Assessment of the water quality monitoring network of the Piabanha River experimental watersheds in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, using autoassociative neural networks.

PubMed

Villas-Boas, Mariana D; Olivera, Francisco; de Azevedo, Jose Paulo S

2017-09-01

Water quality monitoring is a complex issue that requires support tools in order to provide information for water resource management. Budget constraints as well as an inadequate water quality network design call for the development of evaluation tools to provide efficient water quality monitoring. For this purpose, a nonlinear principal component analysis (NLPCA) based on an autoassociative neural network was performed to assess the redundancy of the parameters and monitoring locations of the water quality network in the Piabanha River watershed. Oftentimes, a small number of variables contain the most relevant information, while the others add little or no interpretation to the variability of water quality. Principal component analysis (PCA) is widely used for this purpose. However, conventional PCA is not able to capture the nonlinearities of water quality data, while neural networks can represent those nonlinear relationships. The results presented in this work demonstrate that NLPCA performs better than PCA in the reconstruction of the water quality data of Piabanha watershed, explaining most of data variance. From the results of NLPCA, the most relevant water quality parameter is fecal coliforms (FCs) and the least relevant is chemical oxygen demand (COD). Regarding the monitoring locations, the most relevant is Poço Tarzan (PT) and the least is Parque Petrópolis (PP).

Bel Marin Keys Unit V Expansion of the Hamilton Wetland Restoration Project. Volume 3. Responses to Comments, Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-04-01

include a program for implementing new development and construction site storm water quality controls. The objective of this component is to ensure...impacts (see Storm Water Quality Control, below). The Regional Board has adopted U.S. EPA’s Clean Water Act Section 404(b)(1) "Guidelines for...other Waters of the State. Storm Water Quality Control Storm water is the major source of fresh water to creeks and waterways. Storm water quality is

A component-based, integrated spatially distributed hydrologic/water quality model: AgroEcoSystem-Watershed (AgES-W) overview and application

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

AgroEcoSystem-Watershed (AgES-W) is a modular, Java-based spatially distributed model which implements hydrologic/water quality simulation components. The AgES-W model was previously evaluated for streamflow and recently has been enhanced with the addition of nitrogen (N) and sediment modeling compo...

Water-quantity and water-quality aspects of a 500-year flood - Nishnabotna River, southwest Iowa, June 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kolpin, Dana W.; Fischer, Edward E.; Schnoebelen, Douglas J.

2000-01-01

This sampling demonstrates the importance of collecting both water-quantity and water-quality data during flood events to estimate contaminant loads. Potential environmental effects of a flood can only be understood when both components are measured.

Guidelines for the processing and quality assurance of benthic invertebrate samples collected as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cuffney, T.F.; Gurtz, M.E.; Meador, M.R.

1993-01-01

Benthic invertebrate samples are collected as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program. This is a perennial, multidisciplinary program that integrates biological, physical, and chemical indicators of water quality to evaluate status and trends and to develop an understanding of the factors controlling observed water quality. The Program examines water quality in 60 study units (coupled ground- and surface-water systems) that encompass most of the conterminous United States and parts of Alaska and Hawaii. Study-unit teams collect and process qualitative and semi-quantitative invertebrate samples according to standardized procedures. These samples are processed (elutriated and subsampled) in the field to produce as many as four sample components: large-rare, main-body, elutriate, and split. Each sample component is preserved in 10-percent formalin, and two components, large-rare and main-body, are sent to contract laboratories for further processing. The large-rare component is composed of large invertebrates that are removed from the sample matrix during field processing and placed in one or more containers. The main-body sample component consists of the remaining sample materials (sediment, detritus, and invertebrates) and is subsampled in the field to achieve a volume of 750 milliliters or less. The remaining two sample components, elutriate and split, are used for quality-assurance and quality-control purposes. Contract laboratories are used to identify and quantify invertebrates from the large-rare and main-body sample components according to the procedures and guidelines specified within this document. These guidelines allow the use of subsampling techniques to reduce the volume of sample material processed and to facilitate identifications. These processing procedures and techniques may be modified if the modifications provide equal or greater levels of accuracy and precision. The intent of sample processing is to determine the quantity of each taxon present in the semi-quantitative samples or to list the taxa present in qualitative samples. The processing guidelines provide standardized laboratory forms, sample labels, detailed sample processing flow charts, standardized format for electronic data, quality-assurance procedures and checks, sample tracking standards, and target levels for taxonomic determinations. The contract laboratory (1) is responsible for identifications and quantifications, (2) constructs reference collections, (3) provides data in hard copy and electronic forms, (4) follows specified quality-assurance and quality-control procedures, and (5) returns all processed and unprocessed portions of the samples. The U.S. Geological Survey's Quality Management Group maintains a Biological Quality-Assurance Unit, located at the National Water-Quality Laboratory, Arvada, Colorado, to oversee the use of contract laboratories and ensure the quality of data obtained from these laboratories according to the guidelines established in this document. This unit establishes contract specifications, reviews contractor performance (timeliness, accuracy, and consistency), enters data into the National Water Information System-II data base, maintains in-house reference collections, deposits voucher specimens in outside museums, and interacts with taxonomic experts within and outside the U.S. Geological Survey. This unit also modifies the existing sample processing and quality-assurance guidelines, establishes criteria and testing procedures for qualifying potential contract laboratories, identifies qualified taxonomic experts, and establishes voucher collections.

Designing sound and visual components for enhancement of urban soundscapes.

PubMed

Hong, Joo Young; Jeon, Jin Yong

2013-09-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of audio-visual components on environmental quality to improve soundscape. Natural sounds with road traffic noise and visual components in urban streets were evaluated through laboratory experiments. Waterfall and stream water sounds, as well as bird sounds, were selected to enhance the soundscape. Sixteen photomontages of a streetscape were constructed in combination with two types of water features and three types of vegetation which were chosen as positive visual components. The experiments consisted of audio-only, visual-only, and audio-visual conditions. The preferences and environmental qualities of the stimuli were evaluated by a numerical scale and 12 pairs of adjectives, respectively. The results showed that bird sounds were the most preferred among the natural sounds, while the sound of falling water was found to degrade the soundscape quality when the road traffic noise level was high. The visual effects of vegetation on aesthetic preference were significant, but those of water features relatively small. It was revealed that the perceptual dimensions of the environment were different from the noise levels. Particularly, the acoustic comfort factor related to soundscape quality considerably influenced preference for the overall environment at a higher level of road traffic noise.

Anticipated water quality changes in response to climate change and potential consequences for inland fishes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chen, Yushun; Todd, Andrew S.; Murphy, Margaret H.; Lomnicky, Gregg

2016-01-01

Healthy freshwater ecosystems are a critical component of the world's economy, with a critical role in maintaining public health, inland biological diversity, and overall quality of life. Globally, our climate is changing, with air temperature and precipitation regimes deviating significantly from historical patterns. Healthy freshwater ecosystems are a critical component of the world's economy, with a critical role in maintaining public health, inland biological diversity, and overall quality of life. Globally, our climate is changing, with air temperature and precipitation regimes deviating significantly from historical patterns. Changes anticipated with climate change in the future are likely to have a profound effect on inland aquatic ecosystems through diverse pathways, including changes in water quality. In this brief article, we present an initial discussion of several of the water quality responses that can be anticipated to occur within inland water bodies with climate change and how those changes are likely to impact fishes.

78 FR 45871 - National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan; National Priorities List...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-30

... components: Hydrogeologic study; Surface water sampling study; Stream biological study; Air quality survey... components: Biological survey; Biota survey; Surface water and sediment characterization; Groundwater... impacted groundwater in three water bearing zones at the Site; the unconsolidated materials zone, the upper...

Application of principal component regression and partial least squares regression in ultraviolet spectrum water quality detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jiangtong; Luo, Yongdao; Dai, Honglin

2018-01-01

Water is the source of life and the essential foundation of all life. With the development of industrialization, the phenomenon of water pollution is becoming more and more frequent, which directly affects the survival and development of human. Water quality detection is one of the necessary measures to protect water resources. Ultraviolet (UV) spectral analysis is an important research method in the field of water quality detection, which partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis method is becoming predominant technology, however, in some special cases, PLSR's analysis produce considerable errors. In order to solve this problem, the traditional principal component regression (PCR) analysis method was improved by using the principle of PLSR in this paper. The experimental results show that for some special experimental data set, improved PCR analysis method performance is better than PLSR. The PCR and PLSR is the focus of this paper. Firstly, the principal component analysis (PCA) is performed by MATLAB to reduce the dimensionality of the spectral data; on the basis of a large number of experiments, the optimized principal component is extracted by using the principle of PLSR, which carries most of the original data information. Secondly, the linear regression analysis of the principal component is carried out with statistic package for social science (SPSS), which the coefficients and relations of principal components can be obtained. Finally, calculating a same water spectral data set by PLSR and improved PCR, analyzing and comparing two results, improved PCR and PLSR is similar for most data, but improved PCR is better than PLSR for data near the detection limit. Both PLSR and improved PCR can be used in Ultraviolet spectral analysis of water, but for data near the detection limit, improved PCR's result better than PLSR.

3 CFR 8423 - Proclamation 8423 of September 25, 2009. National Public Lands Recognition Day, 2009

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... conserve water at home. Public lands help preserve our Nation's quality of life, offering fresh water... natural treasures, America's public lands are an indispensable component of American life. As we work to... our Nation's water bodies by monitoring water quality in rivers and lakes, restoring wetlands...

Groundwater quality assessment of urban Bengaluru using multivariate statistical techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulgundi, Mohammad Shahid; Shetty, Amba

2018-03-01

Groundwater quality deterioration due to anthropogenic activities has become a subject of prime concern. The objective of the study was to assess the spatial and temporal variations in groundwater quality and to identify the sources in the western half of the Bengaluru city using multivariate statistical techniques. Water quality index rating was calculated for pre and post monsoon seasons to quantify overall water quality for human consumption. The post-monsoon samples show signs of poor quality in drinking purpose compared to pre-monsoon. Cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA) and discriminant analysis (DA) were applied to the groundwater quality data measured on 14 parameters from 67 sites distributed across the city. Hierarchical cluster analysis (CA) grouped the 67 sampling stations into two groups, cluster 1 having high pollution and cluster 2 having lesser pollution. Discriminant analysis (DA) was applied to delineate the most meaningful parameters accounting for temporal and spatial variations in groundwater quality of the study area. Temporal DA identified pH as the most important parameter, which discriminates between water quality in the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons and accounts for 72% seasonal assignation of cases. Spatial DA identified Mg, Cl and NO3 as the three most important parameters discriminating between two clusters and accounting for 89% spatial assignation of cases. Principal component analysis was applied to the dataset obtained from the two clusters, which evolved three factors in each cluster, explaining 85.4 and 84% of the total variance, respectively. Varifactors obtained from principal component analysis showed that groundwater quality variation is mainly explained by dissolution of minerals from rock water interactions in the aquifer, effect of anthropogenic activities and ion exchange processes in water.

Absorption and fluorescence properties of chromophoric dissolved organic matter: implications for the monitoring of water quality in a large subtropical reservoir.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaohan; Zhang, Yunlin; Shi, Kun; Zhu, Guangwei; Xu, Hai; Zhu, Mengyuan

2014-12-01

The development of techniques for real-time monitoring of water quality is of great importance for effectively managing inland water resources. In this study, we first analyzed the absorption and fluorescence properties in a large subtropical reservoir and then used a chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) fluorescence monitoring sensor to predict several water quality parameters including the total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and CDOM fluorescence parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) components in the reservoir. The CDOM absorption coefficient at 254 nm (a(254)), the humic-like component (C1), and the tryptophan-like component (C3) decreased significantly along a gradient from the northwest to the lake center, northeast, southwest, and southeast region in the reservoir. However, no significant spatial difference was found for the tyrosine-like component (C2), which contributed only four marked peaks. A highly significant linear correlation was found between the a(254) and CDOM concentration measured using the CDOM fluorescence sensor (r(2) = 0.865, n = 76, p < 0.001), indicating that CDOM concentrations could act as a proxy for the CDOM absorption coefficient measured in the laboratory. Significant correlations were also found between the CDOM concentration and TN, TP, COD, DOC, and the maximum fluorescence intensity of C1, suggesting that the real-time monitoring of CDOM concentrations could be used to predict these water quality parameters and trace the humic-like fluorescence substance in clear aquatic ecosystems with DOC <2 mg/L and total suspended matter (TSM) concentrations <15 mg/L. These results demonstrate that the CDOM fluorescence sensor is a useful tool for on-line water quality monitoring if the empirical relationship between the CDOM concentration measured using the CDOM fluorescence sensor and the water quality parameters is calibrated and validated.

76 FR 50496 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comments Requested; Supplemental...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-15

... Information on Water Quality Considerations ACTION: 60-Day Notice of Information Collection Under Review. The... Water Quality Considerations. (3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the..., [[Page 50497

Influence of Locally Derived Recharge on the Water Quality and Temperature of Springs in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bell, Richard W.; Hays, Phillip D.

2007-01-01

The hot springs of Hot Springs National Park consist of a mixture of water from two recharge components: a primary hot-water component and a secondary cold-water component. Widespread distribution of fractures enables mixing of the hot- and cold-water components of flow near the discharge area for the springs. Urbanization in the area near the hot springs of Hot Springs National Park has increased the potential for degradation of the quality of surface-water runoff and locally derived ground-water recharge to the hot springs. Previous studies by the U.S. Geological Survey have indicated that water from some cold-water springs and wells in the vicinity of Hot Springs, Arkansas, showed evidence of contamination and that water from locally derived cold-water recharge might contribute 25 percent of the total flow to the hot springs after storms. Water samples were collected during base-flow conditions at nine hot springs and two cold-water springs in September 2000. Nine hot springs and one cold-water spring were resampled in October 2001 after a storm that resulted in a measurable decrease in water temperature in selected hot springs. Water samples were analyzed for a variety of dissolved chemical constituents (nutrients, major ions, trace elements, pesticides, semivolatile compounds, isotopes, and radiochemicals), physical properties, field measurements, and bacteria. Comparison of analyses of samples collected during base-flow conditions from the springs in 2000 and during a storm event in 2001 with the results from earlier studies dating back to the late 1800's indicates that little change in major, minor, and trace constituent chemistry has occurred and that the water continues to be of excellent quality. Water-quality data show distinguishable differences in water chemistry of the springs during base-flow and stormflow conditions, indicating changing input of cold-water recharge relative to hot-water recharge. Silica, total dissolved solids, strontium, barium, and sulfate show statistically significant differences between the median values of base-flow and stormflow samples. While variations in these constituents do not degrade water quality, the differences do provide evidence of variability in the factors controlling water quality of the hot springs and show that water quality is influenced by the locally derived, cold-water component of flow to the springs. Water temperature was measured continuously (3-minute intervals) between August 2000 and October 2002 at four hot springs. Continuous water-temperature data at the springs provide no indication of persistent long-term change in water temperature through time. Short time-scale water-temperature decreases occur in response to mixing of hot-springs water with locally derived recharge after storm events; the magnitude of these decreases varied inversely with the amount of rainfall. Maximum decreases in water temperature for specific storms had a non-linear relation with the amount of precipitation measured for the events. Response time for water temperature to begin decreasing from baseline temperature as a result of storm recharge was highly variable. Some springs began decreasing from baseline temperature as quickly as 1 hour after the beginning of a storm; one spring had an 8-hour minimum response time to show a storm-related temperature decrease. Water-quality, water-temperature, isotopic, and radiochemical data provide multiple lines of evidence supporting the importance of the contribution of cold-water recharge to hot springs. All the springs sampled indicated some measure of influence from local recharge. Binary mixing models using silica and total dissolved solids indicate that cold-water recharge from stormflow contributes an estimated 10 to 31 percent of the flow of hot springs. Models using water temperature indicate that cold-water recharge from stormflow contributes an estimated 1 to 35 percent of the flow of the various hot springs. Alth

Water-quality assessment of part of the Upper Mississippi River basin, Minnesota and Wisconsin, environmental setting and study design

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stark, J.R.; Andrews, W.J.; Fallon, J.D.; Fong, A.L.; Goldstein, R.M.; Hanson, P.E.; Kroening, S.E.; Lee, K.E.

1996-01-01

Environmental stratification consists of dividing the study unit into subareas with homogeneous characteristics to assess natural and anthropogenic factors affecting water quality. The assessment of water quality in streams and in aquifers is based on the sampling design that compares water quality within homogeneous subareas defined by subbasins or aquifer boundaries. The study unit is stratified at four levels for the surface-water component: glacial deposit composition, surficial geology, general land use and land cover, and secondary land use. Ground-water studies emphasize shallow ground water where quality is most likely influenced by overlying land use and land cover. Stratification for ground-water sampling is superimposed on the distribution of shallow aquifers. For each aquifer and surface-water basin this stratification forms the basis for the proposed sampling design used in the Upper Mississippi River Basin National Water-Quality Assessment.

Analyzing the Relative Linkages of Land Use and Hydrologic Variables with Urban Surface Water Quality using Multivariate Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, S.; Abdul-Aziz, O. I.

2015-12-01

We used a systematic data-analytics approach to analyze and quantify relative linkages of four stream water quality indicators (total nitrogen, TN; total phosphorus, TP; chlorophyll-a, Chla; and dissolved oxygen, DO) with six land use and four hydrologic variables, along with the potential external (upstream in-land and downstream coastal) controls in highly complex coastal urban watersheds of southeast Florida, U.S.A. Multivariate pattern recognition techniques of principle component and factor analyses, in concert with Pearson correlation analysis, were applied to map interrelations and identify latent patterns of the participatory variables. Relative linkages of the in-stream water quality variables with their associated drivers were then quantified by developing dimensionless partial least squares (PLS) regression model based on standardized data. Model fitting efficiency (R2=0.71-0.87) and accuracy (ratio of root-mean-square error to the standard deviation of the observations, RSR=0.35-0.53) suggested good predictions of the water quality variables in both wet and dry seasons. Agricultural land and groundwater exhibited substantial controls on surface water quality. In-stream TN concentration appeared to be mostly contributed by the upstream water entering from Everglades in both wet and dry seasons. In contrast, watershed land uses had stronger linkages with TP and Chla than that of the watershed hydrologic and upstream (Everglades) components for both seasons. Both land use and hydrologic components showed strong linkages with DO in wet season; however, the land use linkage appeared to be less in dry season. The data-analytics method provided a comprehensive empirical framework to achieve crucial mechanistic insights into the urban stream water quality processes. Our study quantitatively identified dominant drivers of water quality, indicating key management targets to maintain healthy stream ecosystems in complex urban-natural environments near the coast.

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of naphthenic acids in natural waters surrounding the Canadian oil sands industry.

PubMed

Ross, Matthew S; Pereira, Alberto dos Santos; Fennell, Jon; Davies, Martin; Johnson, James; Sliva, Lucie; Martin, Jonathan W

2012-12-04

The Canadian oil sands industry stores toxic oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) in large tailings ponds adjacent to the Athabasca River or its tributaries, raising concerns over potential seepage. Naphthenic acids (NAs; C(n)H(2n-Z)O(2)) are toxic components of OSPW, but are also natural components of bitumen and regional groundwaters, and may enter surface waters through anthropogenic or natural sources. This study used a selective high-resolution mass spectrometry method to examine total NA concentrations and NA profiles in OSPW (n = 2), Athabasca River pore water (n = 6, representing groundwater contributions) and surface waters (n = 58) from the Lower Athabasca Region. NA concentrations in surface water (< 2-80.8 μg/L) were 100-fold lower than previously estimated. Principal components analysis (PCA) distinguished sample types based on NA profile, and correlations to water quality variables identified two sources of NAs: natural fatty acids, and bitumen-derived NAs. Analysis of NA data with water quality variables highlighted two tributaries to the Athabasca River-Beaver River and McLean Creek-as possibly receiving OSPW seepage. This study is the first comprehensive analysis of NA profiles in surface waters of the region, and demonstrates the need for highly selective analytical methods for source identification and in monitoring for potential effects of development on ambient water quality.

Effect-Based Screening Methods for Water Quality Characterization Will Augment Conventional Analyte-by-Analyte Chemical Methods in Research As Well As Regulatory Monitoring

EPA Science Inventory

Conventional approaches to water quality characterization can provide data on individual chemical components of each water sample. This analyte-by-analyte approach currently serves many useful research and compliance monitoring needs. However these approaches, which require a ...

ASSESSING BIOACCUMULATION FOR DERIVING NATIONAL HUMAN HEALTH WATER QUALITY CRITERIA

EPA Science Inventory

The United States Environmental Protection Agency is revising its methodology for deriving national ambient water quality criteria (AWQC) to protect human health. A component of this guidance involves assessing the potential for chemical bioaccumulation in commonly consumed fish ...

Protecting water quality in the watershed

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

James, C.R.; Johnson, K.E.; Stewart, E.H.

