the method of "Treatment after Pollution" has bad environmental, social and ecological effects. The method applied in this study can assist for environmental managers to select suitable pollution load reduction scenarios for achieving various objectives.

Electrohydrodynamic behavior of water droplets on a horizontal super hydrophobic surface and its self-cleaning application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jian; Wei, Yuan; Huang, Zhengyong; Wang, Feipeng; Yan, Xinzhu; Wu, Zhuolin

2017-05-01

Moisture is a significant factor that affects the insulation performance of outdoor high-voltage insulators in power systems. Accumulation of water droplets on insulators causes severe problems such as flashover of insulators and power outage. In this study, we develop a method to fabricate a micro/nano hierarchical super hydrophobic surface. The as-prepared super hydrophobic surface exhibits a water contact angle (WCA) of 160.4 ± 2°, slide angle (SA) less than 1° and surface free energy (SFE) of 5.99 mJ/m2. We investigated the electrohydropdynamic behavior of water droplet on a horizontal super hydrophobic surface compared with hydrophobic RTV silicone rubber surface which was widely used as anti-pollution coating or shed material of composite insulator. Results show that water droplet tended to a self-propelled motion on the super hydrophobic surface while it tended to elongate and break up on the RTV surface. The micro/nano hierarchical surface structure and chemical components with low surface free energy of the super hydrophobic surface jointly contributed to the reduction of skin fraction drag and subsequently made it possible for the motion of water droplet driven by electric field. Furthermore, the self-propelled motion of water droplets could also sweep away contaminations along its moving trace, which provides super hydrophobic surface a promising anti-pollution prospect in power systems.

On multidisciplinary research on the application of remote sensing to water resources problems. [Wisconsin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clapp, J. L.

1973-01-01

Research objectives during 1972-73 were to: (1) Ascertain the extent to which special aerial photography can be operationally used in monitoring water pollution parameters. (2) Ascertain the effectiveness of remote sensing in the investigation of nearshore mixing and coastal entrapment in large water bodies. (3) Develop an explicit relationship of the extent of the mixing zone in terms of the outfall, effluent and water body characteristics. (4) Develop and demonstrate the use of the remote sensing method as an effective legal implement through which administrative agencies and courts can not only investigate possible pollution sources but also legally prove the source of water pollution. (5) Evaluate the field potential of remote sensing techniques in monitoring algal blooms and aquatic macrophytes, and the use of these as indicators of lake eutrophication level. (6) Develop a remote sensing technique for the determination of the location and extent of hydrologically active source areas in a watershed.

Point source pollution and variability of nitrate concentrations in water from shallow aquifers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nemčić-Jurec, Jasna; Jazbec, Anamarija

2017-06-01

Agriculture is one of the several major sources of nitrate pollution, and therefore the EU Nitrate Directive, designed to decrease pollution, has been implemented. Point sources like septic systems and broken sewage systems also contribute to water pollution. Pollution of groundwater by nitrate from 19 shallow wells was studied in a typical agricultural region, middle Podravina, in northwest Croatia. The concentration of nitrate ranged from <0.1 to 367 mg/l in water from wells, and 29.8 % of 253 total samples were above maximum acceptable value of 50 mg/l (MAV). Among regions R1-R6, there was no statistically significant difference in nitrate concentrations ( F = 1.98; p = 0.15) during the years 2002-2007. Average concentrations of nitrate in all 19 wells for all the analyzed years were between recommended limit value of 25 mg/l (RLV) and MAV except in 2002 (concentration was under RLV). The results of the repeated measures ANOVA showed statistically significant differences between the wells at the point source distance (proximity) of <10 m, compared to the wells at the point source distance of >20 m ( F = 10.6; p < 0.001). Average annual concentrations of nitrate during the years studied are not statistically different, but interaction between proximity and years is statistically significant ( F = 2.07; p = 0.04). Results of k-means clustering confirmed division into four clusters according to the pollution. Principal component analysis showed that there is only one significant factor, proximity, which explains 91.6 % of the total variability of nitrate. Differences in water quality were found as a result of different environmental factors. These results will contribute to the implementation of the Nitrate Directive in Croatia and the EU.

The Potential Importance of Conservation, Restoration, and Altered Management Practices for Water Quality in the Wabash River Watershed

EPA Science Inventory

Non-point source (NPS) pollution is one of the leading causes of water quality impairment within the United States. Conservation, restoration and altered management (CRAM) practices may effectively reduce NPS pollutants discharge into receiving water bodies and enhance local and ...

75 FR 27552 - Guidance for Federal Land Management in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-17

... effective tools and practices available to reduce water pollution from a variety of nonpoint sources... describe ``proven cost-effective tools and practices that reduce water pollution'' that are appropriate to...: Katie Flahive, USEPA, Office of Water, Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave...

Use of abundance ratios of somatic coliphages and bacteriophages of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron GA17 for microbial source identification.

PubMed

Muniesa, Maite; Lucena, Francisco; Blanch, Anicet R; Payán, Andrey; Jofre, Juan

2012-12-01

Water contaminated with human faeces is a risk to human health and management of water bodies can be improved by determining the sources of faecal pollution. Field studies show that existing methods are insufficient and that different markers are required. This study proposes the combined use of two microbial indicators, the concentrations of which are presented as ratios. This provides a more reliable approach to identifying faecal sources as it avoids variation due to treatment or ageing of the contamination. Among other indicators, bacteriophages have been proposed as rapid and cheap indicators of faecal pollution. Samples analysed in this study were derived from wastewater treatment plants (raw sewage, secondary and tertiary effluents and raw sewage sludge) river water, seawater and animal related wastewater. The abundance ratios of faecal coliforms and Bacteroides phages, either strain RYC2056 (non-specific for faecal origin) or strain GA17 (specific for human pollution), and among somatic coliphages and phages infecting both Bacteroides strains, were evaluated. The results indicate that the ratio of somatic coliphages and phages infecting Bacteroides strain GA17, which is specific to human faecal sources, provides a robust method for discriminating samples, even those presenting different levels and ages of pollution, and allows samples polluted with human faeces to be distinguished from those containing animal faecal pollution. This method allows the generation of numerical data that can be further applied to numerical methods for faecal pollution discrimination. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nonpoint Source News-Notes

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

an occasional bulletin dealing with the condition of the water-related environment, the control of nonpoint sources of water pollution (NPS), and the ecosystem-driven management and restoration of watersheds.

Economic total maximum daily load for watershed-based pollutant trading.

PubMed

Zaidi, A Z; deMonsabert, S M

2015-04-01

Water quality trading (WQT) is supported by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) under the framework of its total maximum daily load (TMDL) program. An innovative approach is presented in this paper that proposes post-TMDL trade by calculating pollutant rights for each pollutant source within a watershed. Several water quality trading programs are currently operating in the USA with an objective to achieve overall pollutant reduction impacts that are equivalent or better than TMDL scenarios. These programs use trading ratios for establishing water quality equivalence among pollutant reductions. The inbuilt uncertainty in modeling the effects of pollutants in a watershed from both the point and nonpoint sources on receiving waterbodies makes WQT very difficult. A higher trading ratio carries with it increased mitigation costs, but cannot ensure the attainment of the required water quality with certainty. The selection of an applicable trading ratio, therefore, is not a simple process. The proposed approach uses an Economic TMDL optimization model that determines an economic pollutant reduction scenario that can be compared with actual TMDL allocations to calculate selling/purchasing rights for each contributing source. The methodology is presented using the established TMDLs for the bacteria (fecal coliform) impaired Muddy Creek subwatershed WAR1 in Rockingham County, Virginia, USA. Case study results show that an environmentally and economically superior trading scenario can be realized by using Economic TMDL model or any similar model that considers the cost of TMDL allocations.

URBAN RUNOFF POLLUTION CONTROL - STATE-OF-THE-ART

EPA Science Inventory

Combined sewer overflows are major sources of water pollution problems, but even discharges of stormwater alone can seriously affect water quality. Current approaches involve control of overflows, treatment, and combinations of the two. Control may involve maximizing treatment wi...

40 CFR 410.32 - Effluent limitations representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the application...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS TEXTILE MILLS POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Low Water Use Processing... 9.0 at all times. Water Jet Weaving Pollutant or pollutant property BPT limitations Maximum for any...

40 CFR 463.22 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... pH (1) (1) 1 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0 at all times. The permit authority will obtain the... cleaning water processes at a point source times the following pollutant concentrations: Subpart B [Cleaning water] Concentration used to calculate BPT effluent limitations Pollutant or pollutant property...

40 CFR 463.32 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... for the finishing water processes at a point source times the following pollutant concentrations: Subpart C [Finishing water] Concentration used to calculate BPT effluent limitations Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day (mg/l) Maximum for monthly average (mg/l) TSS 130 37 pH (1) (1) 1...

40 CFR 463.32 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... finishing water processes at a point source times the following pollutant concentrations: Subpart C [Finishing water] Concentration used to calculate BPT effluent limitations Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day (mg/l) Maximum for monthly average (mg/l) TSS 130 37 pH (1) (1) 1 Within the range...

40 CFR 463.32 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... for the finishing water processes at a point source times the following pollutant concentrations: Subpart C [Finishing water] Concentration used to calculate BPT effluent limitations Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day (mg/l) Maximum for monthly average (mg/l) TSS 130 37 pH (1) (1) 1...

40 CFR 463.32 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... for the finishing water processes at a point source times the following pollutant concentrations: Subpart C [Finishing water] Concentration used to calculate BPT effluent limitations Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day (mg/l) Maximum for monthly average (mg/l) TSS 130 37 pH (1) (1) 1...

Comparing wastewater chemicals, indicator bacteria concentrations, and bacterial pathogen genes as fecal pollution indicators

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haack, S.K.; Duris, J.W.; Fogarty, L.R.; Kolpin, D.W.; Focazio, M.J.; Furlong, E.T.; Meyer, M.T.

2009-01-01

The objective of this study was to compare fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) (fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli [EC], and enterococci [ENT]) concentrations with a wide array of typical organic wastewater chemicals and selected bacterial genes as indicators of fecal pollution in water samples collected at or near 18 surface water drinking water intakes. Genes tested included esp (indicating human-pathogenic ENT) and nine genes associated with various animal sources of shiga-toxin-producing EC (STEC). Fecal pollution was indicated by genes and/or chemicals for 14 of the 18 tested samples, with little relation to FIB standards. Of 13 samples with <50 EC 100 mL-1, human pharmaceuticals or chemical indicators of wastewater treatment plant effluent occurred in six, veterinary antibiotics were detected in three, and stx1 or stx2 genes (indicating varying animal sources of STEC) were detected in eight. Only the EC eaeA gene was positively correlated with FIB concentrations. Human-source fecal pollution was indicated by the esp gene and the human pharmaceutical carbamazepine in one of the nine samples that met all FIB recreational water quality standards. Escherichia coli rfbO157 and stx2c genes, which are typically associated with cattle sources and are of potential human health significance, were detected in one sample in the absence of tested chemicals. Chemical and gene-based indicators of fecal contamination may be present even when FIB standards are met, and some may, unlike FIB, indicate potential sources. Application of multiple water quality indicators with variable environmental persistence and fate may yield greater confidence in fecal pollution assessment and may inform remediation decisions. Copyright ?? 2009 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

Assessment of fluxes of priority pollutants in stormwater discharges in two urban catchments in Lyon, France

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becouze, C.; Bertrand-Krajewski, J. L.; Coquery, M.; Dembélé, A.; Cren-Olivé, C.

2009-04-01

Keywords: WFD, priority pollutants, stormwater, sewer systems, atmospheric deposition The European Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000) requires both a progressive reduction of priority substances discharges and a cessation of hazardous priority substances discharges into water bodies. In order to define priorities for action in a global and integrated urban water management approach, we need to identify and quantify all sources of pollutants (diffuse agricultural and urban emissions, industrial emissions, effluents from wastewater treatment plants, from separate and combined sewer systems, etc.). The objectives of the ESPRIT collaborative project are to identify, evaluate, characterise and later on model the fluxes of priority substances in urban stormwater, for both combined and separate sewer systems. This paper presents i) the methodology applied to collect representative samples of dry atmospheric deposits, of rainwater and of stormwater discharges at the outlet of experimental catchments, ii) the EMC (Event Mean Concentrations) values and the fluxes of 36 organic substances and of 26 metals calculated for various storm events, and iii) the discussion of these results. Two experimental sites have been selected in Lyon for the project: Ecully (combined sewer system draining a 245 ha residential catchment) and Chassieu (separate stormwater system draining a 185 ha industrial catchment). Each catchment outlet is equipped with sensors measuring various parameters (flow depth and velocity, pH, conductivity, turbidity, temperature) and with refrigerated automatic samplers. Each site is also equipped with prototype devices collecting separately samples of both dry atmospheric deposits and rainwater. All sampling devices comply with requirements for trace micro-pollutants monitoring (Teflon tubing, clean glass bottles, etc.). Field and laboratory blank procedures were carried out to quantify the possible contamination along the sampling/conditioning chain. Event mean samples are built manually according to both discharge and conductivity time series. 26 metals are analysed by ICP-MS in dissolved and particulate phases. A multi-residue analytical method is used to quantify 36 organic micro-pollutants in the dissolved phase by GS-MS and LC-FLD-MS/MS (validation of the method for particulate phase is currently carried out). Since the beginning of 2008, 19 campaigns have been carried at the outlet of both sites, plus 12 campaigns of atmospheric deposits and 20 campaigns of rainwater. 8 organic pollutants in the dissolved phase and almost all metals in both dissolved and particulate phases are detected. The contribution of the atmosphere to the fluxes is significant. A significant variability between the two catchments has been observed, both for metals and for some organics pollutants including pesticides. Inter-event variability is also very significant in each site for concentrations and specific fluxes (i.e. per active ha), indicating that long term campaigns are necessary to reliably evaluate annual fluxes. The paper will present and discuss the results with more details.

Trace metals accumulation in soil irrigated with polluted water and assessment of human health risk from vegetable consumption in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Islam, Md Atikul; Romić, Davor; Akber, Md Ali; Romić, Marija

2018-02-01

Trace metals accumulation in soil irrigated with polluted water and human health risk from vegetable consumption was assessed based on the data available in the literature on metals pollution of water, soil, sediment and vegetables from the cites of Bangladesh. The quantitative data on metal concentrations, their contamination levels and their pollution sources have not been systematically gathered and studied so far. The data on metal concentrations, sources, contamination levels, sample collection and analytical tools used were collected, compared and discussed. The USEPA-recommended method for health risk assessment was used to estimate human risk from vegetable consumption. Concentrations of metals in water were highly variable, and the mean concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu and As in water were found to be higher than the FAO irrigation water quality standard. In most cases, mean concentrations of metals in soil were higher than the Bangladesh background value. Based on geoaccumulation index (I geo ) values, soils of Dhaka city are considered as highly contaminated. The I geo shows Cd, As, Cu, Ni, Pb and Cr contamination of agricultural soils and sediments of the cities all over the Bangladesh. Polluted water irrigation and agrochemicals are identified as dominant sources of metals in agricultural soils. Vegetable contamination by metals poses both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks to the public. Based on the results of the pollution and health risk assessments, Cd, As, Cr, Cu, Pb and Ni are identified as the priority control metals and the Dhaka city is recommended as the priority control city. This study provides quantitative evidence demonstrating the critical need for strengthened wastewater discharge regulations in order to protect residents from heavy metal discharges into the environment.

Environmental-Toxicological Characteristics of Waters and Their Sources at Magnitogorsk With the Its Iron and Steel Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koshkina, V. S.; Serova, A. A.; Timofeev, V. Yu

2016-08-01

This study summarizes the information necessary to characterize and assess the quality of drinking and industrial water supply in industrial centers with metallurgical engineering and provides information about the pollution impact on the natural environment. The study shows the influence of air pollution, of the soil pollution on the environment of water objects; it also demonstrates the role of the quality of water supply for establishing a higher risk of health problems for children.

Severe situation of rural nonpoint source pollution and efficient utilization of agricultural wastes in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area.

PubMed

Zhang, Tong; Ni, Jiupai; Xie, Deti

2015-11-01

Rural nonpoint source (NPS) pollution caused by agricultural wastes has become increasingly serious in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA), significantly affecting the reservoir water quality. The grim situation of rural NPS pollution in the TGRA indicated that agrochemicals (chemical fertilizer and pesticide) were currently the highest contributor of rural NPS pollution (50.38%). The harmless disposal rates of livestock excrement, crop straws, rural domestic refuse, and sewage also cause severe water pollution. More importantly, the backward agricultural economy and the poor environmental awareness of farmers in the hinterland of the TGRA contribute to high levels of rural NPS pollution. Over the past decade, researchers and the local people have carried out various successful studies and practices to realize the effective control of rural NPS pollution by efficiently utilizing agricultural wastes in the TGRA, including agricultural waste biogas-oriented utilization, crop straw gasification, decentralized land treatment of livestock excrement technology, and crop straw modification. These technologies have greatly increased the renewable resource utilization of agricultural wastes and improved water quality and ecological environment in the TGRA.

Evolving policies to regulate pollution from animal feeding operations.

PubMed

Centner, T J

2001-11-01

Due to concentrations of animals at large facilities, animal feeding operations (AFOs) have emerged as a major potential source of water pollution. The federal government regulates concentrated animal feeding operations under its point-source pollution permitting regulations. A major determinant of whether an operation must apply for a permit is the number of animals at an individual lot or facility. This paper examines federal mandatory controls and voluntary guidelines that seek to reduce contaminant pollution from AFOs. Land treatment practices are delineated due to their importance in reducing the injurious by-products of agricultural production. An evaluation of proposed revisions to federal regulations on confined animal feeding operations suggests they diverge from their goal of controlling water pollution. Federal regulations focus on the size of operation and amount of manure governed by the permitting process to the exclusion of other criteria related to the impairment of water quality. Given the uncertainties about the amount of pollution from AFOs, lack of enforcement of existing regulations, localization of problems, and possible alternatives for addressing the pollution, more demanding federal regulations may not form an appropriate response.

Water quality and ecological condition of urban streams in Independence, Missouri, June 2005 through December 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Christensen, D.; Harris, Thomas E.; Niesen, Shelley L.

2010-01-01

To identify the sources of selected constituents in urban streams and better understand processes affecting water quality and their effects on the ecological condition of urban streams and the Little Blue River in Independence, Missouri the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the City of Independence Water Pollution Control Department initiated a study in June 2005 to characterize water quality and evaluate the ecological condition of streams within Independence. Base-flow and stormflow samples collected from five sites within Independence, from June 2005 to December 2008, were used to characterize the physical, chemical, and biologic effects of storm runoff on the water quality in Independence streams and the Little Blue River. The streams draining Independence-Rock Creek, Sugar Creek, Mill Creek, Fire Prairie Creek, and the Little Blue River-drain to the north and the Missouri River. Two small predominantly urban streams, Crackerneck Creek [12.9-square kilometer (km2) basin] and Spring Branch Creek (25.4-km2 basin), were monitored that enter into the Little Blue River between upstream and downstream monitoring sites. The Little Blue River above the upstream site is regulated by several reservoirs, but streamflow is largely uncontrolled. The Little Blue River Basin encompasses 585 km2 with about 168 km2 or 29 percent of the basin lying within the city limits of Independence. Water-quality samples also were collected for Rock Creek (24.1-km2 basin) that drains the western part of Independence. Data collection included streamflow, physical properties, dissolved oxygen, chloride, metals, nutrients, common organic micro-constituents, and fecal indicator bacteria. Benthic macroinvertebrate community surveys and habitat assessments were conducted to establish a baseline for evaluating the ecological condition and health of streams within Independence. Additional dry-weather screenings during base flow of all streams draining Independence were conducted to identify point-source discharges and other sources of potential contamination. Regression models were used to estimate continuous and annual flow-weighted concentrations, loadings, and yields for chloride, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, suspended sediment, and Escherichia coli bacteria densities. Base-flow and stormflow water-quality samples were collected at five sites within Independence. Base-flow samples for Rock Creek and two tributary streams to the Little Blue River exceeded recommended U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards for the protection of aquatic life for total nitrogen and total phosphorus in about 90 percent of samples, whereas samples collected at two Little Blue River sites exceeded both the total nitrogen and total phosphorus standards less often, about 30 percent of the time. Dry-weather screening identified a relatively small number (14.0 percent of all analyses) of potential point-source discharges for total chlorine, phenols, and anionic surfactants. Stormflow had larger median measured concentrations of total common organic micro-constituents than base flow. The four categories of common organic micro-constituents with the most total detections in stormflow were pesticides (100 percent), polyaromatic hydrocarbons and combustion by-products (99 percent), plastics (93 percent), and stimulants (91 percent). Most detections of common organic micro-constituents were less than 2 micrograms per liter. Median instantaneous Escherichia coli densities for stormflow samples showed a 21 percent increase measured at the downstream site on the Little Blue River from the sampled upstream site. Using microbial source-tracking methods, less than 30 percent of Escherichia coli bacteria in samples were identified as having human sources. Base-flow and stormflow data were used to develop regression equations with streamflow and continuous water-quality data to estimate daily concentrations, loads, and yields of various water-quality contaminants.

Water Quality Assessment of River Soan (Pakistan) and Source Apportionment of Pollution Sources Through Receptor Modeling.

PubMed

Nazeer, Summya; Ali, Zeshan; Malik, Riffat Naseem

2016-07-01

The present study was designed to determine the spatiotemporal patterns in water quality of River Soan using multivariate statistics. A total of 26 sites were surveyed along River Soan and its associated tributaries during pre- and post-monsoon seasons in 2008. Hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis (HACA) classified sampling sites into three groups according to their degree of pollution, which ranged from least to high degradation of water quality. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) revealed that alkalinity, orthophosphates, nitrates, ammonia, salinity, and Cd were variables that significantly discriminate among three groups identified by HACA. Temporal trends as identified through DFA revealed that COD, DO, pH, Cu, Cd, and Cr could be attributed for major seasonal variations in water quality. PCA/FA identified six factors as potential sources of pollution of River Soan. Absolute principal component scores using multiple regression method (APCS-MLR) further explained the percent contribution from each source. Heavy metals were largely added through industrial activities (28 %) and sewage waste (28 %), nutrients through agriculture runoff (35 %) and sewage waste (28 %), organic pollution through sewage waste (27 %) and urban runoff (17 %) and macroelements through urban runoff (39 %), and mineralization and sewage waste (30 %). The present study showed that anthropogenic activities are the major source of variations in River Soan. In order to address the water quality issues, implementation of effective waste management measures are needed.

Source apportionment and pollution evaluation of heavy metals in water and sediments of Buriganga River, Bangladesh, using multivariate analysis and pollution evaluation indices.

PubMed

Bhuiyan, Mohammad Amir Hossain; Dampare, Samuel B; Islam, M A; Suzuki, Shigeyuki

2015-01-01

Concentrations of heavy metals in water and sediment samples of Buriganga River in the capital city Dhaka, Bangladesh, were studied to understand the level of heavy metals and their source apportionment. The results showed that the mean concentrations of heavy metals both in water and sediment samples were very high and, in most cases, exceeded the permissible limits recommended by the Bangladesh government and other international organizations. Significantly higher concentrations of Pb, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, and Cd were found in sediment samples. However, average concentrations of metals both in water and sediment samples were above the effect range median. The heavy metal pollution index (HPI) and degree of contamination (Cd) yielded different results in water samples despite significant correlations between them. The heavy metal evaluation index (HEI) showed strong correlations with HPI and Cd and provided better assessment of pollution levels. The enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) showed the elevated value of Cr, Pb, and Cd in access of background values. The measured elements were subjected to positive matrix factorization (PMF) and examining correlations in order to explain the content, behavior, and source apportionment of metals. PMF resulted in a successful partitioning of variances into sources related to background geochemistry and contaminant influences. However, the PMF approach successfully demarcated the major sources of metals from tannery, paint, municipal sewage, textiles, and agricultural activities.

Occurrence and potential causes of androgenic activities in source and drinking water in China.

PubMed

Hu, Xinxin; Shi, Wei; Wei, Si; Zhang, Xiaowei; Feng, Jianfang; Hu, Guanjiu; Chen, Sulan; Giesy, John P; Yu, Hongxia

2013-09-17

The increased incidences of disorders of male reproductive tract as well as testicular and prostate cancers have been attributed to androgenic pollutants in the environment. Drinking water is one pathway of exposure through which humans can be exposed. In this study, both potencies of androgen receptor (AR) agonists and antagonists were determined in organic extracts of raw source water as well as finished water from waterworks, tap water, boiled water, and poured boiled water in eastern China. Ten of 13 samples of source water exhibited detectable AR antagonistic potencies with AR antagonist equivalents (Ant-AR-EQs) ranging from <15.3 (detection limit) to 140 μg flutamide/L. However, no AR agonistic activity was detected in any source water. All finished water from waterworks, tap water, boiled water, and poured boiled water exhibited neither AR agonistic nor antagonistic activity. Although potential risks are posed by source water, water treatment processes effectively removed AR antagonists. Boiling and pouring of water further removed these pollutants. Phthalate esters (PAEs) including diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) were identified as major contributors to AR antagonistic potencies in source waters. Metabolites of PAEs exhibited no AR antagonistic activity and did not increase potencies of PAEs when they coexist.

Evaluation and Source Apportionment of Heavy Metals (HMs) in Sewage Sludge of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) in Shanxi, China

PubMed Central

Duan, Baoling; Liu, Fenwu; Zhang, Wuping; Zheng, Haixia; Zhang, Qiang; Li, Xiaomei; Bu, Yushan

2015-01-01

Heavy metals (HMs) in sewage sludge have become the crucial limiting factors for land use application. Samples were collected and analyzed from 32 waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) in the Shanxi Province, China. HM levels in sewage sludge were assessed. The multivariate statistical method principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to identify the sources of HMs in sewage sludge. HM pollution classes by geochemical accumulation index Igeo and correlation analyses between HMs were also conducted. HMs were arranged in the following decreasing order of mean concentration: Zn > Cu > Cr > Pb > As > Hg > Cd; the maximum concentrations of all HMs were within the limit of maximum content permitted by Chinese discharge standard. Igeo classes of HMs pollution in order from most polluted to least were: Cu and Hg pollution were the highest; Cd and Cr pollution were moderate; Zn, As and Pb pollution were the least. Sources of HM contamination in sewage sludge were identified as three components. The primary contaminant source accounting for 35.7% of the total variance was identified as smelting industry, coking plant and traffic sources; the second source accounting for 29.0% of the total variance was distinguished as household and water supply pollution; the smallest of the three sources accounting for 16.2% of the total variance was defined as special industries such as leather tanning, textile manufacturing and chemical processing industries. Source apportionment of HMs in sewage sludge can control HM contamination through suggesting improvements in government policies and industrial processes. PMID:26690464

Evaluation and Source Apportionment of Heavy Metals (HMs) in Sewage Sludge of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) in Shanxi, China.

PubMed

Duan, Baoling; Liu, Fenwu; Zhang, Wuping; Zheng, Haixia; Zhang, Qiang; Li, Xiaomei; Bu, Yushan

2015-12-11

Heavy metals (HMs) in sewage sludge have become the crucial limiting factors for land use application. Samples were collected and analyzed from 32 waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) in the Shanxi Province, China. HM levels in sewage sludge were assessed. The multivariate statistical method principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to identify the sources of HMs in sewage sludge. HM pollution classes by geochemical accumulation index I(geo) and correlation analyses between HMs were also conducted. HMs were arranged in the following decreasing order of mean concentration: Zn > Cu > Cr > Pb > As > Hg > Cd; the maximum concentrations of all HMs were within the limit of maximum content permitted by Chinese discharge standard. I(geo) classes of HMs pollution in order from most polluted to least were: Cu and Hg pollution were the highest; Cd and Cr pollution were moderate; Zn, As and Pb pollution were the least. Sources of HM contamination in sewage sludge were identified as three components. The primary contaminant source accounting for 35.7% of the total variance was identified as smelting industry, coking plant and traffic sources; the second source accounting for 29.0% of the total variance was distinguished as household and water supply pollution; the smallest of the three sources accounting for 16.2% of the total variance was defined as special industries such as leather tanning, textile manufacturing and chemical processing industries. Source apportionment of HMs in sewage sludge can control HM contamination through suggesting improvements in government policies and industrial processes.

Multi-stage ranking of emergency technology alternatives for water source pollution accidents using a fuzzy group decision making tool.

PubMed

Qu, Jianhua; Meng, Xianlin; You, Hong

2016-06-05

Due to the increasing number of unexpected water source pollution events, selection of the most appropriate disposal technology for a specific pollution scenario is of crucial importance to the security of urban water supplies. However, the formulation of the optimum option is considerably difficult owing to the substantial uncertainty of such accidents. In this research, a multi-stage technical screening and evaluation tool is proposed to determine the optimal technique scheme, considering the areas of pollutant elimination both in drinking water sources and water treatment plants. In stage 1, a CBR-based group decision tool was developed to screen available technologies for different scenarios. Then, the threat degree caused by the pollution was estimated in stage 2 using a threat evaluation system and was partitioned into four levels. For each threat level, a corresponding set of technique evaluation criteria weights was obtained using Group-G1. To identify the optimization alternatives corresponding to the different threat levels, an extension of TOPSIS, a multi-criteria interval-valued trapezoidal fuzzy decision making technique containing the four arrays of criteria weights, to a group decision environment was investigated in stage 3. The effectiveness of the developed tool was elaborated by two actual thallium-contaminated scenarios associated with different threat levels. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Design of an Air Pollution Monitoring Campaign in Beijing for Application to Cohort Health Studies.

PubMed

Vedal, Sverre; Han, Bin; Xu, Jia; Szpiro, Adam; Bai, Zhipeng

2017-12-15

No cohort studies in China on the health effects of long-term air pollution exposure have employed exposure estimates at the fine spatial scales desirable for cohort studies with individual-level health outcome data. Here we assess an array of modern air pollution exposure estimation approaches for assigning within-city exposure estimates in Beijing for individual pollutants and pollutant sources to individual members of a cohort. Issues considered in selecting specific monitoring data or new monitoring campaigns include: needed spatial resolution, exposure measurement error and its impact on health effect estimates, spatial alignment and compatibility with the cohort, and feasibility and expense. Sources of existing data largely include administrative monitoring data, predictions from air dispersion or chemical transport models and remote sensing (specifically satellite) data. New air monitoring campaigns include additional fixed site monitoring, snapshot monitoring, passive badge or micro-sensor saturation monitoring and mobile monitoring, as well as combinations of these. Each of these has relative advantages and disadvantages. It is concluded that a campaign in Beijing that at least includes a mobile monitoring component, when coupled with currently available spatio-temporal modeling methods, should be strongly considered. Such a campaign is economical and capable of providing the desired fine-scale spatial resolution for pollutants and sources.

Design of an Air Pollution Monitoring Campaign in Beijing for Application to Cohort Health Studies

PubMed Central

Vedal, Sverre; Han, Bin; Szpiro, Adam; Bai, Zhipeng

2017-01-01

No cohort studies in China on the health effects of long-term air pollution exposure have employed exposure estimates at the fine spatial scales desirable for cohort studies with individual-level health outcome data. Here we assess an array of modern air pollution exposure estimation approaches for assigning within-city exposure estimates in Beijing for individual pollutants and pollutant sources to individual members of a cohort. Issues considered in selecting specific monitoring data or new monitoring campaigns include: needed spatial resolution, exposure measurement error and its impact on health effect estimates, spatial alignment and compatibility with the cohort, and feasibility and expense. Sources of existing data largely include administrative monitoring data, predictions from air dispersion or chemical transport models and remote sensing (specifically satellite) data. New air monitoring campaigns include additional fixed site monitoring, snapshot monitoring, passive badge or micro-sensor saturation monitoring and mobile monitoring, as well as combinations of these. Each of these has relative advantages and disadvantages. It is concluded that a campaign in Beijing that at least includes a mobile monitoring component, when coupled with currently available spatio-temporal modeling methods, should be strongly considered. Such a campaign is economical and capable of providing the desired fine-scale spatial resolution for pollutants and sources. PMID:29244738

Multivariate statistical evaluation of dissolved trace elements and a water quality assessment in the middle reaches of Huaihe River, Anhui, China.

PubMed

Wang, Jie; Liu, Guijian; Liu, Houqi; Lam, Paul K S

2017-04-01

A total of 211 water samples were collected from 53 key sampling points from 5-10th July 2013 at four different depths (0m, 2m, 4m, 8m) and at different sites in the Huaihe River, Anhui, China. These points monitored for 18 parameters (water temperature, pH, TN, TP, TOC, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Cr, Cd, Mn, B, Fe, Al, Mg, and Ba). The spatial variability, contamination sources and health risk of trace elements as well as the river water quality were investigated. Our results were compared with national (CSEPA) and international (WHO, USEPA) drinking water guidelines, revealing that Zn, Cd and Pb were the dominant pollutants in the water body. Application of different multivariate statistical approaches, including correlation matrix and factor/principal component analysis (FA/PCA), to assess the origins of the elements in the Huaihe River, identified three source types that accounted for 79.31% of the total variance. Anthropogenic activities were considered to contribute much of the Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, Co, and Mn via industrial waste, coal combustion, and vehicle exhaust; Ba, B, Cr and Cu were controlled by mixed anthropogenic and natural sources, and Mg, Fe and Al had natural origins from weathered rocks and crustal materials. Cluster analysis (CA) was used to classify the 53 sample points into three groups of water pollution, high pollution, moderate pollution, and low pollution, reflecting influences from tributaries, power plants and vehicle exhaust, and agricultural activities, respectively. The results of the water quality index (WQI) indicate that water in the Huaihe River is heavily polluted by trace elements, so approximately 96% of the water in the Huaihe River is unsuitable for drinking. A health risk assessment using the hazard quotient and index (HQ/HI) recommended by the USEPA suggests that Co, Cd and Pb in the river could cause non-carcinogenic harm to human health. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Calculation and analysis of the non-point source pollution in the upstream watershed of the Panjiakou Reservoir, People's Republic of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, S.; Tang, L.

2007-05-01

Panjiakou Reservoir is an important drinking water resource in Haihe River Basin, Hebei Province, People's Republic of China. The upstream watershed area is about 35,000 square kilometers. Recently, the water pollution in the reservoir is becoming more serious owing to the non-point pollution as well as point source pollution on the upstream watershed. To effectively manage the reservoir and watershed and develop a plan to reduce pollutant loads, the loading of non-point and point pollution and their distribution on the upstream watershed must be understood fully. The SWAT model is used to simulate the production and transportation of the non-point source pollutants in the upstream watershed of the Panjiakou Reservoir. The loadings of non-point source pollutants are calculated for different hydrologic years and the spatial and temporal characteristics of non-point source pollution are studied. The stream network and topographic characteristics of the stream network and sub-basins are all derived from the DEM by ArcGIS software. The soil and land use data are reclassified and the soil physical properties database file is created for the model. The SWAT model was calibrated with observed data of several hydrologic monitoring stations in the study area. The results of the calibration show that the model performs fairly well. Then the calibrated model was used to calculate the loadings of non-point source pollutants for a wet year, a normal year and a dry year respectively. The time and space distribution of flow, sediment and non-point source pollution were analyzed depending on the simulated results. The comparison of different hydrologic years on calculation results is dramatic. The loading of non-point source pollution in the wet year is relatively larger but smaller in the dry year since the non-point source pollutants are mainly transported through the runoff. The pollution loading within a year is mainly produced in the flood season. Because SWAT is a distributed model, it is possible to view model output as it varies across the basin, so the critical areas and reaches can be found in the study area. According to the simulation results, it is found that different land uses can yield different results and fertilization in rainy season has an important impact on the non- point source pollution. The limitations of the SWAT model are also discussed and the measures of the control and prevention of non- point source pollution for Panjiakou Reservoir are presented according to the analysis of model calculation results.

Simulation and Evaluation of Pollution Load Reduction Scenarios for Water Environmental Management: A Case Study of Inflow River of Taihu Lake, China

PubMed Central

Zhang, Ruibin; Qian, Xin; Zhu, Wenting; Gao, Hailong; Hu, Wei; Wang, Jinhua

2014-01-01

In the beginning of the 21st century, the deterioration of water quality in Taihu Lake, China, has caused widespread concern. The primary source of pollution in Taihu Lake is river inflows. Effective pollution load reduction scenarios need to be implemented in these rivers in order to improve the water quality of Taihu Lake. It is important to select appropriate pollution load reduction scenarios for achieving particular goals. The aim of this study was to facilitate the selection of appropriate scenarios. The QUAL2K model for river water quality was used to simulate the effects of a range of pollution load reduction scenarios in the Wujin River, which is one of the major inflow rivers of Taihu Lake. The model was calibrated for the year 2010 and validated for the year 2011. Various pollution load reduction scenarios were assessed using an analytic hierarchy process, and increasing rates of evaluation indicators were predicted using the Delphi method. The results showed that control of pollution from the source is the optimal method for pollution prevention and control, and the method of “Treatment after Pollution” has bad environmental, social and ecological effects. The method applied in this study can assist for environmental managers to select suitable pollution load reduction scenarios for achieving various objectives. PMID:25207492

Nitrates in drinking water: relation with intensive livestock production.

PubMed

Giammarino, M; Quatto, P

2015-01-01

An excess of nitrates causes environmental pollution in receiving water bodies and health risk for human, if contaminated water is source of drinking water. The directive 91/676/ CEE [1] aims to reduce the nitrogen pressure in Europe from agriculture sources and identifies the livestock population as one of the predominant sources of surplus of nutrients that could be released in water and air. Directive is concerned about cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry and their territorial loads, but it does not deal with fish farms. Fish farms effluents may contain pollutants affecting ecosystem water quality. On the basis of multivariate statistical analysis, this paper aims to establish what types of farming affect the presence of nitrates in drinking water in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy. In this regard, we have used data from official sources on nitrates in drinking water and data Arvet database, concerning the presence of intensive farming in the considered area. For model selection we have employed automatic variable selection algorithm. We have identified fish farms as a major source of nitrogen released into the environment, while pollution from sheep and poultry has appeared negligible. We would like to emphasize the need to include in the "Nitrate Vulnerable Zones" (as defined in Directive 91/676/CEE [1]), all areas where there are intensive farming of fish with open-system type of water use. Besides, aquaculture open-system should be equipped with adequate downstream system of filtering for removing nitrates in the wastewater.

In-time source tracking of watershed loads of Taihu Lake Basin, China based on spatial relationship modeling.

PubMed

Wang, Ce; Bi, Jun; Zhang, Xu-Xiang; Fang, Qiang; Qi, Yi

2018-05-25

Influent river carrying cumulative watershed load plays a significant role in promoting nuisance algal bloom in river-fed lake. It is most relevant to discern in-stream water quality exceedance and evaluate the spatial relationship between risk location and potential pollution sources. However, no comprehensive studies of source tracking in watershed based on management grid have been conducted for refined water quality management, particularly for plain terrain with complex river network. In this study, field investigations were implemented during 2014 in Taige Canal watershed of Taihu Lake Basin. A Geographical Information System (GIS)-based spatial relationship model was established to characterize the spatial relationships of "point (point-source location and monitoring site)-line (river segment)-plane (catchment)." As a practical exemplification, in-time source tracking was triggered on April 15, 2015 at Huangnianqiao station, where TN and TP concentration violated the water quality standard (TN 4.0 mg/L, TP 0.15 mg/L). Of the target grid cells, 53 and 46 were identified as crucial areas having high pollution intensity for TN and TP pollution, respectively. The estimated non-point source load in each grid cell could be apportioned into different source types based on spatial pollution-related entity objects. We found that the non-point source load derived from rural sewage and livestock and poultry breeding accounted for more than 80% of total TN or TP load than another source type of crop farming. The approach in this study would be of great benefit to local authorities for identifying the serious polluted regions and efficiently making environmental policies to reduce watershed load.

Seasonal assessment and apportionment of surface water pollution using multivariate statistical methods: Sinos River, southern Brazil.

PubMed

Alves, Darlan Daniel; Riegel, Roberta Plangg; de Quevedo, Daniela Müller; Osório, Daniela Montanari Migliavacca; da Costa, Gustavo Marques; do Nascimento, Carlos Augusto; Telöken, Franko

2018-06-08

Assessment of surface water quality is an issue of currently high importance, especially in polluted rivers which provide water for treatment and distribution as drinking water, as is the case of the Sinos River, southern Brazil. Multivariate statistical techniques allow a better understanding of the seasonal variations in water quality, as well as the source identification and source apportionment of water pollution. In this study, the multivariate statistical techniques of cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), and positive matrix factorization (PMF) were used, along with the Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman's correlation analysis in order to interpret a water quality data set resulting from a monitoring program conducted over a period of almost two years (May 2013 to April 2015). The water samples were collected from the raw water inlet of the municipal water treatment plant (WTP) operated by the Water and Sewage Services of Novo Hamburgo (COMUSA). CA allowed the data to be grouped into three periods (autumn and summer (AUT-SUM); winter (WIN); spring (SPR)). Through the PCA, it was possible to identify that the most important parameters in contribution to water quality variations are total coliforms (TCOLI) in SUM-AUT, water level (WL), water temperature (WT), and electrical conductivity (EC) in WIN and color (COLOR) and turbidity (TURB) in SPR. PMF was applied to the complete data set and enabled the source apportionment water pollution through three factors, which are related to anthropogenic sources, such as the discharge of domestic sewage (mostly represented by Escherichia coli (ECOLI)), industrial wastewaters, and agriculture runoff. The results provided by this study demonstrate the contribution provided by the use of integrated statistical techniques in the interpretation and understanding of large data sets of water quality, showing also that this approach can be used as an efficient methodology to optimize indicators for water quality assessment.

Characterization of domestic gray water from point source to determine the potential for urban residential reuse: a short review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwin, Golda A.; Gopalsamy, Poyyamoli; Muthu, Nandhivarman

2014-03-01

This study aims to discern the domestic gray water (GW) sources that is least polluting, at the urban households of India, by examining the GW characteristics, comparing with literature data, reuse standards and suitable treatment technologies. In view of this, the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of domestic GW originating from bath, wash basin, laundry and kitchen sources are determined and compared with established standards for reuse requirements. Quality of different gray water sources is characterized with respect to the physical, chemical, biological, nutrient, ground element and heavy metal properties. The pollutant loads indicate that the diversion techniques are not suitable for household application and, therefore, treatment is necessary prior to storage and reuse. It is observed that the total volume of GW generated exceeds the reuse requirement for suggested reuse such as for flushing and gardening/irrigation. In spite of generating less volume, the kitchen source is found to be the major contributor for most of the pollutant load and, therefore, not recommended to be considered for treatment. It is concluded that treatment of GW from bathroom source alone is sufficient to meet the onsite reuse requirements and thereby significantly reduce the potable water consumption by 28.5 %. Constructed wetland systems and constructed soil filters are suggested as suitable treatment alternatives owing to its ability to treat highly variable pollutant load with lower operational and maintenance cost, which is more practical for tropical and developing countries.

Development of Load Duration Curve System in Data Scarce Watersheds Based on a Distributed Hydrological Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

WANG, J.

2017-12-01

In stream water quality control, the total maximum daily load (TMDL) program is very effective. However, the load duration curves (LDC) of TMDL are difficult to be established because no sufficient observed flow and pollutant data can be provided in data-scarce watersheds in which no hydrological stations or consecutively long-term hydrological data are available. Although the point sources or a non-point sources of pollutants can be clarified easily with the aid of LDC, where does the pollutant come from and to where it will be transported in the watershed cannot be traced by LDC. To seek out the best management practices (BMPs) of pollutants in a watershed, and to overcome the limitation of LDC, we proposed to develop LDC based on a distributed hydrological model of SWAT for the water quality management in data scarce river basins. In this study, firstly, the distributed hydrological model of SWAT was established with the scarce-hydrological data. Then, the long-term daily flows were generated with the established SWAT model and rainfall data from the adjacent weather station. Flow duration curves (FDC) was then developed with the aid of generated daily flows by SWAT model. Considering the goal of water quality management, LDC curves of different pollutants can be obtained based on the FDC. With the monitored water quality data and the LDC curves, the water quality problems caused by the point or non-point source pollutants in different seasons can be ascertained. Finally, the distributed hydrological model of SWAT was employed again to tracing the spatial distribution and the origination of the pollutants of coming from what kind of agricultural practices and/or other human activities. A case study was conducted in the Jian-jiang river, a tributary of Yangtze river, of Duyun city, Guizhou province. Results indicate that this kind of method can realize the water quality management based on TMDL and find out the suitable BMPs for reducing pollutant in a watershed.

Elevated Arsenic and Uranium Concentrations in Unregulated Water Sources on the Navajo Nation, USA.

PubMed

Hoover, Joseph; Gonzales, Melissa; Shuey, Chris; Barney, Yolanda; Lewis, Johnnye

2017-01-01

Regional water pollution and use of unregulated water sources can be an important mixed metals exposure pathway for rural populations located in areas with limited water infrastructure and an extensive mining history. Using censored data analysis and mapping techniques we analyzed the joint geospatial distribution of arsenic and uranium in unregulated water sources throughout the Navajo Nation, where over 500 abandoned uranium mine sites are located in the rural southwestern United States. Results indicated that arsenic and uranium concentrations exceeded national drinking water standards in 15.1 % (arsenic) and 12.8 % (uranium) of tested water sources. Unregulated sources in close proximity (i.e., within 6 km) to abandoned uranium mines yielded significantly higher concentrations of arsenic or uranium than more distant sources. The demonstrated regional trends for potential co-exposure to these chemicals have implications for public policy and future research. Specifically, to generate solutions that reduce human exposure to water pollution from unregulated sources in rural areas, the potential for co-exposure to arsenic and uranium requires expanded documentation and examination. Recommendations for prioritizing policy and research decisions related to the documentation of existing health exposures and risk reduction strategies are also provided.

Chemical quality and regulatory compliance of drinking water in Iceland.

PubMed

Gunnarsdottir, Maria J; Gardarsson, Sigurdur M; Jonsson, Gunnar St; Bartram, Jamie

2016-11-01

Assuring sufficient quality of drinking water is of great importance for public wellbeing and prosperity. Nations have developed regulatory system with the aim of providing drinking water of sufficient quality and to minimize the risk of contamination of the water supply in the first place. In this study the chemical quality of Icelandic drinking water was evaluated by systematically analyzing results from audit monitoring where 53 parameters were assessed for 345 samples from 79 aquifers, serving 74 water supply systems. Compliance to the Icelandic Drinking Water Regulation (IDWR) was evaluated with regard to parametric values, minimum requirement of sampling, and limit of detection. Water quality compliance was divided according to health-related chemicals and indicators, and analyzed according to size. Samples from few individual locations were benchmarked against natural background levels (NBLs) in order to identify potential pollution sources. The results show that drinking compliance was 99.97% in health-related chemicals and 99.44% in indicator parameters indicating that Icelandic groundwater abstracted for drinking water supply is generally of high quality with no expected health risks. In 10 water supply systems, of the 74 tested, there was an indication of anthropogenic chemical pollution, either at the source or in the network, and in another 6 water supplies there was a need to improve the water intake to prevent surface water intrusion. Benchmarking against the NBLs proved to be useful in tracing potential pollution sources, providing a useful tool for identifying pollution at an early stage. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Contrasting Eutrophication Risks and Countermeasures in Different Water Bodies: Assessments to Support Targeted Watershed Management

PubMed Central

Li, Tong; Chu, Chunli; Zhang, Yinan; Ju, Meiting; Wang, Yuqiu

2017-01-01

Eutrophication is a major problem in China. To combat this issue, the country needs to establish water quality targets, monitoring systems, and intelligent watershed management. This study explores a new watershed management method. Water quality is first assessed using a single factor index method. Then, changes in total nitrogen/total phosphorus (TN/TP) are analyzed to determine the limiting factor. Next, the study compares the eutrophication status of two water function districts, using a comprehensive nutritional state index method and geographic information system (GIS) visualization. Finally, nutrient sources are qualitatively analyzed. Two functional water areas in Tianjin, China were selected and analyzed: Qilihai National Wetland Nature Reserve and Yuqiao Reservoir. The reservoir is a drinking water source. Results indicate that total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) pollution are the main factors driving eutrophication in the Qilihai Wetland and Yuqiao Reservoir. Phosphorus was the limiting factor in the Yuqiao Reservoir; nitrogen was the limiting factor in the Qilihai Wetland. Pollution in Qilihai Wetland is more serious than in Yuqiao Reservoir. The study found that external sources are the main source of pollution. These two functional water areas are vital for Tianjin; as such, the study proposes targeted management measures. PMID:28661417

COMBINING SOURCES IN STABLE ISOTOPE MIXING MODELS: ALTERNATIVE METHODS

EPA Science Inventory

Stable isotope mixing models are often used to quantify source contributions to a mixture. Examples include pollution source identification; trophic web studies; analysis of water sources for soils, plants, or water bodies; and many others. A common problem is having too many s...

[Research on evaluation of water quality of Beijing urban stormwater runoff].

PubMed

Hou, Pei-Qiang; Ren, Yu-Fen; Wang, Xiao-Ke; Ouyang, Zhi-Yun; Zhou, Xiao-Ping

2012-01-01

The natural rainwater and stormwater runoff samples from three underlying surfaces (rooftop, campus road and ring road) were sampled and analyzed from July to October, 2010 in Beijing. Eight rainfall events were collected totally and thirteen water quality parameters were measured in each event. Grey relationship analysis and principal component analysis were applied to assess composite water quality and identify the main pollution sources of stormwater runoff. The results show that the composite water quality of ring road runoff is mostly polluted, and then is rooftop runoff, campus road runoff and rainwater, respectively. The composite water quality of ring road runoff is inferior to V class of surface water, while rooftop runoff, campus road runoff and rainwater are in II class of surface water. The mean concentration of TN and NH4(+)-N in rainwater and runoff is 5.49-11.75 mg x L(-1) and 2.90-5.67 mg x L(-1), respectively, indicating that rainwater and runoff are polluted by nitrogen (N). Two potential pollution sources are identified in ring road runoff: (1) P, SS and organic pollutant are possibly related to debris which is from vehicle tyre and material of ring road; (2) N and dissolved metal have relations with automobile exhaust emissions and bulk deposition.

Nationwide assessment of nonpoint source threats to water quality

Treesearch

Thomas C. Brown; Pamela Froemke

2012-01-01

Water quality is a continuing national concern, in part because the containment of pollution from nonpoint (diffuse) sources remains a challenge. We examine the spatial distribution of nonpoint-source threats to water quality. On the basis of comprehensive data sets for a series of watershed stressors, the relative risk of water-quality impairment was estimated for the...

Evaluating agricultural nonpoint-source pollution using integrated geographic information systems and hydrologic/water quality model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tim, U.S.; Jolly, R.

1994-01-01

Considerable progress has been made in developing physically based, distributed parameter, hydrologic/water quality (HIWQ) models for planning and control of nonpoint-source pollution. The widespread use of these models is often constrained by the excessive and time-consuming input data demands and the lack of computing efficiencies necessary for iterative simulation of alternative management strategies. Recent developments in geographic information systems (GIS) provide techniques for handling large amounts of spatial data for modeling nonpoint-source pollution problems. Because a GIS can be used to combine information from several sources to form an array of model input data and to examine any combinations ofmore » spatial input/output data, it represents a highly effective tool for HiWQ modeling. This paper describes the integration of a distributed-parameter model (AGNPS) with a GIS (ARC/INFO) to examine nonpoint sources of pollution in an agricultural watershed. The ARC/INFO GIS provided the tools to generate and spatially organize the disparate data to support modeling, while the AGNPS model was used to predict several water quality variables including soil erosion and sedimentation within a watershed. The integrated system was used to evaluate the effectiveness of several alternative management strategies in reducing sediment pollution in a 417-ha watershed located in southern Iowa. The implementation of vegetative filter strips and contour buffer (grass) strips resulted in a 41 and 47% reduction in sediment yield at the watershed outlet, respectively. In addition, when the integrated system was used, the combination of the above management strategies resulted in a 71% reduction in sediment yield. In general, the study demonstrated the utility of integrating a simulation model with GIS for nonpoini-source pollution control and planning. Such techniques can help characterize the diffuse sources of pollution at the landscape level. 52 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.« less

Guidance for the Development of Air Force Storm Water Sampling Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-09-01

38 Storm Water Quality Monitoring ................. 39 Determining Flow Rate ....................... 42 Weirs and Flumes... water quality monitoring it is not possible to analyze the entire nmoff from a drainage basin. The objective of water quality sampling is to collect a...development of storm water pollution prevention plans. Best management practices can also be developed to control the pollution sources identified. In storm

Web-based Communication of Water Quality Issues and Potential Solution Exploration

EPA Science Inventory

Many United States water bodies are impaired, i.e., do not meet applicable water quality standards. Pollutants enter water bodies from point sources (PS) and non-point sources (NPS). Loadings from PS are regulated by the Clean Water Act and permits limit them. Loadings from NPS a...

Comparing drinking water treatment costs to source water protection costs using time series analysis.

EPA Science Inventory

We present a framework to compare water treatment costs to source water protection costs, an important knowledge gap for drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs). This trade-off helps to determine what incentives a DWTP has to invest in natural infrastructure or pollution reductio...

Contribution of Man – Made Activities to the Pollution of the Tigris within Mosul Area/IRAQ

PubMed Central

Al-Rawi, S. M.

2005-01-01

This paper presents an overall view of major sources that may lead to the pollution of the Tigris within Mosul city. A stretch exceeding 20kms in length is selected that represents the “sick” path of the river. Many sites along the studied stretch are likely to affect the river quality in some way or another. Samples from 40 sources sites are taken for quality analyses These sources – as huge as 400000 m3 a day – are characterized as (medium – strong) in composition. Such wastewaters with the pollutants they carry alter the river water quality rendering it unsuitable for beneficial uses. Such alterations – do leave –many negative consequences concerning human beings and aquatic life. It is found that domestic discharges are among the most important sources of pollution. Sanitary wastes are often discharged – untreated -into the Tigris. Other illegal practices such as in-house slaughtering add to the pollution as well. Industrial, tourist and institutional wastes put an additional burden on pollution of the river water quality. These wastes contain lead, chrome, and other heavy metals that may pose health risks. Wastewater treatment plants that exist in some sectors do not perform as they are expected. They need proper evaluation and rehabilitation. Eutrophication - a characteristic problem in lakes - finds an access to occur into the Tigris. This problem results from intensive use of detergents rich in nutrients (P&N compounds). In general, pollutants of different sources heavily affect the river water. Recovery and self purification of the river is estimated to occur at 40 km far from reference point. The paper concludes with the necessity of construction of a central treatment plant(s) or tackling the pollutants at their origin. The paper also stresses on importance of environmental education and awareness in order to combat pollution problems. PMID:16705824

Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments (CZARA) Section 6217

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program (Section 6217) addresses nonpoint pollution problems in coastal waters.In its program, a state or territory describes how it will implement nonpoint source pollution controls, known as management measures.

National Management Measures to Protect and Restore Wetlands and Riparian Areas for the Abatement of Nonpoint Source Pollution

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Guidance includes technical assistance to state, local, and tribal program managers on means of reducing nonpoint source pollution of surface and ground water through the protection and restoration of wetlands and riparian areas.

UNCERTAINTY IN LEACHING POTENTIAL OF NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTANTS WITH APPLICATION TO GIS

EPA Science Inventory

This paper presents a stochastic framework for the assessment of groundwater pollution potential of nonpoint source pesticides. A conceptual relationship is presented that relates seasonally averaged groundwater recharge to soil properties and depths to the water table. The analy...

RECOGNIZING FARMERS' ATTITUDES AND IMPLEMENTING NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION CONTROL POLICIES

EPA Science Inventory

This report examines the role of farmer attitudes and corresponding communication activities in the implementation of nonpoint source water pollution control programs. The report begins with an examination of the basis for and function of attitudes in influencing behavior. The ro...

Estimation of Phosphorus Emissions in the Upper Iguazu Basin (brazil) Using GIS and the More Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acosta Porras, E. A.; Kishi, R. T.; Fuchs, S.; Hilgert, S.

2016-06-01

Pollution emissions into the drainage basin have direct impact on surface water quality. These emissions result from human activities that turn into pollution loads when they reach the water bodies, as point or diffuse sources. Their pollution potential depends on the characteristics and quantity of the transported materials. The estimation of pollution loads can assist decision-making in basin management. Knowledge about the potential pollution sources allows for a prioritization of pollution control policies to achieve the desired water quality. Consequently, it helps avoiding problems such as eutrophication of water bodies. The focus of the research described in this study is related to phosphorus emissions into river basins. The study area is the upper Iguazu basin that lies in the northeast region of the State of Paraná, Brazil, covering about 2,965 km2 and around 4 million inhabitants live concentrated on just 16% of its area. The MoRE (Modeling of Regionalized Emissions) model was used to estimate phosphorus emissions. MoRE is a model that uses empirical approaches to model processes in analytical units, capable of using spatially distributed parameters, covering both, emissions from point sources as well as non-point sources. In order to model the processes, the basin was divided into 152 analytical units with an average size of 20 km2. Available data was organized in a GIS environment. Using e.g. layers of precipitation, the Digital Terrain Model from a 1:10000 scale map as well as soils and land cover, which were derived from remote sensing imagery. Further data is used, such as point pollution discharges and statistical socio-economic data. The model shows that one of the main pollution sources in the upper Iguazu basin is the domestic sewage that enters the river as point source (effluents of treatment stations) and/or as diffuse pollution, caused by failures of sanitary sewer systems or clandestine sewer discharges, accounting for about 56% of the emissions. Second significant shares of emissions come from direct runoff or groundwater, being responsible for 32% of the total emissions. Finally, agricultural erosion and industry pathways represent 12% of emissions. This study shows that MoRE is capable of producing valid emission calculation on a relatively reduced input data basis.

Lessons from a transplantation of zebra mussels into a small urban river: An integrated ecotoxicological assessment.

PubMed

Bourgeault, A; Gourlay-Francé, C; Vincent-Hubert, F; Palais, F; Geffard, A; Biagianti-Risbourg, S; Pain-Devin, S; Tusseau-Vuillemin, M-H

2010-10-01

It is often difficult to evaluate the level of contamination in small urban rivers because pollution is mainly diffuse, with low levels of numerous substances. The use of a coupled approach using both chemical and biological measurements may provide an integrated evaluation of the impact of micro-pollution on the river. Zebra mussels were transplanted along a metal and organic pollution gradient in spring 2008. For two months, mussels and water samples were collected from two sites every two weeks and analyzed for metal and PAH content as well as water physicochemical parameters. Diffusive gradients in thin film (DGT) were also used to assess levels of labile metals. Exposure of mussels to contaminants and potential impact were evaluated using physiological indices and various biomarkers including condition index (CI), defense mechanisms (glutathione-S-transferase: GST), digestive enzymes (amylase and cellulase) and genotoxicity (micronucleus test: MN and comet assay: CA). For most contaminants, the water contamination was significantly higher downstream. Bioaccumulation in zebra mussels was related to water contamination in the framework of the biodynamic model, which allowed us to take into account the biological dilution that was caused by the growth of soft tissue downstream. Thus, metal influxes were on average two times higher downstream than upstream in particular for Zn, Cr, Cu and Cd. Significant differences in condition index were observed (final CI was 0.42 ± 0.03 downstream and 0.31 ± 0.03 upstream) reflecting a better food availability downstream. Moreover a significant decrease of GST activity and digestive enzymes activity in the cristalline style was observed downstream. Interpreting this decrease requires considering not only micro-pollution but also the trophic status related to the water's physicochemistry. The MN test and the CA on gill cells highlighted genotoxicity in mussels transplanted downstream compared to upstream. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2010.

78 FR 34431 - Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-07

...EPA is proposing a regulation that would strengthen the controls on discharges from certain steam electric power plants by revising technology-based effluent limitations guidelines and standards for the steam electric power generating point source category. Steam electric power plants alone contribute 50-60 percent of all toxic pollutants discharged to surface waters by all industrial categories currently regulated in the United States under the Clean Water Act. Furthermore, power plant discharges to surface waters are expected to increase as pollutants are increasingly captured by air pollution controls and transferred to wastewater discharges. This proposal, if implemented, would reduce the amount of toxic metals and other pollutants discharged to surface waters from power plants. EPA is considering several regulatory options in this rulemaking and has identified four preferred alternatives for regulation of discharges from existing sources. These four preferred alternatives differ with respect to the scope of requirements that would be applicable to existing discharges of pollutants found in two wastestreams generated at power plants. EPA estimates that the preferred options for this proposed rule would annually reduce pollutant discharges by 0.47 billion to 2.62 billion pounds, reduce water use by 50 billion to 103 billion gallons, cost $185 million to $954 million, and would be economically achievable.

40 CFR 463.17 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... contact cooling and heating water processes at a point source times the following pollutant concentrations: Subpart A [Contact cooling and heating water] Concentration used to calculate BCT effluent limitations Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day (mg/l) BOD5 26 Oil and grease 29 TSS 19 pH (1) 1...

40 CFR 463.17 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... contact cooling and heating water processes at a point source times the following pollutant concentrations: Subpart A [Contact cooling and heating water] Concentration used to calculate BCT effluent limitations Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day (mg/l) BOD5 26 Oil and grease 29 TSS 19 pH (1) 1...

40 CFR 463.22 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... TSS 117 36 pH (1) (1) 1 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0 at all times. The permit authority will obtain... for the cleaning water processes at a point source times the following pollutant concentrations: Subpart B [Cleaning water] Concentration used to calculate BPT effluent limitations Pollutant or pollutant...

40 CFR 463.22 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... TSS 117 36 pH (1) (1) 1 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0 at all times. The permit authority will obtain... for the cleaning water processes at a point source times the following pollutant concentrations: Subpart B [Cleaning water] Concentration used to calculate BPT effluent limitations Pollutant or pollutant...

40 CFR 463.22 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... TSS 117 36 pH (1) (1) 1 Within the range of 6.0 to 9.0 at all times. The permit authority will obtain... for the cleaning water processes at a point source times the following pollutant concentrations: Subpart B [Cleaning water] Concentration used to calculate BPT effluent limitations Pollutant or pollutant...

40 CFR 463.17 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... contact cooling and heating water processes at a point source times the following pollutant concentrations: Subpart A [Contact cooling and heating water] Concentration used to calculate BCT effluent limitations Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day (mg/l) BOD5 26 Oil and grease 29 TSS 19 pH (1) 1...

40 CFR 463.17 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... cooling and heating water processes at a point source times the following pollutant concentrations: Subpart A [Contact cooling and heating water] Concentration used to calculate BCT effluent limitations Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day (mg/l) BOD5 26 Oil and grease 29 TSS 19 pH (1) 1...

Pollution loads in urban runoff and sanitary wastewater.