1994-08-01

This article highlights the water quality component of a watershed management plan being developed for the San Francisco (CA) Water Department. The physical characteristics of the 63,000-acre watersheds were analyzed for source and transport vulnerability for five groups of water quality parameters--particulates, THM precursors, microorganisms (Giardia and cryptosporidium), nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), and synthetic organic chemicals--and vulnerability zones were mapped. Mapping was achieved through the use of an extensive geographic information system (GIS) database. Each water quality vulnerability zone map was developed based on five watershed physical characteristics--soils, slope, vegetation, wildlife concentration, and proximity to water bodies--and their relationships tomore » each of the five groups of water quality parameters. An approach to incorporate the watershed physical characteristics information into the five water quality vulnerability zone maps was defined and verified. The composite approach was based in part on information gathered from existing watershed management plans.« less

Baseline Characterization of Forested Headwater Stream Hydrology and Water Chemistry in Southwest Georgia

Treesearch

David G. Jones; William B. Summer; Masato Miwa; C. Rhett Jackson

2004-01-01

Stream hydrology and water quality in headwater streams are important components of ecosystem health. The Dry Creek Long-Term Watershed Study is designed to evaluate the effects of upland forestry operations and stream management zone (SMZ) thinning on stream hydrology, water quality, benthic macroinvertebrates, and other biologicindicators. The study also tests the...

Groundwater Quality: Analysis of Its Temporal and Spatial Variability in a Karst Aquifer.

PubMed

Pacheco Castro, Roger; Pacheco Ávila, Julia; Ye, Ming; Cabrera Sansores, Armando

2018-01-01

This study develops an approach based on hierarchical cluster analysis for investigating the spatial and temporal variation of water quality governing processes. The water quality data used in this study were collected in the karst aquifer of Yucatan, Mexico, the only source of drinking water for a population of nearly two million people. Hierarchical cluster analysis was applied to the quality data of all the sampling periods lumped together. This was motivated by the observation that, if water quality does not vary significantly in time, two samples from the same sampling site will belong to the same cluster. The resulting distribution maps of clusters and box-plots of the major chemical components reveal the spatial and temporal variability of groundwater quality. Principal component analysis was used to verify the results of cluster analysis and to derive the variables that explained most of the variation of the groundwater quality data. Results of this work increase the knowledge about how precipitation and human contamination impact groundwater quality in Yucatan. Spatial variability of groundwater quality in the study area is caused by: a) seawater intrusion and groundwater rich in sulfates at the west and in the coast, b) water rock interactions and the average annual precipitation at the middle and east zones respectively, and c) human contamination present in two localized zones. Changes in the amount and distribution of precipitation cause temporal variation by diluting groundwater in the aquifer. This approach allows to analyze the variation of groundwater quality controlling processes efficiently and simultaneously. © 2017, National Ground Water Association.

Assessment of physico-chemical characteristics of water in Tamilnadu.

PubMed

Udhayakumar, R; Manivannan, P; Raghu, K; Vaideki, S

2016-12-01

Water is an important component to human life. The major aims of the present work are to assess the quality of the ground water and its impact in Villupuram District of Tamilnadu. The present study focus to bring an awareness among the people about the quality of ground water by taking water samples from various locations for Physico - Chemical analysis of the ground water. This analysis result was compared with the WHO, ICMR, USPH and European standards of drinking water quality parameters with the following water quality parameters namely pH, Electrical conductivity, Cl, , Na, K, Ca , Mg, Total dissolved solids, Total hardness, Dissolved oxygen, Fluoride etc. Various chemical methods have been employed to investigate the extent level of pollution in ground water. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Performance of stochastic approaches for forecasting river water quality.

PubMed

Ahmad, S; Khan, I H; Parida, B P

2001-12-01

This study analysed water quality data collected from the river Ganges in India from 1981 to 1990 for forecasting using stochastic models. Initially the box and whisker plots and Kendall's tau test were used to identify the trends during the study period. For detecting the possible intervention in the data the time series plots and cusum charts were used. The three approaches of stochastic modelling which account for the effect of seasonality in different ways. i.e. multiplicative autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model. deseasonalised model and Thomas-Fiering model were used to model the observed pattern in water quality. The multiplicative ARIMA model having both nonseasonal and seasonal components were, in general, identified as appropriate models. In the deseasonalised modelling approach, the lower order ARIMA models were found appropriate for the stochastic component. The set of Thomas-Fiering models were formed for each month for all water quality parameters. These models were then used to forecast the future values. The error estimates of forecasts from the three approaches were compared to identify the most suitable approach for the reliable forecast. The deseasonalised modelling approach was recommended for forecasting of water quality parameters of a river.

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.

Water Quality Analysis of Yosemite Creek Watershed, San Francisco, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, J. R.; Snow, M. K.; Aquino, A.; Huang, C.; Thai, A.; Yuen, C.

2003-12-01

Surface water quality in urban settings can become contaminated by anthropogenic inputs. Yosemite Creek watershed is situated on the east side of San Francisco near Bayview Hunters Point and provides an ideal location for water quality investigations in urban environments. Accordingly, students from Philip and Sala Burton High School monitored water quality at three locations for their physicochemical and biological characteristics. Water was tested for pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, total dissolved solids, salinity, and oxidation reduction potential. In addition, a Hach DR 850 digital colorimeter was utilized to measure chlorine, fluorine, nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfate. The biological component was assessed via monitoring benthic macro invertebrates. Specifically, the presence of caddisfly (Trichoptera) were used to indicate low levels of contaminants and good water quality. Our results indicate that water quality and macro invertebrate populations varied spatially within the watershed. Further investigation is needed to pinpoint the precise location of contaminant inputs.

Importance of Dissolved Organic Nitrogen to Water Quality in Narragansett Bay

EPA Science Inventory

This preliminary analysis of the importance of the dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) pool in Narragansett Bay is being conducted as part of a five-year study of Narragansett Bay and its watershed. This larger study includes water quality and ecological modeling components that foc...

Storm Water Management Model Reference Manual Volume III – Water Quality

EPA Science Inventory

SWMM is a dynamic rainfall-runoff simulation model used for single event or long-term (continuous) simulation of runoff quantity and quality from primarily urban areas. The runoff component of SWMM operates on a collection of subcatchment areas that receive precipitation and gene...

Association of type 1 diabetes and concentrations of drinking water components in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

PubMed

Chafe, Roger; Aslanov, Rana; Sarkar, Atanu; Gregory, Peter; Comeau, Alex; Newhook, Leigh Anne

2018-01-01

To determine the association between drinking water quality and rates of type 1 diabetes in the Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) population, which has one of the highest incidences of type 1 diabetes reported globally. The study used a community-based, case-control design. We first calculated incidence rates of type 1 diabetes at the provincial, regional and community levels. The connection between incidence rates and components in public water supplies were then analyzed in three ways: to evaluate differences in water quality between communities with and without incident cases of type 1 diabetes, and to analyze the relationship between water quality and incidence rates of type 1 diabetes at both the community and regional levels. The provincial incidence of type 1 diabetes was 51.7/100 000 (0-14 year age group) for the period studied. In the community-based analysis, there were significant associations found between higher concentrations of arsenic (β=0.268, P=0.013) and fluoride (β=0.202, P=0.005) in drinking water and higher incidence of type 1 diabetes. In the regional analysis, barium (β=-0.478, P=0.009) and nickel (β=-0.354, P=0.050) concentrations were negatively associated with incidence of type 1 diabetes. We confirmed the high incidence of type 1 diabetes in NL. We also found that concentrations of some components in drinking water were associated with higher incidence of type 1 diabetes, but no component was found to have a significant association across the three different levels of analysis performed.

Methods of Statistical Control for Groundwater Quality Indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yankovich, E.; Nevidimova, O.; Yankovich, K.

2016-06-01

The article describes the results of conducted groundwater quality control. Controlled quality indicators included the following microelements - barium, manganese, iron, mercury, iodine, chromium, strontium, etc. Quality control charts - X-bar chart and R chart - were built. For the upper and the lower threshold limits, maximum permissible concentration of components in water and the lower limit of their biologically significant concentration, respectively, were selected. The charts analysis has shown that the levels of microelements content in water at the area of study are stable. Most elements in the underground water are contained in concentrations, significant for human organisms consuming the water. For example, such elements as Ba, Mn, Fe have concentrations that exceed maximum permissible levels for drinking water.

Water Quantity and Water Quality Impacts of Intensive Woody Biomass Feedstock Production in the Southeastern US.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bitew, M. M.; Jackson, C. R.; Vache, K. B.; Griffiths, N.; Starr, G.; McDonnell, J.; Rau, B.; Younger, S. E.; Fouts, K.

2016-12-01

Intensively managed loblolly pine is a candidate species for biofuel feedstock production in the southeastern Coastal Plain of the United States. However, the water quantity and quality effects of high intensity, short-rotation silviculture are largely unknown. Here we evaluate the potential hydrologic and water quality impacts of biofuel-induced land use changes based on model scenarios developed using existing forest BMPs and industry wide experiences. We quantified the effect of bio-energy production scenarios on each of water the balance components by applying an integrated physically based distributed watershed modeling system, and multi-objective assessment functions that accurately describes the flow regimes, water quality, and isotopic observations from three experimental headwater watersheds of Fourmile Creek at Savannah River Site, SC. The model incorporates optimized travel times of groundwater flowpaths and flow control processes in the riparian region allowing water quality analysis of groundwater dominated watershed systems. We compared five different short rotation pine management scenarios ranging from 35 year (low intensity) to 10 year (high intensity) rotations and a mixture of forestry and agriculture/pasture production practices. Simulation results, based on long-term climate records, revealed that complete conversion to short-rotation woody crops would have a negligible effect on water budget components; <2% decrease in streamflow, <1.5% increase in actual evapotranspiration, an average 0.5 m fall in the groundwater table, and no change in subsurface flow due to biofuel production. Simulation results of mixed 50% agriculture and pasture and 50% short-rotation woody crops showed the largest deviation in water budget components compared to the reference condition. Analysis of extreme stream flows showed that the largest effect was observed in the low intensity mixed land use scenario. The smallest effect was in the low intensity biomass production scenario with a 0.5% increase in a 100 year return event.

Extended principle component analysis - a useful tool to understand processes governing water quality at catchment scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selle, B.; Schwientek, M.

2012-04-01

Water quality of ground and surface waters in catchments is typically driven by many complex and interacting processes. While small scale processes are often studied in great detail, their relevance and interplay at catchment scales remain often poorly understood. For many catchments, extensive monitoring data on water quality have been collected for different purposes. These heterogeneous data sets contain valuable information on catchment scale processes but are rarely analysed using integrated methods. Principle component analysis (PCA) has previously been applied to this kind of data sets. However, a detailed analysis of scores, which are an important result of a PCA, is often missing. Mathematically, PCA expresses measured variables on water quality, e.g. nitrate concentrations, as linear combination of independent, not directly observable key processes. These computed key processes are represented by principle components. Their scores are interpretable as process intensities which vary in space and time. Subsequently, scores can be correlated with other key variables and catchment characteristics, such as water travel times and land use that were not considered in PCA. This detailed analysis of scores represents an extension of the commonly applied PCA which could considerably improve the understanding of processes governing water quality at catchment scales. In this study, we investigated the 170 km2 Ammer catchment in SW Germany which is characterised by an above average proportion of agricultural (71%) and urban (17%) areas. The Ammer River is mainly fed by karstic springs. For PCA, we separately analysed concentrations from (a) surface waters of the Ammer River and its tributaries, (b) spring waters from the main aquifers and (c) deep groundwater from production wells. This analysis was extended by a detailed analysis of scores. We analysed measured concentrations on major ions and selected organic micropollutants. Additionally, redox-sensitive variables and environmental tracers indicating groundwater age were analysed for deep groundwater from production wells. For deep groundwater, we found that microbial turnover was stronger influenced by local availability of energy sources than by travel times of groundwater to the wells. Groundwater quality primarily reflected the input of pollutants determined by landuse, e.g. agrochemicals. We concluded that for water quality in the Ammer catchment, conservative mixing of waters with different origin is more important than reactive transport processes along the flow path.

Physical habitat simulation system reference manual: version II

USGS Publications Warehouse

Milhous, Robert T.; Updike, Marlys A.; Schneider, Diane M.

1989-01-01

There are four major components of a stream system that determine the productivity of the fishery (Karr and Dudley 1978). These are: (1) flow regime, (2) physical habitat structure (channel form, substrate distribution, and riparian vegetation), (3) water quality (including temperature), and (4) energy inputs from the watershed (sediments, nutrients, and organic matter). The complex interaction of these components determines the primary production, secondary production, and fish population of the stream reach. The basic components and interactions needed to simulate fish populations as a function of management alternatives are illustrated in Figure I.1. The assessment process utilizes a hierarchical and modular approach combined with computer simulation techniques. The modular components represent the "building blocks" for the simulation. The quality of the physical habitat is a function of flow and, therefore, varies in quality and quantity over the range of the flow regime. The conceptual framework of the Incremental Methodology and guidelines for its application are described in "A Guide to Stream Habitat Analysis Using the Instream Flow Incremental Methodology" (Bovee 1982). Simulation of physical habitat is accomplished using the physical structure of the stream and streamflow. The modification of physical habitat by temperature and water quality is analyzed separately from physical habitat simulation. Temperature in a stream varies with the seasons, local meteorological conditions, stream network configuration, and the flow regime; thus, the temperature influences on habitat must be analysed on a stream system basis. Water quality under natural conditions is strongly influenced by climate and the geological materials, with the result that there is considerable natural variation in water quality. When we add the activities of man, the possible range of water quality possibilities becomes rather large. Consequently, water quality must also be analysed on a stream system basis. Such analysis is outside the scope of this manual, which concentrates on simulation of physical habitat based on depth, velocity, and a channel index. The results form PHABSIM can be used alone or by using a series of habitat time series programs that have been developed to generate monthly or daily habitat time series from the Weighted Usable Area versus streamflow table resulting from the habitat simulation programs and streamflow time series data. Monthly and daily streamflow time series may be obtained from USGS gages near the study site or as the output of river system management models.

MIXING IN DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM STORAGE TANKS: ITS EFFECT ON WATER QUALITY

EPA Science Inventory

Nearly all distribution systems in the US include storage tanks and reservoirs. They are the most visible components of a wate distribution system but are generally the least understood in terms of their impact on water quality. Long residence times in storage tanks can have nega...

Potential impacts of changing supply-water quality on drinking water distribution: A review.

PubMed

Liu, Gang; Zhang, Ya; Knibbe, Willem-Jan; Feng, Cuijie; Liu, Wentso; Medema, Gertjan; van der Meer, Walter

2017-06-01

Driven by the development of water purification technologies and water quality regulations, the use of better source water and/or upgraded water treatment processes to improve drinking water quality have become common practices worldwide. However, even though these elements lead to improved water quality, the water quality may be impacted during its distribution through piped networks due to the processes such as pipe material release, biofilm formation and detachment, accumulation and resuspension of loose deposits. Irregular changes in supply-water quality may cause physiochemical and microbiological de-stabilization of pipe material, biofilms and loose deposits in the distribution system that have been established over decades and may harbor components that cause health or esthetical issues (brown water). Even though it is clearly relevant to customers' health (e.g., recent Flint water crisis), until now, switching of supply-water quality is done without any systematic evaluation. This article reviews the contaminants that develop in the water distribution system and their characteristics, as well as the possible transition effects during the switching of treated water quality by destabilization and the release of pipe material and contaminants into the water and the subsequent risks. At the end of this article, a framework is proposed for the evaluation of potential transition effects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Bayesian-based two-stage inexact optimization method for supporting stream water quality management in the Three Gorges Reservoir region.

PubMed

Hu, X H; Li, Y P; Huang, G H; Zhuang, X W; Ding, X W

2016-05-01

In this study, a Bayesian-based two-stage inexact optimization (BTIO) method is developed for supporting water quality management through coupling Bayesian analysis with interval two-stage stochastic programming (ITSP). The BTIO method is capable of addressing uncertainties caused by insufficient inputs in water quality model as well as uncertainties expressed as probabilistic distributions and interval numbers. The BTIO method is applied to a real case of water quality management for the Xiangxi River basin in the Three Gorges Reservoir region to seek optimal water quality management schemes under various uncertainties. Interval solutions for production patterns under a range of probabilistic water quality constraints have been generated. Results obtained demonstrate compromises between the system benefit and the system failure risk due to inherent uncertainties that exist in various system components. Moreover, information about pollutant emission is accomplished, which would help managers to adjust production patterns of regional industry and local policies considering interactions of water quality requirement, economic benefit, and industry structure.

Simplifying and upscaling water resources systems models that combine natural and engineered components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McIntyre, N.; Keir, G.

2014-12-01

Water supply systems typically encompass components of both natural systems (e.g. catchment runoff, aquifer interception) and engineered systems (e.g. process equipment, water storages and transfers). Many physical processes of varying spatial and temporal scales are contained within these hybrid systems models. The need to aggregate and simplify system components has been recognised for reasons of parsimony and comprehensibility; and the use of probabilistic methods for modelling water-related risks also prompts the need to seek computationally efficient up-scaled conceptualisations. How to manage the up-scaling errors in such hybrid systems models has not been well-explored, compared to research in the hydrological process domain. Particular challenges include the non-linearity introduced by decision thresholds and non-linear relations between water use, water quality, and discharge strategies. Using a case study of a mining region, we explore the nature of up-scaling errors in water use, water quality and discharge, and we illustrate an approach to identification of a scale-adjusted model including an error model. Ways forward for efficient modelling of such complex, hybrid systems are discussed, including interactions with human, energy and carbon systems models.

Effects of water deficit on breadmaking quality and storage protein compositions in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

PubMed

Zhou, Jiaxing; Liu, Dongmiao; Deng, Xiong; Zhen, Shoumin; Wang, Zhimin; Yan, Yueming

2018-03-12

Water deficiency affects grain proteome dynamics and storage protein compositions, resulting in changes in gluten viscoelasticity. In this study, the effects of field water deficit on wheat breadmaking quality and grain storage proteins were investigated. Water deficiency produced a shorter grain-filling period, a decrease in grain number, grain weight and grain yield, a reduced starch granule size and increased protein content and glutenin macropolymer contents, resulting in superior dough properties and breadmaking quality. Reverse phase ultra-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that the total gliadin and glutenin content and the accumulation of individual components were significantly increased by water deficiency. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis detected 144 individual storage protein spots with significant accumulation changes in developing grains under water deficit. Comparative proteomic analysis revealed that water deficiency resulted in significant upregulation of 12 gliadins, 12 high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits and 46 low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that the expression of storage protein biosynthesis-related transcription factors Dof and Spa was upregulated by water deficiency. The present results illustrated that water deficiency leads to increased accumulation of storage protein components and upregulated expression of Dof and Spa, resulting in an improvement in glutenin strength and breadmaking quality. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Ground-water quality atlas of Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kammerer, Phil A.

1981-01-01

This report summarizes data on ground-water quality stored in the U.S. Geological Survey's computer system (WATSTORE). The summary includes water quality data for 2,443 single-aquifer wells, which tap one of the State's three major aquifers (sand and gravel, Silurian dolomite, and sandstone). Data for dissolved solids, hardness, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, manganese, sulfate, chloride, fluoride, and nitrate are summarized by aquifer and by county, and locations of wells for which data are available 1 are shown for each aquifer. Calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate (the principal component of alkalinity) are the major dissolved constituents in Wisconsin's ground water. High iron concentrations and hardness cause ground-water quality problems in much of the State. Statewide ,summaries of trace constituent (selected trace metals; arsenic, boron, and organic carbon) concentrations show that these constituents impair water quality in only a few isolated wells.

Identification of Surface Water Quality along the Coast of Sanya, South China Sea

PubMed Central

Wu, Zhen-Zhen; Che, Zhi-Wei; Wang, You-Shao; Dong, Jun-De; Wu, Mei-Lin

2015-01-01

Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) are utilized to identify the effects caused by human activities on water quality along the coast of Sanya, South China Sea. PCA and CA identify the seasonality of water quality (dry and wet seasons) and polluted status (polluted area). The seasonality of water quality is related to climate change and Southeast monsoons. Spatial pattern is mainly related to anthropogenic activities (especially land input of pollutions). PCA reveals the characteristics underlying the generation of coastal water quality. The temporal and spatial variation of the trophic status along the coast of Sanya is governed by hydrodynamics and human activities. The results provide a novel typological understanding of seasonal trophic status in a shallow, tropical, open marine bay. PMID:25894980

Explore the advantage of High-frequency Water Quality Data in Urban Surface Water: A Case Study in Bristol, UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y.; Han, D.

2017-12-01

Water system is an essential component in a smart city for its sustainability and resilience. The freshness and beauty of the water body would please people as well as benefit the local aquatic ecosystems. Water quality monitoring approach has evolved from the manual lab-based monitoring approach to the manual in-situ monitoring approach, and finally to the latest wireless-sensor-network (WSN) based solutions in recent decades. The development of the in-situ water quality sensors enable humans to collect high-frequency and real-time water quality data. This poster aims to explore the advantages of the high-frequency water quality data over the low-frequency data collected manually. The data is collected by a remote real-time high-frequency water quality monitor system based on the cutting edge smart city infrastructure in Bristol - `Bristol Is Open'. The water quality of Bristol Floating Harbour is monitored which is the focal area of Bristol with new buildings and features redeveloped in the past decades. This poster will first briefly introduce the water quality monitoring system, followed by the analysis of the advantages of the sub-hourly water quality data. Thus, the suggestion on the monitoring frequency will be given.