PubMed

Taebi, Amir; Droste, Ronald L

2004-07-05

While more attention has been paid in recent years to urban point source pollution control through the establishment of wastewater treatment plants in many developing countries, no considerable planning nor any serious measures have been taken to control urban non-point source pollution (urban stormwater runoff). The present study is a screening analysis to investigate the pollution loads in urban runoff compared to point source loads as a first prerequisite for planning and management of receiving water quality. To compare pollutant loads from point and non-point urban sources, the pollutant load is expressed as the weight of pollutant per hectare area per year (kg/ha.year). Unit loads were estimated in stormwater runoff, raw sanitary wastewater and secondary treatment effluents in Isfahan, Iran. Results indicate that the annual pollution load in urban runoff is lower than the annual pollution load in sanitary wastewater in areas with low precipitation but it is higher in areas with high precipitation. Two options, namely, advanced treatment (in lieu of secondary treatment) of sanitary wastewater and urban runoff quality control systems (such as detention ponds) were investigated as controlling systems for pollution discharges into receiving waters. The results revealed that for Isfahan, as a low precipitation urban area, advanced treatment is a more suitable option, but for high precipitation urban areas, urban surface runoff quality control installations were more effective for suspended solids and oxygen-demanding matter controls, and that advanced treatment is the more effective option for nutrient control.

Quantitative evaluation of water quality in the coastal zone by remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

James, W. P.

1971-01-01

Remote sensing as a tool in a waste management program is discussed. By monitoring both the pollution sources and the environmental quality, the interaction between the components of the exturaine system was observed. The need for in situ sampling is reduced with the development of improved calibrated, multichannel sensors. Remote sensing is used for: (1) pollution source determination, (2) mapping the influence zone of the waste source on water quality parameters, and (3) estimating the magnitude of the water quality parameters. Diffusion coefficients and circulation patterns can also be determined by remote sensing, along with subtle changes in vegetative patterns and density.

Simulation of in-stream water quality on global scale under changing climate and anthropogenic conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voss, Anja; Bärlund, Ilona; Punzet, Manuel; Williams, Richard; Teichert, Ellen; Malve, Olli; Voß, Frank

2010-05-01

Although catchment scale modelling of water and solute transport and transformations is a widely used technique to study pollution pathways and effects of natural changes, policies and mitigation measures there are only a few examples of global water quality modelling. This work will provide a description of the new continental-scale model of water quality WorldQual and the analysis of model simulations under changed climate and anthropogenic conditions with respect to changes in diffuse and point loading as well as surface water quality. BOD is used as an indicator of the level of organic pollution and its oxygen-depleting potential, and for the overall health of aquatic ecosystems. The first application of this new water quality model is to river systems of Europe. The model itself is being developed as part of the EU-funded SCENES Project which has the principal goal of developing new scenarios of the future of freshwater resources in Europe. The aim of the model is to determine chemical fluxes in different pathways combining analysis of water quantity with water quality. Simple equations, consistent with the availability of data on the continental scale, are used to simulate the response of in-stream BOD concentrations to diffuse and anthropogenic point loadings as well as flow dilution. Point sources are divided into manufacturing, domestic and urban loadings, whereas diffuse loadings come from scattered settlements, agricultural input (for instance livestock farming), and also from natural background sources. The model is tested against measured longitudinal gradients and time series data at specific river locations with different loading characteristics like the Thames that is driven by domestic loading and Ebro with relative high share of diffuse loading. With scenario studies the influence of climate and anthropogenic changes on European water resources shall be investigated with the following questions: 1. What percentage of river systems will have degraded water quality due to different driving forces? 2. How will climate change and changes in wastewater discharges affect water quality? For the analysis these scenario aspects are included: 1. climate with changed runoff (affecting diffuse pollution and loading from sealed areas), river discharge (causing dilution or concentration of point source pollution) and water temperature (affecting BOD degradation). 2. Point sources with changed population (affecting domestic pollution), connectivity to treatment plants (influencing domestic and manufacturing pollution as well as input from sealed areas and scattered settlements).

Method of generating hydrogen gas from sodium borohydride

DOEpatents

Kravitz, Stanley H.; Hecht, Andrew M.; Sylwester, Alan P.; Bell, Nelson S.

2007-12-11

A compact solid source of hydrogen gas, where the gas is generated by contacting water with micro-disperse particles of sodium borohydride in the presence of a catalyst, such as cobalt or ruthenium. The micro-disperse particles can have a substantially uniform diameter of 1-10 microns, and preferably about 3-5 microns. Ruthenium or cobalt catalytic nanoparticles can be incorporated in the micro-disperse particles of sodium borohydride, which allows a rapid and complete reaction to occur without the problems associated with caking and scaling of the surface by the reactant product sodium metaborate. A closed loop water management system can be used to recycle wastewater from a PEM fuel cell to supply water for reacting with the micro-disperse particles of sodium borohydride in a compact hydrogen gas generator. Capillary forces can wick water from a water reservoir into a packed bed of micro-disperse fuel particles, eliminating the need for using an active pump.

URBAN STORMWATER TOXIC POLLUTANTS: ASSESSMENT, SOURCES, AND TREATABILITY

EPA Science Inventory

This paper summarizes an investigation to characterize and treat selected storm water contaminants that are listed as toxic pollutants (termed toxicants in this paper) in the Clean Water Act, Section 307 (Arbuckle et al., 1991). The first project phase investigated typical toxica...

Infiltration of stormwater from highway operations to reduce coastal pollution.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-12-01

The coastal waters of Hawaii are extremely important for recreation as well as for the health of : the marine environment. Runoff from the construction and operation of highways can be a : source of pollution to coastal waters. Individual states in t...

Manufacturing a low-cost ceramic water filter and filter system for the elimination of common pathogenic bacteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simonis, J. J.; Basson, A. K.

Africa is one of the most water-scarce continents in the world but it is the lack of potable water which results in diarrhoea being the leading cause of death amongst children under the age of five in Africa (696 million children under 5 years old in Africa contract diarrhoea resulting in 2000 deaths per day: WHO and UNICEF, 2009). Most potable water treatment methods use bulk water treatment not suitable or available to the majority of rural poor in Sub-Saharan Africa. One simple but effective way of making sure that water is of good quality is by purifying it by means of a household ceramic water filter. The making and supply of water filters suitable for the removal of suspended solids, pathogenic bacteria and other toxins from drinking water is therefore critical. A micro-porous ceramic water filter with micron-sized pores was developed using the traditional slip casting process. This locally produced filter has the advantage of making use of less raw materials, cost, labour, energy and expertise and being more effective and efficient than other low cost produced filters. The filter is fitted with a silicone tube inserted into a collapsible bag that acts as container and protection for the filter. Enhanced flow is obtained through this filter system. The product was tested using water inoculated with high concentrations of different bacterial cultures as well as with locally polluted stream water. The filter is highly effective (log10 > 4 with 99.99% reduction efficiency) in providing protection from bacteria and suspended solids found in natural water. With correct cleaning and basic maintenance this filter technology can effectively provide drinking water to rural families affected by polluted surface water sources. This is an African solution for the more than 340 million people in Africa without access to clean drinking water (WHO and UNICEF, 2008).

Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Assessment of Non-point Source Pollution Measured Through Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) Changes in a Tropical Complex Catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdulkareem, Jabir Haruna; Sulaiman, Wan Nor Azmin; Pradhan, Biswajeet; Jamil, Nor Rohaizah

2018-03-01

The contribution of non-point source pollution (NPS) to the contamination of surface water is an issue of growing concern. Non-point source (NPS) pollutants are of various types and altered by several site-specific factors making them difficult to control due to complex uncertainties involve in their behavior. Kelantan River basin, Malaysia is a tropical catchment receiving heavy monsoon rainfall coupled with intense land use/land cover (LULC) changes making the area consistently flood prone thereby deteriorating the surface water quality in the area. This study was conducted to determine the spatio-temporal variation of NPS pollutant loads among different LULC changes and to establish a NPS pollutant loads relationships among LULC conditions and sub-basins in each catchment. Four pollutants parameters such as total suspended solids (TSS), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN) and ammonia nitrogen (AN) were chosen with their corresponding event mean concentration values (EMC). Soil map and LULC change maps corresponding to 1984, 2002 and 2013 were used for the calculation of runoff and NPS pollutant loads using numeric integration in a GIS environment. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was conducted for the comparison of NPS pollutant loads among the three LULC conditions used and the sub-basins in each catchment. The results showed that the spatio-temporal variation of pollutant loads in almost all the catchments increased with changes in LULC condition as one moves from 1984 to 2013, with 2013 LULC condition found as the dominant in almost all cases. NPS pollutant loads among different LULC changes also increased with changes in LULC condition from 1984 to 2013. While urbanization was found to be the dominant LULC change with the highest pollutant load in all the catchments. Results from ANOVA reveals that statistically most significant (p < 0.05) pollutant loads were obtained from 2013 LULC conditions, while statistically least significant (p < 0.05) pollutant loads were obtained under 1984 LULC condition. This reveals the clear effect of LULC changes on NPS pollution. The findings of this study may be useful to water resource planners in controlling water pollution for future planning.

Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Assessment of Non-point Source Pollution Measured Through Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) Changes in a Tropical Complex Catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdulkareem, Jabir Haruna; Sulaiman, Wan Nor Azmin; Pradhan, Biswajeet; Jamil, Nor Rohaizah

2018-05-01

The contribution of non-point source pollution (NPS) to the contamination of surface water is an issue of growing concern. Non-point source (NPS) pollutants are of various types and altered by several site-specific factors making them difficult to control due to complex uncertainties involve in their behavior. Kelantan River basin, Malaysia is a tropical catchment receiving heavy monsoon rainfall coupled with intense land use/land cover (LULC) changes making the area consistently flood prone thereby deteriorating the surface water quality in the area. This study was conducted to determine the spatio-temporal variation of NPS pollutant loads among different LULC changes and to establish a NPS pollutant loads relationships among LULC conditions and sub-basins in each catchment. Four pollutants parameters such as total suspended solids (TSS), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN) and ammonia nitrogen (AN) were chosen with their corresponding event mean concentration values (EMC). Soil map and LULC change maps corresponding to 1984, 2002 and 2013 were used for the calculation of runoff and NPS pollutant loads using numeric integration in a GIS environment. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was conducted for the comparison of NPS pollutant loads among the three LULC conditions used and the sub-basins in each catchment. The results showed that the spatio-temporal variation of pollutant loads in almost all the catchments increased with changes in LULC condition as one moves from 1984 to 2013, with 2013 LULC condition found as the dominant in almost all cases. NPS pollutant loads among different LULC changes also increased with changes in LULC condition from 1984 to 2013. While urbanization was found to be the dominant LULC change with the highest pollutant load in all the catchments. Results from ANOVA reveals that statistically most significant ( p < 0.05) pollutant loads were obtained from 2013 LULC conditions, while statistically least significant ( p < 0.05) pollutant loads were obtained under 1984 LULC condition. This reveals the clear effect of LULC changes on NPS pollution. The findings of this study may be useful to water resource planners in controlling water pollution for future planning.

Mapping the scientific research on non-point source pollution: a bibliometric analysis.

PubMed

Yang, Beibei; Huang, Kai; Sun, Dezhi; Zhang, Yue

2017-02-01

A bibliometric analysis was conducted to examine the progress and future research trends of non-point source (NPS) pollution during the years 1991-2015 based on the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-Expanded) of Web of Science (WoS). The publications referencing NPS pollution were analyzed including the following aspects: document type, publication language, publication output and characteristics, subject category, source journal, distribution of country and institution, author keywords, etc. The results indicate that the study of NPS pollution demonstrated a sharply increasing trend since 1991. Article and English were the most commonly used document type and language. Environmental sciences and ecology, water resources, and engineering were the top three subject categories. Water science and technology ranked first in distribution of journal, followed by Science of the total environment and Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. The USA took a leading position in both quantity and quality, playing an important role in the research field of NPS pollution, followed by the UK and China. The most productive institution was the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Acad Sci), followed by Beijing Normal University and US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS). The analysis of author keywords indicates that the major hotspots of NPS pollution from 1991 to 2015 contained "water," "model," "agriculture," "nitrogen," "phosphorus," etc. The results provide a comprehensive understanding of NPS pollution research and help readers to establish the future research directions.

[Temporal variation of water quality and driving factors in Yanghe watershed of Zhangjiakou].

PubMed

Pang, Bo; Wang, Tie-Yu; Lü, Yong-Long; Du, Li-Yu; Luo, Wei

2013-01-01

Yanghe is an important water source for Guanting Reservoir, which once supplied the Beijing city with drinking water, industrial process water and water-use in landscape. Based on the data of water quality monitored by Yanghe watershed monitoring stations from 1992 to 2009, 11 pollutants were selected for analysis. The trends of changes in water quality were figured out, and the major pollutants and driving factors were measured by the integrated standard index and grey correlation analytical methods. The results showed that there were two stages of water quality change in Yanghe watershed of Zhangjiakou. Firstly, the water was polluted seriously but recovered rapidly from 1992 to 1996. Secondly, although light pollution occurred in the watershed from 1997 to 2009, the pollution factors were still above the limits. The main pollution factors are ammonia nitrogen, petroleum, permanganate index, BOD5, Cr6+ and Cd. The main driving factor of water quality is the change of land use type, and the agricultural land showed less impact on water quality than the industrial land.

MICROBIAL SOURCE TRACKING: DIFFERENT USES AND APPROACHES

EPA Science Inventory

Microbial Source Tracking (MST) methods are used to determine the origin of fecal pollution impacting natural water systems. Several methods require the isolation of pure cultures in order to develop phenotypic or genotypic fingerprint libraries of both source and water bacterial...

PubMed Central

QUATTO, P.

2015-01-01

Summary Introduction. An excess of nitrates causes environmental pollution in receiving water bodies and health risk for human, if contaminated water is source of drinking water. The directive 91/676/ CEE [1] aims to reduce the nitrogen pressure in Europe from agriculture sources and identifies the livestock population as one of the predominant sources of surplus of nutrients that could be released in water and air. Directive is concerned about cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry and their territorial loads, but it does not deal with fish farms. Fish farms effluents may contain pollutants affecting ecosystem water quality. Methods. On the basis of multivariate statistical analysis, this paper aims to establish what types of farming affect the presence of nitrates in drinking water in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy. In this regard, we have used data from official sources on nitrates in drinking water and data Arvet database, concerning the presence of intensive farming in the considered area. For model selection we have employed automatic variable selection algorithm. Results and discussion. We have identified fish farms as a major source of nitrogen released into the environment, while pollution from sheep and poultry has appeared negligible. We would like to emphasize the need to include in the "Nitrate Vulnerable Zones" (as defined in Directive 91/676/CEE [1]), all areas where there are intensive farming of fish with open-system type of water use. Besides, aquaculture open-system should be equipped with adequate downstream system of filtering for removing nitrates in the wastewater. PMID:26900335

Occurrence and health risk assessment of organotins in waterworks and the source water of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, China.

PubMed

Deng, Ting; Wu, Lei; Gao, Jun-Min; Zhou, Bin; Zhang, Ya-Li; Wu, Wen-Nan; Tang, Zhuo-Heng; Jiang, Wen-Chao; Huang, Wei-Lin

2018-05-01

The occurrence and health risks of organotins (OTs) in the waterworks and source water in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region (TGRR), China were assessed in this study. Water samples were collected at four waterworks (A, B, C, and D) in March and July 2012 to analyze butyltins (BTs) and phenyltins (PTs) using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) system. Our results showed that both the waterworks and their nearby water sources were polluted by OTs, with PTs being the most dominant species. Monobutyltin (MBT), monophenyltin (MPT), diphenyltin (DPT), and triphenyltin (TPT) were detected in most of the analyzed water samples. The highest concentrations of OTs in influents, effluents, and source water in March were 52.81, 17.93, and 55.32 ng Sn L -1 , respectively. Furthermore, significant seasonal changes in OTs pollution were observed in all samples, showing pollution worse in spring compared with summer. The removal of OTs by the conventional treatment processes was not stable among the waterworks. The removal efficiency of OTs in July reached 100% at plant B, while that at plant C was only 38.8%. The source water and influents shared similar composition profiles, concentrations, and seasonal change of OTs, which indicated that OTs in the waterworks were derived from the source water. A health risk assessment indicated that the presence of OTs in the waterworks would not pose a significant health risk to the population, yet their presence should not be ignored.

Novel human-associated Lachnospiraceae genetic markers improve detection of fecal pollution sources in urban waters.

PubMed

Feng, Shuchen; Bootsma, Melinda; McLellan, Sandra L

2018-05-04

The human microbiome contains many organisms that could potentially be used as indicators of human fecal pollution. Here we report the development of two novel human-associated genetic marker assays that target organisms within the family Lachnospiraceae Next-generation sequencing of the V6 region of the 16S rRNA gene from sewage and animal stool samples identified 40 human-associated marker candidates with a robust signal in sewage and low or no occurrence in nonhuman hosts. Two were chosen for quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay development using longer sequences (V2 to V9 regions) generated from clone libraries. Validation of these assays, designated Lachno3 and Lachno12, was performed using fecal samples (n=55) from cat, dog, pig, cow, deer, and gull sources, and compared with established host-associated assays (Lachno2, and two Human Bacteroides assays; HB and HF183/BacR287). Each of the established assays cross-reacted with at least one other animal, including animals common in urban areas. Lachno3 and Lachno12 were primarily human-associated; however, Lachno12 demonstrated low levels of cross-reactivity with select cows, and non-specific amplification in pigs. This limitation may not be problematic when testing urban waters. These novel markers resolved ambiguous results from previous investigations in stormwater-impacted waters, demonstrating their utility. The complexity of the microbiome in humans and animals suggests no single organism is strictly specific to humans, and multiple complementary markers used in combination will provide the highest resolution and specificity for assessing fecal pollution sources. IMPORTANCE Traditional fecal indicator bacteria do not distinguish animal from human fecal pollution, which is necessary to evaluate health risks and mitigate pollution sources. Assessing urban areas is challenging since water can be impacted by sewage, which has a high likelihood of carrying human pathogens, as well as pet waste and urban wildlife. We demonstrate Lachno3 and Lachno12 assays are human-associated and highly specific for urban sources, offering reliable identification of fecal pollution sources in urban waters. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

Using the example of Istanbul to outline general aspects of protecting reservoirs, rivers and lakes used for drinking water abstraction.

PubMed

Tanik, A

2000-01-01

The six main drinking water reservoirs of Istanbul are under the threat of pollution due to rapid population increase, unplanned urbanisation and insufficient infrastructure. In contrast to the present land use profile, the environmental evaluation of the catchment areas reveals that point sources of pollutants, especially of domestic origin, dominate over those from diffuse sources. The water quality studies also support these findings, emphasising that if no substantial precautions are taken, there will be no possibility of obtaining drinking water from them. In this paper, under the light of the present status of the reservoirs, possible and probable short- and long-term protective measures are outlined for reducing the impact of point sources. Immediate precautions mostly depend on reducing the pollution arising from the existing settlements. Long-term measures mainly emphasise the preparation of new land use plans taking into consideration the protection of unoccupied lands. Recommendations on protection and control of the reservoirs are stated.

Stochastic sensitivity analysis of nitrogen pollution to climate change in a river basin with complex pollution sources.

PubMed

Yang, Xiaoying; Tan, Lit; He, Ruimin; Fu, Guangtao; Ye, Jinyin; Liu, Qun; Wang, Guoqing

2017-12-01

It is increasingly recognized that climate change could impose both direct and indirect impacts on the quality of the water environment. Previous studies have mostly concentrated on evaluating the impacts of climate change on non-point source pollution in agricultural watersheds. Few studies have assessed the impacts of climate change on the water quality of river basins with complex point and non-point pollution sources. In view of the gap, this paper aims to establish a framework for stochastic assessment of the sensitivity of water quality to future climate change in a river basin with complex pollution sources. A sub-daily soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model was developed to simulate the discharge, transport, and transformation of nitrogen from multiple point and non-point pollution sources in the upper Huai River basin of China. A weather generator was used to produce 50 years of synthetic daily weather data series for all 25 combinations of precipitation (changes by - 10, 0, 10, 20, and 30%) and temperature change (increases by 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 °C) scenarios. The generated daily rainfall series was disaggregated into the hourly scale and then used to drive the sub-daily SWAT model to simulate the nitrogen cycle under different climate change scenarios. Our results in the study region have indicated that (1) both total nitrogen (TN) loads and concentrations are insensitive to temperature change; (2) TN loads are highly sensitive to precipitation change, while TN concentrations are moderately sensitive; (3) the impacts of climate change on TN concentrations are more spatiotemporally variable than its impacts on TN loads; and (4) wide distributions of TN loads and TN concentrations under individual climate change scenario illustrate the important role of climatic variability in affecting water quality conditions. In summary, the large variability in SWAT simulation results within and between each climate change scenario highlights the uncertainty of the impacts of climate change and the need to incorporate extreme conditions in managing water environment and developing climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Spatial assessment and source identification of heavy metals pollution in surface water using several chemometric techniques.

PubMed

Ismail, Azimah; Toriman, Mohd Ekhwan; Juahir, Hafizan; Zain, Sharifuddin Md; Habir, Nur Liyana Abdul; Retnam, Ananthy; Kamaruddin, Mohd Khairul Amri; Umar, Roslan; Azid, Azman

2016-05-15

This study presents the determination of the spatial variation and source identification of heavy metal pollution in surface water along the Straits of Malacca using several chemometric techniques. Clustering and discrimination of heavy metal compounds in surface water into two groups (northern and southern regions) are observed according to level of concentrations via the application of chemometric techniques. Principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrates that Cu and Cr dominate the source apportionment in northern region with a total variance of 57.62% and is identified with mining and shipping activities. These are the major contamination contributors in the Straits. Land-based pollution originating from vehicular emission with a total variance of 59.43% is attributed to the high level of Pb concentration in the southern region. The results revealed that one state representing each cluster (northern and southern regions) is significant as the main location for investigating heavy metal concentration in the Straits of Malacca which would save monitoring cost and time. The monitoring of spatial variation and source of heavy metals pollution at the northern and southern regions of the Straits of Malacca, Malaysia, using chemometric analysis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Decline in Chinese lake phosphorus concentration accompanied by shift in sources since 2006

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, Yindong; Zhang, Wei; Wang, Xuejun; Couture, Raoul-Marie; Larssen, Thorjørn; Zhao, Yue; Li, Jing; Liang, Huijiao; Liu, Xueyan; Bu, Xiaoge; He, Wei; Zhang, Qianggong; Lin, Yan

2017-07-01

Domestic wastewater and agricultural activities are important sources of nutrient pollutants such as phosphorus and nitrogen. Upon reaching freshwater, these nutrients can lead to extensive growth of harmful algae, which results in eutrophication. Many Chinese lakes are subject to such eutrophication, especially in highly polluted areas, and as such, understanding nutrient fluxes to these lakes offers insights into the varying processes governing pollutant fluxes as well as lake water quality. Here we analyse water quality data, recorded between 2006 and 2014 in 862 freshwater lakes in four geographical regions of China, to assess the input of phosphorus from human activity. We find that improvements in sanitation of both rural and urban domestic wastewater have resulted in large-scale declines in lake phosphorus concentrations in the most populated parts of China. In more sparsely populated regions, diffuse sources such as aquaculture and livestock farming offset this decline. Anthropogenic deforestation and soil erosion may also offset decreases in point sources of pollution. In the light of these regional differences, we suggest that a spatially flexible set of policies for water quality control would be beneficial for the future health of Chinese lakes.

40 CFR 427.115 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Wet Dust... water pollutants to navigable waters. [40 FR 1877, Jan. 9, 1975; 40 FR 18172, Apr. 25, 1975] ...

40 CFR 427.115 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Wet Dust... water pollutants to navigable waters. [40 FR 1877, Jan. 9, 1975; 40 FR 18172, Apr. 25, 1975] ...

40 CFR 427.115 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Wet Dust... water pollutants to navigable waters. [40 FR 1877, Jan. 9, 1975; 40 FR 18172, Apr. 25, 1975] ...

Experimental studies of a zeeman-tuned xenon laser differential absorption apparatus.

PubMed

Linford, G J

1973-06-01

A Zeeman-tuned cw xenon laser differential absorption device is described. The xenon laser was tuned by axial magnetic fields up to 5500 G generated by an unusually large water-cooled dc solenoid. Xenon laser lines at 3.37 micro, 3.51 micro, and 3.99 micro were tuned over ranges of 6 A, 6 A, and 11 A, respectively. To date, this apparatus has been used principally to study the details of formaldehyde absorption lines lying near the 3 .508-micro xenon laser transition. These experiments revealed that the observed absorption spectrum of formaldehyde exhibits a sufficiently unique spectral structure that the present technique may readily be used to measure relative concentrations of formaldehyde in samples of polluted air.

The Invisible Menace.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cramer, Jerome

1994-01-01

This article examines the detrimental effects of polluted run-off from agricultural production on salmonids and aquatic ecosystems, alternative farming methods used to reduce water pollution and soil erosion, and current state and federal policies to control nonpoint source pollution. (LZ)

40 CFR 463.34 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... pollutant concentrations: Subpart C [Finishing water] Concentration used to calculate NSPS Pollutant or pollutant property Maximum for any 1 day (mg/l) Maximum for monthly average (mg/l) TSS 130 37 pH (1) (1) 1...

UNCERTAINTY IN LEACHING POTENTIAL OF NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTANTS WITH APPLICATION TO A GIS

EPA Science Inventory

This paper presents a stochastic framework for the assessment of groundwater pollution potential of nonpoint source pesticides. A conceptual relationship is presented that relates seasonally averaged groundwater recharge to soil properties and depths to the water table. The analy...

Differential Decay of Bacterial and Viral Fecal Indicators in Common Human Pollution Sources

EPA Science Inventory

Understanding the decomposition of different human fecal pollution sources is necessary for proper implementation of many water quality management practices, as well as predicting associated public health risks. Here, the decay of select cultivated and molecular indicators of fe...

40 CFR 467.26 - Pretreatment standards for new sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

.... 467.26 Section 467.26 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS ALUMINUM FORMING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Rolling With Emulsions Subcategory § 467.26... parameter) 13.29 13.29 Subpart B Solution Heat Treatment Contact Cooling Water Pollutant or pollutant...

[Hygienic evaluation of transboundary pollution of the Ural River basin].

PubMed

Iskakov, A Zh; Lestsova, N A; Zasorin, B V; Boev, M V

2009-01-01

The anthropogenic pollution of the Ural River and its tributaries is the most important problem of the Ural-Caspian basin. Transboundary inflow from Kazakhstan to Russian is 30.9 km3/year. The border Ilek river pollution was hygienically evaluated and the contribution of pollution sources was ascertained, with the seasonal variations and hydrochemical background being kept in mind, from 2002 to 2007. The monitoring data on the content of priority pollutants of the surface waters of the basin of the Ilek River, a tributary of the Ural River, which come from the Republic of Kazakhstan, are given. Semiquantitative spectral estimation and the atomic absorption method were used to study the chemical composition of bottom sediments in the Ilek River and its tributaries. The magnitude and sources of influence of man-caused pollution on the quality of the river water were established.

Key blackening and stinking pollutants in Dongsha River of Beijing: Spatial distribution and source identification.

PubMed

Song, Chen; Liu, Xiaoling; Song, Yonghui; Liu, Ruixia; Gao, Hongjie; Han, Lu; Peng, Jianfeng

2017-09-15

Elimination of black-stinking water contamination has been listed as an urgent task in the Water pollution prevention action plan promulgated by State Council of China. However, the key blackening and stinking pollutants and their sources are still unclear. In this study, water quality of a black-stinking urban river in Beijing, Dongsha River, was evaluated firstly; then the distribution of the blackening and stinking pollutants was investigated, and the key pollutants and their potential sources were identified; and finally, the health risk of those pollutants was assessed. The results showed that NH 3 N, total phosphorus, dissolved oxygen and chemical oxygen demand ranged from 1.3 to 5.3 mg/L, 0.7-3.0 mg/L, 1.0-3.2 mg/L and 29-104 mg/L, respectively. The value of TP-based trophic level index indicated that Dongsha River reached severe eutrophication level; the maximum value of chroma and odor level reached 32 and 4, respectively. The main dissolved organic compounds included aromatic protein II, soluble microbiological metabolites, fulvic acids and humic acids. The blackening pollutants Fe, Mn, Cu and S 2- were extensively detected, with significantly spatial differences along the river. Dimethyl sulfide, β-ionone, 2-methylisoborneol and geosmin were identified to be the stinking pollutants. Their concentrations covered wide ranges, and even the lowest concentration value was thousands of times higher than its olfactory threshold. Correlation analysis indicated that in the overlaying water S 2- was the key blackening pollutant, while β-ionone and geosmin were the key stinking pollutants. Principal components analysis combining with the site survey revealed their potential sources. S 2- was mainly associated with the decomposition of endogenous sulfur-containing organics; β-ionone might be generated by the endogenous β-carotene bio-conversion and the exogenous discharges, while geosmin might originate from the endogenous humus bio-conversion and anthropic wastes. Furthermore, multi-metals in the sediment posed health risks to children, while dimethyl sulfide had non-cancer health risk for adults and children. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The function of advanced treatment process in a drinking water treatment plant with organic matter-polluted source water.

PubMed

Lin, Huirong; Zhang, Shuting; Zhang, Shenghua; Lin, Wenfang; Yu, Xin

2017-04-01

To understand the relationship between chemical and microbial treatment at each treatment step, as well as the relationship between microbial community structure in biofilms in biofilters and their ecological functions, a drinking water plant with severe organic matter-polluted source water was investigated. The bacterial community dynamics of two drinking water supply systems (traditional and advanced treatment processes) in this plant were studied from the source to the product water. Analysis by 454 pyrosequencing was conducted to characterize the bacterial diversity in each step of the treatment processes. The bacterial communities in these two treatment processes were highly diverse. Proteobacteria, which mainly consisted of beta-proteobacteria, was the dominant phylum. The two treatment processes used in the plant could effectively remove organic pollutants and microbial polution, especially the advanced treatment process. Significant differences in the detection of the major groups were observed in the product water samples in the treatment processes. The treatment processes, particularly the biological pretreatment and O 3 -biological activated carbon in the advanced treatment process, highly influenced the microbial community composition and the water quality. Some opportunistic pathogens were found in the water. Nitrogen-relative microorganisms found in the biofilm of filters may perform an important function on the microbial community composition and water quality improvement.

Recent Trends in Monitoring of European Water Framework Directive Priority Substances Using Micro-Sensors: A 2007–2009 Review

PubMed Central

Namour, Philippe; Lepot, Mathieu; Jaffrezic-Renault, Nicole

2010-01-01

This review discusses from a critical perspective the development of new sensors for the measurement of priority pollutants targeted in the E.U. Water Framework Directive. Significant advances are reported in the paper and their advantages and limitations are also discussed. Future perspectives in this area are also pointed out in the conclusions. This review covers publications appeared since December 2006 (the publication date of the Swift report). Among priority substances, sensors for monitoring the four WFD metals represent 81% of published papers. None of analyzed publications present a micro-sensor totally validated in laboratory, ready for tests under real conditions in the field. The researches are mainly focused on the sensing part of the micro-sensors. Nevertheless, the main factor limiting micro-sensor applications in the environment is the ruggedness of the receptor towards environmental conditions. This point constitutes the first technological obstacle to be overcome for any long-term field tests. PMID:22163635

Nonpoint Source Discharge Control on Non-Builtup Military Lands: Compliance Background Analysis Through October 1999

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-08-01

management for NPS. The State nonpoint Source Task Force coordinates joint watershed management efforts with SCS, USFS, BLM. Intense grazing and...nonpoint source water pollution discharges from unimproved lands, particularly military lands. Increasing emphasis at national and state levels on...lands, particularly military lands. Increasing emphasis at national and state levels on controlling pollutant discharges from nonpoint sources and

TREATMENT OF HEAVY METALS IN STORMWATER RUNOFF USING WET POND AND WETLAND MESOCOSMS

EPA Science Inventory

Urban stormwater runoff is being recognized as a major source of pollutants to receiving waters and a number of recent investigations have evaluated stormwater runoff quality and best management practices to minimize pollutant input to receiving waters. Particle-bound contaminant...