Characterization of recharge and flow behaviour of different water sources in Gunung Kidul and its impact on water quality based on hydrochemical and physico-chemical monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eiche, Elisabeth; Hochschild, Maren; Haryono, Eko; Neumann, Thomas

2016-09-01

Karst aquifers are important water resources but highly vulnerable due to their heterogeneous and complex characteristics. Various hydrological aspects (recharge, flow behaviour) have to be known in detail to develop a sustainable concept for water collection, distribution and treatment. In the karst area of Gunung Sewu (Java, Indonesia) such a concept was to be implemented within a German-Indonesian joint IWRM project. The basic hydrogeological conditions and water quality aspects were characterized on a regional scale through hydrochemical monitoring of springs, wells, subsurface and surface rivers. More detailed information about the recharge, flow and storage behaviour was obtained from high resolution monitoring of T, EC and discharge in one large underground river system. The water quality is well below any guideline values with regard to inorganic pollutants during dry season. During rainy season, dissolved Al concentrations are frequently above the Indonesian guideline value. Slow matrix flow is the most important recharge component during dry season, thus assuring the year-round water availability in the subsurface karst. During rainy season, quick infiltration of the surface water is a dominant recharge component. Rapid response of discharge, T and EC to heavy rain suggests the presence of point recharge that feeds a highly karstfied conduit system with fast conduit flow and short transit time of water. The strong variations in discharge and hydrochemistry are particularly challenging for technical water usage and treatment facilities. Piston flow is indicated to be the third important flow component and is induced by heavy rainfall.

Effects of highway construction on stream water quality and macroinvertebrate condition in a mid-atlantic highlands watershed, USA.

PubMed

Chen, Yushun; Viadero, Roger C; Wei, Xinchao; Fortney, Ronald; Hedrick, Lara B; Welsh, Stuart A; Anderson, James T; Lin, Lian-Shin

2009-01-01

Refining best management practices (BMPs) for future highway construction depends on a comprehensive understanding of environmental impacts from current construction methods. Based on a before-after-control impact (BACI) experimental design, long-term stream monitoring (1997-2006) was conducted at upstream (as control, n = 3) and downstream (as impact, n = 6) sites in the Lost River watershed of the Mid-Atlantic Highlands region, West Virginia. Monitoring data were analyzed to assess impacts of during and after highway construction on 15 water quality parameters and macroinvertebrate condition using the West Virginia stream condition index (WVSCI). Principal components analysis (PCA) identified regional primary water quality variances, and paired t tests and time series analysis detected seven highway construction-impacted water quality parameters which were mainly associated with the second principal component. In particular, impacts on turbidity, total suspended solids, and total iron during construction, impacts on chloride and sulfate during and after construction, and impacts on acidity and nitrate after construction were observed at the downstream sites. The construction had statistically significant impacts on macroinvertebrate index scores (i.e., WVSCI) after construction, but did not change the overall good biological condition. Implementing BMPs that address those construction-impacted water quality parameters can be an effective mitigation strategy for future highway construction in this highlands region.

Performance of Water Recirculation Loop Maintenance Components for the Advanced Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rector, Tony; Peyton, Barbara M.; Steele, John W.; Makinen, Janice; Bue, Grant C.; Campbell, Colin

2014-01-01

Water loop maintenance components to maintain the water quality of the Advanced Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporation (SWME) water recirculation loop have undergone a comparative performance evaluation with a second SWME water recirculation loop with no water quality maintenance. Results show the benefits of periodic water maintenance. The SWME is a heat rejection device under development at the NASA Johnson Space Center to perform thermal control for advanced spacesuits. One advantage to this technology is the potential for a significantly greater degree of tolerance to contamination when compared to the existing Sublimator technology. The driver for the evaluation of water recirculation maintenance components was to further enhance this advantage through the leveraging of fluid loop management lessons learned from the International Space Station (ISS). A bed design that was developed for a UTAS military application, and considered for a potential ISS application with the Urine Processor Assembly, provided a low pressure drop means for water maintenance in a recirculation loop. The bed design is coupled with high capacity ion exchange resins, organic adsorbents, and a cyclic methodology developed for the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Transport Water loop. The maintenance cycle included the use of a biocide delivery component developed for ISS to introduce a biocide in a microgravity compatible manner for the Internal Active Thermal Control System (IATCS). The leveraging of these water maintenance technologies to the SWME recirculation loop is a unique demonstration of applying the valuable lessons learned on the ISS to the next generation of manned spaceflight Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) hardware.

Performance of Water Recirculation Loop Maintentance Components for the Advanced Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rector, Tony; Peyton, Barbara; Steele, John W.; Bue, Grant C.; Campbell, Colin; Makinen, Janice

2014-01-01

Water loop maintenance components to maintain the water quality of the Advanced Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporation (SWME) water recirculation loop have undergone a comparative performance evaluation with a second SWME water recirculation loop with no water quality maintenance. Results show the benefits of periodic water maintenance. The SWME is a heat rejection device under development at the NASA Johnson Space Center to perform thermal control for advanced spacesuits. One advantage to this technology is the potential for a significantly greater degree of tolerance to contamination when compared to the existing Sublimator technology. The driver for the evaluation of water recirculation maintenance components was to further enhance this advantage through the leveraging of fluid loop management lessonslearned from the International Space Station (ISS). A bed design that was developed for a UTAS military application, and considered for a potential ISS application with the Urine Processor Assembly, provided a low pressure drop means for water maintenance in a recirculation loop. The bed design is coupled with high capacity ion exchange resins, organic adsorbents, and a cyclic methodology developed for the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Transport Water loop. The maintenance cycle included the use of a biocide delivery component developed for ISS to introduce a biocide in a microgravity-compatible manner for the Internal Active Thermal Control System (IATCS). The leveraging of these water maintenance technologies to the SWME recirculation loop is a unique demonstration of applying the valuable lessons learned on the ISS to the next generation of manned spaceflight Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) hardware.

iSAW: Integrating Structure, Actors, and Water to study socio-hydro-ecological systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hale, Rebecca L.; Armstrong, Andrea; Baker, Michelle A.; Bedingfield, Sean; Betts, David; Buahin, Caleb; Buchert, Martin; Crowl, Todd; Dupont, R. Ryan; Ehleringer, James R.; Endter-Wada, Joanna; Flint, Courtney; Grant, Jacqualine; Hinners, Sarah; Horsburgh, Jeffery S.; Jackson-Smith, Douglas; Jones, Amber S.; Licon, Carlos; Null, Sarah E.; Odame, Augustina; Pataki, Diane E.; Rosenberg, David; Runburg, Madlyn; Stoker, Philip; Strong, Courtenay

2015-03-01

Urbanization, climate, and ecosystem change represent major challenges for managing water resources. Although water systems are complex, a need exists for a generalized representation of these systems to identify important components and linkages to guide scientific inquiry and aid water management. We developed an integrated Structure-Actor-Water framework (iSAW) to facilitate the understanding of and transitions to sustainable water systems. Our goal was to produce an interdisciplinary framework for water resources research that could address management challenges across scales (e.g., plot to region) and domains (e.g., water supply and quality, transitioning, and urban landscapes). The framework was designed to be generalizable across all human-environment systems, yet with sufficient detail and flexibility to be customized to specific cases. iSAW includes three major components: structure (natural, built, and social), actors (individual and organizational), and water (quality and quantity). Key linkages among these components include: (1) ecological/hydrologic processes, (2) ecosystem/geomorphic feedbacks, (3) planning, design, and policy, (4) perceptions, information, and experience, (5) resource access and risk, and (6) operational water use and management. We illustrate the flexibility and utility of the iSAW framework by applying it to two research and management problems: understanding urban water supply and demand in a changing climate and expanding use of green storm water infrastructure in a semi-arid environment. The applications demonstrate that a generalized conceptual model can identify important components and linkages in complex and diverse water systems and facilitate communication about those systems among researchers from diverse disciplines.

Activities of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program in the upper Snake River Basin, Idaho and western Wyoming, 1991-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Low, Walton H.

1997-01-01

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a full-scale National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The long-term goals of the NAWQA Program are to describe the status and trends in the water quality of a large part of the Nation's rivers and aquifers and to improve understanding of the primary natural and human factors that affect water-quality conditions. In meeting these goals, the program will produce water-quality, ecological, and geographic information that will be useful to policy makers and managers at the national, State, and local levels. A major component of the program is study-unit investigations, upon which national-level assessment activities are based. The program's 60 study-unit investigations are associated with principal river basins and aquifer systems throughout the Nation. Study units encompass areas from 1,200 to more than 65,000 mi2 (square miles) and incorporate about 60 to 70 percent of the Nation's water use and population served by public water supply. In 1991, the upper Snake River Basin was among the first 20 NAWQA study units selected for implementation. From 1991 to 1995, a high-intensity data-collection phase of the upper Snake River Basin study unit (fig. 1) was implemented and completed. Components of this phase are described in a report by Gilliom and others (1995). In 1997, a low-intensity phase of data collection began, and work continued on data analysis, report writing, and data documentation and archiving activities that began in 1996. Principal data-collection activities during the low-intensity phase will include monitoring of surface-water and ground-water quality, assessment of aquatic biological conditions, and continued compilation of environmental setting information.

Groundwater studies: principal aquifer surveys

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burow, Karen R.; Belitz, Kenneth

2014-01-01

In 1991, the U.S. Congress established the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to develop nationally consistent long-term datasets and provide information about the quality of the Nation’s streams and groundwater. The USGS uses objective and reliable data, water-quality models, and systematic scientific studies to assess current water-quality conditions, to identify changes in water quality over time, and to determine how natural factors and human activities affect the quality of streams and groundwater. NAWQA is the only non-regulatory Federal program to perform these types of studies; participation is voluntary. In the third decade (Cycle 3) of the NAWQA program (2013–2023), the USGS will evaluate the quality and availability of groundwater for drinking supply, improve our understanding of where and why water quality is degraded, and assess how groundwater quality could respond to changes in climate and land use. These goals will be addressed through the implementation of a new monitoring component in Cycle 3: Principal Aquifer Surveys.

Spatial assessment of water quality using chemometrics in the Pearl River Estuary, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Meilin; Wang, Youshao; Dong, Junde; Sun, Fulin; Wang, Yutu; Hong, Yiguo

2017-03-01

A cruise was commissioned in the summer of 2009 to evaluate water quality in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE). Chemometrics such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Cluster analysis (CA) and Self-Organizing Map (SOM) were employed to identify anthropogenic and natural influences on estuary water quality. The scores of stations in the surface layer in the first principal component (PC1) were related to NH4-N, PO4-P, NO2-N, NO3-N, TP, and Chlorophyll a while salinity, turbidity, and SiO3-Si in the second principal component (PC2). Similarly, the scores of stations in the bottom layers in PC1 were related to PO4-P, NO2-N, NO3-N, and TP, while salinity, Chlorophyll a, NH4-N, and SiO3-Si in PC2. Results of the PCA identified the spatial distribution of the surface and bottom water quality, namely the Guangzhou urban reach, Middle reach, and Lower reach of the estuary. Both cluster analysis and PCA produced the similar results. Self-organizing map delineated the Guangzhou urban reach of the Pearl River that was mainly influenced by human activities. The middle and lower reaches of the PRE were mainly influenced by the waters in the South China Sea. The information extracted by PCA, CA, and SOM would be very useful to regional agencies in developing a strategy to carry out scientific plans for resource use based on marine system functions.

40 CFR 408.61 - Specialized definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... components of a waste water amenable to measurement by the method described in Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes, 1971, Environmental Protection Agency, Analytical Quality Control Laboratory...

40 CFR 408.81 - Specialized definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... components of a waste water amendable to measurement by the method described in Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes, 1971, Environmental Protection Agency, Analytical Quality Control Laboratory...

Association of type 1 diabetes and concentrations of drinking water components in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

PubMed Central

Chafe, Roger; Aslanov, Rana; Sarkar, Atanu; Gregory, Peter; Comeau, Alex; Newhook, Leigh Anne

2018-01-01

Objective To determine the association between drinking water quality and rates of type 1 diabetes in the Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) population, which has one of the highest incidences of type 1 diabetes reported globally. Research design and methods The study used a community-based, case-control design. We first calculated incidence rates of type 1 diabetes at the provincial, regional and community levels. The connection between incidence rates and components in public water supplies were then analyzed in three ways: to evaluate differences in water quality between communities with and without incident cases of type 1 diabetes, and to analyze the relationship between water quality and incidence rates of type 1 diabetes at both the community and regional levels. Results The provincial incidence of type 1 diabetes was 51.7/100 000 (0-14 year age group) for the period studied. In the community-based analysis, there were significant associations found between higher concentrations of arsenic (β=0.268, P=0.013) and fluoride (β=0.202, P=0.005) in drinking water and higher incidence of type 1 diabetes. In the regional analysis, barium (β=−0.478, P=0.009) and nickel (β=−0.354, P=0.050) concentrations were negatively associated with incidence of type 1 diabetes. Conclusions We confirmed the high incidence of type 1 diabetes in NL. We also found that concentrations of some components in drinking water were associated with higher incidence of type 1 diabetes, but no component was found to have a significant association across the three different levels of analysis performed. PMID:29527309

Evaluation of drinking quality of groundwater through multivariate techniques in urban area.

PubMed

Das, Madhumita; Kumar, A; Mohapatra, M; Muduli, S D

2010-07-01

Groundwater is a major source of drinking water in urban areas. Because of the growing threat of debasing water quality due to urbanization and development, monitoring water quality is a prerequisite to ensure its suitability for use in drinking. But analysis of a large number of properties and parameter to parameter basis evaluation of water quality is not feasible in a regular interval. Multivariate techniques could streamline the data without much loss of information to a reasonably manageable data set. In this study, using principal component analysis, 11 relevant properties of 58 water samples were grouped into three statistical factors. Discriminant analysis identified "pH influence" as the most distinguished factor and pH, Fe, and NO₃⁻ as the most discriminating variables and could be treated as water quality indicators. These were utilized to classify the sampling sites into homogeneous clusters that reflect location-wise importance of specific indicator/s for use to monitor drinking water quality in the whole study area.

Long-term behaviour and cross-correlation water quality analysis of the River Elbe, Germany.

PubMed

Lehmann, A; Rode, M

2001-06-01

This study analyses weekly data samples from the river Elbe at Magdeburg between 1984 and 1996 to investigate the changes in metabolism and water quality in the river Elbe since the German reunification in 1990. Modelling water quality variables by autoregressive component models and ARIMA models reveals the improvement of water quality due to the reduction of waste water emissions since 1990. The models are used to determine the long-term and seasonal behaviour of important water quality variables. Organic and heavy metal pollution parameters showed a significant decrease since 1990, however, no significant change of chlorophyll-a as a measure for primary production could be found. A new procedure for testing the significance of a sample correlation coefficient is discussed, which is able to detect spurious sample correlation coefficients without making use of time-consuming prewhitening. The cross-correlation analysis is applied to hydrophysical, biological, and chemical water quality variables of the river Elbe since 1984. Special emphasis is laid on the detection of spurious sample correlation coefficients.

A Review of Surface Water Quality Models

PubMed Central

Li, Shibei; Jia, Peng; Qi, Changjun; Ding, Feng

2013-01-01

Surface water quality models can be useful tools to simulate and predict the levels, distributions, and risks of chemical pollutants in a given water body. The modeling results from these models under different pollution scenarios are very important components of environmental impact assessment and can provide a basis and technique support for environmental management agencies to make right decisions. Whether the model results are right or not can impact the reasonability and scientificity of the authorized construct projects and the availability of pollution control measures. We reviewed the development of surface water quality models at three stages and analyzed the suitability, precisions, and methods among different models. Standardization of water quality models can help environmental management agencies guarantee the consistency in application of water quality models for regulatory purposes. We concluded the status of standardization of these models in developed countries and put forward available measures for the standardization of these surface water quality models, especially in developing countries. PMID:23853533

Water quality assessment of the ecologically stressed Hooghly River Estuary, India: A multivariate approach.

PubMed

Mitra, Soumita; Ghosh, Swayambhu; Satpathy, Kamala Kanta; Bhattacharya, Bhaskar Deb; Sarkar, Santosh Kumar; Mishra, Pravakar; Raja, P

2018-01-01

Spatio-temporal and seasonal variation of the water quality characteristics of the Hooghly River Estuary, India were studied considering eight stations of diverse eco-hydrological characteristics. Wide variations in turbidity, total dissolved solids and fecal coliform exceeded the permissible BIS drinking water level limit. The estuary is observed to be relatively low-oxygenated, mesotropic and phosphate limiting. Spatial heterogeneity and impact of the southwest monsoon were remarkably pronounced in the distribution of the inorganic nutrients revealing the following values (expressed in μgatml -1 ): nitrate+nitrite (2.42-37.19), phosphate (0.41-1.52) and silicate (38.5-187.75). Water Quality Index (WQI) values confirmed the prevailing 'bad' condition, detrimental for sustenance of aquatic biota. Results of Principal Component Analysis identified the major factors liable for water quality deterioration while cluster analysis categorized the stations on the basis of similar water quality status. The authors recommend adopting preventive measures for water quality improvement linked to biodiversity conservation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance of Water Recirculation Loop Maintenance Components for the Advanced Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rector, Tony; Peyton, Barbara M.; Steele, John W.; Makinen, Janice; Bue, Grant C.; Campbell, Colin

2014-01-01

Water loop maintenance components to maintain the water quality of the Advanced Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporation (SWME) water recirculation loop have undergone a comparative performance evaluation with a recirculating control loop which had no water quality maintenance. Results show that periodic water maintenance can improve performance of the SWME. The SWME is a heat rejection device under development at the NASA Johnson Space Center to perform thermal control for advanced spacesuits. One advantage of this technology is the potential for a significantly greater degree of tolerance to contamination when compared to the existing sublimator technology. The driver for the evaluation of water recirculation maintenance components was to enhance the robustness of the SWME through the leveraging of fluid loop management lessons learned from the International Space Station (ISS). A patented bed design that was developed for a United Technologies Aerospace System military application provided a low pressure drop means for water maintenance in the SWME recirculation loop. The bed design is coupled with high capacity ion exchange resins, organic adsorbents, and a cyclic methodology developed for the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Transport Water loop. The maintenance cycle included the use of a biocide delivery component developed for the ISS to introduce a biocide in a microgravity compatible manner for the Internal Active Thermal Control System (IATCS). The leveraging of these water maintenance technologies to the SWME recirculation loop is a unique demonstration of applying the valuable lessons learned on the ISS to the next generation of manned spaceflight Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) hardware.

Hydrogeologic setting, ground-water flow, and ground-water quality at the Lake Wheeler Road research station, 2001-03 : North Carolina Piedmont and Mountains Resource Evaluation Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chapman, Melinda J.; Bolich, Richard E.; Huffman, Brad A.

2005-01-01

Results of a 2-year field study of the regolith-fractured bedrock ground-water system at the Lake Wheeler Road research station in Wake County, North Carolina, indicate both disconnection and interaction among components of the ground-water system. The three components of the ground-water system include (1) shallow, porous regolith; (2) a transition zone, including partially weathered rock, having both secondary (fractures) and primary porosity; and (3) deeper, fractured bedrock that has little, if any, primary porosity and is dominated by secondary fractures. The research station includes 15 wells (including a well transect from topographic high to low settings) completed in the three major components of the ground-water-flow system and a surface-water gaging station on an unnamed tributary. The Lake Wheeler Road research station is considered representative of a felsic gneiss hydrogeologic unit having steeply dipping foliation and a relatively thick overlying regolith. Bedrock foliation generally strikes N. 10? E. to N. 30? E. and N. 20? W. to N. 40? W. to a depth of about 400 feet and dips between 70? and 80? SE. and NE., respectively. From 400 to 600 feet, the foliation generally strikes N. 70? E. to N. 80? E., dipping 70? to 80? SE. Depth to bedrock locally ranges from about 67 to 77 feet below land surface. Fractures in the bedrock generally occur in two primary sets: low dip angle, stress relief fractures that cross cut foliation, and steeply dipping fractures parallel to foliation. Findings of this study generally support the conceptual models of ground-water flow from high to low topographic settings developed for the Piedmont and Blue Ridge Provinces in previous investigations, but are considered a refinement of the generalized conceptual model based on a detailed local-scale investigation. Ground water flows toward a surface-water boundary, and hydraulic gradients generally are downward in recharge areas and upward in discharge areas; however, local variations in vertical gradients are apparent. Water-quality sampling and monitoring efforts were conducted to characterize the interaction of components of the ground-water system. Elevated nitrate concentrations as high as 22 milligrams per liter were detected in shallow ground water from the regolith at the study site. These elevated nitrate concentrations likely are related to land use, which includes agricultural practices that involve animal feeding operations and crop fertilization. Continuous ground-water-quality data indicate seasonal fluctuations in field water-quality properties, differences with respect to depth, and fluctuations during recharge events. Water-quality properties recorded in the regolith well following rainfall indicate the upwelling of deeper ground water in the discharge area, likely from ground water in the transition-zone fractures. Additionally, interaction with a surface-water boundary appears likely in the ground-water discharge area, as water levels in all three ground-water zones, including the deep bedrock, mimic the surface-water rise during rainfall.