40 CFR 423.15 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... performance standards: (a) The pH of all discharges, except once through cooling water, shall be within the... the concentration listed in the following table: Pollutant or pollutant property NSPS effluent... cleaning wastes times the concentration listed in the following table: Pollutant or pollutant property NSPS...

40 CFR 423.15 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... performance standards: (a) The pH of all discharges, except once through cooling water, shall be within the... the concentration listed in the following table: Pollutant or pollutant property NSPS effluent... cleaning wastes times the concentration listed in the following table: Pollutant or pollutant property NSPS...

40 CFR 423.15 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... performance standards: (a) The pH of all discharges, except once through cooling water, shall be within the... the concentration listed in the following table: Pollutant or pollutant property NSPS effluent... cleaning wastes times the concentration listed in the following table: Pollutant or pollutant property NSPS...

Water Quality Planning in Rivers: Assimilative Capacity and Dilution Flow.

PubMed

Hashemi Monfared, Seyed Arman; Dehghani Darmian, Mohsen; Snyder, Shane A; Azizyan, Gholamreza; Pirzadeh, Bahareh; Azhdary Moghaddam, Mehdi

2017-11-01

Population growth, urbanization and industrial expansion are consequentially linked to increasing pollution around the world. The sources of pollution are so vast and also include point and nonpoint sources, with intrinsic challenge for control and abatement. This paper focuses on pollutant concentrations and also the distance that the pollution is in contact with the river water as objective functions to determine two main necessary characteristics for water quality management in the river. These two necessary characteristics are named assimilative capacity and dilution flow. The mean area of unacceptable concentration [Formula: see text] and affected distance (X) are considered as two objective functions to determine the dilution flow by a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) optimization algorithm. The results demonstrate that the variation of river flow discharge in different seasons can modify the assimilation capacity up to 97%. Moreover, when using dilution flow as a water quality management tool, results reveal that the content of [Formula: see text] and X change up to 97% and 93%, respectively.

Sources, factors, mechanisms and possible solutions to pollutants in marine ecosystems.

PubMed

Mostofa, Khan M G; Liu, Cong-Qiang; Vione, Davide; Gao, Kunshan; Ogawa, Hiroshi

2013-11-01

Algal toxins or red-tide toxins produced during algal blooms are naturally-derived toxic emerging contaminants (ECs) that may kill organisms, including humans, through contaminated fish or seafood. Other ECs produced either naturally or anthropogenically ultimately flow into marine waters. Pharmaceuticals are also an important pollution source, mostly due to overproduction and incorrect disposal. Ship breaking and recycle industries (SBRIs) can also release various pollutants and substantially deteriorate habitats and marine biodiversity. Overfishing is significantly increasing due to the global food crisis, caused by an increasing world population. Organic matter (OM) pollution and global warming (GW) are key factors that exacerbate these challenges (e.g. algal blooms), to which acidification in marine waters should be added as well. Sources, factors, mechanisms and possible remedial measures of these challenges to marine ecosystems are discussed, including their eventual impact on all forms of life including humans. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Characteristics and Transport Patterns of Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates and Inorganic Nitrogen Flux at Epikarst Springs and a Subterranean Stream in Nanshan, Chongqing].

PubMed

Zhang, Yuan-zhu; He, Qiu-fang; Jiang, Yong-jun; Li, Yong

2016-04-15

In a karst groundwater system, it develops complex multiple flows because of its special geological structure and unique physical patterns of aquifers. In order to investigate the characteristics and transport patterns of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in epikarst water and subterranean stream, the water samples were collected monthly in a fast-urbanizing karst region. The results showed distinctive characteristics of three forms of inorganic nitrogen. The concentration of inorganic nitrogen was stable in the epikarst water while it was fluctuant in the subterranean stream. Epikarst water was less affected by rainfall and sewage compared with subterranean stream. In epikarst water, the nitrate concentration was much higher than the ammonia concentration. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen, mainly from non-point source pollution related to agricultural activities, passed in and out of the epikarst water based on a series of physical; chemical and biological processes in the epikarst zone, such as ammonification, adsorption and nitrification. On the contrary, subterranean stream showed a result of NH₄⁺-N > NO₃⁻-N in dry seasons and NO₃⁻-N > NH₄⁺-N in rainy seasons. This can be due to the fact that sanitary and industrial sewage flowed into subterranean river through sinkholes, fissures and grikes in dry season. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen in subterranean river was mainly from the non-point source pollution in wet season. Non-point source pollutants entered into subterranean water by two transport ways, one by penetration along with vadose flow through fissures and grikes, and the other by conduit flow through sinkholes from the surface runoff, soil water flow and epikarst flow. The export flux of DIN was 56.05 kg · (hm² · a)⁻¹, and NH₄⁺-N and NO₃⁻-N accounted for 46.03% and 52.51%, respectively. The contributions of point-source pollution and non point-source pollution to the export flux of DIN were 25.08% and 74.92%, respectively, based on run-off division method.

Save Our Water Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bromley, Albert W.

The purpose of this booklet, developed as part of Project SOAR (Save Our American Resources), is to give Scout leaders some facts about the world's resources, the sources of water pollution, and how people can help in obtaining solutions. Among the topics discussed are the world's water resources, the water cycle, water quality, sources of water…

Refining models for quantifying the water quality benefits of improved animal management for use in water quality trading

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Water quality trading (WQT) is a market-based approach that allows point sources of water pollution to meet their water quality obligations by purchasing credits from the reduced discharges from other point or nonpoint sources. Non-permitted animal operations and fields of permitted animal operatio...

Simulating the evolution of non-point source pollutants in a shallow water environment.

PubMed

Yan, Min; Kahawita, Rene

2007-03-01

Non-point source pollution originating from surface applied chemicals in either liquid or solid form as part of agricultural activities, appears in the surface runoff caused by rainfall. The infiltration and transport of these pollutants has a significant impact on subsurface and riverine water quality. The present paper describes the development of a unified 2-D mathematical model incorporating individual models for infiltration, adsorption, solubility rate, advection and diffusion, which significantly improve the current practice on mathematical modeling of pollutant evolution in shallow water. The governing equations have been solved numerically using cubic spline integration. Experiments were conducted at the Hydrodynamics Laboratory of the Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal to validate the mathematical model. Good correspondence between the computed results and experimental data has been obtained. The model may be used to predict the ultimate fate of surface applied chemicals by evaluating the proportions that are dissolved, infiltrated into the subsurface or are washed off.

Using Scientific Inquiry to Teach Students about Water Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puche, Helena; Holt, Jame

2012-01-01

This semi-guided inquiry activity explores the macroinvertebrate fauna in water sources affected by different levels of pollution. Students develop their ability to identify macroinvertebrates, compare aquatic fauna from different sources of water samples, evaluate water quality using an index, document and analyze data, raise questions and…

Micro-plastic ingestion by waterbirds from contaminated wetlands in South Africa.

PubMed

Reynolds, Chevonne; Ryan, Peter G

2018-01-01

Despite a large literature on the impacts of micro-plastic pollution in marine ecosystems, very little research has focused on these pollutants in freshwater ecosystems. Recently, however, a few studies have demonstrated that micro-plastic pollutants are ingested by freshwater taxa, including birds. To explore this potential environmental threat in African freshwater systems we quantified micro-plastic pollutants in the faeces and feather brushings of seven southern African duck species. We analysed 283 faecal samples and 408 feather brushings, and found that 5% of faecal samples and 10% of feather samples contained micro-plastic fibres. The presence and abundance of micro-fibres differed between sampling sites, with significantly higher amounts recorded for the site that received effluent from a sewage treatment facility. Additionally, micro-fibre presence differed across duck species, indicating that foraging behaviour affects plastic ingestion. Our study confirms that African freshwater ecosystems and the biodiversity they support are under threat from micro-plastic contamination. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of dissolved oxygen on sulfate radical-induced oxidation of organic micro-pollutants: A theoretical study.

PubMed

Zhang, Rui; Wang, Xiaoxiang; Zhou, Lei; Liu, Zhu; Crump, Doug

2018-05-15

Sulfate radical (SO 4 .- )-induced oxidation is an important technology in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for the removal of pollutants. To date, few studies have assessed the effects of dissolved oxygen (DO) on the SO 4 .- -induced oxidation of organic micro-pollutants. In the present work, a quantum chemical calculation was used to investigate the influence of the external oxygen molecule on the Gibbs free energy (G pollutant ) and HOMO-LUMO gap (ΔE) of 15 organic micro-pollutants representing four chemical categories. Several thermodynamic and statistical models were combined with the data from the quantum chemical calculation to illustrate the impact of DO on the oxidation of organic micro-pollutants by SO 4 .- . Results indicated that the external oxygen molecule increased G pollutant of all studied chemicals, which implies DO has the potential to decrease the energy barrier of the SO 4 .- -induced oxidation and shift the chemical equilibrium of the reaction towards the side of products. From the perspective of kinetics, DO can accelerate the oxidation by decreasing ΔE of organic micro-pollutants. In addition, changes of G pollutant and ΔE of the SO 4 .- -induced oxidation were both significantly different between open-chain and aromatic chemicals, and these differences were partially attributed to the difference of polarizability of these two types of chemicals. Furthermore, we revealed that all changes of G pollutant and ΔE induced by DO were dependent on the DO content. Our study emphasizes the significance of DO on the oxidation of organic micro-pollutants by SO 4 .- , and also provides a theoretical method to study the effect of components in wastewater on removal of organic pollutants in AOPs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pathogenic agents in freshwater resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geldreich, Edwin E.

1996-02-01

Numerous pathogenic agents have been found in freshwaters used as sources for water supplies, recreational bathing and irrigation. These agents include bacterial pathogens, enteric viruses, several protozoans and parasitic worms more common to tropical waters. Although infected humans are a major source of pathogens, farm animals (cattle, sheep, pigs), animal pets (dogs, cats) and wildlife serve as significant reservoirs and should not be ignored. The range of infected individuals within a given warm-blooded animal group (humans included) may range from 1 to 25%. Survival times for pathogens in the water environment may range from a few days to as much as a year (Ascaris, Taenia eggs), with infective dose levels varying from one viable cell for several primary pathogenic agents to many thousands of cells for a given opportunistic pathogen.As pathogen detection in water is complex and not readily incorporated into routine monitoring, a surrogate is necessary. In general, indicators of faecal contamination provide a positive correlation with intestinal pathogen occurrences only when appropriate sample volumes are examined by sensitive methodology.Pathways by which pathogens reach susceptible water users include ingestion of contaminated water, body contact with polluted recreational waters and consumption of salad crops irrigated by polluted freshwaters. Major contributors to the spread of various water-borne pathogens are sewage, polluted surface waters and stormwater runoff. All of these contributions are intensified during periods of major floods. Several water-borne case histories are cited as examples of breakdowns in public health protection related to water supply, recreational waters and the consumption of contaminated salad crops. In the long term, water resource management must focus on pollution prevention from point sources of waste discharges and the spread of pathogens in watershed stormwater runoff.

40 CFR 403.1 - Purpose and applicability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Section 403.1 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS GENERAL PRETREATMENT REGULATIONS FOR EXISTING AND NEW SOURCES OF POLLUTION § 403.1...(a) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act as amended by the Clean Water Act of 1977 (Pub. L. 95...

Water Quality & Pollutant Source Monitoring: Field and Laboratory Procedures. Training Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Water Program Operations (EPA), Cincinnati, OH. National Training and Operational Technology Center.

This training manual presents material on techniques and instrumentation used to develop data in field monitoring programs and related laboratory operations concerned with water quality and pollution monitoring. Topics include: collection and handling of samples; bacteriological, biological, and chemical field and laboratory methods; field…

Water pollutant fingerprinting tracks recent industrial transfer from coastal to inland China: A case study

PubMed Central

Zheng, Weiwei; Wang, Xia; Tian, Dajun; Jiang, Songhui; Andersen, Melvin E.; He, Genhsjeng; Crabbe, M. James C.; Zheng, Yuxin; Zhong, Yang; Qu, Weidong

2013-01-01

In recent years, China’s developed regions have transferred industries to undeveloped regions. Large numbers of unlicensed or unregistered enterprises are widespread in these undeveloped regions and they are subject to minimal regulation. Current methods for tracing industrial transfers in these areas, based on enterprise registration information or economic surveys, do not work. We have developed an analytical framework combining water fingerprinting and evolutionary analysis to trace the pollution transfer features between water sources. We collected samples in Eastern China (industrial export) and Central China (industrial acceptance) separately from two water systems. Based on the water pollutant fingerprints and evolutionary trees, we traced the pollution transfer associated with industrial transfer between the two areas. The results are consistent with four episodes of industrial transfers over the past decade. Our results also show likely types of the transferred industries - electronics, plastics, and biomedicines - that contribute to the water pollution transfer. PMID:23301152

Water pollutant fingerprinting tracks recent industrial transfer from coastal to inland China: A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Weiwei; Wang, Xia; Tian, Dajun; Jiang, Songhui; Andersen, Melvin E.; He, Genhsjeng; Crabbe, M. James C.; Zheng, Yuxin; Zhong, Yang; Qu, Weidong

2013-01-01

In recent years, China's developed regions have transferred industries to undeveloped regions. Large numbers of unlicensed or unregistered enterprises are widespread in these undeveloped regions and they are subject to minimal regulation. Current methods for tracing industrial transfers in these areas, based on enterprise registration information or economic surveys, do not work. We have developed an analytical framework combining water fingerprinting and evolutionary analysis to trace the pollution transfer features between water sources. We collected samples in Eastern China (industrial export) and Central China (industrial acceptance) separately from two water systems. Based on the water pollutant fingerprints and evolutionary trees, we traced the pollution transfer associated with industrial transfer between the two areas. The results are consistent with four episodes of industrial transfers over the past decade. Our results also show likely types of the transferred industries - electronics, plastics, and biomedicines - that contribute to the water pollution transfer.

WHEN ISOTOPES AREN'T ENOUGH: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO CONSTRAIN MIXING PROBLEMS

EPA Science Inventory

Stable isotopes are often used as chemical tracers to determine the relative contributions of sources to a mixture. Ecological examples include partitioning pollution sources to air or water bodies, trophic links in food webs, plant water use from different soil horizons, source...

40 CFR 463.24 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... performance standards (i.e., mass of pollutant discharged) calculated by multiplying the average process water... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false New source performance standards. 463... GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) PLASTICS MOLDING AND FORMING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Cleaning Water...

Using stable isotopes in tracing contaminant sources in an industrial area: A case study on the hydrological basin of the Olt River, Romania.

PubMed

Popescu, Raluca; Mimmo, Tanja; Dinca, Oana Romina; Capici, Calogero; Costinel, Diana; Sandru, Claudia; Ionete, Roxana Elena; Stefanescu, Ioan; Axente, Damian

2015-11-15

Tracing pollution sources and transformation of nitrogen compounds in surface- and groundwater is an issue of great significance worldwide due to the increased human activity, translated in high demand of water resources and pollution. In this work, the hydrological basin of an important chemical industrial platform in Romania (Ramnicu Valcea industrial area) was characterized in terms of the physico-chemical and isotope composition of δ(18)O and δ(2)H in water samples and δ(15)N of the inorganic nitrogen species. Throughout a period of one year, water samples from the Olt River and its more important tributaries were collected monthly in the industrial area, when the seasonal and spatial isotope patterns of the surface waters and the main sources of pollution were determined. Higher inorganic nitrogen concentrations (up to 10.2 mg N L(-1)) were measured between November 2012 and April 2013, which were designated as anthropogenic additions using the mixing calculations. The main sources of pollution with inorganic nitrogen were agriculture and residential release. The inorganic nitrogen from the industrial waste water duct had a distinct δ(15)N fingerprint (mean of -8.6‰). Also, one industrial release into the environment was identified for Olt River, at Ionesti site, in November 2012. The mean precipitation samples had the lowest inorganic nitrogen concentrations (less than 5.5 mg N L(-1)) with a distinct δ(15)N fingerprint compared to the surface and industrial waters. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Observed correlations between aerosol and cloud properties in an Indian Ocean trade cumulus regime

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pistone, Kristina; Praveen, Puppala S.; Thomas, Rick M.

There are many contributing factors which determine the micro- and macrophysical properties of clouds, including atmospheric vertical structure, dominant meteorological conditions, and aerosol concentration, all of which may be coupled to one another. In the quest to determine aerosol effects on clouds, these potential relationships must be understood. Here we describe several observed correlations between aerosol conditions and cloud and atmospheric properties in the Indian Ocean winter monsoon season.In the CARDEX (Cloud, Aerosol, Radiative forcing, Dynamics EXperiment) field campaign conducted in February and March 2012 in the northern Indian Ocean, continuous measurements were made of atmospheric precipitable water vapor (PWV)more » and the liquid water path (LWP) of trade cumulus clouds, concurrent with measurements of water vapor flux, cloud and aerosol vertical profiles, meteorological data, and surface and total-column aerosol from instrumentation at a ground observatory and on small unmanned aircraft. We present observations which indicate a positive correlation between aerosol and cloud LWP only when considering cases with low atmospheric water vapor (PWV < 40 kg m –2), a criterion which acts to filter the data to control for the natural meteorological variability in the region.We then use the aircraft and ground-based measurements to explore possible mechanisms behind this observed aerosol–LWP correlation. The increase in cloud liquid water is found to coincide with a lowering of the cloud base, which is itself attributable to increased boundary layer humidity in polluted conditions. High pollution is found to correlate with both higher temperatures and higher humidity measured throughout the boundary layer. A large-scale analysis, using satellite observations and meteorological reanalysis, corroborates these covariations: high-pollution cases are shown to originate as a highly polluted boundary layer air mass approaching the observatory from a northwesterly direction. The source air mass exhibits both higher temperatures and higher humidity in the polluted cases. While the warmer temperatures may be attributable to aerosol absorption of solar radiation over the subcontinent, the factors responsible for the coincident high humidity are less evident: the high-aerosol conditions are observed to disperse with air mass evolution, along with a weakening of the high-temperature anomaly, while the high-humidity condition is observed to strengthen in magnitude as the polluted air mass moves over the ocean toward the site of the CARDEX observations. In conclusion, potential causal mechanisms of the observed correlations, including meteorological or aerosol-induced factors, are explored, though future research will be needed for a more complete and quantitative understanding of the aerosol–humidity relationship.« less

Observed correlations between aerosol and cloud properties in an Indian Ocean trade cumulus regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pistone, Kristina; Praveen, Puppala S.; Thomas, Rick M.; Ramanathan, Veerabhadran; Wilcox, Eric M.; Bender, Frida A.-M.

2016-04-01

There are many contributing factors which determine the micro- and macrophysical properties of clouds, including atmospheric vertical structure, dominant meteorological conditions, and aerosol concentration, all of which may be coupled to one another. In the quest to determine aerosol effects on clouds, these potential relationships must be understood. Here we describe several observed correlations between aerosol conditions and cloud and atmospheric properties in the Indian Ocean winter monsoon season.In the CARDEX (Cloud, Aerosol, Radiative forcing, Dynamics EXperiment) field campaign conducted in February and March 2012 in the northern Indian Ocean, continuous measurements were made of atmospheric precipitable water vapor (PWV) and the liquid water path (LWP) of trade cumulus clouds, concurrent with measurements of water vapor flux, cloud and aerosol vertical profiles, meteorological data, and surface and total-column aerosol from instrumentation at a ground observatory and on small unmanned aircraft. We present observations which indicate a positive correlation between aerosol and cloud LWP only when considering cases with low atmospheric water vapor (PWV < 40 kg m-2), a criterion which acts to filter the data to control for the natural meteorological variability in the region.We then use the aircraft and ground-based measurements to explore possible mechanisms behind this observed aerosol-LWP correlation. The increase in cloud liquid water is found to coincide with a lowering of the cloud base, which is itself attributable to increased boundary layer humidity in polluted conditions. High pollution is found to correlate with both higher temperatures and higher humidity measured throughout the boundary layer. A large-scale analysis, using satellite observations and meteorological reanalysis, corroborates these covariations: high-pollution cases are shown to originate as a highly polluted boundary layer air mass approaching the observatory from a northwesterly direction. The source air mass exhibits both higher temperatures and higher humidity in the polluted cases. While the warmer temperatures may be attributable to aerosol absorption of solar radiation over the subcontinent, the factors responsible for the coincident high humidity are less evident: the high-aerosol conditions are observed to disperse with air mass evolution, along with a weakening of the high-temperature anomaly, while the high-humidity condition is observed to strengthen in magnitude as the polluted air mass moves over the ocean toward the site of the CARDEX observations. Potential causal mechanisms of the observed correlations, including meteorological or aerosol-induced factors, are explored, though future research will be needed for a more complete and quantitative understanding of the aerosol-humidity relationship.

Observed correlations between aerosol and cloud properties in an Indian Ocean trade cumulus regime

DOE PAGES

Pistone, Kristina; Praveen, Puppala S.; Thomas, Rick M.; ...

2016-04-27

There are many contributing factors which determine the micro- and macrophysical properties of clouds, including atmospheric vertical structure, dominant meteorological conditions, and aerosol concentration, all of which may be coupled to one another. In the quest to determine aerosol effects on clouds, these potential relationships must be understood. Here we describe several observed correlations between aerosol conditions and cloud and atmospheric properties in the Indian Ocean winter monsoon season.In the CARDEX (Cloud, Aerosol, Radiative forcing, Dynamics EXperiment) field campaign conducted in February and March 2012 in the northern Indian Ocean, continuous measurements were made of atmospheric precipitable water vapor (PWV)more » and the liquid water path (LWP) of trade cumulus clouds, concurrent with measurements of water vapor flux, cloud and aerosol vertical profiles, meteorological data, and surface and total-column aerosol from instrumentation at a ground observatory and on small unmanned aircraft. We present observations which indicate a positive correlation between aerosol and cloud LWP only when considering cases with low atmospheric water vapor (PWV < 40 kg m –2), a criterion which acts to filter the data to control for the natural meteorological variability in the region.We then use the aircraft and ground-based measurements to explore possible mechanisms behind this observed aerosol–LWP correlation. The increase in cloud liquid water is found to coincide with a lowering of the cloud base, which is itself attributable to increased boundary layer humidity in polluted conditions. High pollution is found to correlate with both higher temperatures and higher humidity measured throughout the boundary layer. A large-scale analysis, using satellite observations and meteorological reanalysis, corroborates these covariations: high-pollution cases are shown to originate as a highly polluted boundary layer air mass approaching the observatory from a northwesterly direction. The source air mass exhibits both higher temperatures and higher humidity in the polluted cases. While the warmer temperatures may be attributable to aerosol absorption of solar radiation over the subcontinent, the factors responsible for the coincident high humidity are less evident: the high-aerosol conditions are observed to disperse with air mass evolution, along with a weakening of the high-temperature anomaly, while the high-humidity condition is observed to strengthen in magnitude as the polluted air mass moves over the ocean toward the site of the CARDEX observations. In conclusion, potential causal mechanisms of the observed correlations, including meteorological or aerosol-induced factors, are explored, though future research will be needed for a more complete and quantitative understanding of the aerosol–humidity relationship.« less

7 CFR 634.12 - Eligible project areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... agricultural portion of a 208 water quality management plan, or revised portions thereof, and have identified agricultural nonpoint source water quality problems are eligible for authorization under RCWP. Those critical areas or sources of pollutants significantly contributing to the water quality problems are eligible for...

UTILIZATION OF LANDSCAPE INDICATORS TO MODEL WATER QUALITY

EPA Science Inventory

Many water-bodies within the United States are contaminated by, non-point source (NFS) pollution, which is defined as those materials posing a threat to water quality arising from a number of individual sources and diffused through hydrologic processes. One such NPS pollu...

Occurrence of bacteriophages infecting Aeromonas, Enterobacter, and Klebsiella in water and association with contamination sources in Thailand.

PubMed

Wangkahad, Bencharong; Bosup, Suchada; Mongkolsuk, Skorn; Sirikanchana, Kwanrawee

2015-06-01

The co-residence of bacteriophages and their bacterial hosts in humans, animals, and environmental sources directed the use of bacteriophages to track the origins of the pathogenic bacteria that can be found in contaminated water. The objective of this study was to enumerate bacteriophages of Aeromonas caviae (AecaKS148), Enterobacter sp. (EnspKS513), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (KlpnKS648) in water and evaluate their association with contamination sources (human vs. animals). Bacterial host strains were isolated from untreated wastewater in Bangkok, Thailand. A double-layer agar technique was used to detect bacteriophages. All three bacteriophages were detected in polluted canal samples, with likely contamination from human wastewater, whereas none was found in non-polluted river samples. AecaKS148 was found to be associated with human fecal sources, while EnspKS513 and KlpnKS648 seemed to be equally prevalent in both human and animal fecal sources. Both bacteriophages were also present in polluted canals that could receive contamination from other fecal sources or the environment. In conclusion, all three bacteriophages were successfully monitored in Bangkok, Thailand. This study provided an example of bacteriophages for potential use as source identifiers of pathogen contamination. The results from this study will assist in controlling sources of pathogen contamination, especially in developing countries.

Fluorometry as a bacterial source tracking tool in coastal watersheds, Trinidad, CA

Treesearch

Trever Parker; Andrew Stubblefield

2012-01-01

Bacterial counts have long been used as indicators of water pollution that may affect public health. By themselves, bacteria are indicators only and can not be used to identify the source of the pollutant for remediation efforts. Methods of microbial source tracking are generally time consuming, labor intensive and expensive. As an alternative, a fluorometer can be...

Summary of the land-use inventory for the nonpoint-source evaluation monitoring watersheds in Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wierl, J.A.; Rappold, K.F.; Amerson, F.U.

1996-01-01

In 1992, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a land-use inventory to identify sources of pollutants and track the land-management changes for eight evaluation monitoring watersheds established as part of the WDNR's Nonpoint Source Program. Each evaluation monitoring watershed is within a WDNR priority watershed. The U.S. Geological Survey is responsible for collection of water-quality data in the evaluation monitoring watersheds. An initial inventory was completed for each of the WDNR priority watersheds before nonpoint-source plans were developed for the control of nonpoint pollution. The land-use inventory described in this report expands upon the initial inventory by including nonpoint pollution sources that were not identified and also by updating changes in landuse and land-management practices. New sources of nonpoint pollution, not identified in the initial inventory, could prove to be important when monitored and modeled data are analyzed. This effort to inventory the evaluation monitoring watersheds will help with the interpretation of future land-use and water-quality data. This report describes landuse inventory methods, presents results of the inventory, and lists proposed future activities.

Integrating watershed- and farm-scale modeling framework for targeting critical source areas while maintaining farm economic viability

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Quantitative risk assessments of pollution and data related to the effectiveness of mitigating best management practices (BMPs) are important aspects of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution control efforts, particularly those driven by specific water quality objectives and by measurable improvement goals...

Reducing hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico – an alternative approach

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico is a high-priority national issue. Agricultural nonpoint source pollution is the greatest source of water pollution today and its consequences are particularly evident in the Gulf of Mexico. For example, Illinois, Iowa and Indiana together contribute nearly 30% of the p...

Assessment of groundwater quality in a typical rural settlement in southwest Nigeria.

PubMed

Adekunle, I M; Adetunji, M T; Gbadebo, A M; Banjoko, O P

2007-12-01

In most rural settlements in Nigeria, access to clean and potable water is a great challenge, resulting in water borne diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of some physical, chemical, biochemical and microbial water quality parameters in twelve hand - dug wells in a typical rural area (Igbora) of southwest region of the country. Seasonal variations and proximity to pollution sources (municipal waste dumps and defecation sites) were also examined. Parameters were determined using standard procedures. All parameters were detected up to 200 m from pollution source and most of them increased in concentration during the rainy season over the dry periods, pointing to infiltrations from storm water. Coliform population, Pb, NO3- and Cd in most cases, exceeded the World Health Organization recommended thresholds for potable water. Effect of distance from pollution sources was more pronounced on fecal and total coliform counts, which decreased with increasing distance from waste dumps. The qualities of the well water samples were therefore not suitable for human consumption without adequate treatment. Regular monitoring of groundwater quality, abolishment of unhealthy waste disposal practices and introduction of modern techniques are recommended.

Urbanization impact on sulfur content of groundwater revealed by the study of urban speleothem-like deposits: Case study in Paris, France.

PubMed

Pons-Branchu, E; Roy-Barman, M; Jean-Soro, L; Guillerme, A; Branchu, P; Fernandez, M; Dumont, E; Douville, E; Michelot, J L; Phillips, A M

2017-02-01

Speleothem-like deposits that develop underground in urban areas are an archive of the environmental impact of anthropic activities that has been little studied so far. In this paper, the sulfate content in shallow groundwater from northern Paris (France) is compared with the sulfur content in two 300-year-old urban carbonate deposits that grew in a historical underground aqueduct. The present-day waters of the aqueduct have very high sulfur and calcium contents, suggesting pollution from gypsum dissolution. However, geological gypsum levels are located below the water table. Sulfur content was measured by micro-X-ray fluorescence in these very S-rich carbonate deposits (0.5 to 1% of S). A twofold S increase during the second half of the 1800s was found in both samples. These dates correspond to two major periods of urbanization above the site. We discus three possible S sources: anthropic sources (industries, fertilizers…), volcanic eruptions and input within the water through gypsum brought for urbanization above the studied site (backfill with quarry waste) since the middle of the 19th century. For the younger second half of the studied section, S input from gypsum brought during urbanization was confirmed by the study of isotopic sulfur composition (δ 34 S=+15.2‰ at the top). For the oldest part, several sulfur peaks could be related to early industrial activity in Paris, that caused high local air pollution, as reported in historical archives but also to historical gypsum extraction. This study provides information on the origin and timing of the very high SO 4 2- levels measured nowadays within the shallow groundwater, thus demonstrating the interest in using carbonate deposits in urban areas as a proxy for the history of urbanization or human activities and their impact on water bodies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Micro-nanopores fabricated by high-energy electron beam irradiation: suitable structure for controlling pesticide loss.

PubMed

Xiang, Yubin; Wang, Ning; Song, Jimei; Cai, Dongqing; Wu, Zhengyan

2013-06-05

Pesticide sprayed onto crop leaves tends to be washed off by rainwater and discharge into the environment through leaching and runoff, resulting in severe pollution to both soil and water. Here, to control pesticide loss, we developed a loss-control pesticide (LCP) by adding modified natural nanoclay (diatomite) through high-energy electron beam (HEEB) to traditional pesticide. After HEEB treatment, the originally clogged pores in diatomite opened, resulting in plenty of micro-nanopores in diatomite, which are beneficial for the pesticide molecules to access and be adsorbed. This pesticide-diatomite complex tended to be retained by the rough surface of crop leaves, displaying a high adhesion performance onto the leaves, so that the pesticide loss reduced, sufficient pesticide for crops was supplied, and the pollution risk of the pesticide could be substantially lowered.

Fate of hydrocarbon pollutants in source and non-source control sustainable drainage systems.