Water Conservation and Reuse. Instructor Guide. Working for Clean Water: An Information Program for Advisory Committees.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania State Univ., Middletown. Inst. of State and Regional Affairs.

Described is a learning session on water conservation intended for citizen advisory groups interested in water quality planning. Topics addressed in this instructor's manual include water conservation needs, benefits, programs, technology, and problems. These materials are components of the Working for Clean Water Project. (Author/WB)

Poor tap water quality experiences and poor sleep quality during the Flint, Michigan Municipal Water Crisis.

PubMed

Kruger, Daniel J; Kodjebacheva, Gergana D; Cupal, Suzanne

2017-08-01

After inadequate official response to community concerns over water quality following changes in Flint's municipal water supply, this study sought evidence for a relationship between water quality and community mental health. The Speak to Your Health Community Survey is a community-based participatory component of the health surveillance system in Genesee County, Michigan. This cross-sectional survey recruits participants from every residential Census Tract of the county and strives for demographic representativeness. Respondents (n=834) rated their tap water quality (taste, smell, appearance) as poor (36%), fair (18%), good (20%), very good (17%), and excellent (10%). They rated their sleep quality as poor (12%), fair (28%), good (39%), very good (18%), and excellent (4%), and had an average (SD) sleep length of 408(90) minutes. Controlling for age, sex, years of education, and whether respondents were African American and Hispanic/Latino/a, lower perceived tap water quality was associated with lower sleep quality and shorter sleep length. Results indicate that adverse health conditions related to the water crisis extend beyond lead poisoning in children and include deterioration of sleep conditions among adult residents. Copyright © 2017 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Water Quality Trends in the Entiat River Watershed: 2007–2010

Treesearch

Richard D. Woodsmith; Pamela K. Wilkins; Andy Bookter

2013-01-01

A large, multiagency effort is underway in the interior Columbia River basin (ICRB) to restore salmon, trout, and char listed as threatened or endangered under the 1973 federal Endangered Species Act. Water quantity and quality are widely recognized as important components of habitat for these depleted salmonid populations. There is also broad concern about...

The Spatially-Distributed Agroecosystem-Watershed (Ages-W) Hydrologic/Water Quality (H/WQ) model for assessment of conservation effects

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

AgroEcoSystem-Watershed (AgES-W) is a modular, Java-based spatially distributed model which implements hydrologic/water quality (H/WQ) simulation components under the Object Modeling System (OMS3) environmental modeling framework. AgES-W has recently been enhanced with the addition of nitrogen (N) a...

Impacts of a flash flood on drinking water quality: case study of areas most affected by the 2012 Beijing flood.

PubMed

Sun, Rubao; An, Daizhi; Lu, Wei; Shi, Yun; Wang, Lili; Zhang, Can; Zhang, Ping; Qi, Hongjuan; Wang, Qiang

2016-02-01

In this study, we present a method for identifying sources of water pollution and their relative contributions in pollution disasters. The method uses a combination of principal component analysis and factor analysis. We carried out a case study in three rural villages close to Beijing after torrential rain on July 21, 2012. Nine water samples were analyzed for eight parameters, namely turbidity, total hardness, total dissolved solids, sulfates, chlorides, nitrates, total bacterial count, and total coliform groups. All of the samples showed different degrees of pollution, and most were unsuitable for drinking water as concentrations of various parameters exceeded recommended thresholds. Principal component analysis and factor analysis showed that two factors, the degree of mineralization and agricultural runoff, and flood entrainment, explained 82.50% of the total variance. The case study demonstrates that this method is useful for evaluating and interpreting large, complex water-quality data sets.

Leaching of Heavy Metals from Water Bottle Components into the Drinking Water of Rodents

PubMed Central

Nunamaker, Elizabeth A; Otto, Kevin J; Artwohl, James E; Fortman, Jeffrey D

2013-01-01

Providing high-quality, uncontaminated drinking water is an essential component of rodent husbandry. Acidification of drinking water is a common technique to control microbial growth but is not a benign treatment. In addition to its potential biologic effects, acidified water might interact with the water-delivery system, leading to the leaching of heavy metals into the drinking water. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the effects of water acidification and autoclaving on water-bottle assemblies. The individual components of the system (stainless-steel sipper tubes, rubber stoppers, neoprene stoppers, and polysulfone water bottles) were acid-digested and analyzed for cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, selenium, and zinc to quantify the metal composition of each material. In addition the amounts of these metals that leached into tap and acidified water with and without autoclaving were quantified after 1 wk of contact time. On a weight basis, sipper tubes contained the largest quantities of all metals except magnesium and zinc, which were greatest in the neoprene stoppers. Except for cadmium and selenium, all metals had leached into the water after 1 wk, especially under the acidified condition. The quantities of copper, lead, and zinc that leached into the drinking water were the most noteworthy, because the resulting concentrations had the potential to confound animal experiments. On the basis of these findings, we suggest that water-quality monitoring programs include heavy metal analysis at the level of water delivery to animals. PMID:23562029

Leaching of heavy metals from water bottle components into the drinking water of rodents.

PubMed

Nunamaker, Elizabeth A; Otto, Kevin J; Artwohl, James E; Fortman, Jeffrey D

2013-01-01

Providing high-quality, uncontaminated drinking water is an essential component of rodent husbandry. Acidification of drinking water is a common technique to control microbial growth but is not a benign treatment. In addition to its potential biologic effects, acidified water might interact with the water-delivery system, leading to the leaching of heavy metals into the drinking water. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the effects of water acidification and autoclaving on water-bottle assemblies. The individual components of the system (stainless-steel sipper tubes, rubber stoppers, neoprene stoppers, and polysulfone water bottles) were acid-digested and analyzed for cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, selenium, and zinc to quantify the metal composition of each material. In addition the amounts of these metals that leached into tap and acidified water with and without autoclaving were quantified after 1 wk of contact time. On a weight basis, sipper tubes contained the largest quantities of all metals except magnesium and zinc, which were greatest in the neoprene stoppers. Except for cadmium and selenium, all metals had leached into the water after 1 wk, especially under the acidified condition. The quantities of copper, lead, and zinc that leached into the drinking water were the most noteworthy, because the resulting concentrations had the potential to confound animal experiments. On the basis of these findings, we suggest that water-quality monitoring programs include heavy metal analysis at the level of water delivery to animals.

Integrating Water, Actors, and Structure to Study Socio-Hydro-Ecological Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hale, R. L.; Armstrong, A.; Baker, M. A.; Bedingfield, S.; Betts, D.; Buahin, C. A.; Buchert, M.; Crowl, T.; Dupont, R.; Endter-Wada, J.; Flint, C.; Grant, J.; Hinners, S.; Horns, D.; Horsburgh, J. S.; Jackson-Smith, D.; Jones, A. S.; Licon, C.; Null, S. E.; Odame, A.; Pataki, D. E.; Rosenberg, D. E.; Runburg, M.; Stoker, P.; Strong, C.

2014-12-01

Urbanization, climate uncertainty, and ecosystem change represent major challenges for managing water resources. Water systems and the forces acting upon them are complex, and there is a need to understand and generically represent the most important system components and linkages. We developed a framework to facilitate understanding of water systems including potential vulnerabilities and opportunities for sustainability. Our goal was to produce an interdisciplinary framework for water resources research to address water issues across scales (e.g., city to region) and domains (e.g., water supply and quality, urban and transitioning landscapes). An interdisciplinary project (iUTAH - innovative Urban Transitions and Aridregion Hydro-sustainability) with a large (N=~100), diverse team having expertise spanning the hydrologic, biological, ecological, engineering, social, planning, and policy sciences motivated the development of this framework. The framework was developed through review of the literature, meetings with individual researchers, and workshops with participants. The Structure-Water-Actor Framework (SWAF) includes three main components: water (quality and quantity), structure (natural, built, and social), and actors (individual and organizational). Key linkages include: 1) ecological and hydrological processes, 2) ecosystem and geomorphic change, 3) planning, design, and policy, 4) perceptions, information, and experience, 5) resource access, and 6) operational water use and management. Our expansive view of structure includes natural, built, and social components, allowing us to examine a broad set of tools and levers for water managers and decision-makers to affect system sustainability and understand system outcomes. We validate the SWAF and illustrate its flexibility to generate insights for three research and management problems: green stormwater infrastructure in an arid environment, regional water supply and demand, and urban river restoration. These applications show that the framework can help identify key components and linkages across diverse water systems.

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.

Effects of highway construction on stream water quality and macroinvertebrate condition in a mid-Atlantic highlands watershed, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Welsh, Stuart A.; Chen, Yushun; Viadero, Stuart C.; Wei, Xinchao; Hedrick, Lara B.; Anderson, James T.; Lin, Lian-Shin

2009-01-01

Refining best management practices (BMPs) for future highway construction depends on a comprehensive understanding of environmental impacts from current construction methods. Based on a before-after-control impact (BACI) experimental design, long-term stream monitoring (1997–2006) was conducted at upstream (as control, n = 3) and downstream (as impact, n = 6) sites in the Lost River watershed of the Mid-Atlantic Highlands region, West Virginia. Monitoring data were analyzed to assess impacts of during and after highway construction on 15 water quality parameters and macroinvertebrate condition using the West Virginia stream condition index (WVSCI). Principal components analysis (PCA) identified regional primary water quality variances, and paired t tests and time series analysis detected seven highway construction-impacted water quality parameters which were mainly associated with the second principal component. In particular, impacts on turbidity, total suspended solids, and total iron during construction, impacts on chloride and sulfate during and after construction, and impacts on acidity and nitrate after construction were observed at the downstream sites. The construction had statistically significant impacts on macroinvertebrate index scores (i.e., WVSCI) after construction, but did not change the overall good biological condition. Implementing BMPs that address those construction-impacted water quality parameters can be an effective mitigation strategy for future highway construction in this highlands region.

Water quality of selected streams in the coal area of southeastern Montana. Water-resources investigations (final)

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

Knapton, J.R.; McKinley, P.W.

1977-08-01

This report summarizes and evaluates water-quality data collected at 35 stream sites in the coal region of southeastern Montana. Sarpy Creek, Armells Creek, and Rosebud Creek sometimes have dissolved-solids concentrations that cause water to be marginal for agricultural purposes. At times of rainfall and snowmelt, the runoff water mixes with the base-flow component to improve the overall quality. Water in the Tongue River generally showed a downstream degradation in which some changes were related to the lithology of the aquifers contributing water to streamflow. Water from Pumpkin Creek and Mizpah Creek is used mostly for cattle watering. To some extentmore » water is used for irrigation although the salinity hazard was often high. The chemical quality of the Powder River changed little during flow downstream. High sediment loads of the river acted as transporting agents for many of the plant nutrients and trace-element constituents.« less

Hydraulic connectivity and evaporation control the water quality and sources of chromophoric dissolved organic matter in Lake Bosten in arid northwest China.

PubMed

Zhou, Lei; Zhou, Yongqiang; Hu, Yang; Cai, Jian; Bai, Chengrong; Shao, Keqiang; Gao, Guang; Zhang, Yunlin; Jeppesen, Erik; Tang, Xiangming

2017-12-01

Lake Bosten is the largest oligosaline lake in arid northwestern China, and water from its tributaries and evaporation control the water balance of the lake. In this study, water quality and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption and fluorescence were investigated in different seasons to elucidate how hydraulic connectivity and evaporation may affect the water quality and variability of CDOM in the lake. Mean suspended solids and turbidity were significantly higher in the upstream tributaries than in the lake, the difference being notably more pronounced in the wet than in the dry season. A markedly higher mean first principal component (PC1) score, which was significantly positively related to protein-like components, and a considerably lower fluorescence peak integration ratio - I C :I T , indicative of the terrestrial humic-like CDOM contribution percentage, were observed in the lake than in the upstream tributaries. Correspondingly, notably higher contribution percentages of terrestrial humic-like components were observed in the river mouth areas than in the remaining lake regions. Furthermore, significantly higher mean turbidity, and notably lower mean conductivity and salinity, were recorded in the southwestern Kaidu river mouth than in the remaining lake regions in the wet season. Notably higher mean salinity is recorded in Lake Bosten than in upstream tributaries. Autochthonous protein-like associated amino-acids and also PC1 scores increased significantly with increasing salinity. We conclude that the dynamics of water quality and CDOM composition in remote arid Lake Bosten are strongly driven by evaporation and also the hydraulic connectivity between the upstream tributaries and the downstream lake. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using ecological indicators and a decision support system for integrated ecological assessment at two national park units in the Mid-Atlantic region, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mahan, Carolyn G.; Young, John A.; Miller, Bruce; Saunders, Michael C.

2014-01-01

We implemented an integrated ecological assessment using a GIS-based decision support system model for Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River (UPDE) and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DEWA)—national park units with the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Our assessment examined a variety of aquatic and terrestrial indicators of ecosystem components that reflect the parks’ conservation purpose and reference condition. Our assessment compared these indicators to ecological thresholds to determine the condition of park watersheds. Selected indicators included chemical and physical measures of water quality, biologic indicators of water quality, and landscape condition measures. For the chemical and physical measures of water quality, we used a water quality index and each of its nine components to assess the condition of water quality in each watershed. For biologic measures of water quality, we used the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera aquatic macroinvertebrate index and, secondarily, the Hilsenhoff aquatic macroinvertebrate index. Finally, for the landscape condition measures of our model, we used percent forest and percent impervious surface. Based on our overall assessment, UPDE and DEWA watersheds had an ecological assessment score of 0.433 on a −1 to 1 fuzzy logic scale. This score indicates that, in general, the natural resource condition within watersheds at these parks is healthy or ecologically unimpaired; however, we had only partial data for many of our indicators. Our model is iterative and new data may be incorporated as they become available. These natural parks are located within a rapidly urbanizing landscape—we recommend that natural resource managers remain vigilant to surrounding land uses that may adversely affect natural resources within the parks.

Using ecological indicators and a decision support system for integrated ecological assessment at two national park units in the mid-Atlantic region, USA.

PubMed

Mahan, Carolyn G; Young, John A; Miller, Bruce J; Saunders, Michael C

2015-02-01

We implemented an integrated ecological assessment using a GIS-based decision support system model for Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River (UPDE) and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DEWA)-national park units with the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Our assessment examined a variety of aquatic and terrestrial indicators of ecosystem components that reflect the parks' conservation purpose and reference condition. Our assessment compared these indicators to ecological thresholds to determine the condition of park watersheds. Selected indicators included chemical and physical measures of water quality, biologic indicators of water quality, and landscape condition measures. For the chemical and physical measures of water quality, we used a water quality index and each of its nine components to assess the condition of water quality in each watershed. For biologic measures of water quality, we used the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera aquatic macroinvertebrate index and, secondarily, the Hilsenhoff aquatic macroinvertebrate index. Finally, for the landscape condition measures of our model, we used percent forest and percent impervious surface. Based on our overall assessment, UPDE and DEWA watersheds had an ecological assessment score of 0.433 on a -1 to 1 fuzzy logic scale. This score indicates that, in general, the natural resource condition within watersheds at these parks is healthy or ecologically unimpaired; however, we had only partial data for many of our indicators. Our model is iterative and new data may be incorporated as they become available. These natural parks are located within a rapidly urbanizing landscape-we recommend that natural resource managers remain vigilant to surrounding land uses that may adversely affect natural resources within the parks.

Using Ecological Indicators and a Decision Support System for Integrated Ecological Assessment at Two National Park Units in the Mid-Atlantic Region, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahan, Carolyn G.; Young, John A.; Miller, Bruce J.; Saunders, Michael C.

2015-02-01

We implemented an integrated ecological assessment using a GIS-based decision support system model for Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River (UPDE) and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DEWA)—national park units with the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Our assessment examined a variety of aquatic and terrestrial indicators of ecosystem components that reflect the parks' conservation purpose and reference condition. Our assessment compared these indicators to ecological thresholds to determine the condition of park watersheds. Selected indicators included chemical and physical measures of water quality, biologic indicators of water quality, and landscape condition measures. For the chemical and physical measures of water quality, we used a water quality index and each of its nine components to assess the condition of water quality in each watershed. For biologic measures of water quality, we used the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera aquatic macroinvertebrate index and, secondarily, the Hilsenhoff aquatic macroinvertebrate index. Finally, for the landscape condition measures of our model, we used percent forest and percent impervious surface. Based on our overall assessment, UPDE and DEWA watersheds had an ecological assessment score of 0.433 on a -1 to 1 fuzzy logic scale. This score indicates that, in general, the natural resource condition within watersheds at these parks is healthy or ecologically unimpaired; however, we had only partial data for many of our indicators. Our model is iterative and new data may be incorporated as they become available. These natural parks are located within a rapidly urbanizing landscape—we recommend that natural resource managers remain vigilant to surrounding land uses that may adversely affect natural resources within the parks.

What's a stream without water? Disproportionality in headwater regions impacting water quality.

PubMed

Armstrong, Andrea; Stedman, Richard C; Bishop, Joseph A; Sullivan, Patrick J

2012-11-01

Headwater streams are critical components of the stream network, yet landowner perceptions, attitudes, and property management behaviors surrounding these intermittent and ephemeral streams are not well understood. Our research uses the concept of watershed disproportionality, where coupled social-biophysical conditions bear a disproportionate responsibility for harmful water quality outcomes, to analyze the potential influence of riparian landowner perceptions and attitudes on water quality in headwater regions. We combine social science survey data, aerial imagery, and an analysis of spatial point processes to assess the relationship between riparian landowner perceptions and attitudes in relation to stream flow regularity. Stream flow regularity directly and positively shapes landowners' water quality concerns, and also positively influences landowners' attitudes of stream importance-a key determinant of water quality concern as identified in a path analysis. Similarly, riparian landowners who do not notice or perceive a stream on their property are likely located in headwater regions. Our findings indicate that landowners of headwater streams, which are critical areas for watershed-scale water quality, are less likely to manage for water quality than landowners with perennial streams in an obvious, natural channel. We discuss the relationships between streamflow and how landowners develop understandings of their stream, and relate this to the broader water quality implications of headwater stream mismanagement.

Evaluating sustainable water quality management in the U.S.: Urban, Agricultural, and Environmental Protection Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Oel, P. R.; Alfredo, K. A.; Russo, T. A.

2015-12-01

Sustainable water management typically emphasizes water resource quantity, with focus directed at availability and use practices. When attention is placed on sustainable water quality management, the holistic, cross-sector perspective inherent to sustainability is often lost. Proper water quality management is a critical component of sustainable development practices. However, sustainable development definitions and metrics related to water quality resilience and management are often not well defined; water quality is often buried in large indicator sets used for analysis, and the policy regulating management practices create sector specific burdens for ensuring adequate water quality. In this research, we investigated the methods by which water quality is evaluated through internationally applied indicators and incorporated into the larger idea of "sustainability." We also dissect policy's role in the distribution of responsibility with regard to water quality management in the United States through evaluation of three broad sectors: urban, agriculture, and environmental water quality. Our research concludes that despite a growing intention to use a single system approach for urban, agricultural, and environmental water quality management, one does not yet exist and is even hindered by our current policies and regulations. As policy continues to lead in determining water quality and defining contamination limits, new regulation must reconcile the disparity in requirements for the contaminators and those performing end-of-pipe treatment. Just as the sustainable development indicators we researched tried to integrate environmental, economic, and social aspects without skewing focus to one of these three categories, policy cannot continue to regulate a single sector of society without considering impacts to the entire watershed and/or region. Unequal distribution of the water pollution burden creates disjointed economic growth, infrastructure development, and policy enactment across the sectors preventing a holistic approach to water quality management and, thus, rendering our system unsustainable.

INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE EFFECTS OF SEASON AND WATER QUALITY ON OYSTERS (CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA) AND ASSOCIATED FISH ASSEMBLAGES IN THE CALOOSAHATCHEE RIVER ESTUARY, FLORIDA: IMPLICATIONS OF ALTERED FRESHWATER INFLOW

EPA Science Inventory

A suite of biological and ecological responses of a Valued Ecosystem Component species, Crassostrea virginica, was used to investigate ecosystem-wide health effects of watershed alterations in the Caloosahatchee River estuary, Florida. The influence of water quality and season on...

DRAINMOD-GIS: a lumped parameter watershed scale drainage and water quality model

Treesearch

G.P. Fernandez; G.M. Chescheir; R.W. Skaggs; D.M. Amatya

2006-01-01

A watershed scale lumped parameter hydrology and water quality model that includes an uncertainty analysis component was developed and tested on a lower coastal plain watershed in North Carolina. Uncertainty analysis was used to determine the impacts of uncertainty in field and network parameters of the model on the predicted outflows and nitrate-nitrogen loads at the...

Surface-ground water interactions and hydrogeochemical evolution in a fluvio-deltaic setting: The case study of the Pinios River delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matiatos, Ioannis; Paraskevopoulou, Vasiliki; Lazogiannis, Konstantinos; Botsou, Fotini; Dassenakis, Manos; Ghionis, George; Alexopoulos, John D.; Poulos, Serafim E.

2018-06-01

River deltas sustain important ecosystems with rich biodiversity and large biomass, as well as human populations via the availability of water and food sources. Anthropogenic activities, such as urbanization, tourism and agriculture, may pose threats to river deltas. The knowledge of the factors controlling the regional water quality regime in these areas is important for planning sustainable use and management of the water resources. Here, hydrochemical methods and multivariate statistical techniques were combined to investigate the shallow aquifer of the Pinios River (Thessaly) deltaic plain with respect to water quality, hydrogeochemical evolution and interactions between groundwater and surface water bodies. Water quality assessment indicated that most of the river and groundwater samples fully comply with the criteria set by the Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC). The river is recharged mainly from springs of the Tempi valley and the shallow aquifer, and to a lesser degree from precipitation, throughout the year. The hydrogeochemical characteristics indicated a cation (Ca, Mg, and Na) bicarbonate water type, which evolves to calcium-chloride, sodium-bicarbonate and sodium-chloride water type, in the northern part of the delta. Calcite and dolomite dissolution determined the major ion chemistry, but other processes, such as silicate weathering and cation exchange reactions, also contributed. In the northern part of the plain, the interaction with the deeper aquifer enriched the shallow aquifer with Na and Cl ions. Principal Component Analysis showed that five components (PCs) explain 77% of the total variance of water quality parameters; these are: (1) salinity; (2) water-silicate rocks interaction; (3) hardness due to calcite dissolution, and cation exchange processes; (4) nitrogen pollution; and (5) non-N-related artificial fertilizers. This study demonstrated that the variation of water hydrochemistry in the deltaic plain could be attributed to natural and anthropogenic processes. The interpretation of the PCA results dictated the parameters used for the development of a modified Water Quality Index (WQI), to provide a more comprehensive spatial representation of the water quality of the river delta.

A linked hydrodynamic and water quality model for the Salton Sea

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chung, E.G.; Schladow, S.G.; Perez-Losada, J.; Robertson, Dale M.

2008-01-01

A linked hydrodynamic and water quality model was developed and applied to the Salton Sea. The hydrodynamic component is based on the one-dimensional numerical model, DLM. The water quality model is based on a new conceptual model for nutrient cycling in the Sea, and simulates temperature, total suspended sediment concentration, nutrient concentrations, including PO4-3, NO3-1 and NH4+1, DO concentration and chlorophyll a concentration as functions of depth and time. Existing water temperature data from 1997 were used to verify that the model could accurately represent the onset and breakup of thermal stratification. 1999 is the only year with a near-complete dataset for water quality variables for the Salton Sea. The linked hydrodynamic and water quality model was run for 1999, and by adjustment of rate coefficients and other water quality parameters, a good match with the data was obtained. In this article, the model is fully described and the model results for reductions in external phosphorus load on chlorophyll a distribution are presented. ?? 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Methods for collecting benthic invertebrate samples as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cuffney, Thomas F.; Gurtz, Martin E.; Meador, Michael R.

1993-01-01

Benthic invertebrate communities are evaluated as part of the ecological survey component of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program. These biological data are collected along with physical and chemical data to assess water-quality conditions and to develop an understanding of the factors that affect water-quality conditions locally, regionally, and nationally. The objectives of benthic invertebrate community characterizations are to (1) develop for each site a list of tax a within the associated stream reach and (2) determine the structure of benthic invertebrate communities within selected habitats of that reach. A nationally consistent approach is used to achieve these objectives. This approach provides guidance on site, reach, and habitat selection and methods and equipment for qualitative multihabitat sampling and semi-quantitative single habitat sampling. Appropriate quality-assurance and quality-control guidelines are used to maximize the ability to analyze data within and among study units.

Evaluation of Military Field-Water Quality. Volume 8. Performance of Mobile Water-Purification Unit (MWPU) and Pretreatment Components of the 600-GPH Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit (ROWPU), and Consideration of Reverse Osmosis (RO) Bypass, Potable-Water Disinfection, and Water-Quality Analysis Techniques

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-01

Health Risks in Potential Theaters of Operation for U.S. Military Forces. The nine volumes of this study contain a comprehensive assessment of the chemical...module. The percentage of total free chlorine ( hypochlorous acid , HOCl) plus hypochlorlte ion (OClN), measured by the Model 453 membrane sensor, varies...between the performances of the 600-Sph Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit (ROWPU) operated in the bypass node and ’the Mobile Water Purification

LABORATORY CAPACITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF DRINKING WATER UTILITIES: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

EPA Science Inventory

Fully-functioning analytical laboratories capable of producing quality data are essential components of well-run drinking water utilities. In Europe and the US, drinking water laboratory performance is closely monitored and regulated; this is not always the case in the less indu...

Removal of Inorganic, Microbial, and Particulate Contaminants from a Fresh Surface Water: Village Marine Tec. Expeditionary Unit Water Purifier, Generation 1

EPA Science Inventory

The Village Marine Tec. Generation 1 Expeditionary Unit Water Purifier (EUWP) is a mobile skid-mounted system employing ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) to produce drinking water from a variety of different water quality sources. The UF components were evaluated to t...

Linking water quality and well-being for improved assessment and valuation of ecosystem services

PubMed Central

Keeler, Bonnie L.; Polasky, Stephen; Brauman, Kate A.; Johnson, Kris A.; Finlay, Jacques C.; O’Neill, Ann; Kovacs, Kent; Dalzell, Brent

2012-01-01

Despite broad recognition of the value of the goods and services provided by nature, existing tools for assessing and valuing ecosystem services often fall short of the needs and expectations of decision makers. Here we address one of the most important missing components in the current ecosystem services toolbox: a comprehensive and generalizable framework for describing and valuing water quality-related services. Water quality is often misrepresented as a final ecosystem service. We argue that it is actually an important contributor to many different services, from recreation to human health. We present a valuation approach for water quality-related services that is sensitive to different actions that affect water quality, identifies aquatic endpoints where the consequences of changing water quality on human well-being are realized, and recognizes the unique groups of beneficiaries affected by those changes. We describe the multiple biophysical and economic pathways that link actions to changes in water quality-related ecosystem goods and services and provide guidance to researchers interested in valuing these changes. Finally, we present a valuation template that integrates biophysical and economic models, links actions to changes in service provision and value estimates, and considers multiple sources of water quality-related ecosystem service values without double counting. PMID:23091018

Linking water quality and well-being for improved assessment and valuation of ecosystem services.

PubMed

Keeler, Bonnie L; Polasky, Stephen; Brauman, Kate A; Johnson, Kris A; Finlay, Jacques C; O'Neill, Ann; Kovacs, Kent; Dalzell, Brent

2012-11-06

Despite broad recognition of the value of the goods and services provided by nature, existing tools for assessing and valuing ecosystem services often fall short of the needs and expectations of decision makers. Here we address one of the most important missing components in the current ecosystem services toolbox: a comprehensive and generalizable framework for describing and valuing water quality-related services. Water quality is often misrepresented as a final ecosystem service. We argue that it is actually an important contributor to many different services, from recreation to human health. We present a valuation approach for water quality-related services that is sensitive to different actions that affect water quality, identifies aquatic endpoints where the consequences of changing water quality on human well-being are realized, and recognizes the unique groups of beneficiaries affected by those changes. We describe the multiple biophysical and economic pathways that link actions to changes in water quality-related ecosystem goods and services and provide guidance to researchers interested in valuing these changes. Finally, we present a valuation template that integrates biophysical and economic models, links actions to changes in service provision and value estimates, and considers multiple sources of water quality-related ecosystem service values without double counting.

Enhancements to the EPANET-RTX (Real-Time Analytics) ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Technical brief and software The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed EPANET-RTX as a collection of object-oriented software libraries comprising the core data access, data transformation, and data synthesis (real-time analytics) components of a real-time hydraulic and water quality modeling system. While EPANET-RTX uses the hydraulic and water quality solvers of EPANET, the object libraries are a self-contained set of building blocks for software developers. “Real-time EPANET” promises to change the way water utilities, commercial vendors, engineers, and the water community think about modeling.

Evaluation of Military Field-Water Quality. Volume 7. Performance Evaluation of the 600-GPH Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit (ROWPU): reverse Osmosis (RO) Components

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-02-01

Data-for ASsessingHealthRISKS In Potential Theaters ~ of Operation forU,5. Mil-itary._orces. Jf-jr cLAss t:cAToN 9; r-.$ ’AGg UNCLASSIFIED Volume 7...Bypass, Potable-Water Disinfection,_ and Water-Quality Analysis Techniques; and Vol. 9, Data for Assessing Health Risks in Potential Theaters of Operation ...cleaning the RO elements, with objectives of improving solute rejection and reducing operating pressure. The most common method is to flush citric acid

Comparative Assessment of Physical and Social Determinants of Water Quantity and Water Quality Concerns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunda, T.; Hornberger, G. M.

2017-12-01

Concerns over water resources have evolved over time, from physical availability to economic access and recently, to a more comprehensive study of "water security," which is inherently interdisciplinary because a secure water system is influenced by and affects both physical and social components. The concept of water security carries connotations of both an adequate supply of water as well as water that meets certain quality standards. Although the term "water security" has many interpretations in the literature, the research field has not yet developed a synthetic analysis of water security as both a quantity (availability) and quality (contamination) issue. Using qualitative comparative and multi-regression analyses, we evaluate the primary physical and social factors influencing U.S. states' water security from a quantity perspective and from a quality perspective. Water system characteristics are collated from academic and government sources and include access/use, governance, and sociodemographic, and ecosystem metrics. Our analysis indicates differences in variables driving availability and contamination concerns; for example, climate is a more significant determinant in water quantity-based security analyses than in water quality-based security analyses. We will also discuss coevolution of system traits and the merits of constructing a robust water security index based on the relative importance of metrics from our analyses. These insights will improve understanding of the complex interactions between quantity and quality aspects and thus, overall security of water systems.

MONITORING CHLOROPHYLL-A AS A MEASURE OF ALGAE IN LAKE WATER

EPA Science Inventory

Algae are an important quality component in water bodies. They are photosynthesizing organisms and are the foundation of most aquatic food webs; however, some algae (e.g. blue-green algae) can produce algal toxins. The presence of algal toxins in water bodies has important ...

Modeling the relationship between landscape characteristics and water quality in a typical highly intensive agricultural small watershed, Dongting lake basin, south central China.

PubMed

Li, Hongqing; Liu, Liming; Ji, Xiang

2015-03-01

Understanding the relationship between landscape characteristics and water quality is critically important for estimating pollution potential and reducing pollution risk. Therefore, this study examines the relationship between landscape characteristics and water quality at both spatial and temporal scales. The study took place in the Jinjing River watershed in 2010; seven landscape types and four water quality pollutions were chosen as analysis parameters. Three different buffer areas along the river were drawn to analyze the relationship as a function of spatial scale. The results of a Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis suggest that "source" landscape, namely, tea gardens, residential areas, and paddy lands, have positive effects on water quality parameters, while forests exhibit a negative influence on water quality parameters because they represent a "sink" landscape and the sub-watershed level is identified as a suitable scale. Using the principal component analysis, tea gardens, residential areas, paddy lands, and forests were identified as the main landscape index. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was employed to model the relationship between landscape characteristics and water quality for each season. The results demonstrate that both landscape composition and configuration affect water quality. In summer and winter, the landscape metrics explained approximately 80.7 % of the variance in the water quality variables, which was higher than that for spring and fall (60.3 %). This study can help environmental managers to understand the relationships between landscapes and water quality and provide landscape ecological approaches for water quality control and land use management.

Getting the lead out: understanding risks in the distribution ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This presentation discusses the importance of the water distribution system as a component of the source-to-tap continuum in public health protection. Issues covered include: understanding source water quality changes and their impacts throughout the system; use of mitigation measures such as filters); and holistic approaches and/or strategies that could be used to avoid unintended consequences of decisions from source to tap. Invited presentation on topics indicated as of interest. With exposure to lead as the context, this presentation discusses the importance of the water distribution system as a component of the source-to-tap continuum in public health protection. Issues covered include: understanding source water quality changes and their impacts throughout the system; use of mitigation measures such as filters); and holistic approaches and/or strategies that could be used to avoid unintended consequences of decisions from source to tap.

Clearcutting and burning slash alter quality of stream water in northern Idaho

Treesearch

Gordon G. Snyder; Harold F. Haupt; George H. Belt

1975-01-01

In the cedar-hemlock-grand fir ecosystem clearcutting of units of varying size (2.6 to 44 ha) and subsequent disposal of slash by prescribed burning resulted in on-site stream water quality changes. But off-site changes were of less intensity. Two of three clearcut units responded in this manner; a third unit gave different results. The physical and chemical components...

Evaluating the ameliorative effect of natural dissolved organic matter (DOM) quality on copper toxicity to Daphnia magna: improving the BLM.

PubMed

Al-Reasi, Hassan A; Smith, D Scott; Wood, Chris M

2012-03-01

Various quality predictors of seven different natural dissolved organic matter (DOM) and humic substances were evaluated for their influence on protection of Daphnia magna neonates against copper (Cu) toxicity. Protection was examined at 3 and 6 mg l(-1) of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) of each DOM isolate added to moderately hard, dechlorinated water. Other water chemistry parameters (pH, concentrations of DOC, calcium, magnesium and sodium) were kept relatively constant. Predictors included absorbance ratios Abs(254/365) (index of molecular weight) and Abs-octanol(254)/Abs-water(254) (index of lipophilicity), specific absorption coefficient (SAC(340); index of aromaticity), and fluorescence index (FI; index of source). In addition, the fluorescent components (humic-like, fulvic-like, tryptophan-like, and tyrosine-like) of the isolates were quantified by parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). Up to 4-fold source-dependent differences in protection were observed amongst the different DOMs. Significant correlations in toxicity amelioration were found with Abs(254/365), Abs-octanol(254)/Abs-water(254), SAC(340), and with the humic-like fluorescent component. The relationships with FI were not significant and there were no relationships with the tryptophan-like or tyrosine-like fluorescent components at 3 mg C l(-1), whereas a negative correlation was seen with the fulvic-like component. In general, the results indicate that larger, optically dark, more lipophilic, more aromatic DOMs of terrigenous origin, with higher humic-like content, are more protective against Cu toxicity. A method for incorporating SAC(340) as a DOM quality indicator into the Biotic Ligand Model is presented; this may increase the accuracy for predicting Cu toxicity in natural waters.

Quality modeling of drinking groundwater using GIS in rural communities, northwest of Iran

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Given the importance of groundwater resources in water supply, this work aimed to study quality of drinking groundwater in rural areas in Tabriz county, northwest of Iran. Thirty two groundwater samples from different areas were collected and analyzed in terms of general parameters along with 20 heavy metals (e.g. As, Hg and …). The data of the analyses were applied as an attribute database for preparing thematic maps and showing water quality parameters. Multivariate statistical techniques, including principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (CA) were used to compare and evaluate water quality. The findings showed that hydrochemical faces of the groundwater were of calcium-bicarbonate type. EC values were from 110 to 1750 μs/cm, in which concentration of salts was high in the east and a zone in north of the studied area. Hardness was from 52 to 476 mg/l and CaCO3 with average value of 185.88 ± 106.56 mg/L indicated hard water. Dominant cations and anions were Ca2+ > Na+ > Mg2+ > K+ and HCO3− > Cl− > SO42− > NO32, respectively. In the western areas, arsenic contamination was observed as high as 69 μg/L. Moreover, mercury was above the standard level in one of the villages. Eskandar and Olakandi villages had the lowest quality of drinking water. In terms of CA, sampling sites were classified into four clusters of similar water quality and PCA demonstrated that 3 components could cover 84.3% of the parameters. For investigating arsenic anomaly, conducting a comprehensive study in the western part of studied area is strongly recommended. PMID:25093080

Web-based decision support and visualization tools for water quality management in the Chesapeake Bay watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mullinix, C.; Hearn, P.; Zhang, H.; Aguinaldo, J.

2009-01-01

Federal, State, and local water quality managers charged with restoring the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem require tools to maximize the impact of their limited resources. To address this need, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) are developing a suite of Web-based tools called the Chesapeake Online Assessment Support Toolkit (COAST). The goal of COAST is to help CBP partners identify geographic areas where restoration activities would have the greatest effect, select the appropriate management strategies, and improve coordination and prioritization among partners. As part of the COAST suite of tools focused on environmental restoration, a water quality management visualization component called the Nutrient Yields Mapper (NYM) tool is being developed by USGS. The NYM tool is a web application that uses watershed yield estimates from USGS SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed (SPARROW) attributes model (Schwarz et al., 2006) [6] to allow water quality managers to identify important sources of nitrogen and phosphorous within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The NYM tool utilizes new open source technologies that have become popular in geospatial web development, including components such as OpenLayers and GeoServer. This paper presents examples of water quality data analysis based on nutrient type, source, yield, and area of interest using the NYM tool for the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In addition, we describe examples of map-based techniques for identifying high and low nutrient yield areas; web map engines; and data visualization and data management techniques.

Effects of highway construction on stream water quality and macroinvertebrate condition in a Mid-Atlantic Highlands watershed, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chen, Y.; Viadero, R.C.; Wei, X.; Fortney, Ronald H.; Hedrick, Lara B.; Welsh, S.A.; Anderson, James T.; Lin, L.-S.

2009-01-01

Refining best management practices (BMPs) for future highway construction depends on a comprehensive understanding of environmental impacts from current construction methods. Based on a before-after-control impact (BACI) experimental design, long-term stream monitoring (1997-2006) was conducted at upstream (as control, n = 3) and downstream (as impact, n = 6) sites in the Lost River watershed of the Mid-Atlantic Highlands region, West Virginia. Monitoring data were analyzed to assess impacts of during and after highway construction on 15 water quality parameters and macroinvertebrate condition using the West Virginia stream condition index (WVSCI). Principal components analysis (PCA) identified regional primary water quality variances, and paired t tests and time series analysis detected seven highway construction-impacted water quality parameters which were mainly associated with the second principal component. In particular, impacts on turbidity, total suspended solids, and total iron during construction, impacts on chloride and sulfate during and after construction, and impacts on acidity and nitrate after construction were observed at the downstream sites. The construction had statistically significant impacts on macroinvertebrate index scores (i.e., WVSCI) after construction, but did not change the overall good biological condition. Implementing BMPs that address those construction-impacted water quality parameters can be an effective mitigation strategy for future highway construction in this highlands region. Copyright ?? 2009 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

Development and testing of a fast conceptual river water quality model.

PubMed

Keupers, Ingrid; Willems, Patrick

2017-04-15

Modern, model based river quality management strongly relies on river water quality models to simulate the temporal and spatial evolution of pollutant concentrations in the water body. Such models are typically constructed by extending detailed hydrodynamic models with a component describing the advection-diffusion and water quality transformation processes in a detailed, physically based way. This approach is too computational time demanding, especially when simulating long time periods that are needed for statistical analysis of the results or when model sensitivity analysis, calibration and validation require a large number of model runs. To overcome this problem, a structure identification method to set up a conceptual river water quality model has been developed. Instead of calculating the water quality concentrations at each water level and discharge node, the river branch is divided into conceptual reservoirs based on user information such as location of interest and boundary inputs. These reservoirs are modelled as Plug Flow Reactor (PFR) and Continuously Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR) to describe advection and diffusion processes. The same water quality transformation processes as in the detailed models are considered but with adjusted residence times based on the hydrodynamic simulation results and calibrated to the detailed water quality simulation results. The developed approach allows for a much faster calculation time (factor 10 5 ) without significant loss of accuracy, making it feasible to perform time demanding scenario runs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ESTIMATION OF INHERENT OPTICAL PROPERTIES AND WATER CONSTITUENT CONCENTRATIONS FROM THE REMOTE-SENSING REFLECTANCE SPECTRA IN THE ALBEMARLE-PAMLICO ESTUARY, USA

EPA Science Inventory

The decomposition of remote sensing reflectance (RSR) spectra into absorption, scattering and backscattering coefficients, and scattering phase function is an important issue for estimating water quality (WQ) components. For Case 1 waters RSR decomposition can be easily accompli...

Chemometric expertise of the quality of groundwater sources for domestic use.