PubMed

Roinas, Georgios; Mant, Cath; Williams, John B

2014-01-01

Sustainable drainage (SuDs) is an established method for managing runoff from developments, and source control is part of accepted design philosophy. However, there are limited studies into the contribution source control makes to pollutant removal, especially for roads. This study examines organic pollutants, total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), in paired source and non-source control full-scale SuDs systems. Sites were selected to cover local roads, trunk roads and housing developments, with a range of SuDs, including porous asphalt, swales, detention basins and ponds. Soil and water samples were taken bi-monthly over 12 months to assess pollutant loads. Results show first flush patterns in storm events for solids, but not for TPH. The patterns of removal for specific PAHs were also different, reflecting varying physico-chemical properties. The potential of trunk roads for pollution was illustrated by peak runoff for TPH of > 17,000 μg/l. Overall there was no significant difference between pollutant loads from source and non-source control systems, but the dynamic nature of runoff means that longer-term data are required. The outcomes of this project will increase understanding of organic pollutants behaviour in SuDs. This will provide design guidance about the most appropriate systems for treating these pollutants.

40 CFR 426.16 - Pretreatment standards for new sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... wastewater pollutants into a publicly owned treatment works must comply with 40 CFR part 403. (a) Applicability. The provisions of this section shall apply to discharges of process waste water pollutants into publicly owned treatment works except for that portion of the waste stream which constitutes cullet water...

40 CFR 426.16 - Pretreatment standards for new sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... wastewater pollutants into a publicly owned treatment works must comply with 40 CFR part 403. (a) Applicability. The provisions of this section shall apply to discharges of process waste water pollutants into publicly owned treatment works except for that portion of the waste stream which constitutes cullet water...

A Discussion of Water Pollution in the United States and Mexico; with High School Laboratory Activities for Analysis of Lead, Atrazine, and Nitrate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelter, Paul B.; Grundman, Julie; Hage, David S.; Carr, James D.; Castro-Acuna, Carlos Mauricio

1997-01-01

Presents discussions on sources, health impacts, methods of analysis as well as lengthy discussions of lead, nitrates, and atrazine as related to water pollution and the interdisciplinary nature of the modern chemistry curriculum. (DKM)

We All Live Downstream. A Guide to Waste Treatment That Stops Water Pollution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Costner, Pat; And Others

Based on the idea that the prevention and treatment of water pollution should begin at its source, this document focuses on some methods that individuals can use in their homes and businesses to treat wastewater. Chapter one, "What Is the Water Crisis?" explains the basic concepts of the hydrologic cycle, evapotranspiration, and the quantity of…

Measuring micro-organism gas production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilkins, J. R.; Pearson, A. O.; Mills, S. M.

1973-01-01

Transducer, which senses pressure buildup, is easy to assemble and use, and rate of gas produced can be measured automatically and accurately. Method can be used in research, in clinical laboratories, and for environmental pollution studies because of its ability to detect and quantify rapidly the number of gas-producing microorganisms in water, beverages, and clinical samples.

A Microbial Signature Approach to Identify Fecal Pollution in the Waters Off an Urbanized Coast of Lake Michigan

PubMed Central

Newton, Ryan J.; Bootsma, Melinda J.; Morrison, Hilary G.; Sogin, Mitchell L.

2014-01-01

Urban coasts receive watershed drainage from ecosystems that include highly developed lands with sewer and stormwater infrastructure. In these complex ecosystems, coastal waters are often contaminated with fecal pollution, where multiple delivery mechanisms that often contain multiple fecal sources make it difficult to mitigate the pollution. Here, we exploit bacterial community sequencing of the V6 and V6V4 hypervariable regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene to identify bacterial distributions that signal the presence of sewer, fecal, and human fecal pollution. The sequences classified to three sewer infrastructure-associated bacterial genera, Acinetobacter, Arcobacter, and Trichococcus, and five fecal-associated bacterial families, Bacteroidaceae, Porphyromonadaceae, Clostridiaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Ruminococcaceae, served as signatures of sewer and fecal contamination, respectively. The human fecal signature was determined with the Bayesian source estimation program SourceTracker, which we applied to a set of 40 sewage influent samples collected in Milwaukee, WI, USA to identify operational taxonomic units (≥97 % identity) that were most likely of human fecal origin. During periods of dry weather, the magnitudes of all three signatures were relatively low in Milwaukee's urban rivers and harbor and nearly zero in Lake Michigan. However, the relative contribution of the sewer and fecal signature frequently increased to >2 % of the measured surface water communities following sewer overflows. Also during combined sewer overflows, the ratio of the human fecal pollution signature to the fecal pollution signature in surface waters was generally close to that of sewage, but this ratio decreased dramatically during dry weather and rain events, suggesting that nonhuman fecal pollution was the dominant source during these weather-driven scenarios. The qPCR detection of two human fecal indicators, human Bacteroides and Lachno2, confirmed the urban fecal footprint in this ecosystem extends to at least 8 km offshore. PMID:23475306

Multi-isotope approach: a tool to better constrain both sources and processes affecting NO3 pollution in watersheds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widory, D.

2006-12-01

Nitrate is one of the major pollutants of drinking water resources worldwide. Recent European directives reduced inputs from intensive agriculture, but in most places NO3 levels are approaching the potable limit of 50 mg.l-1 in groundwater. Determining the source(s) of contamination in groundwater is an important first step for improving its quality by emission control. It is with this aim that we review here the benefit of using a multi- isotope approach (d15N, d180, d11B and 87Sr/86Sr), in addition to conventional hydrogeological analysis, to both constrain the watersheds hydrology and trace the origin of their NO3 pollution. Watersheds presented here include both fractured bedrock and alluvial (subsurface and deep) hydrogeological contexts. The strontium budget in watersheds is mainly controlled by the water-rock interactions (human inputs usually represents negligible fluxes). With the example of the Allier river (Central France), we show that, even on a very small watershed, the main water flows can usually be determined by the use of the 87Sr/86Sr ratios, thus helping understanding the hydrology controlling pollution processes. The characterisation of the different usual nitrate sources of pollution in groundwater (mineral fertilisers, wastewater and animals manure) shows that they can clearly be discriminated using isotopes. The isotopic composition of the dissolved nitrogen species has been used extensively to better constrain the sources and fate of nitrate in groundwater. The possibility of quantifying both origin and secondary processes affecting N concentrations by means of a single tracer appears more limited however. Nitrogen cannot be considered conservative because it is biologically modified through nitrification and denitrification reactions, both during infiltration of the water and in the groundwater body, causing isotopic fractionation that modifies the d15N-n signatures of the dissolved N species. Discriminating multiple NO3 sources by their N isotopic composition alone becomes impossible whenever heterogenic or autogenic denitrification occurs, thus arising the need for establishing co-migrating discriminators of NO3 sources: addition of the d180 from NO3 and of the d11B. The use of the strontium isotope systematic for discriminating sources of pollution is also discussed. The use of this multi-isotope approach, in each of the studied contexts, clearly deciphers the origin of NO3 in groundwater and allows a semi-quantification of the contributions of the respective pollution sources.

Microenvironmental air quality impact of a commercial-scale biomass heating system.

PubMed

Tong, Zheming; Yang, Bo; Hopke, Philip K; Zhang, K Max

2017-01-01

Initiatives to displace petroleum and climate change mitigation have driven a recent increase in space heating with biomass combustion. However, there is ample evidence that biomass combustion emits significant quantities of health damaging pollutants. We investigated the near-source micro-environmental air quality impact of a biomass-fueled combined heat and power system equipped with an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) in Syracuse, NY. Two rooftop sampling stations with PM 2.5 and CO 2 analyzers were established in such that one could capture the plume while the other one served as the background for comparison depending on the wind direction. Four sonic anemometers were deployed around the stack to quantify spatially and temporally resolved local wind patterns. Fuel-based emission factors were derived based on near-source measurement. The Comprehensive Turbulent Aerosol Dynamics and Gas Chemistry (CTAG) model was then applied to simulate the spatial variations of primary PM 2.5 without ESP. Our analysis shows that the absence of ESP could lead to an almost 7 times increase in near-source primary PM 2.5 concentrations with a maximum concentration above 100 μg m -3 at the building rooftop. The above-ground "hotspots" would pose potential health risks to building occupants since particles could penetrate indoors via infiltration, natural ventilation, and fresh air intakes on the rooftop of multiple buildings. Our results demonstrated the importance of emission control for biomass combustion systems in urban area, and the need to take above-ground pollutant "hotspots" into account when permitting distributed generation. The effects of ambient wind speed and stack temperature, the suitability of airport meteorological data on micro-environmental air quality were explored, and the implications on mitigating near-source air pollution were discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of sterilization treatments on the analysis of TOC in water samples.

PubMed

Shi, Yiming; Xu, Lingfeng; Gong, Dongqin; Lu, Jun

2010-01-01

Decomposition experiments conducted with and without microbial processes are commonly used to study the effects of environmental microorganisms on the degradation of organic pollutants. However, the effects of biological pretreatment (sterilization) on organic matter often have a negative impact on such experiments. Based on the principle of water total organic carbon (TOC) analysis, the effects of physical sterilization treatments on determination of TOC and other water quality parameters were investigated. The results revealed that two conventional physical sterilization treatments, autoclaving and 60Co gamma-radiation sterilization, led to the direct decomposition of some organic pollutants, resulting in remarkable errors in the analysis of TOC in water samples. Furthermore, the extent of the errors varied with the intensity and the duration of sterilization treatments. Accordingly, a novel sterilization method for water samples, 0.45 microm micro-filtration coupled with ultraviolet radiation (MCUR), was developed in the present study. The results indicated that the MCUR method was capable of exerting a high bactericidal effect on the water sample while significantly decreasing the negative impact on the analysis of TOC and other water quality parameters. Before and after sterilization treatments, the relative errors of TOC determination could be controlled to lower than 3% for water samples with different categories and concentrations of organic pollutants by using MCUR.

Interim Significant Noncompliance Policy for Clean Water Act Violations Associated with CSOs, SSOs, CAFOs, and Storm Water Point Sources

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This policy addresses significant noncompliance (SNC) violations associated with combined sewer overflows (CSOs), sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs), concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), and storm water point source discharges covered by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program under the Clean Water Act (CWA).

AN APPROACH TO IDENTIFY AND SELECT APPROPRIATE BMPS FOR SOURCE WATER PROTECTION: A CASE STUDY IN COLUMBUS, OH

EPA Science Inventory

Nonpoint source pollution is the leading cause of impairment to our nations water resources. Both drinking and wastewater utilities are challenged to comply with existing and proposed federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and Clean Water Act (CWA) regulations. Federal and state ...

WHEN ISOTOPES AREN'T ENOUGH: USING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO CONSTRAIN MIXING PROBLEMS

EPA Science Inventory

Stable isotopes are often used as chemical tracers to determine the relative contributions of sources to a mixture. Ecological examples include partitioning pollution sources to air or water bodies, trophic links in food webs, plant water use from different soil horizons, source...

40 CFR 463.24 - New source performance standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... standards (i.e., mass of pollutant discharged) calculated by multiplying the average process water usage... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false New source performance standards. 463... GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS PLASTICS MOLDING AND FORMING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Cleaning Water Subcategory § 463...

Quantifying nonpoint source emissions and their water quality responses in a complex catchment: A case study of a typical urban-rural mixed catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Lei; Dai, Ying; Zhi, Xiaosha; Xie, Hui; Shen, Zhenyao

2018-04-01

As two key threats to receiving water bodies, the generation mechanisms and processes of urban and agricultural nonpoint sources (NPSs) show clear differences, which lead to distinct characteristics of water quality responses with mixed land-uses catchments compared to single land-use ones. However, few studies have provided such insights in these characteristic or quantified different water environment responses to NPS pollution. In this study, an integrated modelling approach was developed for those complex catchments by combining three commonly used models: SWMM (Storm Water Management Model), SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) and MIKE 11. A case study was performed in a typical urban-rural catchment of Chao Lake, China. The simulated results indicated that urban NPS pollution responded sensitively to rainfall events and was greatly affected by the antecedent dry days. Compare to urban NPS, agricultural NPS pollution was characterized with the time-lag to rainfall depended on soil moisture and the post-rain-season emissions carried by lateral flows, and were also affected by the local farm-practice schedule. With comprehensive impacts from urban-rural land-uses, the time-interleaved urban and agricultural NPS pollution emissions and more abundant pollution accumulation both led to a decrease in the responsive time and an increase in the frequency of peak pollution concentration values even during the dry season. These obtained characteristics can provide guidance for drafting watershed management plans in similar mixed land use catchments.

ISONITRATE demonstration project: How isotopic monitoring can improve management of nitrate pollution in water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widory, D.

2008-12-01

Nitrate is one of the major pollutants of drinking water resources worldwide. Recent European directives reduced inputs from intensive agriculture, but in most places NO3 levels are approaching the potable limit of 50 mg.l-1 in groundwater. Determining the source(s) of contamination in groundwater is an important first step for improving its quality by emission control. It is with this aim that we review here the benefit of using a multi-isotope approach (d15N, d180, d11B), in addition to conventional hydrogeological analysis, to constrain the the origin of NO3 pollution in water. The isotopic composition of the dissolved nitrogen species has been used extensively to better constrain the sources and fate of nitrate in groundwater. The possibility of quantifying both origin and secondary processes affecting N concentrations by means of a single tracer appears more limited however. Nitrogen cannot be considered conservative because it is biologically modified through nitrification and denitrification reactions, both during infiltration of the water and in the groundwater body, causing isotopic fractionation that modifies the d15N signatures of the dissolved N species. Discriminating multiple NO3 sources by their N isotopic composition alone becomes impossible whenever heterogenic or autogenic denitrification occurs, thus arising the need for establishing co-migrating discriminators of NO3 sources: addition of the d180 from NO3 and of the d11B. This presentation will strongly rely on our current European Life ISONITRATE project, which aims at showing policy makers how management of nitrate pollution in water can be greatly improved by the incorporation of the multi-isotope monitoring. The pilot site is located in the Alsace region (France and border Germany), part of the Upper Rhine basin, a groundwater body considered as one of the most important drinking water reservoirs in Europe. The demonstration of the multi-isotope approach is based on 4 distinct scenarios: 1. Natural case: corresponds to the natural nitrification of the soil and represents the reference end-member. Samples with NO3 concentration levels higher than this end-member are considered as polluted. 2. Denitrification case: groundwater samples are selected along an identified denitrification gradient in the "Appenweier-Rheinau" region (Germany): the uppermost samples being contaminated by mineral fertilizers used in vineyards (but not denitrified), and the downstream sample being (almost) totally denitrified. 3. Simple case: chosen as being under the influence of a sole type of nitrate pollution source: mineral fertilisation from the "Orschwihr- Bergholtz vineyards". 4. Complex case: where nitrates correspond to a mixing of different pollution sources (mineral and organic fertilisers), located within the "Dietwiller area".

Monitoring and Analysis of Nonpoint Source Pollution - Case study on terraced paddy fields in an agricultural watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shih-Kai; Jang, Cheng-Shin; Yeh, Chun-Lin

2013-04-01

The intensive use of chemical fertilizer has negatively impacted environments in recent decades, mainly through water pollution by nitrogen (N) and phosphate (P) originating from agricultural activities. As a main crop with the largest cultivation area about 0.25 million ha per year in Taiwan, rice paddies account for a significant share of fertilizer consumption among agriculture crops. This study evaluated the fertilization of paddy fields impacting return flow water quality in an agricultural watershed located at Hsinchu County, northern Taiwan. Water quality monitoring continued for two crop-periods in 2012, around subject to different water bodies, including the irrigation water, drainage water, and shallow groundwater. The results indicated that obviously increasing of ammonium-N, nitrate-N and TP concentrations in the surface drainage water were observed immediately following three times of fertilizer applications (including basal, tillering, and panicle fertilizer application), but reduced to relatively low concentrations after 7-10 days after each fertilizer application. Groundwater quality monitoring showed that the observation wells with the more shallow water depth, the more significant variation of concentrations of ammonium-N, nitrate-N and TP could be observed, which means that the contamination potential of nutrient of groundwater is related not only to the impermeable plow sole layer but also to the length of percolation route in this area. The study also showed that the potential pollution load of nutrient could be further reduced by well drainage water control and rational fertilizer management, such as deep-water irrigation, reuse of return flow, the rational application of fertilizers, and the SRI (The System of Rice Intensification) method. The results of this study can provide as an evaluation basis to formulate effective measures for agricultural non-point source pollution control and the reuse of agricultural return flow. Keywords:Chemical fertilizer, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Paddy field, Non-point source pollution.

Multiparametric monitoring of microbial faecal pollution reveals the dominance of human contamination along the whole Danube River

PubMed Central

Kirschner, A.K.T.; Reischer, G.H.; Jakwerth, S.; Savio, D.; Ixenmaier, S.; Toth, E.; Sommer, R.; Mach, R.L.; Linke, R.; Eiler, A.; Kolarevic, S.; Farnleitner, A.H.

2017-01-01

The microbial faecal pollution of rivers has wide-ranging impacts on a variety of human activities that rely on appropriate river water quality. Thus, detailed knowledge of the extent and origin of microbial faecal pollution is crucial for watershed management activities to maintain safe water use. In this study, the microbial faecal pollution levels were monitored by standard faecal indicator bacteria (SFIB) along a 2580 km stretch of the Danube, the world's most international river, as well as the Danube's most important tributaries. To track the origin of faecal pollution, host-associated Bacteroidetes genetic faecal marker qPCR assays for different host groups were applied in concert with SFIB. The spatial resolution analysis was followed by a time resolution analysis of faecal pollution patterns over 1 year at three selected sites. In this way, a comprehensive faecal pollution map of the total length of the Danube was created, combining substantiated information on both the extent and origin of microbial faecal pollution. Within the environmental data matrix for the river, microbial faecal pollution constituted an independent component and did not cluster with any other measured environmental parameters. Generally, midstream samples representatively depicted the microbial pollution levels at the respective river sites. However, at a few, somewhat unexpected sites, high pollution levels occurred in the lateral zones of the river while the midstream zone had good water quality. Human faecal pollution was demonstrated as the primary pollution source along the whole river, while animal faecal pollution was of minor importance. This study demonstrates that the application of host-associated genetic microbial source tracking markers in concert with the traditional concept of microbial faecal pollution monitoring based on SFIB significantly enhances the knowledge of the extent and origin of microbial faecal pollution patterns in large rivers. It constitutes a powerful tool to guide target-oriented water quality management in large river basins. PMID:28806705

Multiparametric monitoring of microbial faecal pollution reveals the dominance of human contamination along the whole Danube River.

PubMed

Kirschner, A K T; Reischer, G H; Jakwerth, S; Savio, D; Ixenmaier, S; Toth, E; Sommer, R; Mach, R L; Linke, R; Eiler, A; Kolarevic, S; Farnleitner, A H

2017-11-01

The microbial faecal pollution of rivers has wide-ranging impacts on a variety of human activities that rely on appropriate river water quality. Thus, detailed knowledge of the extent and origin of microbial faecal pollution is crucial for watershed management activities to maintain safe water use. In this study, the microbial faecal pollution levels were monitored by standard faecal indicator bacteria (SFIB) along a 2580 km stretch of the Danube, the world's most international river, as well as the Danube's most important tributaries. To track the origin of faecal pollution, host-associated Bacteroidetes genetic faecal marker qPCR assays for different host groups were applied in concert with SFIB. The spatial resolution analysis was followed by a time resolution analysis of faecal pollution patterns over 1 year at three selected sites. In this way, a comprehensive faecal pollution map of the total length of the Danube was created, combining substantiated information on both the extent and origin of microbial faecal pollution. Within the environmental data matrix for the river, microbial faecal pollution constituted an independent component and did not cluster with any other measured environmental parameters. Generally, midstream samples representatively depicted the microbial pollution levels at the respective river sites. However, at a few, somewhat unexpected sites, high pollution levels occurred in the lateral zones of the river while the midstream zone had good water quality. Human faecal pollution was demonstrated as the primary pollution source along the whole river, while animal faecal pollution was of minor importance. This study demonstrates that the application of host-associated genetic microbial source tracking markers in concert with the traditional concept of microbial faecal pollution monitoring based on SFIB significantly enhances the knowledge of the extent and origin of microbial faecal pollution patterns in large rivers. It constitutes a powerful tool to guide target-oriented water quality management in large river basins. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

77 FR 11401 - Marine Sanitation Devices (MSDs): No Discharge Zone (NDZ) for California State Marine Waters

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-27

... Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act of 1987, and the Ocean Dumping Act, address pollution within... related legislation in 2003-2005 to limit pollution from large passenger and large oceangoing vessels. In...; (3) to further regulate landside sources of pollution; (4) to improve inspection and testing...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brock, T.D.

Thermal pollution is discussed with regard to sources of manmade thermal water; thermal consequences of thermal pollution; and thermal effects on water quality. Natural habitats receiving thermal additions are discussed with regard to geothermal habitats and geothermal modification of normal aquatic ecosystems. Ecological observations on geothermal habitats include upper temperature limits for various taxonomic groups and consequences of species restriction by temperature. General ecological consequences of thermal polution are discussed with regard to differences between thermal effects on cold and warm water habitats; adaptation to the thermal environment; effect of temperature on gruwth rate; temperatare and water quality; and bacterialmore » indicators of thermal pollution. (HLW)« less

Water quality functions of riparian forest buffers in Chesapeake bay watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lowrance, R.; Altier, L.S.; Newbold, J.D.; Schnabel, R.R.; Groffman, P.M.; Denver, J.M.; Correll, D.L.; Gilliam, J.W.; Robinson, J.L.; Brinsfield, R.B.; Staver, K.W.; Lucas, W.; Todd, A.H.

1997-01-01

Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, USA, have agreed to reduce nutrient loadings to Chesapeake Bay by 40% by the year 2000. This requires control of nonpoint sources of nutrients much of which comes from agriculture. Riparian forest buffer systems (RFBS) provide effective control of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution in some types of agricultural watersheds. Control of NPS pollution is dependent on the type of pollutant and the hydrologic connection between pollution sources, the RFBS, and the stream. Water quality improvements are most likely in areas of where most of the excess precipitation moves across, in, or near the root zone of the RFBS. In areas such as the Inner Coastal Plain and Piedmont watersheds with thin soils RFBS should retain 50%-90% of the total loading of nitrate in shallow groundwater sediment in surface runoff and total N in born surface runoff and groundwater. Retention of phosphorus is generally much less. In regions with deeper soils and/or greater regional groundwater recharge (such as parts of the Piedmont and the Valley and Ridge), RFBS water quality improvements are probably much less. The expected levels of pollutant control by RFBS are identified for each of nine physiographic provinces of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Issues related to of establishment sustainability, and management are also discussed.

Smart City Environmental Pollution Prevention and Control Design Based on Internet of Things

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, He; Bohong, Zheng; Qinpei, Kuang

2017-11-01

Due to increasingly serious urban pollution, this paper proposes an environmental pollution prevention and control system in combination with Internet of things. The system transfers data through the Internet, which also utilizes sensor, pH sensor and smoke sensor to obtain environmental data. Besides, combined with the video data acquired through monitoring, the data are transferred to data center to analyze the haze pollution, water pollution and fire disaster in environment. According to the results, multi-purpose vehicles are mobilized to complete the tasks such as spraying water to relieve haze, water source purification and fire fighting in city environment. Experiments show that the environmental pollution prevention and control system designed in this paper can automatically complete the urban environmental pollution detection, prevention and control, which thus reduces human and material resources and improves the efficiency of pollution prevention and control. Therefore, it possesses greatly practical significance to the construction of smart city.

Differential Decay of Cattle-associated Fecal Indicator ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Background: Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) have a long history of use in the assessment of the microbial quality of recreational waters. However, quantification of FIB provides no information about the pollution source(s) and relatively little is known about their fate in the ambient waters. Microbial source tracking (MST) field has evolved in response to a need to identify pollution source(s), but majority of MST markers suffer from the same caveat as FIB, as our understanding of the factors influencing their fate in the environment is limited. Materials: We assessed the effect of water type (freshwater vs marine) and select environmental parameters (indigenous microbiota, ambient sunlight) on decay of FIB and MST markers from cattle manure. Experiments were conducted in situ using a submersible aquatic mesocosm containing dialysis bags filled with mixture of cattle manure and ambient water. Culturable FIB were enumerated by membrane filtration and via qPCR (Entero1a, EC23S) and MST markers were enumerated via qPCR and included general marker of fecal pollution (GenBac3) and cattle-associated subset (Rum2Bac, CowM2, CowM3). Results: Decay of culturable FIB was significantly faster (P > 0.001) than any of the molecular markers irrespective of the water type or experimental conditions. The water type was a significant factor affecting decay (P: 0.008 to < 0.001), although the magnitude of the effect differed among the microbial targets and over time. Presence o

Drainage Basins as Large-Scale Field Laboratories of Change: Hydro-biogeochemical- economic Model Study Support for Water Pollution and Eutrophication Management Under Uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Destouni, G.

2008-12-01

Excess nutrient and pollutant releases from various point and diffuse sources at and below the land surface, associated with land use, industry and households, pose serious eutrophication and pollution risks to inland and coastal water ecosystems worldwide. These risks must be assessed, for instance according to the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). The WFD demands economically efficient, basin-scale water management for achieving and maintaining good physico-chemical and ecological status in all the inland and coastal waters of EU member states. This paper synthesizes a series of hydro-biogeochemical and linked economic efficiency studies of basin-scale waterborne nutrient and pollutant flows, the development over the last decades up to the current levels of these flows, the main monitoring and modelling uncertainties associated with their quantification, and the effectiveness and economic efficiency of different possible abatement strategies for abating them in order to meet WFD requirements and other environmental goals on local, national and international levels under climate and other regional change. The studies include different Swedish and Baltic Sea drainage basins. Main findings include quantification of near-coastal monitoring gaps and long-term nutrient and pollutant memory in the subsurface (soil-groundwater-sediment) water systems of drainage basins. The former may significantly mask nutrient and pollutant loads to the sea while the latter may continue to uphold large loads to inland and coastal waters long time after source mitigation. A methodology is presented for finding a rational trade-off between the two resource-demanding options to reduce, or accept and explicitly account for the uncertainties implied by these monitoring gaps and long-term nutrient-pollution memories and time lags, and other knowledge, data and model uncertainties that limit the effectiveness and efficiency of water pollution and eutrophication management.

Identification of pollutant sources in a rapidly developing urban river catchment in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jingshui; Yin, Hailong; Jomma, Seifeddine; Rode, Michael; Zhou, Qi

2016-04-01

Rapid economic development and urbanization worldwide cause serious ecological and environmental problems. A typical region that is in transition and requires systemic research for effective intervention is the rapidly developing city of Hefei in central P. R. China. In order to investigate the sources of pollutants over a one-year period in Nanfei River catchment that drains the city of Hefei, discharges were measured and water samples were taken and measured along the 14km river section at 10 sites for 4 times from 2013 to 2014. Overflow concentrations of combined sewer and separate storm drains were also measured by selecting 15 rain events in 4 typical drainage systems. Loads and budgets of water and different pollutant sources i.e., wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, urban drainage overflow, unknown wastewater were calculated. The water balance demonstrated that >70% of the discharge originated from WWTP effluent. Lack of clean upstream inflow thereby is threatening ecological safety and water quality. Furthermore, mass fluxes calculations revealed that >40% of the COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) loads were from urban drainage overflow because of a large amount of discharge of untreated wastewater in pumping stations during rain events. WWTP effluent was the predominant source of the total nitrogen loads (>60%) and ammonia loads (>45%). However, the total phosphorous loads from three different sources are similar (˜1/3). Thus, our research provided a basis for appropriate and prior mitigation strategies (state-of-art of WWTP upgrade, sewer systems modification, storm water regulation and storage capacity improvement, etc.) for different precedence-controlled pollutants with the limited infrastructure investments in these rapidly developing urban regions.

40 CFR 458.45 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... paragraph, which may be discharged from the carbon black lamp process by a new source subject to the provisions of this subpart: There shall be no discharge of process waste water pollutants to navigable waters. ...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS CARBON BLACK MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Carbon Black Lamp...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides in water columns from the Pearl River and the Macao harbor in the Pearl River Delta in South China.

PubMed

Luo, Xiaojun; Mai, Bixian; Yang, Qingshu; Fu, Jiamo; Sheng, Guoying; Wang, Zhishi

2004-06-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were measured in suspended particles and dissolved phase from the Baiertang water column and the Macao water column samples as collected from the Guangzhou channel of the Pearl River and the Macao harbor, where the sediments were heavily contaminated with organic pollutants. Total OCPs concentration varies from 23.4 to 61.7 ng/l in Baiertang water column and from 25.2 to 67.8 ng/l in Macao column, while total PAHs concentration varies from 987.1 to 2878.5 ng/l in the Baiertang water column and from 944.0 to 6654.6 ng/l in the Macao column. The vertical distribution profiles of pollutants and the partition of pollutants between particles and dissolved phases indicate that the sediments in Baiertang act as an important source of selected pollutants, and the pollutants in water of this region were mainly originated from the release and re-suspension of contaminants residing in the sediments. The sediments in Macao harbor act as a reservoir for organochlorine pesticides, such as DDTs mainly introduced by river inflow from Xijiang and PAHs input by brackish water from the Lingdingyang estuary. Combustion of fossil fuels and petroleum input are the main sources of PAHs in the Macao water column, while combustion of fossil fuels and coal is responsible for the PAHs in the Baiertang water column. The ratios of DDT/(DDD+DDE) for the Macao water column samples demonstrate that such chemicals were input into this region in recent times.

Source discrimination of heavy metals in sediment and water of To Lich River in Hanoi City using multivariate statistical approaches.

PubMed

Thuong, Nguyen Thi; Yoneda, Minoru; Ikegami, Maiko; Takakura, Masato

2013-10-01

The concentrations of Mn, Fe, Ni, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, As, and Cd were determined to evaluate the level of contamination of To Lich River in Hanoi City. All metal concentrations in 0-10-cm water samples, except Mn, were lower than the maximum permitted concentration for irrigation water standard. Meanwhile, concentrations of As, Cd, and Zn in 0-30-cm sediments were likely to have adverse effects on agriculture and aquatic life. Sediment pollution assessment was undertaken using enrichment factor and geoaccumulation index (I geo). The I geo results indicated that the sediment was not polluted with Cr, Mn, Fe, and Ni, and the pollution level increased in the order of Cu < Pb < Zn < As < Cd. Meanwhile, significant enrichment was shown for Cd, As, Zn, and Pb. Cluster and principal component analyses suggest that As and Mn in sediment were derived from both lithogenic and anthropogenic sources, while Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Cd, and Ni originated from anthropogenic sources such as vehicular fumes for Pb and metallic discharge from industrial sources and fertilizer application for other metals.

Soil physical properties changed induced by dry-wet cycles in the water-level fluctuation zone of Three Gorges Reservoir region, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Junfang; Tang, Xiangyu; Zhang, Wei

2017-04-01

In southwest China, a grand hydraulic engineering called Three Gorges Dam (TGD) was completed and under full power run since 2009, making a total area of 349 km2 along Yangtze River exposing the dry-wet cycles by its impounding of water step by step from the elevations of 135 m in summer season to 175 m in winter season at each year. As populated area, the environmental issues aroused by the TGR have centered on water quality, biodiversity, sedimentation, downstream riverbed erosion and pollutants (both heavy metals and organic pollutants) transportation. All these are regulated or affected by soil structure and pore network, directly or indirectly. Thus, the study of soil physical quality changed induced by these seasonal dry-wet cycles is crucial. The objective of this study is: (1) to describe soil structural status in WLF zone of TGR by combination of laboratory measures and visual evaluation method; (2) to describe the pore system in this zone by both SWRC and CT images; and (3) to address the changes of soil physical quality changed by seasonal dry-wet cycles. Our results showed a deterioration of soil structure (indicated by a high Sq score in VESS) and soil aggregate stability (indicated by low MWD and the mass fractal dimension Dm) in lower land of TGR. The data from both soil water retention curve and micro-CT image demonstrates a going -worse of soil physical quality by decreasing of soil pore number and porosity as well as a shift of drainable micro-pores (0.1 < r < 125 µm) to non-drainable micro-pores (r < 0.1 µm) in the lower land of TGR.