PubMed

Spanos, Thomas; Ene, Antoaneta; Simeonova, Pavlina

2015-01-01

In the present study 49 representative sites have been selected for the collection of water samples from central water supplies with different geographical locations in the region of Kavala, Northern Greece. Ten physicochemical parameters (pH, electric conductivity, nitrate, chloride, sodium, potassium, total alkalinity, total hardness, bicarbonate and calcium) were analyzed monthly, in the period from January 2010 to December 2010. Chemometric methods were used for monitoring data mining and interpretation (cluster analysis, principal components analysis and source apportioning by principal components regression). The clustering of the chemical indicators delivers two major clusters related to the water hardness and the mineral components (impacted by sea, bedrock and acidity factors). The sampling locations are separated into three major clusters corresponding to the spatial distribution of the sites - coastal, lowland and semi-mountainous. The principal components analysis reveals two latent factors responsible for the data structures, which are also an indication for the sources determining the groundwater quality of the region (conditionally named "mineral" factor and "water hardness" factor). By the apportionment approach it is shown what the contribution is of each of the identified sources to the formation of the total concentration of each one of the chemical parameters. The mean values of the studied physicochemical parameters were found to be within the limits given in the 98/83/EC Directive. The water samples are appropriate for human consumption. The results of this study provide an overview of the hydrogeological profile of water supply system for the studied area.

Statistical Methods and Sampling Design for Estimating Step Trends in Surface-Water Quality

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hirsch, Robert M.

1988-01-01

This paper addresses two components of the problem of estimating the magnitude of step trends in surface water quality. The first is finding a robust estimator appropriate to the data characteristics expected in water-quality time series. The J. L. Hodges-E. L. Lehmann class of estimators is found to be robust in comparison to other nonparametric and moment-based estimators. A seasonal Hodges-Lehmann estimator is developed and shown to have desirable properties. Second, the effectiveness of various sampling strategies is examined using Monte Carlo simulation coupled with application of this estimator. The simulation is based on a large set of total phosphorus data from the Potomac River. To assure that the simulated records have realistic properties, the data are modeled in a multiplicative fashion incorporating flow, hysteresis, seasonal, and noise components. The results demonstrate the importance of balancing the length of the two sampling periods and balancing the number of data values between the two periods.

Hydrologic and water-quality data at Government Canyon State Natural Area, Bexar County, Texas, 2002-10

USGS Publications Warehouse

Banta, J. Ryan; Slattery, Richard N.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Edwards Aquifer Authority, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, collected rainfall, streamflow, evapotranspiration, and stormflow water-quality data at the Laurel Canyon Creek watershed, within the Government Canyon State Natural Area, Bexar County, Tex. The purpose of the data collection was to support evaluations of the effects of brush management conservation practices on components of the hydrologic budget and water quality. One component of brush management was to take endangered wildlife into consideration, specifically the golden-cheeked warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia). Much of the area that may have been considered for brush management was left intact to protect habitat for the golden-cheeked warbler. The area identified for brush management was approximately 10 percent of the study watershed. The hydrologic data presented here (2002–10) represent pre- and post-treatment periods, with brush management treatment occurring from winter 2006–07 to spring 2008.

Monitoring water stress and fruit quality in an orange orchard under regulated deficit irrigation using narrow-band structural and physiological remote sensing indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stagakis, S.; González-Dugo, V.; Cid, P.; Guillén-Climent, M. L.; Zarco-Tejada, P. J.

2012-07-01

This paper deals with the monitoring of water status and the assessment of the effect of stress on citrus fruit quality using structural and physiological remote sensing indices. Four flights were conducted over a citrus orchard in 2009 using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrying a multispectral camera with six narrow spectral bands in the visible and near infrared. Physiological indices such as the Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI570), a new structurally robust PRI formulation that uses the 515 nm as the reference band (PRI515), and a chlorophyll ratio (R700/R670) were compared against the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Renormalized Difference Vegetation Index (RDVI) and Modified Triangular Vegetation Index (MTVI) canopy structural indices for their performance in tracking water status and the effects of sustained water stress on fruit quality at harvest. The irrigation setup in the commercial orchard was compared against a treatment scheduled to satisfy full requirements (based on estimated crop evapotranspiration) using two regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies. The water status of the trees throughout the experiment was monitored with frequent field measurements of stem water potential (Ψx), while titratable acidity (TA) and total soluble solids (TSS) were measured at harvest on selected trees from each irrigation treatment. The high spatial resolution of the multispectral imagery (30 cm pixel size) enabled identification of pure tree crown components, extracting the tree reflectance from shaded, sunlit and aggregated pixels. The physiological and structural indices were then calculated from each tree at the following levels: (i) pure sunlit tree crown, (ii) entire crown, aggregating the within-crown shadows, and (iii) simulating a lower resolution pixel, including tree crown, sunlit and shaded soil pixels. The resulting analysis demonstrated that both PRI formulations were able to track water status, except when water stress altered canopy structure. In such cases, PRI570 was more affected than PRI515 by the structural changes caused by sustained water stress throughout the season. Both PRI formulations were proven to serve as pre-visual water stress indicators linked to fruit quality TSS and TA parameters (r2 = 0.69 for PRI515 vs TSS; r2 = 0.58 vs TA). In contrast, the chlorophyll (R700/R670) and structural indices (NDVI, RDVI, MTVI) showed poor relationships with fruit quality and water status levels (r2 = 0.04 for NDVI vs TSS; r2 = 0.19 vs TA). The two PRI formulations showed strong relationships with the field-measured fruit quality parameters in September, the beginning of stage III, which appeared to be the period most sensitive to water stress and the most critical for assessing fruit quality in citrus. Both PRI515 and PRI570 showed similar performance for the two scales assessed (sunlit crown and entire crown), demonstrating that within-crown component separation is not needed in citrus tree crowns where the shaded vegetation component is small. However, the simulation conducted through spatial resampling on tree + soil aggregated pixels revealed that the physiological indices were highly affected by soil reflectance and between-tree shadows, showing that for TSS vs PRI515 the relationship dropped from r2 = 0.69 to r2 = 0.38 when aggregating soil + crown components. This work confirms a previous study that demonstrated the link between PRI570, water stress, and fruit quality, while also making progress in assessing the new PRI formulation (PRI515), the within-crown shadow effects on the physiological indices, and the need for high resolution imagery to target individual tree crowns for the purpose of evaluating the effects of water stress on fruit quality in citrus.

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.

Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Water Quality data in Indian River Lagoon, Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sayemuzzaman, M.; Ye, M.

2015-12-01

The Indian River Lagoon, is part of the longest barrier island complex in the United States, is a region of particular concern to the environmental scientist because of the rapid rate of human development throughout the region and the geographical position in between the colder temperate zone and warmer sub-tropical zone. Thus, the surface water quality analysis in this region always brings the newer information. In this present study, multivariate statistical procedures were applied to analyze the spatial and temporal water quality in the Indian River Lagoon over the period 1998-2013. Twelve parameters have been analyzed on twelve key water monitoring stations in and beside the lagoon on monthly datasets (total of 27,648 observations). The dataset was treated using cluster analysis (CA), principle component analysis (PCA) and non-parametric trend analysis. The CA was used to cluster twelve monitoring stations into four groups, with stations on the similar surrounding characteristics being in the same group. The PCA was then applied to the similar groups to find the important water quality parameters. The principal components (PCs), PC1 to PC5 was considered based on the explained cumulative variances 75% to 85% in each cluster groups. Nutrient species (phosphorus and nitrogen), salinity, specific conductivity and erosion factors (TSS, Turbidity) were major variables involved in the construction of the PCs. Statistical significant positive or negative trends and the abrupt trend shift were detected applying Mann-Kendall trend test and Sequential Mann-Kendall (SQMK), for each individual stations for the important water quality parameters. Land use land cover change pattern, local anthropogenic activities and extreme climate such as drought might be associated with these trends. This study presents the multivariate statistical assessment in order to get better information about the quality of surface water. Thus, effective pollution control/management of the surface waters can be undertaken.

Sharpening policy instruments with catchment evaluations and the water quality continuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordan, P.; Melland, A. R.; Mellander, P.-E.; Murphy, P.; Shortle, G.; Wall, D.; Mechan, S.; Shine, O.

2012-04-01

There is a scale dichotomy in water quality management in European agricultural catchments due to the fact that impacts identified at river basin scale are mitigated by management that is typically asserted from research at field or plot scale and implemented at farm scale. Evaluations of management impact are then undertaken back at the river basin scale. The policy instruments in place to mitigate water quality impacts are also based on the integration of scientific research and stakeholder negotiations and can sometimes be blunt compromises. Nevertheless, expectations of accruing water quality benefits remain high and sometimes unchallenged. Evaluating all catchment components of a pollution transfer continuum from source to impact enables important elements such as lag time between policy implementation and water quality response, water body sampling frequency and allocation of correct dose-response mechanisms to be assessed. These points are particularly important in complex agricultural catchments where multiple nutrient pollution sources have variable impacts on different water body types - and at different times of year. The tools of catchment water quality policy evaluation are diverse and include metrics of natural resource management, soil and water chemistry, hydrology, ecology and palaeolimnology. Used in combination and with river basin scale and site-specific data inventories, they can provide a powerful suite of evidence for further iterations of water quality policy and projecting realistic expectations of policy success.

Water quality of the Luján river, a lowland watercourse near the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires (Argentina).

PubMed

Castañé, Patricia M; Sánchez-Caro, Aníbal; Salibián, Alfredo

2015-10-01

Luján river is a lowland watercourse which runs 130 km before flowing into the Río de la Plata Estuary, and receives a mixture of domestic and industrial wastewaters originating at its margins. In order to know the physicochemical profile of its surface water, 36 physical-chemical variables were analyzed in samples collected seasonally between 2004 and 2006 at three sampling stations. The results obtained through the principal component analysis (PCA) suggest that the variations in water quality are explained by natural components (soluble salts; metals), nonpoint inputs (nutrients), and anthropogenic (organic and bacterial) and industrial (toxic heavy metals) pollutants. The cases did not fit a clear spatial or seasonal pattern when plotted against the first two PCA axes. The three water quality indices calculated gave middle scores; Sampling station 1 gave a baseline for the comparison of the river's water quality along its course while Sampling station 3 (downriver) was the most degraded. A variety of pollution pulses reach and affect the watercourse downstream. Cities' sewage discharges into the river seem to be the major polluting factor, together with natural metals and other solutes loads that are present from the headwaters. The results may be useful for the development of local and regional mitigation and remediation programs regarding toxic and eutrophying loads in the upper basin of the river.

Multivariate Statistical Analysis: a tool for groundwater quality assessment in the hidrogeologic region of the Ring of Cenotes, Yucatan, Mexico.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, M.; Pacheco Castro, R. B.; Pacheco Avila, J.; Cabrera Sansores, A.

2014-12-01

The karstic aquifer of Yucatan is a vulnerable and complex system. The first fifteen meters of this aquifer have been polluted, due to this the protection of this resource is important because is the only source of potable water of the entire State. Through the assessment of groundwater quality we can gain some knowledge about the main processes governing water chemistry as well as spatial patterns which are important to establish protection zones. In this work multivariate statistical techniques are used to assess the groundwater quality of the supply wells (30 to 40 meters deep) in the hidrogeologic region of the Ring of Cenotes, located in Yucatan, Mexico. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis are applied in groundwater chemistry data of the study area. Results of principal component analysis show that the main sources of variation in the data are due sea water intrusion and the interaction of the water with the carbonate rocks of the system and some pollution processes. The cluster analysis shows that the data can be divided in four clusters. The spatial distribution of the clusters seems to be random, but is consistent with sea water intrusion and pollution with nitrates. The overall results show that multivariate statistical analysis can be successfully applied in the groundwater quality assessment of this karstic aquifer.

Efforts to Reduce International Space Station Crew Maintenance Time in the Management of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit Transport Loop Water Quality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Etter,David; Rector, Tony; Boyle, robert; Zande, Chris Vande

2012-01-01

The EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) contains a semi-closed-loop re-circulating water circuit (Transport Loop) to absorb heat into a LCVG (Liquid Coolant and Ventilation Garment) worn by the astronaut. A second, single-pass water circuit (Feed-water Loop) provides water to a cooling device (Sublimator) containing porous plates, and that water sublimates through the porous plates to space vacuum. The cooling effect from the sublimation of this water translates to a cooling of the LCVG water that circulates through the Sublimator. The quality of the EMU Transport Loop water is maintained through the use of a water processing kit (ALCLR - Airlock Cooling Loop Remediation) that is used to periodically clean and disinfect the water circuit. Opportunities to reduce crew time associated with ALCLR operations include a detailed review of the historical water quality data for evidence to support an extension to the implementation cycle. Furthermore, an EMU returned after 2-years of use on the ISS (International Space Station) is being used as a test bed to evaluate the results of extended and repeated ALCLR implementation cycles. Finally, design, use and on-orbit location enhancements to the ALCLR kit components are being considered to allow the implementation cycle to occur in parallel with other EMU maintenance and check-out activities, and to extend the life of the ALCLR kit components. These efforts are undertaken to reduce the crew-time and logistics burdens for the EMU, while ensuring the long-term health of the EMU water circuits for a post- Shuttle 6-year service life.

Efforts to Reduce International Space Station Crew Maintenance for the Management of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit Transport Loop Water Quality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steele, John W.; Etter, David; Rector, Tony; Boyle, Robert; Vandezande, Christopher

2013-01-01

The EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) contains a semi-closed-loop re-circulating water circuit (Transport Loop) to absorb heat into a LCVG (Liquid Coolant and Ventilation Garment) worn by the astronaut. A second, single-pass water circuit (Feed-water Loop) provides water to a cooling device (Sublimator) containing porous plates, and that water sublimates through the porous plates to space vacuum. The cooling effect from the sublimation of this water translates to a cooling of the LCVG water that circulates through the Sublimator. The quality of the EMU Transport Loop water is maintained through the use of a water processing kit (ALCLR Airlock Cooling Loop Remediation) that is used to periodically clean and disinfect the water circuit. Opportunities to reduce crew time associated with on-orbit ALCLR operations include a detailed review of the historical water quality data for evidence to support an extension to the implementation cycle. Furthermore, an EMU returned after 2-years of use on the ISS (International Space Station) is being used as a test bed to evaluate the results of extended and repeated ALCLR implementation cycles. Finally, design, use and on-orbit location enhancements to the ALCLR kit components are being considered to allow the implementation cycle to occur in parallel with other EMU maintenance and check-out activities, and to extend the life of the ALCLR kit components. These efforts are undertaken to reduce the crew-time and logistics burdens for the EMU, while ensuring the long-term health of the EMU water circuits for a post-Shuttle 6-year service life.

Multivariate classification of small order watersheds in the Quabbin Reservoir Basin, Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lent, R.M.; Waldron, M.C.; Rader, J.C.

1998-01-01

A multivariate approach was used to analyze hydrologic, geologic, geographic, and water-chemistry data from small order watersheds in the Quabbin Reservoir Basin in central Massachusetts. Eighty three small order watersheds were delineated and landscape attributes defining hydrologic, geologic, and geographic features of the watersheds were compiled from geographic information system data layers. Principal components analysis was used to evaluate 11 chemical constituents collected bi-weekly for 1 year at 15 surface-water stations in order to subdivide the basin into subbasins comprised of watersheds with similar water quality characteristics. Three principal components accounted for about 90 percent of the variance in water chemistry data. The principal components were defined as a biogeochemical variable related to wetland density, an acid-neutralization variable, and a road-salt variable related to density of primary roads. Three subbasins were identified. Analysis of variance and multiple comparisons of means were used to identify significant differences in stream water chemistry and landscape attributes among subbasins. All stream water constituents were significantly different among subbasins. Multiple regression techniques were used to relate stream water chemistry to landscape attributes. Important differences in landscape attributes were related to wetlands, slope, and soil type.A multivariate approach was used to analyze hydrologic, geologic, geographic, and water-chemistry data from small order watersheds in the Quabbin Reservoir Basin in central Massachusetts. Eighty three small order watersheds were delineated and landscape attributes defining hydrologic, geologic, and geographic features of the watersheds were compiled from geographic information system data layers. Principal components analysis was used to evaluate 11 chemical constituents collected bi-weekly for 1 year at 15 surface-water stations in order to subdivide the basin into subbasins comprised of watersheds with similar water quality characteristics. Three principal components accounted for about 90 percent of the variance in water chemistry data. The principal components were defined as a biogeochemical variable related to wetland density, an acid-neutralization variable, and a road-salt variable related to density of primary roads. Three subbasins were identified. Analysis of variance and multiple comparisons of means were used to identify significant differences in stream water chemistry and landscape attributes among subbasins. All stream water constituents were significantly different among subbasins. Multiple regression techniques were used to relate stream water chemistry to landscape attributes. Important differences in landscape attributes were related to wetlands, slope, and soil type.

Reliability testing across the Environmental Quality Index and national environmental indices.

EPA Science Inventory

One challenge in environmental epidemiology is the exploration of cumulative environmental exposure across multiple domains (e.g. air, water, land). The Environmental Quality Index (EQI), created by the U.S. EPA, uses principle component analyses combining environmental domains (...

Potential for water-quality degradation of interconnected aquifers in west-central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Metz, P.A.; Brendle, D.L.

1996-01-01

Thousands of deep artesian wells were drilled into the Upper Floridan aquifer in west-central Florida prior to well-drilling regulations adopted in the 1970's. The wells were usually completed with a short length of casing through the unconsolidated sediments and were left open to multiple aquifers containing water of varying quality. These open boreholes serve as a potential source of water-quality degradation within the aquifers when vertical internal borehole flow is induced by hydraulic-head differences. Thispotential for water-quality degradation exists in west-central Florida where both the intermediate aquifer system and Upper Floridan aquifer exist. Measurements of caliper, temperature, gamma, fluid conductivity, and flow were obtained in 87 wells throughout west-central Florida to determine the occurrence of interaquifer borehole flow between the intermediate aquifer system and the Upper Floridan aquifer. Flow measurements were made using an impeller flowmeter, a heat-pulse flowmeter, and a video camera with an impeller flowmeter attachment. Of the 87 wells measured with the impeller flowmeter, 17 had internal flow which ranged from 10 to 300 gallons per minute. A heat-pulse flowmeter was used in 19 wells in which flow was not detected using the impeller flowmeter. Of these 19 wells, 18 had internal flow which ranged from 0.3 to 10gallons per minute. Additionally, water-quality samples were collected from specific contributing zones in wells that had internal flow. Analysis of geophysical and water-quality data indicates degradation of water quality has occurred from mineralized ground water flowing upward from the Upper Floridan aquifer into the intermediate aquifer system through both uncased boreholes and corroded black-iron well casings. In areas where there is a downward component of flow, data indicate that potable water from the intermediate aquifer system is artificially recharging the Upper Floridan aquifer through open boreholes. A geographical area was defined where there is a potential for water- quality degradation due to improperly cased wells. This area was delineated based on where there is an upward component of ground-water flow and where there is an occurrence of poor-quality water. The delineated area includes parts of Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, De Soto, and Hardee Counties. To prevent further contamination of the aquifers, the Southwest Florida Water Management District began the Quality of Water Improvement Program in 1974 to restore hydrologic conditions altered by improperly constructed wells or deteriorating casings. As of May 1994, more than 3,000 wells have been inspected and approximately 1,350 have been plugged. To minimize interaquifer contamination, existing wells, especially ones with black-iron casing, should be inspected and, if necessary, repaired with new casing or plugged.

Surface and Groundwater Interactions: Cikapundung Bandung, Kanal Banjir Timur Semarang and Cisadane Tangerang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irawan, D. E.; Sulistyawati, E.; Midori, A. A.; Faisal, B.; Darul, A.; Agustin, A.

2018-04-01

In most Asia countries, the riverbank area is mostly inhabited by the low-income population, due to the shortage of formal housing. Most of the settlement areas are not equipped with proper sanitation system. Hence, the water quality gets lower over time with the increasing number of inhabitants around the riverbank. Th water quality gets worse with the close hydrological connection between surface water and the shallow groundwater. We compare the state of water quality based on our three case studies: Cikapundung Bandung, Kanal Banjir Timur Semarang, and Cisadane Tangerang. In each location, we gathered the following data: water level measurements, water flow mapping, and water quality samples. Then we make maps to evaluate existing status. The comparison will be made based on the physical and chemical properties that we get from the field. On all locations, we find very close interactions between surface water and groundwater. The hydrological connections are different in direction from upstream to downstream: gaining stream, combined stream or perched stream, and losing stream. However different river gradient gives a slightly different length of hydrological zonations. All samples show a high bicarbonate from rain water, the dissolution of carbonate minerals from the rocks and soils, and also organic species from microbial activities, which induced by domestic wastes. However, we need to make a carbonate balance calculation to break down the components. All samples also have high nitrate and nitrite concentration which come from domestic waste along the river and fertilizer from the rice fields upstream (only in Cikapundung river). For further research, we suggest chemical modeling to break up the contamination components and possible sources.

Abiotic control of underwater light in a drinking water reservoir: Photon budget analysis and implications for water quality monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Shohei; Laurion, Isabelle; Markager, Stiig; Vincent, Warwick F.

2015-08-01

In optically complex inland waters, the underwater attenuation of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) is controlled by a variable combination of absorption and scattering components of the lake or river water. Here we applied a photon budget approach to identify the main optical components affecting PAR attenuation in Lake St. Charles, a drinking water reservoir for Québec City, Canada. This analysis showed the dominant role of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption (average of 44% of total absorption during the sampling period), but with large changes over depth in the absolute and relative contribution of the individual absorption components (water, nonalgal particulates, phytoplankton and CDOM) to PAR attenuation. This pronounced vertical variation occurred because of the large spectral changes in the light field with depth, and it strongly affected the average in situ diffuse absorption coefficients in the water column. For example, the diffuse absorption coefficient for pure-water in the ambient light field was 10-fold higher than the value previously measured in the blue open ocean and erroneously applied to lakes and coastal waters. Photon absorption budget calculations for a range of limnological conditions confirmed that phytoplankton had little direct influence on underwater light, even at chlorophyll a values above those observed during harmful algal blooms in the lake. These results imply that traditional measures of water quality such as Secchi depth and radiometric transparency do not provide a meaningful estimate of the biological state of the water column in CDOM-colored lakes and reservoirs.

Hyperspectral imaging of water quality - past applications and future directions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, M. R. V.; Pavelsky, T.

2017-12-01

Inland waters control the delivery of sediment, carbon, and nutrients from land to ocean by transforming, depositing, and transporting constituents downstream. However, the dominant in situ conditions that control these processes are poorly constrained, especially at larger spatial scales. Hyperspectral imaging, a remote sensing technique that uses reflectance in hundreds of narrow spectral bands, can be used to estimate water quality parameters like sediment and carbon concentration over larger water bodies. Here, we review methods and applications for using hyperspectral imagery to generate near-surface two-dimensional models of water quality in lakes and rivers. Further, we show applications using newly available data from the National Ecological Observation Network aerial observation platform in the Black Warrior and Tombigbee Rivers, Alabama. We demonstrate large spatial variation in chlorophyll, colored dissolved organic matter, and turbidity in each river and uneven mixing of water quality constituents for several kilometers. Finally, we demonstrate some novel techniques using hyperspectral imagery to deconvolve dissolved organic matter spectral signatures to specific organic matter components.

Suitability of optical, physical and chemical measurements for detection of changes in bacterial drinking water quality.

PubMed

Ikonen, Jenni; Pitkänen, Tarja; Miettinen, Ilkka T

2013-10-25

In this study, different optical, physical and chemical measurements were tested for their capacity to detect changes in water quality. The tests included UV-absorbance at 254 nm, absorbance at 420 nm, turbidity, particle counting, temperature, pH, electric conductivity (EC), free chlorine concentration and ATP concentration measurements. Special emphasis was given to investigating the potential for measurement tools to detect changes in bacterial concentrations in drinking water. Bacterial colony counts (CFU) and total bacterial cell counts (TBC) were used as reference methods for assessing the bacterial water quality. The study consists of a series of laboratory scale experiments: monitoring of regrowth of Pseudomonas fluorescens, estimation of the detection limits for optical measurements using Escherichia coli dilutions, verification of the relationships by analysing grab water samples from various distribution systems and utilisation of the measurements in the case of an accidentally contaminated distribution network. We found significant correlations between the tested measurements and the bacterial water quality. As the bacterial contamination of water often co-occurs with the intrusion of matrixes containing mainly non-bacterial components, the tested measurement tools can be considered to have the potential to rapidly detect any major changes in drinking water quality.

Suitability of Optical, Physical and Chemical Measurements for Detection of Changes in Bacterial Drinking Water Quality

PubMed Central

Ikonen, Jenni; Pitkänen, Tarja; Miettinen, Ilkka T.

2013-01-01

In this study, different optical, physical and chemical measurements were tested for their capacity to detect changes in water quality. The tests included UV-absorbance at 254 nm, absorbance at 420 nm, turbidity, particle counting, temperature, pH, electric conductivity (EC), free chlorine concentration and ATP concentration measurements. Special emphasis was given to investigating the potential for measurement tools to detect changes in bacterial concentrations in drinking water. Bacterial colony counts (CFU) and total bacterial cell counts (TBC) were used as reference methods for assessing the bacterial water quality. The study consists of a series of laboratory scale experiments: monitoring of regrowth of Pseudomonas fluorescens, estimation of the detection limits for optical measurements using Escherichia coli dilutions, verification of the relationships by analysing grab water samples from various distribution systems and utilisation of the measurements in the case of an accidentally contaminated distribution network. We found significant correlations between the tested measurements and the bacterial water quality. As the bacterial contamination of water often co-occurs with the intrusion of matrixes containing mainly non-bacterial components, the tested measurement tools can be considered to have the potential to rapidly detect any major changes in drinking water quality. PMID:24284353

Sources and fate of chromophoric dissolved organic matter and water mass ventilation in the upper Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, S. A.; Amon, R. M.; Stedmon, C. A.

2011-12-01

The majority of high latitude soil organic carbon is stored within vast permafrost regions surrounding the Arctic, which are highly susceptible to climate change. As global warming persists increased river discharge combined with permafrost erosion and extended ice free periods will increase the supply of soil organic carbon to the Arctic Ocean. Increased river discharge to the Arctic will also have a significant impact its hydrological cycle and could potentially be critical to sea ice formation. This impact is due to freshwater discharge to the Arctic which has been shown to help sustain halocline formation, a critical water mass that acts as an insulator trapping heat from inflowing Atlantic waters from ice at the surface. As the climate warms it is therefore important to identify halocline source waters and to determine fluctuations in their contribution to this critical water mass. To better understand dissolved organic matter (DOM) quality and its fate within the Arctic as well as runoff distributions across the basin the optical properties of chromophoric dissolved organic carbon (CDOM) were evaluated during a trans-Arctic expedition, AOS 2005. This cruise is unique because it is the first time fluorescence data have been obtained from all basins in the Arctic. Excitation/Emission Matrix Spectroscopy (EEM's) coupled to Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) was used to decompose the combined CDOM fluorescence signal into six independent components that can be traced to a source. Three humic-like CDOM components were isolated and linked to runoff waters using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Inherent differences were observed between Eurasian (EB) and Canadian (CB) basin surface waters in terms of DOM quality and freshwater distributions. In EB surface waters (0-50m) the humic-like CDOM components explained roughly half of the variance in the DOC pool and were strongly related to lignin phenol concentrations. These results indicate CDOM in Trans-Polar Drift waters are dominated by terrestrial inputs and suggest this water mass likely originated from Eurasian runoff. In CB surface waters (0-50m) the humic-like CDOM signal was depleted and unrelated to lignin phenol concentrations. These results were unexpected given the significant inputs of runoff predicted in CB surface waters during AOS 2005 using alkalinity/salinity relationships by Jones et al., 2008. In CB halocline waters (50-300m), a significant relationship was observed between the humic-like CDOM components and apparent oxygen utilization, CO2, and nutrient concentrations suggesting degradation and marine secondary production has a significant effect on the quality of DOM in these waters. Overall, the ability to differentiate and qualitatively trace the different sources of fluorescent components and determine the underlying factors controlling CDOM speciation during transport and mixing opens new possibilities for the use of CDOM as a more specific tracer in oceanography.

Basis for selecting soft wheat for end-use quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Within the United States, end-use quality of soft wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is determined by several genetically controlled components: milling yield, flour particle size, and baking characteristics related to flour water absorption caused by glutenin macropolymer, non-starch polysaccharides, and...

Dissolved organic matter signatures vary between naturally acidic, circumneutral and groundwater-fed freshwaters in Australia.

PubMed

Holland, Aleicia; Stauber, Jenny; Wood, Chris M; Trenfield, Melanie; Jolley, Dianne F

2018-06-15

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays important roles in both abiotic and biotic processes within aquatic ecosystems, and these in turn depend on the quality of the DOM. We collected and characterized chromophoric DOM (CDOM) from different Australian freshwater types (circumneutral, naturally acidic and groundwater-fed waterways), climatic regions and seasons. CDOM quality was characterized using absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy. Excitation emission scans followed by parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis showed that CDOM was characterized by three main components: protein-like, fulvic-like and humic-like components commonly associated with various waters globally in the Openfluor database. Principal component analysis showed that CDOM quality varied between naturally acidic, circumneutral and groundwater-fed waters, with unique CDOM quality signatures shown for each freshwater type. CDOM quality also differed significantly within some sites between seasons. Clear differences in dominant CDOM components were shown between freshwater types. Naturally acidic waters were dominated by highly aromatic (as indicated by the specific absorbance co-efficient (SAC 340 ) and the specific UV absorbance (SUVA 254 ) values which ranged between 31 and 50 cm 2  mg -1 and 3.9-5.7 mg C -1  m -1 respectively), humic-like CDOM of high molecular weight (as indicated by abs 254/365 which ranged from 3.8 to 4.3). In contrast, circumneutral waters were dominated by fulvic-like CDOM of lower aromaticity (SAC 340 : 7-21 cm 2  mg -1 and SUVA 254 : 1.5-3.0 mg C -1  m -1 ) and lower molecular weight (abs 254/365 5.1-9.3). The groundwater-fed site had a higher abundance of protein-like CDOM, which was the least aromatic (SAC 340 : 2-5 cm 2  mg -1 and SUVA 254 : 0.58-1.1 mg C -1  m -1 ). CDOM was generally less aromatic, of a lower molecular weight and more autochthonous in nature during the summer/autumn sampling compared to winter/spring. Significant relationships were shown between various CDOM quality parameters and pH. This is the first study to show that different freshwater types (circumneutral, naturally acidic and groundwater-fed) contain distinct CDOM quality signatures in Australia, a continent with unique flora and geology. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

User's manual for the National Water Information System of the U.S. Geological Survey: Automated Data Processing System (ADAPS)

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2003-01-01

The Automated Data Processing System (ADAPS) was developed for the processing, storage, and retrieval of water data, and is part of the National Water Information System (NWIS) developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. NWIS is a distributed water database in which data can be processed over a network of computers at U.S. Geological Survey offices throughout the United States. NWIS comprises four subsystems: ADAPS, the Ground-Water Site Inventory System (GWSI), the Water-Quality System (QWDATA), and the Site-Specific Water-Use Data System (SWUDS). This section of the NWIS User's Manual describes the automated data processing of continuously recorded water data, which primarily are surface-water data; however, the system also allows for the processing of water-quality and ground-water data. This manual describes various components and features of the ADAPS, and provides an overview of the data processing system and a description of the system framework. The components and features included are: (1) data collection and processing, (2) ADAPS menus and programs, (3) command line functions, (4) steps for processing station records, (5) postprocessor programs control files, (6) the standard format for transferring and entering unit and daily values, and (7) relational database (RDB) formats.

Conceptual design and evaluation of selected Space Station concepts, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

The partially closed cycle environmental control and Life Support Subsystems is examined. Components of the system include air pressure control, heat control, water management, air and water quality monitors, fire detection and suppression, personnel escape, and EVA support subsystems.

Getting the lead out: understanding risks in the distribution system

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation discusses the importance of the water distribution system as a component of the source-to-tap continuum in public health protection. Issues covered include: understanding source water quality changes and their impacts throughout the system; use of mitigation me...

40 CFR 408.121 - Specialized definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... those components of a waste water amenable to measurement by the method described in Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes, 1971, Environmental Protection Agency, Analytical Quality Control Laboratory, page 217. (c) The term seafood shall mean the raw material, including freshwater and saltwater...

Characterization of CDOM from urban waters in Northern-Northeastern China using excitation-emission matrix fluorescence and parallel factor analysis.

PubMed

Zhao, Ying; Song, Kaishan; Li, Sijia; Ma, Jianhang; Wen, Zhidan

2016-08-01

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) plays an important role in aquatic systems, but high concentrations of organic materials are considered pollutants. The fluorescent component characteristics of CDOM in urban waters sampled from Northern and Northeastern China were examined by excitation-emission matrix fluorescence and parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) to investigate the source and compositional changes of CDOM on both space and pollution levels. One humic-like (C1), one tryptophan-like component (C2), and one tyrosine-like component (C3) were identified by PARAFAC. Mean fluorescence intensities of the three CDOM components varied spatially and by pollution level in cities of Northern and Northeastern China during July-August, 2013 and 2014. Principal components analysis (PCA) was conducted to identify the relative distribution of all water samples. Cluster analysis (CA) was also used to categorize the samples into groups of similar pollution levels within a study area. Strong positive linear relationships were revealed between the CDOM absorption coefficients a(254) (R (2) = 0.89, p < 0.01); a(355) (R (2) = 0.94, p < 0.01); and the fluorescence intensity (F max) for the humic-like C1 component. A positive linear relationship (R (2) = 0.77) was also exhibited between dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and the F max for the humic-like C1 component, but a relatively weak correlation (R (2) = 0.56) was detected between DOC and the F max for the tryptophan-like component (C2). A strong positive correlation was observed between the F max for the tryptophan-like component (C2) and total nitrogen (TN) (R (2) = 0.78), but moderate correlations were observed with ammonium-N (NH4-N) (R (2) = 0.68), and chemical oxygen demand (CODMn) (R (2) = 0.52). Therefore, the fluorescence intensities of CDOM components can be applied to monitor water quality in real time compared to that of traditional approaches. These results demonstrate that EEM-PARAFAC is useful to evaluate the dynamics of CDOM fluorescent components in urban waters from Northern and Northeastern China and this method has potential applications for monitoring urban water quality in different regions with various hydrological conditions and pollution levels.

Determination of the optimal training principle and input variables in artificial neural network model for the biweekly chlorophyll-a prediction: a case study of the Yuqiao Reservoir, China.

PubMed

Liu, Yu; Xi, Du-Gang; Li, Zhao-Liang

2015-01-01

Predicting the levels of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) is a vital component of water quality management, which ensures that urban drinking water is safe from harmful algal blooms. This study developed a model to predict Chl-a levels in the Yuqiao Reservoir (Tianjin, China) biweekly using water quality and meteorological data from 1999-2012. First, six artificial neural networks (ANNs) and two non-ANN methods (principal component analysis and the support vector regression model) were compared to determine the appropriate training principle. Subsequently, three predictors with different input variables were developed to examine the feasibility of incorporating meteorological factors into Chl-a prediction, which usually only uses water quality data. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was performed to examine how the Chl-a predictor reacts to changes in input variables. The results were as follows: first, ANN is a powerful predictive alternative to the traditional modeling techniques used for Chl-a prediction. The back program (BP) model yields slightly better results than all other ANNs, with the normalized mean square error (NMSE), the correlation coefficient (Corr), and the Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency (NSE) at 0.003 mg/l, 0.880 and 0.754, respectively, in the testing period. Second, the incorporation of meteorological data greatly improved Chl-a prediction compared to models solely using water quality factors or meteorological data; the correlation coefficient increased from 0.574-0.686 to 0.880 when meteorological data were included. Finally, the Chl-a predictor is more sensitive to air pressure and pH compared to other water quality and meteorological variables.

Design and methods of the Southeast Stream Quality Assessment (SESQA), 2014

USGS Publications Warehouse

Journey, Celeste A.; Van Metre, Peter C.; Bell, Amanda H.; Button, Daniel T.; Garrett, Jessica D.; Nakagaki, Naomi; Qi, Sharon L.; Bradley, Paul M.

2015-07-15

This report provides a detailed description of the SESQA study components, including surveys of ecological conditions, routine water sampling, deployment of passive polar organic compound integrative samplers for pesticides and contaminants of emerging concern, and synoptic sediment sampling and toxicity testing at all urban, confined animal feeding operation, and reference sites. Continuous water-quality monitoring and daily pesticide sampling efforts conducted at a subset of urban sites are also described.

Phase change water processing for Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zdankiewicz, E. M.; Price, D. F.

1985-01-01

The use of a vapor compression distillation subsystem (VCDS) for water recovery on the Space Station is analyzed. The self-contained automated system can process waste water at a rate of 32.6 kg/day and requires only 115 W of electric power. The improvements in the mechanical components of VCDS are studied. The operation of VCDS in the normal mode is examined. The VCDS preprototype is evaluated based on water quality, water production rate, and specific energy. The relation between water production rate and fluids pump speed is investigated; it is concluded that a variable speed fluids pump will optimize water production. Components development and testing currently being conducted are described. The properties and operation of the proposed phase change water processing system for the Space Station, based on vapor compression distillation, are examined.

[Development and application of a multi-species water quality model for water distribution systems with EPANET-MSX].

PubMed

Sun, Fu; Chen, Ji-ning; Zeng, Si-yu

2008-12-01

A conceptual multi-species water quality model for water distribution systems was developed on the basis of the toolkit of the EPANET-MSX software. The model divided the pipe segment into four compartments including pipe wall, biofilm, boundary layer and bulk liquid. The involved processes were substrate utilization and microbial growth, decay and inactivation of microorganisms, mass transfer of soluble components through the boundary layer, adsorption and desorption of particular components between bulk liquid and biofilm, oxidation and halogenation of organic matter by residual chlorine, and chlorine consumption by pipe wall. The fifteen simulated variables included the seven common variables both in the biofilm and in the bulk liquid, i.e. soluble organic matter, particular organic matter, ammonia nitrogen, residual chlorine, heterotrophic bacteria, autotrophic bacteria and inert solids, as well as biofilm thickness on the pipe wall. The model was validated against the data from a series of pilot experiments, and the simulation accuracy for residual chlorine and turbidity were 0.1 mg/L and 0.3 NTU respectively. A case study showed that the model could reasonably reflect the dynamic variation of residual chlorine and turbidity in the studied water distribution system, while Monte Carlo simulation, taking into account both the variability of finished water from the waterworks and the uncertainties of model parameters, could be performed to assess the violation risk of water quality in the water distribution system.

County-level environmental quality and associations with individual - and county-level preterm birth

EPA Science Inventory

Human health is influenced by simultaneous exposure to stressors and amenities, but research usually considers single exposures. We constructed a county-level Environmental Quality Index (EQI) using principal components analysis with data from five domains (air, water, land, buil...

An assessment of drinking-water quality post-Haiyan.

PubMed

Magtibay, Bonifacio; Anarna, Maria Sonabel; Fernando, Arturo

2015-01-01

Access to safe drinking-water is one of the most important public health concerns in an emergency setting. This descriptive study reports on an assessment of water quality in drinking-water supply systems in areas affected by Typhoon Haiyan immediately following and 10 months after the typhoon. Water quality testing and risk assessments of the drinking-water systems were conducted three weeks and 10 months post-Haiyan. Portable test kits were used to determine the presence of Escherichia coli and the level of residual chlorine in water samples. The level of risk was fed back to the water operators for their action. Of the 121 water samples collected three weeks post-Haiyan, 44% were contaminated, while 65% (244/373) of samples were found positive for E. coli 10 months post-Haiyan. For the three components of drinking-water systems - source, storage and distribution - the proportions of contaminated systems were 70%, 67% and 57%, respectively, 10 months after Haiyan. Vulnerability to faecal contamination was attributed to weak water safety programmes in the drinking-water supply systems. Poor water quality can be prevented or reduced by developing and implementing a water safety plan for the systems. This, in turn, will help prevent waterborne disease outbreaks caused by contaminated water post-disaster.

An assessment of drinking-water quality post-Haiyan

PubMed Central

Anarna, Maria Sonabel; Fernando, Arturo

2015-01-01

Introduction Access to safe drinking-water is one of the most important public health concerns in an emergency setting. This descriptive study reports on an assessment of water quality in drinking-water supply systems in areas affected by Typhoon Haiyan immediately following and 10 months after the typhoon. Methods Water quality testing and risk assessments of the drinking-water systems were conducted three weeks and 10 months post-Haiyan. Portable test kits were used to determine the presence of Escherichia coli and the level of residual chlorine in water samples. The level of risk was fed back to the water operators for their action. Results Of the 121 water samples collected three weeks post-Haiyan, 44% were contaminated, while 65% (244/373) of samples were found positive for E. coli 10 months post-Haiyan. For the three components of drinking-water systems – source, storage and distribution – the proportions of contaminated systems were 70%, 67% and 57%, respectively, 10 months after Haiyan. Discussion Vulnerability to faecal contamination was attributed to weak water safety programmes in the drinking-water supply systems. Poor water quality can be prevented or reduced by developing and implementing a water safety plan for the systems. This, in turn, will help prevent waterborne disease outbreaks caused by contaminated water post-disaster. PMID:26767136

An Evaluation of the NIDS (registered trademark) ACE (trademark) Test

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-30

included chemicals commonly used for drinking water disinfection (chlorine and chloramine), byproducts of cyanobacteria blooms (geosmin and 2...duration field toxicity test for Army drinking water . One component of the ESB the ACE Test) is an enzymatic assay designed to detect neurotoxicants...adverse health effects is the presence of toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) in drinking water . The current field water test kit – the water quality

Linking Spatial Variations in Water Quality with Water and Land Management using Multivariate Techniques.