40 CFR 35.3140 - Environmental review requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE State Water Pollution Control Revolving Funds § 35.3140 Environmental... nonpoint source pollution control (section 319) and estuary protection (section 320) projects that are also...

40 CFR 35.3140 - Environmental review requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE State Water Pollution Control Revolving Funds § 35.3140 Environmental... nonpoint source pollution control (section 319) and estuary protection (section 320) projects that are also...

40 CFR 35.3140 - Environmental review requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE State Water Pollution Control Revolving Funds § 35.3140 Environmental... nonpoint source pollution control (section 319) and estuary protection (section 320) projects that are also...

40 CFR 35.3140 - Environmental review requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE State Water Pollution Control Revolving Funds § 35.3140 Environmental... nonpoint source pollution control (section 319) and estuary protection (section 320) projects that are also...

40 CFR 35.3140 - Environmental review requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE State Water Pollution Control Revolving Funds § 35.3140 Environmental... nonpoint source pollution control (section 319) and estuary protection (section 320) projects that are also...

Tracking the Primary Sources of Fecal Pollution in a Tropical Watershed in a One-Year Study

EPA Science Inventory

A study was conducted to determine the primary sources of fecal pollution in a subtropical watershed using host-specific assays developed in temperate regions. Water samples (n=534) from 10 different sites along the Rio Grande de Arecibo watershed were collected every two-three w...

Presence of Pathogens and Indicator Microbes at a Non-Point Source Subtropical Recreational Marine Beach ▿ †

PubMed Central

Abdelzaher, Amir M.; Wright, Mary E.; Ortega, Cristina; Solo-Gabriele, Helena M.; Miller, Gary; Elmir, Samir; Newman, Xihui; Shih, Peter; Bonilla, J. Alfredo; Bonilla, Tonya D.; Palmer, Carol J.; Scott, Troy; Lukasik, Jerzy; Harwood, Valerie J.; McQuaig, Shannon; Sinigalliano, Chris; Gidley, Maribeth; Plano, Lisa R. W.; Zhu, Xiaofang; Wang, John D.; Fleming, Lora E.

2010-01-01

Swimming in ocean water, including ocean water at beaches not impacted by known point sources of pollution, is an increasing health concern. This study was an initial evaluation of the presence of indicator microbes and pathogens and the association among the indicator microbes, pathogens, and environmental conditions at a subtropical, recreational marine beach in south Florida impacted by non-point sources of pollution. Twelve water and eight sand samples were collected during four sampling events at high or low tide under elevated or reduced solar insolation conditions. The analyses performed included analyses of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) (fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci, and Clostridium perfringens), human-associated microbial source tracking (MST) markers (human polyomaviruses [HPyVs] and Enterococcus faecium esp gene), and pathogens (Vibrio vulnificus, Staphylococcus aureus, enterovirus, norovirus, hepatitis A virus, Cryptosporidium spp., and Giardia spp.). The enterococcus concentrations in water and sand determined by quantitative PCR were greater than the concentrations determined by membrane filtration measurement. The FIB concentrations in water were below the recreational water quality standards for three of the four sampling events, when pathogens and MST markers were also generally undetectable. The FIB levels exceeded regulatory guidelines during one event, and this was accompanied by detection of HPyVs and pathogens, including detection of the autochthonous bacterium V. vulnificus in sand and water, detection of the allochthonous protozoans Giardia spp. in water, and detection of Cryptosporidium spp. in sand samples. The elevated microbial levels were detected at high tide and under low-solar-insolation conditions. Additional sampling should be conducted to further explore the relationships between tidal and solar insolation conditions and between indicator microbes and pathogens in subtropical recreational marine waters impacted by non-point source pollution. PMID:19966020

Assessment of Pressure Sources and Water Body Resilience: An Integrated Approach for Action Planning in a Polluted River Basin.

PubMed

Mirauda, Domenica; Ostoich, Marco

2018-02-23

The present study develops an integrated methodology combining the results of the water-quality classification, according to the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC-WFD, with those of a mathematical integrity model. It is able to analyse the potential anthropogenic impacts on the receiving water body and to help municipal decision-makers when selecting short/medium/long-term strategic mitigation actions to be performed in a territory. Among the most important causes of water-quality degradation in a river, the focus is placed on pollutants from urban wastewater. In particular, the proposed approach evaluates the efficiency and the accurate localisation of treatment plants in a basin, as well as the capacity of its river to bear the residual pollution loads after the treatment phase. The methodology is applied to a sample catchment area, located in northern Italy, where water quality is strongly affected by high population density and by the presence of agricultural and industrial activities. Nearly 10 years of water-quality data collected through official monitoring are considered for the implementation of the system. The sample basin shows different real and potential pollution conditions, according to the resilience of the river and surroundings, together with the point and diffuse pressure sources acting on the receiving body.

Occurrence of THM and NDMA precursors in a watershed: Effect of seasons and anthropogenic pollution.

PubMed

Aydin, Egemen; Yaman, Fatma Busra; Ates Genceli, Esra; Topuz, Emel; Erdim, Esra; Gurel, Melike; Ipek, Murat; Pehlivanoglu-Mantas, Elif

2012-06-30

In pristine watersheds, natural organic matter is the main source of disinfection by-product (DBP) precursors. However, the presence of point or non-point pollution sources in watersheds may lead to increased levels of DBP precursors which in turn form DBPs in the drinking water treatment plant upon chlorination or chloramination. In this study, water samples were collected from a lake used to obtain drinking water for Istanbul as well as its tributaries to investigate the presence of the precursors of two disinfection by-products, trihalomethanes (THM) and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). In addition, the effect of seasons and the possible relationships between these precursors and water quality parameters were evaluated. The concentrations of THM and NDMA precursors measured as total THM formation potential (TTHMFP) and NDMA formation potential (NDMAFP) ranged between 126 and 1523μg/L THM and <2 and 1648ng/L NDMA, respectively. Such wide ranges imply that some of the tributaries are affected by anthropogenic pollution sources, which is also supported by high DOC, Cl(-) and NH(3) concentrations. No significant correlation was found between the water quality parameters and DBP formation potential, except for a weak correlation between NDMAFP and DOC concentrations. The effect of the sampling location was more pronounced than the seasonal variation due to anthropogenic pollution in some tributaries and no significant correlation was obtained between the seasons and water quality parameters. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nitrogen component in nonpoint source pollution models

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pollutants entering a water body can be very destructive to the health of that system. Best Management Practices (BMPs) and/or conservation practices are used to reduce these pollutants, but understanding the most effective practices is very difficult. Watershed models are an effective tool to aid...

Source analysis of radiocesium in river waters using road dust tracers.

PubMed

Murakami, Michio; Saha, Mahua; Iwasaki, Yuichi; Yamashita, Rei; Koibuchi, Yukio; Tsukada, Hirofumi; Takada, Hideshige; Sueki, Keisuke; Yasutaka, Tetsuo

2017-11-01

Following the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station accident, regional road dust, heavily contaminated with radiocesium, now represents a potential source of radiocesium pollution in river water. To promote effective countermeasures for reducing the risk from radiocesium pollution, it is important to understand its sources. This study evaluated the utility of metals, including Al, Fe, and Zn as road dust tracers, and applied them to analyze sources of 137 Cs in rivers around Fukushima during wet weather. Concentrations of Zn in road dust were higher than agricultural and forest soils, whereas concentrations of Fe and Al were the opposite. Concentrations of Zn were weakly but significantly correlated with benzothiazole, a molecular marker of tires, indicating Zn represents an effective tracer of road dust. Al, Fe, and Zn were frequently detected in suspended solids in river water during wet weather. Distribution coefficients of these metals and 137 Cs exceeded 10 4 , suggesting sorptive behavior in water. Although concentrations of Al, Fe, Zn, and 137 Cs were higher in fine fractions of road dust and soils than in coarse fractions, use of ratios of 137 Cs to Al, Fe, or Zn showed smaller differences among size fractions. The results demonstrate that combinations of these metals and 137 Cs are useful for analyzing sources of radiocesium in water. These ratios in river water during wet weather were found to be comparable with or lower than during dry weather and were closer to soils than road dust, suggesting a limited contribution from road dust to radiocesium pollution in river water. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introducing nonpoint source transferable quotas in nitrogen trading: The effects of transaction costs and uncertainty.

PubMed

Zhou, Xiuru; Ye, Weili; Zhang, Bing

2016-03-01

Transaction costs and uncertainty are considered to be significant obstacles in the emissions trading market, especially for including nonpoint source in water quality trading. This study develops a nonlinear programming model to simulate how uncertainty and transaction costs affect the performance of point/nonpoint source (PS/NPS) water quality trading in the Lake Tai watershed, China. The results demonstrate that PS/NPS water quality trading is a highly cost-effective instrument for emissions abatement in the Lake Tai watershed, which can save 89.33% on pollution abatement costs compared to trading only between nonpoint sources. However, uncertainty can significantly reduce the cost-effectiveness by reducing trading volume. In addition, transaction costs from bargaining and decision making raise total pollution abatement costs directly and cause the offset system to deviate from the optimal state. While proper investment in monitoring and measuring of nonpoint emissions can decrease uncertainty and save on the total abatement costs. Finally, we show that the dispersed ownership of China's farmland will bring high uncertainty and transaction costs into the PS/NPS offset system, even if the pollution abatement cost is lower than for point sources. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling of land use and reservoir effects on nonpoint source pollution in a highly agricultural basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wu, Yiping; Liu, Shu-Guang

2012-01-01

Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is tightly linked to land use activities that determine the sources and magnitudes of pollutant loadings to stream water. The pollutant loads may also be alleviated within reservoirs because of the physical interception resulting from changed hydrological regimes and other biochemical processes. It is important but challenging to assess the NPS pollution processes with human effects due to the measurement limitations. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of human activities such as land uses and reservoir operation on the hydrological and NPS pollution processes in a highly agricultural area-the Iowa River Basin-using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The evaluation of model performance at multiple sites reveals that SWAT can consistently simulate the daily streamflow, and monthly/annual sediment and nutrient loads (nitrate nitrogen and mineral phosphorus) in the basin. We also used the calibrated model to estimate the trap efficiencies of sediment (~78%) and nutrients (~30%) in the Coralville Reservoir within the basin. These non-negligible effects emphasize the significance of incorporating the sediment and nutrient removal mechanisms into watershed system studies. The spatial quantification of the critical NPS pollution loads can help identify hot-spot areas that are likely locations for the best management practices.

Modeling of land use and reservoir effects on nonpoint source pollution in a highly agricultural basin.

PubMed

Wu, Yiping; Liu, Shuguang

2012-09-01

Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is tightly linked to land use activities that determine the sources and magnitudes of pollutant loadings to stream water. The pollutant loads may also be alleviated within reservoirs because of the physical interception resulting from changed hydrological regimes and other biochemical processes. It is important but challenging to assess the NPS pollution processes with human effects due to the measurement limitations. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of human activities such as land uses and reservoir operation on the hydrological and NPS pollution processes in a highly agricultural area-the Iowa River Basin-using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The evaluation of model performance at multiple sites reveals that SWAT can consistently simulate the daily streamflow, and monthly/annual sediment and nutrient loads (nitrate nitrogen and mineral phosphorus) in the basin. We also used the calibrated model to estimate the trap efficiencies of sediment (∼78%) and nutrients (∼30%) in the Coralville Reservoir within the basin. These non-negligible effects emphasize the significance of incorporating the sediment and nutrient removal mechanisms into watershed system studies. The spatial quantification of the critical NPS pollution loads can help identify hot-spot areas that are likely locations for the best management practices.

Forestry best management practices relationships with aquatic and riparian fauna: A review

Treesearch

Brooke M. Warrington; W. Michael Aust; Scott M. Barrett; W. Mark Ford; C. Andrew Dolloff; Erik B. Schilling; T. Bently Wigley; M. Chad Bolding

2017-01-01

Forestry best management practices (BMPs) were developed to minimize water pollution from forestry operations by primarily addressing sediment and sediment transport, which is the leading source of pollution from silviculture. Implementation of water quality BMPs may also benefit riparian and aquatic wildlife, although wildlife benefits were not driving forces...

USE OF COMPOSITE DATA SETS FOR SOURCE-TRACKING ENTEROCCOCCI IN THE WATER COLUMN AND SHORELINE INTERSTITIAL WATERS ON PENSACOLA BEACH, FL

EPA Science Inventory

Genthner, Fred J., Joseph B. James, Diane F. Yates and Stephanie D. Friedman. Submitted. Use of Composite Data Sets for Source-Tracking Enterococci in the Water Column and Shoreline Interstitial Waters on Pensacola Beach Florida. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 33 p. (ERL,GB 1212).

So...

Microbial source tracking in highly vulnerable karst drinking water resources.

PubMed

Diston, D; Robbi, R; Baumgartner, A; Felleisen, R

2018-02-01

Water resources situated in areas with underlying karst geology are particularly vulnerable to fecal pollution. In such vulnerable systems, microbial source tracking (MST) methods are useful tools to elucidate the pathways of both animal and human fecal pollution, leading to more accurate water use risk assessments. Here, we describe the application of a MST toolbox using both culture-dependent bacteriophage and molecular-dependent 16S rRNA assays at spring and well sites in the karstic St Imier Valley, Switzerland. Culture-dependent and molecular-dependent marker performance varied significantly, with the 16S rRNA assays displaying greater sensitivity than their phage counterpart; HF183 was the best performing human wastewater-associated marker while Rum2Bac was the best performing ruminant marker. Differences were observed in pollution regimes between the well and spring sampling sites, with the spring water being more degraded than the well site. Our results inform the choice of marker selection for MST studies and highlight differences in microbial water quality between well and spring karst sites.

Contribution of atmospheric dry deposition to stormwater loads for PAHs and trace metals in a small and highly trafficked urban road catchment.

PubMed

Al Ali, Saja; Debade, Xavier; Chebbo, Ghassan; Béchet, Béatrice; Bonhomme, Céline

2017-12-01

A deep understanding of pollutant buildup and wash-off is essential for accurate urban stormwater quality modeling and for the development of stormwater management practices, knowing the potential adverse impacts of runoff pollution on receiving waters. In the context of quantifying the contribution of airborne pollutants to the contamination of stormwater runoff and assessing the need of developing an integrated AIR-WATER modeling chain, loads of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metal trace elements (MTEs) are calculated in atmospheric dry deposits, stormwater runoff, and surface dust stock within a small yet highly trafficked urban road catchment (~ 30,000 vehicles per day) near Paris. Despite the important traffic load and according to the current definition of "atmospheric" source, atmospheric deposition did not account for more than 10% of the PAHs and trace metal loads in stormwater samples for the majority of the events, based on the ratio of deposition to stormwater. This result shows that atmospheric deposition is not a major source of pollutants in stormwater, and thus, linking the air and water compartment in a modeling chain to have more accurate estimates of pollutant loads in stormwater runoff might not be relevant. Comparison of road dust with water samples demonstrates that only the fine fraction of the available stock is eroded during a rainfall event. Even if the atmosphere mostly generates fine particles, the existence of other sources of fine particles to stormwater runoff is highlighted.

NPDES (National Pollution Discharge & Elimination System) Minor Dischargers

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

As authorized by the Clean Water Act, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. The NPDES permit program regulates direct discharges from municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities that discharge directly into surface waters. The NPDES permit program is part of the Permit Compliance System (PCS) which issues, records, tracks, and regulates point source discharge facilities. Individual homes that are connected to a municipal system, use a septic system, or do not have a surface discharge do not need an NPDES permit. Facilities in PCS are identified as either major or minor. Within the major/minor classification, facilities are grouped into municipals or non-municipals. In many cases, non-municipals are industrial facilities. This data layer contains Minor dischargers. Major municipal dischargers include all facilities with design flows of greater than one million gallons per day; minor dischargers are less that one million gallons per day. Essentially, a minor discharger does not meet the discharge criteria for a major. Since its introduction in 1972, the NPDES permit program is responsible for significant improvements to our Nation's water quality.

Food and water security issues in Russia II: water security in general population of Russian Arctic, Siberia and Far East, 2000-2011.

PubMed

Dudarev, Alexey A; Dushkina, Eugenia V; Sladkova, Yuliya N; Alloyarov, Pavel R; Chupakhin, Valery S; Dorofeyev, Vitaliy M; Kolesnikova, Tatjana A; Fridman, Kirill B; Evengard, Birgitta; Nilsson, Lena M

2013-01-01

Poor state of water supply systems, shortage of water purification facilities and disinfection systems, low quality of drinking water generally in Russia and particularly in the regions of the Russian Arctic, Siberia and Far East have been defined in the literature. However, no standard protocol of water security assessment has been used in the majority of studies. Uniform water security indicators collected from Russian official statistical sources for the period 2000-2011 were used for comparison for 18 selected regions in the Russian Arctic, Siberia and Far East. The following indicators of water security were analyzed: water consumption, chemical and biological contamination of water reservoirs of Categories I and II of water sources (centralized--underground and surface, and non-centralized) and of drinking water. Water consumption in selected regions fluctuated from 125 to 340 L/person/day. Centralized water sources (both underground and surface sources) are highly contaminated by chemicals (up to 40-80%) and biological agents (up to 55% in some regions), mainly due to surface water sources. Underground water sources show relatively low levels of biological contamination, while chemical contamination is high due to additional water contamination during water treatment and transportation in pipelines. Non-centralized water sources are highly contaminated (both chemically and biologically) in 32-90% of samples analyzed. Very high levels of chemical contamination of drinking water (up to 51%) were detected in many regions, mainly in the north-western part of the Russian Arctic. Biological contamination of drinking water was generally much lower (2.5-12%) everywhere except Evenki AO (27%), and general and thermotolerant coliform bacteria predominated in drinking water samples from all regions (up to 17.5 and 12.5%, correspondingly). The presence of other agents was much lower: Coliphages--0.2-2.7%, Clostridia spores, Giardia cysts, pathogenic bacteria, Rotavirus--up to 0.8%. Of a total of 56 chemical pollutants analyzed in water samples from centralized water supply systems, 32 pollutants were found to be in excess of hygienic limits, with the predominant pollutants being Fe (up to 55%), Cl (up to 57%), Al (up to 43%) and Mn (up to 45%). In 18 selected regions of the Russian Arctic, Siberia and Far East Category I and II water reservoirs, water sources (centralized--underground, surface; non-centralized) and drinking water are highly contaminated by chemical and biological agents. Full-scale reform of the Russian water industry and water security system is urgently needed, especially in selected regions.

Urban permeable pavement system design based on “sponge city” concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, M. M.; Zhu, J. W.; Gao, W. F.; Xu, D. P.; Zhao, M.

2017-08-01

Based on the “sponge city” concept, to implement the goal of building a city within the city to solve the sponge waterlogging, rational utilization of water resources, reduce water pollution this paper, combined with the city planning level in China, establishes the design system of city road flooding from the macro, medium and micro level, explore the design method of city water permeable pavement system, and has a practical significance the lower flood risk water ecological problems. On the macro level, we established an urban pavement sponge system under the regional ecological pattern by “spot permeable open space - low impact developing rain water road system - catchment area and catchment wetland”. On a medium level, this paper proposed the permeable suitability of pavement and the planning control indicators when combined with urban functional districts to conduct permeable pavement roads plans and controls. On micro level, the paper studied sponge technology design of permeable pavement from road structure, surface material, and other aspects aimed at the pavement permeability requirements.

Evolution of aerosol vertical distribution during particulate pollution events in Shanghai

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yunwei; Zhang, Qun; Leng, Chunpeng; Zhang, Deqin; Cheng, Tiantao; Tao, Jun; Zhang, Renjian; He, Qianshan

2015-06-01

A set of micro pulse lidar (MPL) systems operating at 532 nm was used for ground-based observation of aerosols in Shanghai in 2011. Three typical particulate pollution events (e.g., haze) were examined to determine the evolution of aerosol vertical distribution and the planetary boundary layer (PBL) during these pollution episodes. The aerosol vertical extinction coefficient (VEC) at any given measured altitude was prominently larger during haze periods than that before or after the associated event. Aerosols originating from various source regions exerted forcing to some extent on aerosol loading and vertical layering, leading to different aerosol vertical distribution structures. Aerosol VECs were always maximized near the surface owing to the potential influence of local pollutant emissions. Several peaks in aerosol VECs were found at altitudes above 1 km during the dust- and bioburning-influenced haze events. Aerosol VECs decreased with increasing altitude during the local-polluted haze event, with a single maximum in the surface atmosphere. PM2.5 increased slowly while PBL and visibility decreased gradually in the early stages of haze events; subsequently, PM2.5 accumulated and was exacerbated until serious pollution bursts occurred in the middle and later stages. The results reveal that aerosols from different sources impact aerosol vertical distributions in the atmosphere and that the relationship between PBL and pollutant loadings may play an important role in the formation of pollution.

Characteristics of water quality of rivers related to land-use in Penang Island Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yen, Lim Jia; Matsumoto, Yoshitaka; Yin, Chee Su; Wern, Hong Chern; Inoue, Takanobu; Usami, Akiko; Iwatsuki, Eiji; Yagi, Akihiko

2017-10-01

A study of the Water Quality Index (WQI) of rivers in Penang Island, Malaysia conducted by Universiti Sains Malaysia from October 2012 to January 2013 shows that almost all rivers in Penang Island were slightly polluted or polluted. However, WQI does not clarify each water quality indices, for example nutrients and organic pollutants, that reflect the land-use and pollution source in the catchment. Therefore, in this research, the main objectives are to investigate the interaction of land-use and the water quality of rivers in Penang Island, the quantity of pollutant loads discharged, and identification of the pollution sources along the rivers. The procedure starts from the selection of rivers and parameters for investigation, carrying out field survey and sampling, measuring and analyzing each sample, and lastly, providing a conclusion. The three rivers selected are Pinang River, Keluang River and Burung River. In this research, the results show that total organic carbon (TOC) increases generally as the rivers flow towards the river mouths, which means the degree of organic pollution increases along the rivers. In Pinang River, TOC increases as the tributaries from housing areas flow into the mainstream whereas in Keluang River, a marked increase of TOC is shown in the location where the wastewater from a sewage treatment plant discharges. In Burung River, TOC increases as the river flows through the paddy fields. In the principal component analysis, all sampling points of the three rivers are able to be classified into five groups based on the characteristics of water quality. For example, upstream of Keluang River and Burung River show mutual characteristics in terms of man-made pollution index and heavy metal pollution index. As a conclusion, the results in this research show that the characteristics of water quality in Penang Island are highly affected by land-use surrounding the rivers.

Combination of powdered activated carbon and powdered zeolite for enhancing ammonium removal in micro-polluted raw water.

PubMed

Liao, Zhen-Liang; Chen, Hao; Zhu, Bai-Rong; Li, Huai-Zheng

2015-09-01

Even zeolite is promising in ammonia pollution disposing, its removal efficiency is frequently interfered by organics. As activated carbon has good removal efficiency on organic contaminants, combination of two adsorbents may allow their respective adsorption characteristics into full play. This paper provides a performance assessment of the combination for enhancing ammonium removal in micro-polluted raw water. Gel-filtration chromatography (GFC) was carried out to quantify the molecular weight (MW) range of organic contaminants that powdered activated carbon (PAC) and powdered zeolite (PZ) can remove. The polydispersity difference which also calculated from GFC may indicate the wider organic contaminants removal range of PAC and the relatively centralized removal range of PZ. The jar tests of combination dosing confirm a synergistic effect which promotes ammonium removing. Nevertheless, it also shows an antagonism hindering the due removal performance of the two adsorbents on CODMn, while it is not much evident on UV254. Furthermore, a comparison study with simulated coagulation-sedimentation process was conducted to evaluate the optimum dosing points (spatial and temporal) of PAC and PZ among follows: suction well, pipeline mixer, early and middle phase of flocculation. We suggest to dose both two adsorbents into the early phase of flocculation to maximize the versatile removal efficiency on turbidity, ammonium and organic contaminants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

NASA-Modified Precipitation Products to Improve EPA Nonpoint Source Water Quality Modeling for the Chesapeake Bay

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nigro, Joseph; Toll, David; Partington, Ed; Ni-Meister, Wenge; Lee, Shihyan; Gutierrez-Magness, Angelica; Engman, Ted; Arsenault, Kristi

2010-01-01

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated that over 20,000 water bodies within the United States do not meet water quality standards. Ninety percent of the impairments are typically caused by nonpoint sources. One of the regulations in the Clean Water Act of 1972 requires States to monitor the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), or the amount of pollution that can be carried by a water body before it is determined to be "polluted", for any watershed in the U.S.. In response to this mandate, the EPA developed Better Assessment Science Integrating Nonpoint Sources (BASINS) as a Decision Support Tool (DST) for assessing pollution and to guide the decision making process for improving water quality. One of the models in BASINS, the Hydrological Simulation Program -- Fortran (HSPF), computes daily stream flow rates and pollutant concentration at each basin outlet. By design, precipitation and other meteorological data from weather stations serve as standard model input. In practice, these stations may be unable to capture the spatial heterogeneity of precipitation events especially if they are few and far between. An attempt was made to resolve this issue by substituting station data with NASA modified/NOAA precipitation data. Using these data within HSPF, stream flow was calculated for seven watersheds in the Chesapeake Bay Basin during low flow periods, convective storm periods, and annual flows. In almost every case, the modeling performance of HSPF increased when using the NASA-modified precipitation data, resulting in better stream flow statistics and, ultimately, in improved water quality assessment.

Integrated Watershed Pollution Control at Wujingang Canal, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Z.; Yang, X.; Luo, X.

2012-04-01

With a drainage area of 400 square kilometers, Wujingang Canal is located at the economically developed Yangtz Delta of eastern China. As a major tributary, the canal contributes a significant amount of pollutant load to the Lake Tai. Over the past many years, water quality of the canal and its tributaries could not meet the lowest Category V of Chinese surface water quality standard, indicating that its water is not suitable for the purposes of irrigation or scenic views. Major pollution sources in the watershed include industries, residential households, agriculture, fishery, and animal feedlot operations. A comprehensive plan with a budget of 2 billion RMB for the Wujingang watershed pollution control was developed in 2008 and has been implemented progressively ever since. Major components of the plan include: (1) advanced treatment of wastewater from industries and municipal sewage plants for further removal of nitrogen and phosphorous; (2) industrial wastewater reuse; (3) contiguous treatment of sewage from rural residential households with cost-effective technologies such as tower ecofilter system; (4) recycling of rural wastes to generate high-value added products using technologies such as multi-phase anaerobic co-digestion; and (5) making full use of the local landscape and configuring physical, chemical, and biological pollutant treatment structures to build the "clean river network" for treatment of mildly polluted agricultural discharge and surface runoff. Through the implementation of the above measures, water quality of the Wujingang Canal and its tributaries is expected to improve to meet Category IV of Chinese surface water quality standard by 2012, and Category III standard by 2020. Keywords watershed pollution control, non-point source pollution, rural sewage, rural waste, Lake Tai

microRNAs: Implications for Air Pollution Research

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this review is to provide an update of the current understanding on the role of microRNAs in mediating genetic responses to air pollutants and to contemplate on how these responses ultimately control susceptibility to ambient air pollution. Morbidity and mortality ...

Development of a multiobjective optimization tool for the selection and placement of best management practices for nonpoint source pollution control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maringanti, Chetan; Chaubey, Indrajeet; Popp, Jennie

2009-06-01

Best management practices (BMPs) are effective in reducing the transport of agricultural nonpoint source pollutants to receiving water bodies. However, selection of BMPs for placement in a watershed requires optimization of the available resources to obtain maximum possible pollution reduction. In this study, an optimization methodology is developed to select and place BMPs in a watershed to provide solutions that are both economically and ecologically effective. This novel approach develops and utilizes a BMP tool, a database that stores the pollution reduction and cost information of different BMPs under consideration. The BMP tool replaces the dynamic linkage of the distributed parameter watershed model during optimization and therefore reduces the computation time considerably. Total pollutant load from the watershed, and net cost increase from the baseline, were the two objective functions minimized during the optimization process. The optimization model, consisting of a multiobjective genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) in combination with a watershed simulation tool (Soil Water and Assessment Tool (SWAT)), was developed and tested for nonpoint source pollution control in the L'Anguille River watershed located in eastern Arkansas. The optimized solutions provided a trade-off between the two objective functions for sediment, phosphorus, and nitrogen reduction. The results indicated that buffer strips were very effective in controlling the nonpoint source pollutants from leaving the croplands. The optimized BMP plans resulted in potential reductions of 33%, 32%, and 13% in sediment, phosphorus, and nitrogen loads, respectively, from the watershed.

The influence of street layouts and viaduct settings on daily carbon monoxide exposure and intake fraction in idealized urban canyons.

PubMed

Hang, Jian; Luo, Zhiwen; Wang, Xuemei; He, Lejian; Wang, Baomin; Zhu, Wei

2017-01-01

Environmental concerns have been raised on the adverse health effects of vehicle emissions in micro-scale traffic-crowded street canyons, especially for pedestrians and residents living in near-road buildings. Viaduct design is sometimes used to improve transportation efficiency but possibly affects urban airflow and the resultant exposure risk, which have been rarely investigated so far. The personal intake fraction (P_IF) is defined as the average fraction of total emissions that is inhaled by each person of a population (1 ppm = 1 × 10 -6 ), and the daily carbon monoxide (CO) pollutant exposure (E t ) is estimated by multiplying the average concentration of a specific micro-environment within one day. As a novelty, by considering time activity patterns and breathing rates in various micro-environments for three age groups, this paper introduces IF and E t into computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation to quantify the impacts of street layouts (street width/building height W/H = 1, 1.5, 2), source location, viaduct settings and noise barriers on the source-exposure correlation when realistic CO sources are defined. Narrower streets experience larger P_IF (1.51-5.21 ppm) and CO exposure, and leeward-side buildings always attain higher vehicular pollutant exposure than windward-side. Cases with a viaduct experience smaller P_IF (3.25-1.46 ppm) than cases without a viaduct (P_IF = 5.21-2.23 ppm) if the single ground-level CO source is elevated onto the viaduct. With two CO sources (both ground-level and viaduct-level), daily CO exposure rises 2.80-3.33 times but P_IF only change slightly. Noise barriers above a viaduct raise concentration between barriers, but slightly reduce vehicular exposure in near-road buildings. Because people spend most of their time indoors, vehicular pollutant exposure within near-road buildings can be 6-9 times that at pedestrian level. Although further studies are still required to provide practical guidelines, this paper provides effective methodologies to quantify the impacts of street/viaduct configurations on human exposure for urban design purpose. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of modified export coefficient method on the load estimation of non-point source nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of soil and water loss in semiarid regions.

PubMed

Wu, Lei; Gao, Jian-en; Ma, Xiao-yi; Li, Dan

2015-07-01

Chinese Loess Plateau is considered as one of the most serious soil loss regions in the world, its annual sediment output accounts for 90 % of the total sediment loads of the Yellow River, and most of the Loess Plateau has a very typical characteristic of "soil and water flow together", and water flow in this area performs with a high sand content. Serious soil loss results in nitrogen and phosphorus loss of soil. Special processes of water and soil in the Loess Plateau lead to the loss mechanisms of water, sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus are different from each other, which are greatly different from other areas of China. In this study, the modified export coefficient method considering the rainfall erosivity factor was proposed to simulate and evaluate non-point source (NPS) nitrogen and phosphorus loss load caused by soil and water loss in the Yanhe River basin of the hilly and gully area, Loess Plateau. The results indicate that (1) compared with the traditional export coefficient method, annual differences of NPS total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) load after considering the rainfall erosivity factor are obvious; it is more in line with the general law of NPS pollution formation in a watershed, and it can reflect the annual variability of NPS pollution more accurately. (2) Under the traditional and modified conditions, annual changes of NPS TN and TP load in four counties (districts) took on the similar trends from 1999 to 2008; the load emission intensity not only is closely related to rainfall intensity but also to the regional distribution of land use and other pollution sources. (3) The output structure, source composition, and contribution rate of NPS pollution load under the modified method are basically the same with the traditional method. The average output structure of TN from land use and rural life is about 66.5 and 17.1 %, the TP is about 53.8 and 32.7 %; the maximum source composition of TN (59 %) is farmland; the maximum source composition of TP (38.1 %) is rural life; the maximum contribution rates of TN and TP in Baota district are 36.26 and 39.26 %, respectively. Results may provide data support for NPS pollution prevention and control in the loess hilly and gully region and also provide scientific reference for the protection of ecological environment of the Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi.

Microbial Source Tracking Markers for Detection of Fecal Contamination in Environmental Waters: Relationships Between Pathogens and Human Health Outcomes

EPA Science Inventory

Microbial source tracking (MST) describes a suite of methods and an investigative strategy designed to identify the dominant sources of fecal pollution in environmental waters. The methods rely on the close association of certain fecal microorganisms with a particular host speci...

Differential Decay of Cattle-associated Fecal Indicator Bacteria and Microbial Source Tracking Markers in Fresh and Marine Water

EPA Science Inventory

Background: Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) have a long history of use in the assessment of the microbial quality of recreational waters. However, quantification of FIB provides no information about the pollution source(s) and relatively little is known about their fate in the amb...

40 CFR 35.3115 - Eligible activities of the SRF.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE State Water Pollution Control Revolving Funds § 35.3115 Eligible... a nonpoint source pollution control management program under section 319 of the Act; and (c) For...

40 CFR 35.3115 - Eligible activities of the SRF.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE State Water Pollution Control Revolving Funds § 35.3115 Eligible... a nonpoint source pollution control management program under section 319 of the Act; and (c) For...

40 CFR 35.3115 - Eligible activities of the SRF.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE State Water Pollution Control Revolving Funds § 35.3115 Eligible... a nonpoint source pollution control management program under section 319 of the Act; and (c) For...

40 CFR 35.3115 - Eligible activities of the SRF.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE State Water Pollution Control Revolving Funds § 35.3115 Eligible... a nonpoint source pollution control management program under section 319 of the Act; and (c) For...

Nonpoint Source: Urban Areas

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Urbanization increases the variety and amount of pollutants carried into our nation's waters. Pavement and compacted landscapes do not allow rain and snow melt to soak into the ground. List of typical pollutants from Urban runoff.

40 CFR 35.3115 - Eligible activities of the SRF.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE State Water Pollution Control Revolving Funds § 35.3115 Eligible... a nonpoint source pollution control management program under section 319 of the Act; and (c) For...

Identifying avian sources of faecal contamination using sterol analysis.

PubMed

Devane, Megan L; Wood, David; Chappell, Andrew; Robson, Beth; Webster-Brown, Jenny; Gilpin, Brent J

2015-10-01

Discrimination of the source of faecal pollution in water bodies is an important step in the assessment and mitigation of public health risk. One tool for faecal source tracking is the analysis of faecal sterols which are present in faeces of animals in a range of distinctive ratios. Published ratios are able to discriminate between human and herbivore mammal faecal inputs but are of less value for identifying pollution from wildfowl, which can be a common cause of elevated bacterial indicators in rivers and streams. In this study, the sterol profiles of 50 avian-derived faecal specimens (seagulls, ducks and chickens) were examined alongside those of 57 ruminant faeces and previously published sterol profiles of human wastewater, chicken effluent and animal meatwork effluent. Two novel sterol ratios were identified as specific to avian faecal scats, which, when incorporated into a decision tree with human and herbivore mammal indicative ratios, were able to identify sterols from avian-polluted waterways. For samples where the sterol profile was not consistent with herbivore mammal or human pollution, avian pollution is indicated when the ratio of 24-ethylcholestanol/(24-ethylcholestanol + 24-ethylcoprostanol + 24-ethylepicoprostanol) is ≥0.4 (avian ratio 1) and the ratio of cholestanol/(cholestanol + coprostanol + epicoprostanol) is ≥0.5 (avian ratio 2). When avian pollution is indicated, further confirmation by targeted PCR specific markers can be employed if greater confidence in the pollution source is required. A 66% concordance between sterol ratios and current avian PCR markers was achieved when 56 water samples from polluted waterways were analysed.

Performance of pond-wetland complexes as a preliminary processor of drinking water sources.

PubMed

Wang, Weidong; Zheng, Jun; Wang, Zhongqiong; Zhang, Rongbin; Chen, Qinghua; Yu, Xinfeng; Yin, Chengqing

2016-01-01

Shijiuyang Constructed Wetland (110 hm(2)) is a drinking water source treatment wetland with primary structural units of ponds and plant-bed/ditch systems. The wetland can process about 250,000 tonnes of source water in the Xincheng River every day and supplies raw water for Shijiuyang Drinking Water Plant. Daily data for 28 months indicated that the major water quality indexes of source water had been improved by one grade. The percentage increase for dissolved oxygen and the removal rates of ammonia nitrogen, iron and manganese were 73.63%, 38.86%, 35.64%, and 22.14% respectively. The treatment performance weight of ponds and plant-bed/ditch systems was roughly equal but they treated different pollutants preferentially. Most water quality indexes had better treatment efficacy with increasing temperature and inlet concentrations. These results revealed that the pond-wetland complexes exhibited strong buffering capacity for source water quality improvement. The treatment cost of Shijiuyang Drinking Water Plant was reduced by about 30.3%. Regional rainfall significantly determined the external river water levels and adversely deteriorated the inlet water quality, thus suggesting that the "hidden" diffuse pollution in the multitudinous stream branches as well as their catchments should be the controlling emphases for river source water protection in the future. The combination of pond and plant-bed/ditch systems provides a successful paradigm for drinking water source pretreatment. Three other drinking water source treatment wetlands with ponds and plant-bed/ditch systems are in operation or construction in the stream networks of the Yangtze River Delta and more people will be benefited. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Rainfall-induced runoff from exposed streambed sediments: an important source of water pollution.

PubMed

Frey, S K; Gottschall, N; Wilkes, G; Grégoire, D S; Topp, E; Pintar, K D M; Sunohara, M; Marti, R; Lapen, D R

2015-01-01

When surface water levels decline, exposed streambed sediments can be mobilized and washed into the water course when subjected to erosive rainfall. In this study, rainfall simulations were conducted over exposed sediments along stream banks at four distinct locations in an agriculturally dominated river basin with the objective of quantifying the potential for contaminant loading from these often overlooked runoff source areas. At each location, simulations were performed at three different sites. Nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment, fecal indicator bacteria, pathogenic bacteria, and microbial source tracking (MST) markers were examined in both prerainfall sediments and rainfall-induced runoff water. Runoff generation and sediment mobilization occurred quickly (10-150 s) after rainfall initiation. Temporal trends in runoff concentrations were highly variable within and between locations. Total runoff event loads were considered large for many pollutants considered. For instance, the maximum observed total phosphorus runoff load was on the order of 1.5 kg ha. Results also demonstrate that runoff from exposed sediments can be a source of pathogenic bacteria. spp. and spp. were present in runoff from one and three locations, respectively. Ruminant MST markers were also present in runoff from two locations, one of which hosted pasturing cattle with stream access. Overall, this study demonstrated that rainfall-induced runoff from exposed streambed sediments can be an important source of surface water pollution. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Watershed delineation and nitrogen source analysis for Bayou Chico, an urban watershed in northwest Florida

EPA Science Inventory

Nutrient pollution in stormwater runoff from urbanized areas contributes to water quality degradation in streams and receiving waterbodies. Agriculture, population growth, and industrial activities are significant sources of nitrogen inputs for surface waters. Increased nitrogen ...

Ganga water pollution: A potential health threat to inhabitants of Ganga basin.

PubMed

Dwivedi, Sanjay; Mishra, Seema; Tripathi, Rudra Deo

2018-05-18

The water quality of Ganga, the largest river in Indian sub-continent and life line to hundreds of million people, has severely deteriorated. Studies have indicated the presence of high level of carcinogenic elements in Ganga water. We performed extensive review of sources and level of organic, inorganic pollution and microbial contamination in Ganga water to evaluate changes in the level of various pollutants in the recent decade in comparison to the past and potential health risk for the population through consumption of toxicant tainted fishes in Ganga basin. A systematic search through databases, specific websites and reports of pollution regulatory agencies was conducted. The state wise level of contamination was tabulated along the Ganga river. We have discussed the major sources of various pollutants with particular focus on metal/metalloid and pesticide residues. Bioaccumulation of toxicants in fishes of Ganga water and potential health hazards to humans through consumption of tainted fishes was evaluated. The level of pesticides in Ganga water registered a drastic reduction in the last decade (i.e. after the establishment of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) in 2009), still the levels of some organochlorines are beyond the permissible limits for drinking water. Conversely the inorganic pollutants, particularly carcinogenic elements have increased several folds. Microbial contamination has also significantly increased. Hazard quotient and hazard index indicated significant health risk due to metal/metalloid exposure through consumption of tainted fishes from Ganga. Target cancer risk assessment showed high carcinogenic risk from As, Cr, Ni and Pb as well as residues of DDT and HCHs. Current data analysis showed that Ganga water quality is deteriorating day by day and at several places even in upper stretch of Ganga the water is not suitable for domestic uses. Although there is positive impact of ban on persistent pesticides with decreasing trend of pesticide residues in Ganga water, the increasing trend of trace and toxic elements is alarming and the prolong exposure to polluted Ganga water and/or consumption of Ganga water fishes may cause serious illness including cancer. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of size-resolved atmospheric inorganic and carbonaceous aerosols in urban Shanghai

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, X. X.; Kong, L. D.; Du, C. T.; Zhanzakova, A.; Fu, H. B.; Tang, X. F.; Wang, L.; Yang, X.; Chen, J. M.; Cheng, T. T.

2017-10-01

Size-segregated aerosol particles were collected with a 10-stage Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor (MOUDI) at an urban site in Shanghai, China for four non-consecutive months representing four seasons from 2015 to 2016. Chemical composition, including water-soluble ions as well as organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) and secondary organic carbon (SOC) of size-resolved (0.056-18 μm) atmospheric aerosols in four seasons and in different polluted cases were studied. The size distributions of sulfate, nitrate and ammonium (SNA) and carbonaceous aerosol (OC, EC and SOC) were discussed and the potential sources of PM1.8-associated secondary species (SO42-, NO3-, SNA and SOC) in different seasons were identified by potential source contribution function (PSCF) model. Results showed that atmospheric ultrafine and fine particle pollution in Shanghai were very serious during the study period. Most of the water-soluble ions tended to be enriched in fine particles, especially being abundant in the droplet mode in polluted cases. Compared with sulfate, size distributions of nitrate and ammonium presented more significant seasonal variations and showed distinctive characteristics in polluted days. Abundant nitrate was concentrated in fine particles in cold seasons (spring and winter), whereas it was enriched in coarse mode during summer and autumn. The droplet mode sulfate with high concentration did not result in the aggravation of air pollution, while the nucleation mode sulfate may have made a great contribution to the air pollution in urban Shanghai. It was also found that the formation of air pollution in urban Shanghai had a significant link with nitrate and ammonium, especially with nitrate and ammonium in condensation mode and droplet mode, and the contribution of sulfate to the pollution formation in Shanghai would somehow be surpassed by the increasing nitrate and ammonium. OC and EC concentrations from spring to winter were found to be 11.10, 7.10, 12.30, 20.16, and 3.73, 2.84, 4.63, 7.10 μg m-3, respectively, distinctly presenting the summer minima and winter maxima in this study. The maximum OC/EC was in the droplet mode and the minimum was in the nucleation mode for both clean and polluted days. The great contribution of SOC to OC in droplet mode and the occurrence of PM pollution necessarily had an important bearing on the SOC formation in droplet mode particles. Particle acidity may play a key role in secondary organic aerosol formation and the particles with the size of 0.056-0.1 μm was the most sensitive particles to acid catalysis in SOA formation. The similar PSCF results of PM1.8-associated SOC to those of SO42-, NO3- and SNA indicated possible connections between the formation of SOC and secondary inorganic species in PM.

Comprehensive model-based prediction of micropollutants from diffuse sources in the Swiss river network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strahm, Ivo; Munz, Nicole; Braun, Christian; Gälli, René; Leu, Christian; Stamm, Christian

2014-05-01

Water quality in the Swiss river network is affected by many micropollutants from a variety of diffuse sources. This study compares, for the first time, in a comprehensive manner the diffuse sources and the substance groups that contribute the most to water contamination in Swiss streams and highlights the major regions for water pollution. For this a simple but comprehensive model was developed to estimate emission from diffuse sources for the entire Swiss river network of 65 000 km. Based on emission factors the model calculates catchment specific losses to streams for more than 15 diffuse sources (such as crop lands, grassland, vineyards, fruit orchards, roads, railways, facades, roofs, green space in urban areas, landfills, etc.) and more than 130 different substances from 5 different substance groups (pesticides, biocides, heavy metals, human drugs, animal drugs). For more than 180 000 stream sections estimates of mean annual pollutant loads and mean annual concentration levels were modeled. This data was validated with a set of monitoring data and evaluated based on annual average environmental quality standards (AA-EQS). Model validation showed that the estimated mean annual concentration levels are within the range of measured data. Therefore simulations were considered as adequately robust for identifying the major sources of diffuse pollution. The analysis depicted that in Switzerland widespread pollution of streams can be expected. Along more than 18 000 km of the river network one or more simulated substances has a concentration exceeding the AA-EQS. In single stream sections it could be more than 50 different substances. Moreover, the simulations showed that in two-thirds of small streams (Strahler order 1 and 2) at least one AA-EQS is always exceeded. The highest number of substances exceeding the AA-EQS are in areas with large fractions of arable cropping, vineyards and fruit orchards. Urban areas are also of concern even without considering wastewater treatment plants. Only a small number of problematic substances are expected from grassland. Landfills and roadways are insignificant within the entire Swiss river network, but may locally lead to considerable water pollution. Considering all substance groups, pesticides and some heavy metals are the main polluters. Many pesticides are expected to exceed AA-EQS and in a substantial percentage of the river network. Modeling a large number of substances from many sources and a huge quantity of stream sections is only possible with a simple model. Nevertheless conclusions are robust and may indicate where and for what kind of substance groups additional efforts for water quality improvements should be undertaken.

Urban Stormwater Runoff. Instructor Guide. Working for Clean Water: An Information Program for Advisory Groups.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simko, Robert A.

Urban stormwater runoff collects pollutants from many parts of a city and is an important consideration in water quality planning. Presented is an instructor's guide for a learning session covering various aspects of urban runoff including pollutant sources, management practices, and regulatory programs. Intended for citizen advisory groups, this…

Atmospheric deposition having been one of the major source of Pb in Jiaozhou Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Dongfang; Miao, Zhenqing; Zhang, Xiaolong; Wang, Qi; Li, Haixia

2018-03-01

Many marine bays have been polluted by Pb due to the rapid development of industry, and identifying the major source of Pb is essential to pollution control. This paper analyzed the distribution and pollution source of Pb in Jiaozhou Bay in 1988. Results showed that Pb contents in surface waters in Jiaozhou Bay in April, July and October 1988 were 5.52-24.61 μg L‑1, 7.66-38.62 μg L‑1 and 6.89-19.30 μg L‑1, respectively. The major Pb sources in this bay were atmospheric deposition, and marine current, whose source strengths were 19.30-24.61μg L‑1 and 38.62 μg L‑1, respectively. Atmospheric deposition had been one of the major Pb sources in Jiaozhou Bay, and the source strengths were stable and strong. The pollution level of Pb in this bay in 1988 was moderate to heavy, and the source control measurements were necessary.

Microbial communities along biogeochemical gradients in a hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer.

PubMed

Tischer, Karolin; Kleinsteuber, Sabine; Schleinitz, Kathleen M; Fetzer, Ingo; Spott, Oliver; Stange, Florian; Lohse, Ute; Franz, Janett; Neumann, Franziska; Gerling, Sarah; Schmidt, Christian; Hasselwander, Eyk; Harms, Hauke; Wendeberg, Annelie

2013-09-01

Micro-organisms are known to degrade a wide range of toxic substances. How the environment shapes microbial communities in polluted ecosystems and thus influences degradation capabilities is not yet fully understood. In this study, we investigated microbial communities in a highly complex environment: the capillary fringe and subjacent sediments in a hydrocarbon-contaminated aquifer. Sixty sediment sections were analysed using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) fingerprinting, cloning and sequencing of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes, complemented by chemical analyses of petroleum hydrocarbons, methane, oxygen and alternative terminal electron acceptors. Multivariate statistics revealed concentrations of contaminants and the position of the water table as significant factors shaping the microbial community composition. Micro-organisms with highest T-RFLP abundances were related to sulphate reducers belonging to the genus Desulfosporosinus, fermenting bacteria of the genera Sedimentibacter and Smithella, and aerobic hydrocarbon degraders of the genus Acidovorax. Furthermore, the acetoclastic methanogens Methanosaeta, and hydrogenotrophic methanogens Methanocella and Methanoregula were detected. Whereas sulphate and sulphate reducers prevail at the contamination source, the detection of methane, fermenting bacteria and methanogenic archaea further downstream points towards syntrophic hydrocarbon degradation. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

Integrated modelling of nitrate loads to coastal waters and land rent applied to catchment-scale water management.

PubMed

Refsgaard, A; Jacobsen, T; Jacobsen, B; Ørum, J-E

2007-01-01

The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires an integrated approach to river basin management in order to meet environmental and ecological objectives. This paper presents concepts and full-scale application of an integrated modelling framework. The Ringkoebing Fjord basin is characterized by intensive agricultural production and leakage of nitrate constitute a major pollution problem with respect groundwater aquifers (drinking water), fresh surface water systems (water quality of lakes) and coastal receiving waters (eutrophication). The case study presented illustrates an advanced modelling approach applied in river basin management. Point sources (e.g. sewage treatment plant discharges) and distributed diffuse sources (nitrate leakage) are included to provide a modelling tool capable of simulating pollution transport from source to recipient to analyse the effects of specific, localized basin water management plans. The paper also includes a land rent modelling approach which can be used to choose the most cost-effective measures and the location of these measures. As a forerunner to the use of basin-scale models in WFD basin water management plans this project demonstrates the potential and limitations of comprehensive, integrated modelling tools.

Integrated Application of Multivariate Statistical Methods to Source Apportionment of Watercourses in the Liao River Basin, Northeast China

PubMed Central

Chen, Jiabo; Li, Fayun; Fan, Zhiping; Wang, Yanjie

2016-01-01

Source apportionment of river water pollution is critical in water resource management and aquatic conservation. Comprehensive application of various GIS-based multivariate statistical methods was performed to analyze datasets (2009–2011) on water quality in the Liao River system (China). Cluster analysis (CA) classified the 12 months of the year into three groups (May–October, February–April and November–January) and the 66 sampling sites into three groups (groups A, B and C) based on similarities in water quality characteristics. Discriminant analysis (DA) determined that temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, chemical oxygen demand (CODMn), 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), NH4+–N, total phosphorus (TP) and volatile phenols were significant variables affecting temporal variations, with 81.2% correct assignments. Principal component analysis (PCA) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) identified eight potential pollution factors for each part of the data structure, explaining more than 61% of the total variance. Oxygen-consuming organics from cropland and woodland runoff were the main latent pollution factor for group A. For group B, the main pollutants were oxygen-consuming organics, oil, nutrients and fecal matter. For group C, the evaluated pollutants primarily included oxygen-consuming organics, oil and toxic organics. PMID:27775679

The Use of LiDAR Elevation Data and Satellite Imagery to Locate Critical Source Areas to Diffuse Pollution in Agricultural Watersheds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drouin, Ariane; Michaud, Aubert; Thériault, Georges; Beaudin, Isabelle; Rodrigue, Jean-François; Denault, Jean-Thomas; Desjardins, Jacques; Côté, Noémi

2013-04-01

In Quebec / Canada, water quality improvement in rural areas greatly depends on the reduction of diffuse pollution. Indeed, point source pollution has been reduced significantly in Canada in recent years by creating circumscribed pits for manure and removing animals from stream. Diffuse pollution differs from point source pollution because it is spread over large areas. In agricultural areas, sediment loss by soil and riverbank erosion along with loss of nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen, etc.) and pesticides from fields represent the main source of non-point source pollution. The factor mainly responsible for diffuse pollution in agricultural areas is surface runoff occurring in poorly drained areas in fields. The presence of these poorly drained areas is also one of the most limiting factors in crop productivity. Thus, a reconciliation of objectives at the farm (financial concern for farmers) and off-farm concerns (environmental concern) is possible. In short, drainage, runoff, erosion, water quality and crop production are all interconnected issues that need to be tackled together. Two complementary data sources are mainly used in the diagnosis of drainage, surface runoff and erosion : elevation data and multispectral satellite images. In this study of two watersheds located in Québec (Canada), LiDAR elevation data and satellite imagery (QuickBird, Spot and Landsat) were acquired. The studied territories have been partitioned in hydrologic response units (HRUs) according to sub-basins, soils, elevation (topographic index) and land use. These HRUs are afterwards used in a P index software (P-Edit) that calculates the quantities of sediments and phosphorus exported from each HRUs. These exports of sediments and phosphorus are validated with hydrometric and water quality data obtain in two sub-basins and are also compared to soil brightness index derived from multispectral images. This index is sensitive to soil moisture and thus highlights areas where the soil is more humid. A variety of other indices are used to explain the sediments yields. These indices, such as the average percentage of slope, the distance to the stream, the relative position in landscape, the position to the water table, etc. are mainly derived from high precision elevation data. All these data are used to locate critical source areas that generally correspond to a restraint part of the territory but account for the principal amount of sediments exports. Once the critical source areas are identified, best management practices (BMPs) (per example : contaminant source control practices, conservation cropping practices and surface runoff control structures) can be planned. This way, money and energy are used where it really counts. In this presentation, the complete methodology including LiDAR data processing will be explained. The results and the possibility to reproduce the developed method will be discussed.

EBP2R - an innovative enhanced biological nutrient recovery activated sludge system to produce growth medium for green microalgae cultivation.

PubMed

Valverde-Pérez, Borja; Ramin, Elham; Smets, Barth F; Plósz, Benedek Gy

2015-01-01

Current research considers wastewater as a source of energy, nutrients and water and not just a source of pollution. So far, mainly energy intensive physical and chemical unit processes have been developed to recover some of these resources, and less energy and resource demanding alternatives are needed. Here, we present a modified enhanced biological phosphorus removal and recovery system (referred to as EBP2R) that can produce optimal culture media for downstream micro-algal growth in terms of N and P content. Phosphorus is recovered as a P-stream by diversion of some of the effluent from the upstream anaerobic reactor. By operating the process at comparably low solids retention times (SRT), the nitrogen content of wastewater is retained as free and saline ammonia, the preferred form of nitrogen for most micro-algae. Scenario simulations were carried out to assess the capacity of the EBP2R system to produce nutrient rich organic-carbon depleted algal cultivation media of target composition. Via SRT control, the quality of the constructed cultivation media can be optimized to support a wide range of green micro-algal growth requirements. Up to 75% of the influent phosphorus can be recovered, by diverting 30% of the influent flow as a P-stream at an SRT of 5 days. Through global sensitivity analysis we find that the effluent N-to-P ratio and the P recovered are mainly dependent on the influent quality rather than on biokinetics or stoichiometry. Further research is needed to demonstrate that the system performance predicted through the model-based design can be achieved in reality. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wind, rain and bacteria: The effect of weather on the microbial composition of roof-harvested rainwater.

PubMed

Evans, C A; Coombes, P J; Dunstan, R H

2006-01-01

The microbiological and chemical quality of tank-stored rainwater is impacted directly by roof catchment and subsequent run-off contamination, via direct depositions by birds and small mammals, decay of accumulated organic debris, and atmospheric deposition of airborne micro-organisms and chemical pollutants. Previous literature reports on roof water quality have given little consideration to the relative significance of airborne micro-organisms. This study involved analyses of direct roof run-off at an urban housing development in Newcastle, on the east coast of Australia. A total of 77 samples were collected during 11 separate rainfall events, and microbial counts and mean concentrations of several ionic contaminants were matched to climatic data corresponding to each of the monitored events. Conditions both antecedent to, and those prevailing during each event, were examined to investigate the influence of certain meteorological parameters on the bacterial composition of the roof water and indirectly assess the relative contribution of airborne micro-organisms to the total bacterial load. Results indicated that airborne micro-organisms represented a significant contribution to the bacterial load of roof water at this site, and that the overall contaminant load was influenced by wind velocities, while the profile (composition) of the load varied with wind direction. The implications of these findings to the issues of tank water quality and health risk analysis, appropriate usage and system design are discussed.

A mediated modelling approach to promote collaborative learning in Andean rural micro-catchments in Colombia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gowing, John; Dominguez, Isabel

2013-04-01

In rural catchments of developing countries water-related diseases, due to land use patterns (agriculture and livestock), microbial pollution, inadequate sanitation systems, access to water of poor quality, and lack of institutional support are common problems which disproportionally affect poor and vulnerable people. This research aims at developing a system dynamic model to improve the understanding of the macro and micro factors that influence human health and environmental health in rural micro-catchments in Valle del Cauca, Colombia. In this catchment livelihoods for most people depend on agriculture, particularly coffee. The research uses a mediated modeling approach, in which different stakeholders in modeling sessions, develop a STELLA model that allows them to identify relations between the economic, social and environmental factors and driving forces over the performance of their system. Stakeholders jointly develop the model structure in sessions facilitated by the researcher and the data required is gathered using secondary information from the different relevant institutions and primary information from field surveys that cover socioeconomic and environmental aspects that has not been previously collected by any institution or organization (i.e. household survey, stream water survey, and drinking water survey). Representation and understanding of their system will allow the stakeholders to test the effect of different management strategies in the micro-catchment and their associated socioeconomic, environmental and human health outcomes.

Controlled-release Hydrogen Peroxide for On-site Treatment of Organic Pollutants in Urban Storm Runoff

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, E.; Sun, S.; Kim, Y.

2011-12-01

Nonpoint source (NPS) pollutants are the remaining cause of the environment problems, significantly impairing the hydrologic and biologic function of urban water systems and human health. Managing the NPS loads to urban aquatic systems remains a challenge because of ubiquitous contaminant sources and large pollutants loads in the first flush. Best management practices (BMPs) exist for reducing the NPS pollutants in urban storm waters, but the remedial efficiencies of these passive schemes are unpredictable. This study aims to develop a controlled-release system as part of an in situ chemical oxidation scheme designed for on-site treatment of organic pollutants in urban runoff. Controlled-release hydrogen peroxide (CR-HP) solids were manufactured by dispersing fine sodium percarbonate granules in paraffin wax matrices. Release kinetics and treatment efficiencies of CR-HP for BTEX and MTBE were investigated through a series of column tests. Release data indicated that the CR-HP could continually release hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in flowing water at controlled rates over 276-1756 days, and the release rates could be adjusted by changing the mixing ratios of sodium percarbonate and wax matrices. Additional column tests and model calculations demonstrated that CR-HP/UV systems can provide low-cost, target-specific, and persistent source of oxidants for efficient treatment of organic compounds in urban storm runoff.

Identification of microplastic in effluents of waste water treatment plants using focal plane array-based micro-Fourier-transform infrared imaging.

PubMed

Mintenig, S M; Int-Veen, I; Löder, M G J; Primpke, S; Gerdts, G

2017-01-01

The global presence of microplastic (MP) in aquatic ecosystems has been shown by various studies. However, neither MP concentrations nor their sources or sinks are completely known. Waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) are considered as significant point sources discharging MP to the environment. This study investigated MP in the effluents of 12 WWTPs in Lower Saxony, Germany. Samples were purified by a plastic-preserving enzymatic-oxidative procedure and subsequent density separation using a zinc chloride solution. For analysis, attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FT-IR) and focal plane array (FPA)-based transmission micro-FT-IR imaging were applied. This allowed the identification of polymers of all MP down to a size of 20 μm. In all effluents MP was found with quantities ranging from 0 to 5 × 10 1  m -3  MP > 500 μm and 1 × 10 1 to 9 × 10 3  m -3  MP < 500 μm. By far, polyethylene was the most frequent polymer type in both size classes. Quantities of synthetic fibres ranged from 9 × 10 1 to 1 × 10 3  m -3 and were predominantly made of polyester. Considering the annual effluxes of tested WWTPs, total discharges of 9 × 10 7 to 4 × 10 9  MP particles and fibres per WWTP could be expected. Interestingly, one tertiary WWTP had an additionally installed post-filtration that reduced the total MP discharge by 97%. Furthermore, the sewage sludge of six WWTPs was examined and the existence of MP, predominantly polyethylene, revealed. Our findings suggest that WWTPs could be a sink but also a source of MP and thus can be considered to play an important role for environmental MP pollution. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Calculation of intercepted runoff depth based on stormwater quality and environmental capacity of receiving waters for initial stormwater pollution management.

PubMed

Peng, Hai-Qin; Liu, Yan; Gao, Xue-Long; Wang, Hong-Wu; Chen, Yi; Cai, Hui-Yi

2017-11-01

While point source pollutions have gradually been controlled in recent years, the non-point source pollution problem has become increasingly prominent. The receiving waters are frequently polluted by the initial stormwater from the separate stormwater system and the wastewater from sewage pipes through stormwater pipes. Consequently, calculating the intercepted runoff depth has become a problem that must be resolved immediately for initial stormwater pollution management. The accurate calculation of intercepted runoff depth provides a solid foundation for selecting the appropriate size of intercepting facilities in drainage and interception projects. This study establishes a separate stormwater system for the Yishan Building watershed of Fuzhou City using the InfoWorks Integrated Catchment Management (InfoWorks ICM), which can predict the stormwater flow velocity and the flow of discharge outlet after each rainfall. The intercepted runoff depth is calculated from the stormwater quality and environmental capacity of the receiving waters. The average intercepted runoff depth from six rainfall events is calculated as 4.1 mm based on stormwater quality. The average intercepted runoff depth from six rainfall events is calculated as 4.4 mm based on the environmental capacity of the receiving waters. The intercepted runoff depth differs when calculated from various aspects. The selection of the intercepted runoff depth depends on the goal of water quality control, the self-purification capacity of the water bodies, and other factors of the region.

Retrospective and prospective analysis of water use and point source pollution from an economic perspective-a case study of Urumqi, China.

PubMed

Wang, Bing; Liu, Lei; Huang, Guohe

2017-11-01

Using the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, this study explored the dynamic trends of water use and point source pollution in Urumqi (2000-2014) from an economic perspective. Retrospective analysis results indicated that total GDP and GDP per capita increased around tenfold and a fivefold since 2000. Total, municipal and industrial water use had average annual growth rates of 3.96, 7.01, and 3.69%, respectively. However, agricultural water use, emissions of COD and NH 3 -N showed average annual decreases of 3.06, 12.40, and 4.74%. Regression models reveal that total water demand in Urumqi would keep monotonically increasing relationships with GDP and GDP per capita in the foreseeable years. However, the relations of specific water usage and economic growth showed diverse trends. In the future, the discharge of COD and NH 3 -N would further reduce with economic growth. It could be concluded that Urumqi has almost passed the stage where economic growth had caused serious environment deterioration, but the increasing water demand in Urumqi is still an urgent problem. The obtained results would be helpful for water resources management and pollution control in the future.

Studies on the current state of water quality in the Segamat River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Razelan, Faridah Mohd; Tahir, Wardah; E. M Yahaya, Nasehir Khan

2018-04-01

Nowadays, pollution has become a major concern in developed and developing countries. In a study on the current state of Segamat River water quality; on-site data collection and observation and also laboratory data analysis have been implemented. Studies showed that the downstream of the Segamat River has recorded a significant reduction in quality of water during the dry season compared to the wet season. The deterioration of water quality is caused by the activities along the river such as palm oil plantation, municipal waste and waste from settlements. It was also recorded that the point sources were dominating the pollution at Segamat River during the dry season. However, during the wet season, the water quality was impaired by the non-point sources which originated from the upstream of the river.

Will the Family Farm Survive in America? Part 2: Impact of Environmental Regulations on Small Farms. Joint Hearings Before the Select Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Public Works and the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, U.S. Senate, 94th Congress; 1st Session (October 21 and 22, 1975).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs.

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act provides that each and every point source of pollution be under treatment with the best available technology by July 1983. The Act mandates that: every point source of pollution be issued a national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) permit and comply with effluent guidelines, and the 1983 best…

Traditional and Host-Associated Fecal Indicator Bacterial Patterns in Southern California Watersheds: Field Source Identification Studies and Laboratory Microcosms Investigating Presence and Persistence in Water and Sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mika, Kathryn Beth

Overall, recreational beach water quality remains an issue of concern in Southern California and across the globe. Many factors come into play when determining water quality, including physical issues such as the myriad sources that contribute pollution to the site and financial and political issues that control the way water quality is monitored and determined. Current national regulations require the monitoring of fecal indicator bacteria in order to determine recreational water quality. However, it is also important to identify biological and geographical sources of pollution to consistently impaired locations. A commonly applied approach to meet the goals of source identification is to sample sites that have been high in FIB for further study. A tiered approach such as this, however, assumes a correlation between FIB and the sources of interest in the watershed. The research described in this dissertation tests this assumption in two Southern California watersheds, Santa Monica Canyon and Ventura Harbor. In both cases, a tiered approach to sampling using FIB as a first tier to guide sampling would have failed to identify sources of human fecal pollution (as identified by the presence of the human-associated Bacteroides marker HF183). Every watershed is a distinct environment that has different potential sources of bacteria and many factors contributing to the persistence of the bacteria. Rather than attempting to apply an indicator that has worked as a first tier in other watersheds, it would be better to have as a first tier an in-depth study of the watershed using historical data or local experts to provide information on the most likely sources of pollution in the watershed. Using this information it would be possible to design a study using FIB and one or more source-associated parameters to identify specific sources of pollution in the watershed. In addition, sampling FIB and other parameters such as HF183 allow the application of other microbial source tracking tools including indicator ratios and detection frequencies. Source identification studies do not necessarily have to be long-term to identify consistent sources of pollution. For example, within the first four months of sampling at Ventura, the increased frequency of detection of HF183 at the Marina Dock sample location was apparent, and a dry weather influx of HF183 was seen in the Keys channels. In addition to the many sources of FIB to the environment such as storm drains, leaking sewers, and wildlife, there are important environmental reservoirs such as sand and seaweed that can foster FIB growth and persistence in the environment. As such, it is important to understand the effect of different factors on the ability of bacteria to survive and persist in these reservoirs. Microcosm experiments conducted during the course of this dissertation research found that in dry beach sand (0.1% moisture), the addition of moisture was detrimental to the survival of the indicators studied (General Bacteroidales, E. coli, and enterococci). While increased moisture was not always detrimental to bacterial survival, these results point to the ability of bacteria to persist for long periods of time in beach environments under in-situ conditions (including dry sand). These findings point to the importance of understanding the behavior of indicator bacteria populations that have evolved to survive in environmental conditions so that their potential impact on overlying or adjacent water quality can be better understood. In summation, results from this research point to the importance of selecting indicators and sample locations that are most relevant to watershed concerns rather than using a first tier such as FIB to preferentially select sites for further analysis. Measuring a marker for human fecal pollution in both watershed studies provided useful information for potential human inputs that would have been missed if sites were chosen based on high FIB levels. In addition it is very important to understand the contribution of different reservoirs, such as sand, in the study area to the observed microbial pollution. Overall, these results point to the need for further examination of the ability of bacteria to survive under various environmental conditions in both water and sand, using both environmental microbial populations and populations from likely sources such as human sewage.

Changes in Escherichia coli to Cryptosporidium ratios for various fecal pollution sources and drinking water intakes.

PubMed

Lalancette, Cindy; Papineau, Isabelle; Payment, Pierre; Dorner, Sarah; Servais, Pierre; Barbeau, Benoit; Di Giovanni, George D; Prévost, Michèle

2014-05-15

Assessing the presence of human pathogenic Cryptosporidium oocysts in surface water remains a significant water treatment and public health challenge. Most drinking water suppliers rely on fecal indicators, such as the well-established Escherichia coli (E. coli), to avoid costly Cryptosporidium assays. However, the use of E. coli has significant limitations in predicting the concentration, the removal and the transport of Cryptosporidium. This study presents a meta-analysis of E. coli to Cryptosporidium concentration paired ratios to compare their complex relationships in eight municipal wastewater sources, five agricultural fecal pollution sources and at 13 drinking water intakes (DWI) to a risk threshold based on US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) regulations. Ratios lower than the USEPA risk threshold suggested higher concentrations of oocysts in relation to E. coli concentrations, revealing an underestimed risk for Cryptosporidium based on E. coli measurements. In raw sewage (RS), high ratios proved E. coli (or fecal coliforms) concentrations were a conservative indicator of Cryptosporidium concentrations, which was also typically true for secondary treated wastewater (TWW). Removals of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and parasites were quantified in WWTPs and their differences are put forward as a plausible explanation of the sporadic ratio shift. Ratios measured from agricultural runoff surface water were typically lower than the USEPA risk threshold and within the range of risk misinterpretation. Indeed, heavy precipitation events in the agricultural watershed led to high oocyst concentrations but not to E. coli or enterococci concentrations. More importantly, ratios established in variously impacted DWI from 13 Canadian drinking water plants were found to be related to dominant fecal pollution sources, namely municipal sewage. In most cases, when DWIs were mainly influenced by municipal sewage, E. coli or fecal coliforms concentrations agreed with Cryptosporidium concentrations as estimated by the meta-analysis, but when DWIs were influenced by agricultural runoff or wildlife, there was a poor relationship. Average recovery values were available for 6 out of 22 Cryptosporidium concentration data sets and concomitant analysis demonstrated no changes in trends, with and without correction. Nevertheless, recovery assays performed along with every oocyst count would have enhanced the precision of this work. Based on our findings, the use of annual averages of E. coli concentrations as a surrogate for Cryptosporidium concentrations can result in an inaccurate estimate of the Cryptosporidium risk for agriculture impacted drinking water intakes or for intakes with more distant wastewater sources. Studies of upstream fecal pollution sources are recommended for drinking water suppliers to improve their interpretation of source water quality data. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Source apportionment of trace metals in surface waters of a polluted stream using multivariate statistical analyses.

PubMed

Pekey, Hakan; Karakaş, Duran; Bakoğlu, Mithat

2004-11-01

Surface water samples were collected from ten previously selected sites of the polluted Dil Deresi stream, during two field surveys, December 2001 and April 2002. All samples were analyzed using ICP-AES, and the concentrations of trace metals (Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Sn and Zn) were determined. The results were compared with national and international water quality guidelines, as well as literature values reported for similar rivers. Factor analysis (FA) and a factor analysis-multiple regression (FA-MR) model were used for source apportionment and estimation of contributions from identified sources to the concentration of each parameter. By a varimax rotated factor analysis, four source types were identified as the paint industry; sewage, crustal and road traffic runoff for trace metals, explaining about 83% of the total variance. FA-MR results showed that predicted concentrations were calculated with uncertainties lower than 15%.

Issues in ecology: Nutrient pollution of coastal rivers, bays, and seas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Howarth, Robert W.; Anderson, D. B.; Cloern, James E.; Elfring, Chris; Hopkinson, Charles S.; Lapointe, Brian; Maloney, Thomas J.; Marcus, Nancy; McGlathery, Karen; Sharpley, A.N.; Walker, D.

2000-01-01

Over the past 40 years, antipollution laws have greatly reduced discharges of toxic substances into our coastal waters. This effort, however, has focused largely on point-source pollution of industrial and municipal effluent. No comparable effort has been made to restrict the input of nitrogen (N) from municipal effluent, nor to control the flows of N and phosphorus (P) that enter waterways from dispersed or nonpoint sources such as agricultural and urban runoff or as airborne pollutants. As a result, inputs of nonpoint pollutants, particularly N, have increased dramatically. Nonpoint pollution from N and P now represents the largest pollution problem facing the vital coastal waters of the United States. Nutrient pollution is the common thread that links an array of problems along the nation’s coastline, including eutrophication, harmful algal blooms, ”dead zones,” fish kills, some shellfish poisonings, loss of seagrass and kelp beds, some coral reef destruction, and even some marine mammal and seabird deaths. More than 60 percent of our coastal rivers and bays in every coastal state of the continental United States are moderately to severely degraded by nutrient pollution. This degradation is particularly severe in the mid Atlantic states, in the southeast, and in the Gulf of Mexico. A recent report from the National Research Council entitled “Clean Coastal Waters: Understanding and Reduc- ing the Effects of Nutrient Pollution” concludes that: Nutrient over-enrichment of coastal ecosystems generally triggers ecological changes that decrease the biologi- cal diversity of bays and estuaries. While moderate N enrichment of some coastal waters may increase fish production, over-enrichment generally degrades the marine food web that supports commercially valuable fish. The marked increase in nutrient pollution of coastal waters has been accompanied by an increase in harmful algal blooms, and in at least some cases, pollution has triggered these blooms. High nutrient levels and the changes they cause in water quality and the makeup of the algal community are detrimental to the health of coral reefs and the diversity of animal life supported by seagrass and kelp communi- ties. Research during the past decade confirms that N is the chief culprit in eutrophication and other impacts of nutrient over-enrichment in temperate coastal waters, while P is most problematic in eutrophication of freshwa- ter lakes. Human conversion of atmospheric N into biologically useable forms, principally synthetic inorganic fertilizers, now matches the natural rate of biological N fixation from all the land surfaces of the earth. Both agriculture and the burning of fossil fuels contribute significantly to nonpoint flows of N to coastal waters, either as direct runoff or airborne pollutants. N from animal wastes that leaks directly to surface waters or is volatilized to the atmosphere as ammonia may be the largest single source of N that moves from agricultural operations into coastal waters. The National Research Council report recommended that, as a minimum goal, the nation should work to reverse nutrient should be taken to assure that the 40 percent of coastal areas now ranked as healthy do not develop symptoms of nutrient pollution in 10 percent of its degraded coastal systems by 2010 and 25 percent of them by 2020. Also, action should be taken to assure that the 40 percent of coastal areas now ranked as healthy do not develop symptoms of nutrient pollution.  Meeting these goals will require an array of strategies and approaches tailored to specific regions and coastal ecosystems. There is an urgent need for development and testing of techniques that can reliably pinpoint the sources of N pollutants to an estuary. For some coastal systems, N removal during treatment of human sewage may be sufficient to reverse nutrient pollution. For most coastal systems, however, the solutions will be more complex and may involve controls on N compounds emitted during fossil fuel combustion as well as incentives to reduce over-fertilization of agricul- tural fields and nutrient pollution from animal wastes in livestock feedlot operations. 

Characterization of water pollution in drainage networks using continuous monitoring data in the Citadel area of Hue City, Vietnam.

PubMed

Nagano, Y; Teraguchi, T; Lieu, P K; Furumai, H

2014-01-01

In the Citadel area of Hue City, drainage systems that include canals and ponds are considerable sources of fecal contaminants to inundated water during the rainy season because canals and ponds receive untreated wastewater. It is important to investigate the characteristics of hydraulics and water pollution in canals and ponds. At the canals and ponds, water sampling was conducted during dry and wet weather periods in order to evaluate fecal contamination and to investigate changes in water pollution caused by runoff inflow. Inundated water was also collected from streets during heavy rainfall. At the canals and ponds, concentrations of Escherichia coli and total coliform exceeded the Vietnamese regulation values for surface water in 23 and 24 out of 27 samples (85 and 89%), respectively. The water samples were categorized based on the characteristics of water pollution using cluster analysis. In the rainy season, continuous monitoring was conducted at the canals and ponds using water depth and electrical conductivity (EC) sensors to investigate the dynamic relationship between water level and water pollution. It is suggested that in the canals, high EC meant water stagnation and low EC signified river water inflow. Therefore, EC might be a good indicator of water flow change in canals.

Managing Nonpoint Source Pollution in Western Washington: Landowner Learning Methods and Motivations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryan, Clare M.

2009-06-01

States, territories, and tribes identify nonpoint source pollution as responsible for more than half of the Nation’s existing and threatened water quality impairments, making it the principal remaining cause of water quality problems across the United States. Combinations of education, technical and financial assistance, and regulatory measures are used to inform landowners about nonpoint source pollution issues, and to stimulate the use of best management practices. A mail survey of non-commercial riparian landowners investigated how they learn about best management practices, the efficacy of different educational techniques, and what motivates them to implement land management activities. Landowners experience a variety of educational techniques, and rank those that include direct personal contact as more effective than brochures, advertisements, radio, internet, or television. The most important motivations for implementing best management practices were linked with elements of a personal stewardship ethic, accountability, personal commitment, and feasibility. Nonpoint source education and social marketing campaigns should include direct interpersonal contacts, and appeal to landowner motivations of caring, responsibility, and personal commitment.

Designing Energy-Efficient Heat Exchangers--- Creating Micro-Channels on the Aluminum Fin Surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ying, Jia; Sommers, Andrew; Eid, Khalid

2010-03-01

In this research, a method for patterning micro-channels on aluminum surfaces is described for the purpose of exploiting those features to affect the surface wettability. Minimizing water retention on aluminum is important in the design of energy-efficient heat exchangers because water retention can deteriorate the performance of such devices. It increases the air-side pressure drop and can decrease the sensible heat transfer coefficient thereby increasing energy consumption and contributing to higher pollution levels in the environment. Photolithography is used to create the micro-scale channels and a hydrophobic polymer is used to reduce the surface energy of the aluminum plates. Droplets are both injected on the surface using a micro-syringe and condensed on the surface using an environmentally-controlled chamber. A ram'e-hart goniometer is used to determine the advancing and receding contact angles of water droplets on these modified surfaces, and a tilt-table assembly is used to measure the critical inclination angle for sliding. Our results show that droplets placed on these patterned surfaces not only have significantly lower critical inclination angles for sliding but are easier to remove from the surface at low air flow rates. Efforts to model the onset of droplet movement on these surfaces using a simple force balance relationship are currently underway.

Hydrology and water quality of forested lands in eastern North Carolina

Treesearch

G.M. Chescheir; M.E. Lebo; D.M. Amatya; J. Hughes; J.W. Gilliam; R.W. Skaggs; R.B. Herrmann

2003-01-01

Nonpoint sources of nutrients (NPS) are a widespread source of surface water pollution throu&out the United States. Characterizing the sources of this NPS nutrient loading is challenging due to variation in land management practices, physioyaphic setting, site conditions such as soil type, and climatic variation. For nutrients, there is the added challenge of...

Differential Decay of Cattle-associated Fecal Indicator Bacteria and Microbial Source Tracking Markers in Fresh and Marine Water (ASM 2017 Presentation)

EPA Science Inventory

Background: Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) have a long history of use in the assessment of the microbial quality of recreational waters. However, quantification of FIB provides no information about the pollution source(s) and relatively little is known about their fate in the amb...

Occurrence and ecological risk assessment of organic micropollutants in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China: A case study of water diversion.

PubMed

Yan, Zhenhua; Yang, Haohan; Dong, Huike; Ma, Binni; Sun, Hongwei; Pan, Ting; Jiang, Runren; Zhou, Ranran; Shen, Jie; Liu, Jianchao; Lu, Guanghua

2018-08-01

Water diversion has been increasingly applied to improve water quality in many water bodies. However, little is known regarding pollution by organic micropollutants (OMPs) in water diversion projects, especially at the supplier, and this pollution may threaten the quality of transferred water. In the present study, a total of 110 OMPs belonging to seven classes were investigated in water and sediment collected from a supplier of the Yangtze River within four water diversion projects. A total of 69 and 58 target OMPs were detected in water and sediment, respectively, at total concentrations reaching 1041.78 ng/L and 5942.24 ng/g dry weight (dw). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and pharmaceuticals were the predominant pollutants identified. When preliminarily compared with the pollution in the receiving water, the Yangtze River generally exhibited mild OMPs pollution and good water quality parameters, implying a clean water source in the water diversion project. However, in Zongyang and Fenghuangjing, PAHs pollution was more abundant than that in the corresponding receiving water in Chaohu Lake. Ammonia nitrogen pollution in the Wangyu River was comparable to that in Taihu Lake. These findings imply that water diversion may threaten receiving waters in some cases. In addition, the risks of all detected pollutants in both water and sediment were assessed. PAHs in water, especially phenanthrene and high-molecular-weight PAHs, posed high risks to invertebrates, followed by the risks to fish and algae. Pharmaceuticals, such as antibiotics and antidepressants, may also pose risks to algae and fish at a number of locations. To the best of our knowledge, this report is the first to describe OMPs pollution in water diversion projects, and the results provide a new perspective regarding the security of water diversion projects. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical and biological tracers to determine groundwater flow in karstic aquifer, Yucatan Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lenczewski, M.; Leal-Bautista, R. M.; McLain, J. E.

2013-05-01

Little is known about the extent of pollution in groundwater in the Yucatan Peninsula; however current population growth, both from international tourism and Mexican nationals increases the potential for wastewater release of a vast array of contaminants including personal care products, pharmaceuticals (Rx), and pathogenic microorganisms. Pathogens and Rx in groundwater can persist and can be particularly acute in this region where high permeability of the karst bedrock and the lack of top soil permit the rapid transport of contaminants into groundwater aquifers. The objective of this research is to develop and utilize novel biological and chemical source tracking methods to distinguish between different sources of anthropogenic pollution in degraded groundwater. Although several methods have been used successfully to track fecal contamination sources in small scale studies, little is known about their spatial limitations, as source tracking studies rarely include sample collection over a wide geographical area and with different sources of water. In addition, although source tracking methods to distinguish human from animal fecal contamination are widely available, this work has developed source tracking distinguish between separate human populations is highly unique. To achieve this objective, we collected water samples from a series of drinking wells, cenotes (sinkholes), wastewater treatment plants, and injection wells across the Yucatan Peninsula and examine potential source tracers within the collected water samples. The result suggests that groundwater sources impacted by tourist vs. local populations contain different chemical stressors. This work has developed a more detailed understanding of the presence and persistence of personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and fecal indicators in a karstic system; such understanding will be a vital component for the protection Mexican groundwater and human health. Quantification of different pollution sources within groundwater samples identified point sources of pollution, identify potential remediation strategies, and contribute to an improved understanding of the environmental impact of tourism and tourism-generated waste products on this groundwater-dependent ecosystem.

Use of ERTS imagery in air pollution and marine biology studies, tasks 1 through 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Copeland, G. E.; Ludwick, J. C.; Marshall, H. G. (Principal Investigator); Bandy, A. R.; Fleischer, P.; Hanna, W. J.; Gosink, T. A.; Bowker, D. W.

1972-01-01

There are no author-identified significant results in this report. The general suitability of ERTS imagery in detecting ground originated air pollution has proved to be excellent. The quality and resolution exceeded expectations and has permitted in some instances location of point sources to within a thousand feet. Suitable techniques have not yet been developed for determining or measuring area and line sources of air pollution. A major problem has been cloud cover that has persisted over the area of primary interest, the Chesapeake Bay. Work has been completed on mounting the shipboard transmissometer which will be used for investigations to relate the chlorophyll and suspended sediment content in the waters of the Lower Chesapeake Bay to ERTS-1 imagery. Water sampling, plankton analysis, and preparations for sea collection of water truth along the eastern continental shelf of the U.S. have been completed for use in comparisons with ERTS-1 data.

General design, construction, and operation guidelines: Constructed wetlands wastewater treatment systems for small users including individual residences. Second edition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Steiner, G.R.; Watson, J.T.

1993-05-01

One of the Tennessee Valley Authority`s (TVA`s) major goals is cleanup and protection of the waters of the Tennessee River system. Although great strides have been made, point source and nonpoint source pollution still affect the surface water and groundwater quality in the Tennessee Valley and nationally. Causes of this pollution are poorly operating wastewater treatment systems or the lack of them. Practical solutions are needed, and there is great interest and desire to abate water pollution with effective, simple, reliable and affordable wastewater treatment processes. In recognition of this need, TVA began demonstration of the constructed wetlands technology inmore » 1986 as an alternative to conventional, mechanical processes, especially for small communities. Constructed wetlands can be downsized from municipal systems to small systems, such as for schools, camps and even individual homes.« less

Using Microbial Source Tracking to Enhance Environmental Stewardship of Agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Sherry; Rose, Joan; Flood, Matthew; Aw, Tiong; Hyndman, David

2016-04-01

Large scale agriculture relies on the application of chemical fertilizers and animal manure. It is well known that nutrients in excess of a plant's uptake and soil retention capacity can travel to nearby waterways via surface run-off and groundwater pathways, indirectly fertilizing these aquatic ecosystems. It has not yet been possible to distinguish water quality impacts of fertilizer from those derived from human and animal waste sources. However, new microbial source tracking (MST) tools allow specific identification of fecal pollution. Our objective was to examine pollution risks at the regional scale using MST, mapping and classification and regression tree analysis. We present results Bovine M2 genetic marker data from three flow regimes (baseflow, snow melt, and post-planting rain). Key landscape characteristics were related to the presence of the bovine markers and appear to be related to fate and transport. Impacts at this regional watershed scale will be discussed. Our research aims to identify the impacts of agricultural management practices on water quality by linking nutrient concentrations with fecal pollution sources. We hope that our research will provide guidance that will help improve water quality through agricultural best management practices to reduce pathogen contamination.

Estimation of diffuse and point source microbial pollution in the ribble catchment discharging to bathing waters in the north west of England.

PubMed

Wither, A; Greaves, J; Dunhill, I; Wyer, M; Stapleton, C; Kay, D; Humphrey, N; Watkins, J; Francis, C; McDonald, A; Crowther, J

2005-01-01

Achieving compliance with the mandatory standards of the 1976 Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC) is required at all U.K. identified bathing waters. In recent years, the Fylde coast has been an area of significant investments in 'point source' control, which have not proven, in isolation, to satisfactorily achieve compliance with the mandatory, let alone the guide, levels of water quality in the Directive. The potential impact of riverine sources of pollution was first confirmed after a study in 1997. The completion of sewerage system enhancements offered the potential for the study of faecal indicator delivery from upstream sources comprising both point sources and diffuse agricultural sources. A research project to define these elements commenced in 2001. Initially, a desk study reported here, estimated the principal infrastructure contributions within the Ribble catchment. A second phase of this investigation has involved acquisition of empirical water quality and hydrological data from the catchment during the 2002 bathing season. These data have been used further to calibrate the 'budgets' and 'delivery' modelling and these data are still being analysed. This paper reports the initial desk study approach to faecal indicator budget estimation using available data from the sewerage infrastructure and catchment sources of faecal indicators.

[Effect of antecedent dry period on water quality of urban storm runoff pollution].

PubMed

Bian, Bo

2009-12-01

Identified the main factor influencing urban rainfall-runoff pollution provides a scientific basis for urban rainfall-runoff pollution control and management. Therefore, starting in May 2006, a study was conducted to characterize water quality from representative land uses types in Zhenjiang to analyse the effect of antecedent dry period on stormwater runoff quality. The results show that the beginning of rainfall, with the increase of antecedent dry periods, the percentages of less than 40 microm is increased, the correlation of the water quality parameters (TN, TP, Zn, Pb, Cu, TSS and COD) and antecedent dry period shows a significant positive correlation, dissolved pollutants in the initial period surface runoff is increased. These findings show that facilitating the recognition of antecedent dry periods is the main factor influencing the change in concentration and partitioning of pollutants to provide the scientific basis for non-point source pollution control and management.

Re-engineering the urban drainage system for resource recovery and protection of drinking water supplies.

PubMed

Gumbo, B

2000-01-01

The Harare metropolis in Zimbabwe, extending upstream from Manyame Dam in the Upper Manyame River Basin, consists of the City of Harare and its satellite towns: Chitungwiza, Norton, Epworth and Ruwa. The existing urban drainage system is typically a single-use-mixing system: water is used and discharged to "waste", excreta are flushed to sewers and eventually, after "treatment", the effluent is discharged to a drinking water supply source. Polluted urban storm water is evacuated as fast as possible. This system not only ignores the substantial value in "waste" materials, but it also exports problems to downstream communities and to vulnerable fresh-water sources. The question is how can the harare metropolis urban drainage system, which is complex and has evolved over time, be rearranged to achieve sustainability (i.e. water conservation, pollution prevention at source, protection of the vulnerable drinking water sources and recovery of valuable materials)? This paper reviews current concepts regarding the future development of the urban drainage system in line with the new vision of "Sustainable Cities of the Future". The Harare Metropolis in Zimbabwe is taken as a case, and philosophical options for re-engineering the drainage system are discussed.

Spatial distribution and assessment of nutrient pollution in Lake Toba using 2D-multi layers hydrodynamic model and DPSIR framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunaryani, A.; Harsono, E.; Rustini, H. A.; Nomosatryo, S.

2018-02-01

Lake Toba is the largest lake in Indonesia utilized as a source of life-support for drinking and clean water, energy sources, aquaculture and tourism. Nowadays the water quality in Lake Toba has decreased due to the presence of excessive nutrient (nitrogen: N and phosphorus: P). This study aims to describe the spatial distribution of nutrient pollution and to develop a decision support tool for the identification and evaluation of nutrient pollution control in Lake Toba. Spatial distribution method was conducted by 2D-multi layers hydrodynamic model, while DPSIR Framework is used as a tool for the assessment. The results showed that the concentration of nutrient was low and tended to increase along the water depth, but nutrient concentration in aquaculture zones was very high and the trophic state index has reached eutrophic state. The principal anthropogenic driving forces were population growth and the development of aquaculture, livestock, agriculture, and tourism. The main environmental pressures showed that aquaculture and livestock waste are the most important nutrient sources (93% of N and 87% of P loads). State analysis showed that high nutrient concentration and increased algal growth lead to oxygen depletion. The impacts of these conditions were massive fish kills, loss of amenities and tourism value, also decreased usability of clean water supply. This study can be a useful information for decision-makers to evaluate nutrient pollution control. Nutrient pollution issue in Lake Toba requires the attention of local government and public society to maintain its sustainability.

[Ru/AC catalyzed ozonation of recalcitrant organic compounds].

PubMed

Wang, Jian-Bing; Hou, Shao-Pei; Zhou, Yun-Rui; Zhu, Wan-Peng; He, Xu-Wen

2009-09-15

Ozonation and Ru/AC catalyzed ozonation of dimethyl phthalate (DMP), phenols and disinfection by-products precursors were studied. It shows that Ru/AC catalyst can obviously enhance the mineralization of organic compounds. In the degradation of DMP, TOC removal was 28.84% by ozonation alone while it was 66.13% by catalytic ozonation. In the oxidation of 23 kinds of phenols, TOC removals were 9.57%-56.08% by ozonation alone while they were 41.81%-82.32% by catalytic ozonation. Compared to ozonation alone, Ru/AC catalyzed ozonation was more effective for the reduction of disinfection by-products formation potentials in source water. The reduction of haloacetic acids formation potentials was more obvious than thichlomethane formation potentials. After the treatment by catalytic ozonation, the haloacetic acids formation potentials decreased from 144.02 microg/L to 58.50 microg/L, which was below the standard value of EPA. However ozonation alone could not make it reach the standard. The treatments of source water by BAC, O3 + BAC, O3/AC + BAC and Ru/AC + O3 + BAC were also studied. In the four processes, TOC removal was 3.80%, 20.14%, 27.45% and 48.30% respectively, COD removal was 4.37%, 27.22%, 39.91% and 50.00% respectively, UV254 removal was 8.16%, 62.24%, 67.03% and 84.95% respectively. Ru/AC + O3 + BAC process is more effective than the other processes for the removal of TOC, COD and UV254 and no ruthenium leaching observed in the solution. It is a promising process for the treatment of micro polluted source water.

Hydrological and pollution processes in mining area of Fenhe River Basin in China.

PubMed

Yang, Yonggang; Meng, Zhilong; Jiao, Wentao

2018-03-01

The hydrological and pollution processes are an important science problem for aquatic ecosystem. In this study, the samples of river water, reservoir water, shallow groundwater, deep groundwater, and precipitation in mining area are collected and analyzed. δD and δ 18 O are used to identify hydrological process. δ 15 N-NO 3 - and δ 18 O-NO 3 - are used to identify the sources and pollution process of NO 3 - . The results show that the various water bodies in Fenhe River Basin are slightly alkaline water. The ions in the water mainly come from rock weathering. The concentration of SO 4 2- is high due to the impact of coal mining activity. Deep groundwater is significantly less affected by evaporation and human activity, which is recharged by archaic groundwater. There are recharge and discharge between reservoir water, river water, soil water, and shallow groundwater. NO 3 - is the main N species in the study area, and forty-six percent of NO 3 - -N concentrations exceed the drinking water standard of China (NO 3 - -N ≤ 10 mg/L content). Nitrification is the main forming process of NO 3 - . Denitrification is also found in river water of some river branches. The sources of NO 3 - are mainly controlled by land use type along the riverbank. NO 3 - of river water in the upper reaches are come from nitrogen in precipitation and soil organic N. River water in the lower reaches is polluted by a mixture of soil organic N and fertilizers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Responses of biofilm characteristics to variations in temperature and NH4(+)-N loading in a moving-bed biofilm reactor treating micro-polluted raw water.

PubMed

Zhang, Shuangfu; Wang, Yayi; He, Weitao; Wu, Min; Xing, Meiyan; Yang, Jian; Gao, Naiyun; Yin, Daqiang

2013-03-01

A pilot-scale moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) for biological treatment of micro-polluted raw water was operated over 400days to investigate the responses of biofilm characteristics and nitrification performance to variations in temperature and NH4(+)-N loading. The mean removal efficiency of NH4(+)-N in the MBBR reached 71.4±26.9%, and batch experiments were performed to study nitrification kinetics for better process understanding. Seven physical-chemical parameters, including volatile solids (VS), polysaccharides (PS) and phospholipids (PL) increased firstly, and then rapidly decreased with increasing temperature and NH4(+)-N loading, and properly characterized the attached biomass during biofilm development and detachment in the MBBR. The biofilm compositions were described by six ratios, e.g., PS/VS and PL/VS ratios showed different variation trends, indicating different responses of PS and PL to the changes in temperature and NH4(+)-N loading. Furthermore, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis revealed that increased NH4(+)-N loadings caused an enrichment of the nitrifying biofilm. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sum of the Parts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Activities, 1995

1995-01-01

Presents a Project WET water education activity. Students demonstrate how everyone contributes to the pollution of a river as it flows through a watershed and recognize that everyone's "contribution" can be reduced. Student distinguish between point- and nonpoint-source pollution. (LZ)

Nonpoint Source Pollution: Darby Duck, the Aquatic Crusader

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Understanding the characteristics of water, that precious resource we are trying to protect. And understanding how it interacts with other elements in the environment, some of which pollute it and cause problems for people and animals.