PubMed

Wan, Yongshan; Qian, Yun; Migliaccio, Kati White; Li, Yuncong; Conrad, Cecilia

2014-03-01

Most studies using multivariate techniques for pollution source evaluation are conducted in free-flowing rivers with distinct point and nonpoint sources. This study expanded on previous research to a managed "canal" system discharging into the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, where water and land management is the single most important anthropogenic factor influencing water quality. Hydrometric and land use data of four drainage basins were uniquely integrated into the analysis of 25 yr of monthly water quality data collected at seven stations to determine the impact of water and land management on the spatial variability of water quality. Cluster analysis (CA) classified seven monitoring stations into four groups (CA groups). All water quality parameters identified by discriminant analysis showed distinct spatial patterns among the four CA groups. Two-step principal component analysis/factor analysis (PCA/FA) was conducted with (i) water quality data alone and (ii) water quality data in conjunction with rainfall, flow, and land use data. The results indicated that PCA/FA of water quality data alone was unable to identify factors associated with management activities. The addition of hydrometric and land use data into PCA/FA revealed close associations of nutrients and color with land management and storm-water retention in pasture and citrus lands; total suspended solids, turbidity, and NO + NO with flow and Lake Okeechobee releases; specific conductivity with supplemental irrigation supply; and dissolved O with wetland preservation. The practical implication emphasizes the importance of basin-specific land and water management for ongoing pollutant loading reduction and ecosystem restoration programs. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Storm Water Management Model Reference Manual Volume II ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

SWMM is a dynamic rainfall-runoff simulation model used for single event or long-term (continuous) simulation of runoff quantity and quality from primarily urban areas. The runoff component of SWMM operates on a collection of subcatchment areas that receive precipitation and generate runoff and pollutant loads. The routing portion of SWMM transports this runoff through a system of pipes, channels, storage/treatment devices, pumps, and regulators. SWMM tracks the quantity and quality of runoff generated within each subcatchment, and the flow rate, flow depth, and quality of water in each pipe and channel during a simulation period comprised of multiple time steps. The reference manual for this edition of SWMM is comprised of three volumes. Volume I describes SWMM’s hydrologic models, Volume II its hydraulic models, and Volume III its water quality and low impact development models. This document provides the underlying mathematics for the hydraulic calculations of the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM)

TEMPORAL VARIABILITY OF MICROBIAL INDICATORS OF FECAL CONTAMINATION OF MARINE AND FRESHWATER BEACHES

EPA Science Inventory

Monitoring methods for microbial indicators of fecal contamination are an integral component for protecting the health of swimmers exposed to potentially contaminated bathing beach waters. The design of monitoring systems which will accurately characterize the quality of water is...

Water reuse systems: A review of the principal components

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lucchetti, G.; Gray, G.A.

1988-01-01

Principal components of water reuse systems include ammonia removal, disease control, temperature control, aeration, and particulate filtration. Effective ammonia removal techniques include air stripping, ion exchange, and biofiltration. Selection of a particular technique largely depends on site-specific requirements (e.g., space, existing water quality, and fish densities). Disease control, although often overlooked, is a major problem in reuse systems. Pathogens can be controlled most effectively with ultraviolet radiation, ozone, or chlorine. Simple and inexpensive methods are available to increase oxygen concentration and eliminate gas supersaturation, these include commercial aerators, air injectors, and packed columns. Temperature control is a major advantage of reuse systems, but the equipment required can be expensive, particularly if water temperature must be rigidly controlled and ambient air temperature fluctuates. Filtration can be readily accomplished with a hydrocyclone or sand filter that increases overall system efficiency. Based on criteria of adaptability, efficiency, and reasonable cost, we recommend components for a small water reuse system.

Role of Advisory Groups. Instructor Guide. Working for Clean Water: An Information Program for Advisory Committees.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania State Univ., Middletown. Inst. of State and Regional Affairs.

Presented is an instructor's manual for conducting a learning session about public participation in water quality planning. Participants in the session learn about the purpose, organization, and activities of citizen advisory groups. The manual, a component of the Working for Clean Water Project, is designed for use in conjunction with a…

Fire effects on water quality: a synthesis of response regulating factors among contrasting ecosystems

Treesearch

Katherine J. Elliott; James M. Vose

2006-01-01

The key components of watershed processes are inputs in precipitation, interactions of vegetation, soil and water including evapotranspiration (water yield), overland flow (erosion), and storage and filtering (nutrients), and outputs in streamflow. Fire effects occur at the vegetation-soil interface and can result in altering overland flow and infiltration rate of...

A novel water quality data analysis framework based on time-series data mining.

PubMed

Deng, Weihui; Wang, Guoyin

2017-07-01

The rapid development of time-series data mining provides an emerging method for water resource management research. In this paper, based on the time-series data mining methodology, we propose a novel and general analysis framework for water quality time-series data. It consists of two parts: implementation components and common tasks of time-series data mining in water quality data. In the first part, we propose to granulate the time series into several two-dimensional normal clouds and calculate the similarities in the granulated level. On the basis of the similarity matrix, the similarity search, anomaly detection, and pattern discovery tasks in the water quality time-series instance dataset can be easily implemented in the second part. We present a case study of this analysis framework on weekly Dissolve Oxygen time-series data collected from five monitoring stations on the upper reaches of Yangtze River, China. It discovered the relationship of water quality in the mainstream and tributary as well as the main changing patterns of DO. The experimental results show that the proposed analysis framework is a feasible and efficient method to mine the hidden and valuable knowledge from water quality historical time-series data. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technical Report Series on Global Modeling and Data Assimilation. Volume 22; A Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Radiative Model for Global Ocean Biogeochemical Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gregg, Watson W.; Suarez, Max J. (Editor)

2002-01-01

An ocean-atmosphere radiative model (OARM) evaluates irradiance availability and quality in the water column to support phytoplankton growth and drive ocean thermodynamics. An atmospheric component incorporates spectral and directional effects of clear and cloudy skies as a function of atmospheric optical constituents, and spectral reflectance across the air-sea interface. An oceanic component evaluates the propagation of spectral and directional irradiance through the water column as a function of water, five phytoplankton groups, and chromophoric dissolved organic matter. It tracks the direct and diffuse streams from the atmospheric component, and a third stream, upwelling diffuse irradiance. The atmospheric component of OARM was compared to data sources at the ocean surface with a coefficient of determination (r2) of 0.97 and a root mean square of 12.1%.

Operating manual for the U.S. Geological Survey minimonitor, 1988 revised edition; punched-paper-tape model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ficken, James H.; Scott, Carl T.

1988-01-01

This manual describes the U.S. Geological Survey Minimonitor Water Quality Data Measuring and Recording System. Instructions for calibrating, servicing, maintaining, and operating the system are provided. The Survey Minimonitor is a battery-powered , multiparameter water quality monitoring instrument designed for field use. A watertight can containing signal conditioners is connected with cable and waterproof connectors to various water quality sensors. Data are recorded on a punched paper-tape recorder. An external battery is required. The operation and maintenance of various sensors and signal conditioners are discussed, for temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH. Calibration instructions are provided for each parameter, along with maintenance instructions. Sections of the report explain how to connect the Minimonitor to measure direct-current voltages, such as signal outputs from other instruments. Instructions for connecting a satellite data-collection platform or a solid-state data recorder to the Minimonitor are given also. Basic information is given for servicing the Minimonitor and trouble-shooting some of its electronic components. The use of test boxes to test sensors, isolate component problems, and verify calibration values is discussed. (USGS)

Biology as an integrated component of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Meador, Michael R.; Gurtz, Martin E.

1994-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey?s (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program is designed to integrate chemical, physical, and biological data to assess the status of and trends in the Nation?s water quality at local, regional, and national levels. The Program consists of 60 study units (major river basins and large parts of aquifers) located throughout the Nation (fig. 1). Data are collected at stream, river, and ground-water sites that represent the Nation?s mix of major natural and human factors that influence water quality. Biological data are collected from streams and rivers, and include (1) fish and other aquatic organisms whose tissues are analyzed for a wide array of chemical contaminants; (2) characterizations of algal, benthic invertebrate, and fish communities; and (3) characterizations of vegetation growing in streams and along streambanks. These biological data are collected in conjunction with physical (streamflow, characterizations of instream, bank, and flood-plain habitats) and chemical data.

The importance of quality control in validating concentrations of contaminants of emerging concern in source and treated drinking water samples.

PubMed

Batt, Angela L; Furlong, Edward T; Mash, Heath E; Glassmeyer, Susan T; Kolpin, Dana W

2017-02-01

A national-scale survey of 247 contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), including organic and inorganic chemical compounds, and microbial contaminants, was conducted in source and treated drinking water samples from 25 treatment plants across the United States. Multiple methods were used to determine these CECs, including six analytical methods to measure 174 pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and pesticides. A three-component quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) program was designed for the subset of 174 CECs which allowed us to assess and compare performances of the methods used. The three components included: 1) a common field QA/QC protocol and sample design, 2) individual investigator-developed method-specific QA/QC protocols, and 3) a suite of 46 method comparison analytes that were determined in two or more analytical methods. Overall method performance for the 174 organic chemical CECs was assessed by comparing spiked recoveries in reagent, source, and treated water over a two-year period. In addition to the 247 CECs reported in the larger drinking water study, another 48 pharmaceutical compounds measured did not consistently meet predetermined quality standards. Methodologies that did not seem suitable for these analytes are overviewed. The need to exclude analytes based on method performance demonstrates the importance of additional QA/QC protocols. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Methods to characterize environmental settings of stream and groundwater sampling sites for National Water-Quality Assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nakagaki, Naomi; Hitt, Kerie J.; Price, Curtis V.; Falcone, James A.

2012-01-01

Characterization of natural and anthropogenic features that define the environmental settings of sampling sites for streams and groundwater, including drainage basins and groundwater study areas, is an essential component of water-quality and ecological investigations being conducted as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment program. Quantitative characterization of environmental settings, combined with physical, chemical, and biological data collected at sampling sites, contributes to understanding the status of, and influences on, water-quality and ecological conditions. To support studies for the National Water-Quality Assessment program, a geographic information system (GIS) was used to develop a standard set of methods to consistently characterize the sites, drainage basins, and groundwater study areas across the nation. This report describes three methods used for characterization-simple overlay, area-weighted areal interpolation, and land-cover-weighted areal interpolation-and their appropriate applications to geographic analyses that have different objectives and data constraints. In addition, this document records the GIS thematic datasets that are used for the Program's national design and data analyses.

Application of advanced remote sensing techniques to improve modeling estuary water quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Estuaries, the interface between terrestrial and coastal waters are an important component of complex and dynamic coastal watersheds. They are usually characterized by abrupt chemical gradients and complex dynamics, which can result in major transformations in the amount, chemical nature and timing ...

40 CFR 408.141 - Specialized definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... apply to this subpart. (b) The term oil and grease shall mean those components of a waste water amenable to measurement by the method described in Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes, 1971, Environmental Protection Agency, Analytical Quality Control Laboratory, page 217. (c) The term seafood shall...

40 CFR 408.11 - Specialized definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... apply to this subpart. (b) The term oil and grease shall mean those components of a waste water amenable to measurement by the method described in Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes, 1971, Environmental Protection Agency, Analytical Quality Control Laboratory, page 217. (c) The term seafood shall...

40 CFR 408.51 - Specialized definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... apply to this subpart. (b) The term oil and grease shall mean those components of a waste water amenable to measurement by the method described in Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes, 1971, Environmental Protection Agency, Analytical Quality Control Laboratory, page 217. (c) The term seafood shall...

National water-quality assessment program : the Albemarle- Pamlico drainage

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lloyd, O.B.; Barnes, C.R.; Woodside, M.D.

1991-01-01

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began to implement a full-scale National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. Long-term goals of the NAWQA program are to describe the status and trends in the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation's surface- and ground-water resources and to provide a sound, scientific understanding of the primary natural and human factors affecting the quality of these resources. In meeting these goals, the program will produce a wealth of water quality information that will be useful to policy makers and managers at the national, State, and local levels. Study-unit investigations constitute a major component of the NAWQA program, forming the principal building blocks on which national-level assessment activities are based. The 60 study-unit investigations that make up the program are hydrologic systems that include parts of most major river basins and aquifer systems. These study units cover areas of 1,200 to more than 65,000 square miles and incorporate about 60 to 70 percent of the Nation's water use and population served by public water supply. In 1991, the Albemarle-Pamlico drainage was among the first 20 NAWQA study units selected for study under the full-scale implementation plan. The Albemarle-Pamlico drainage study will examine the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of water quality issues in a coordinated investigation of surface water and ground water in the Albemarle-Pamlico drainage basin. The quantity and quality of discharge from the Albemarle-Pamlico drainage basin contribute to some water quality problems in the biologically sensitive waters of Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds. A retrospective analysis of existing water quality data will precede a 3-year period of intensive data-collection and analysis activities. The data resulting from this study and the improved understanding of important processes and issues in the upstream part of the study unit will enhance understanding of the quality of water in Albemarle-Pamlico Sounds, the second largest estuarine system in the United States.

Impacts of extreme flooding on riverbank filtration water quality.

PubMed

Ascott, M J; Lapworth, D J; Gooddy, D C; Sage, R C; Karapanos, I

2016-06-01

Riverbank filtration schemes form a significant component of public water treatment processes on a global level. Understanding the resilience and water quality recovery of these systems following severe flooding is critical for effective water resources management under potential future climate change. This paper assesses the impact of floodplain inundation on the water quality of a shallow aquifer riverbank filtration system and how water quality recovers following an extreme (1 in 17 year, duration >70 days, 7 day inundation) flood event. During the inundation event, riverbank filtrate water quality is dominated by rapid direct recharge and floodwater infiltration (high fraction of surface water, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) >140% baseline values, >1 log increase in micro-organic contaminants, microbial detects and turbidity, low specific electrical conductivity (SEC) <90% baseline, high dissolved oxygen (DO) >400% baseline). A rapid recovery is observed in water quality with most floodwater impacts only observed for 2-3 weeks after the flooding event and a return to normal groundwater conditions within 6 weeks (lower fraction of surface water, higher SEC, lower DOC, organic and microbial detects, DO). Recovery rates are constrained by the hydrogeological site setting, the abstraction regime and the water quality trends at site boundary conditions. In this case, increased abstraction rates and a high transmissivity aquifer facilitate rapid water quality recoveries, with longer term trends controlled by background river and groundwater qualities. Temporary reductions in abstraction rates appear to slow water quality recoveries. Flexible operating regimes such as the one implemented at this study site are likely to be required if shallow aquifer riverbank filtration systems are to be resilient to future inundation events. Development of a conceptual understanding of hydrochemical boundaries and site hydrogeology through monitoring is required to assess the suitability of a prospective riverbank filtration site. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mapping watershed integrity for the conterminous United States.

PubMed

Thornbrugh, Darren J; Leibowitz, Scott G; Hill, Ryan A; Weber, Marc H; Johnson, Zachary C; Olsen, Anthony R; Flotemersch, Joseph E; Stoddard, John L; Peck, David V

2018-02-01

Watershed integrity is the capacity of a watershed to support and maintain the full range of ecological processes and functions essential to sustainability. Using information from EPA's StreamCat dataset, we calculated and mapped an Index of Watershed Integrity (IWI) for 2.6 million watersheds in the conterminous US with first-order approximations of relationships between stressors and six watershed functions: hydrologic regulation, regulation of water chemistry, sediment regulation, hydrologic connectivity, temperature regulation, and habitat provision. Results show high integrity in the western US, intermediate integrity in the southern and eastern US, and the lowest integrity in the temperate plains and lower Mississippi Valley. Correlation between the six functional components was high ( r = 0.85-0.98). A related Index of Catchment Integrity (ICI) was developed using local drainages of individual stream segments (i.e., excluding upstream information). We evaluated the ability of the IWI and ICI to predict six continuous site-level indicators with regression analyses - three biological indicators and principal components derived from water quality, habitat, and combined water quality and habitat variables - using data from EPA's National Rivers and Streams Assessment. Relationships were highly significant, but the IWI only accounted for 1-12% of the variation in the four biological and habitat variables. The IWI accounted for over 25% of the variation in the water quality and combined principal components nationally, and 32-39% in the Northern and Southern Appalachians. We also used multinomial logistic regression to compare the IWI with the categorical forms of the three biological indicators. Results were consistent: we found positive associations but modest results. We compared how the IWI and ICI predicted the water quality PC relative to agricultural and urban land use. The IWI or ICI are the best predictors of the water quality PC for the CONUS and six of the nine ecoregions, but they only perform marginally better than agriculture in most instances. However, results suggest that agriculture would not be appropriate in all parts of the country, and the index is meant to be responsive to all stressors. The IWI in its present form (available through the StreamCat website; https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/streamcat) could be useful for management efforts at multiple scales, especially when combined with information on site condition. The IWI could be improved by incorporating empirical or literature-derived relationships between functional components and stressors. However, limitations concerning the absence of data for certain stressors should be considered.

[Grain Size Distribution Characteristics of Suspended Particulate Matter as Influenced by the Apparent Pollution in the Eutrophic Urban Landscape Water Body].

PubMed

Gong, Dan-yan; Pan, Yang; Huang, Yong; Bao, Wei; Li, Qian-qian

2016-03-15

Grain size distribution characteristics of suspended particulate matter (SPM) reflects the apparent polluted condition of the urban landscape water. In order to explore the internal relationship between the eutrophication of urban landscape water's apparent pollution and grain size distribution of SPM, and its influencing factors, this paper selected five representative sampling sites in Feng Jin River which is a typical eutrophication river in Suzhou City, measured the grain size distribution of SPM, sensation pollution index (SPI) and water quality index, and analyzed their correlation. The results showed that: The rich nutrient water possessed a similar characteristics in grain size distribution. The grain size distribution of SPM in water was multimodal, and the the peak position was roughly the same; the grain size distribution of SPM was composed by multiple components. It could be roughly divided into six parts with the particle size range of every group being < 1.5 µm, 1.5-8 µm, 8-35 µm, 35-186 µm, 186-516 µm, > 516 µm. The component III was superior (with an average volume fraction of 38.3%-43.2%), and its volume fraction had a significant positive relation with the SPI value and the Chl-a content. The increase of component III volume fraction was the reflection of particle size's result of increasing SPI value. The increase of component III volume fraction was mainly derived from the increasing algal content. The volume fraction of group IV + group VI + group V was significantly higher under the condition of exogenous enter. When there was no exogenous component, the volume fraction of group IV + group VI + group V had a significant negative correlation with SPI value; when there were exogenous components, the volume fraction of group IV + group VI + group V had a weak positive correlation with SPI value, but the correlation did not reach a significant level. Environmental factors (Fv/Fm and DO) and exogenous factors had an influence by functioning on the algal content which signified the polluted material, and then affected the volume fraction of particle size's components and the quality of apparent water. Hydrodynamic conditions mainly had a certain influence on the median particle size, and had no effect on the apparent polluted condition of water.

Optimum operation of restoration techniques for eutrophic water bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagen, N. M.; Kleeberg, H.-B.

1994-05-01

Operating rules have been applied in water resources management for a long time in order to control and supply a required quantity (volume) of water. The operating rules have to guarantee the optimum management of the reservoir(s). The quality of the stored water has been satisfactory for the desired utilization up to the sixties. Due to the deterioration of reservoir water quality through human impacts, however, increased attention had to be paid since. Eutrophication of stagnant waters is still an unsolved problem. Through means of various restoration techniques, i.e., dilution/flushing or hypolimnetic withdrawal, the quality of the stored water can be improved. Continuous operation or appropriate time or depth variant operating rules are required to achieve this goal. The paper presents such rules for long-term operation. They have been established for the first time and can he represented in two or three-dimensional graphs depending on the number of included components (e.g., actual water storage and quality). The ‘quality operating rules’ take into account the dynamics of the processes in aquatic ecosystems. Simplifications with regard to application and acceptance (e.g., clarity) are developed and tested. The general validity and efficiency of the operating rules have been proved in a case study (a multi-purpose reservoir) and a fictitious lake.

Are extreme hydro-meteorological events a prerequisite for extreme water quality impacts? Exploring climate impacts on inland and coastal waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michalak, A. M.; Balaji, V.; Del Giudice, D.; Sinha, E.; Zhou, Y.; Ho, J. C.

2017-12-01

Questions surrounding water sustainability, climate change, and extreme events are often framed around water quantity - whether too much or too little. The massive impacts of extreme water quality impairments are equally compelling, however. Recent years have provided a host of compelling examples, with unprecedented harmful algal blooms developing along the West coast, in Utah Lake, in Lake Erie, and off the Florida coast, and huge hypoxic dead zones continuing to form in regions such as Lake Erie, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico. Linkages between climate change, extreme events, and water quality impacts are not well understood, however. Several factors explain this lack of understanding, including the relative complexity of underlying processes, the spatial and temporal scale mismatch between hydrologists and climatologists, and observational uncertainty leading to ambiguities in the historical record. Here, we draw on a number of recent studies that aim to quantitatively link meteorological variability and water quality impacts to test the hypothesis that extreme water quality impairments are the result of extreme hydro-meteorological events. We find that extreme hydro-meteorological events are neither always a necessary nor a sufficient condition for the occurrence of extreme water quality impacts. Rather, extreme water quality impairments often occur in situations where multiple contributing factors compound, which complicates both attribution of historical events and the ability to predict the future incidence of such events. Given the critical societal importance of water quality projections, a concerted program of uncertainty reduction encompassing observational and modeling components will be needed to examine situations where extreme weather plays an important, but not solitary, role in the chain of cause and effect.

Water quality in Atlantic rainforest mountain rivers (South America): quality indices assessment, nutrients distribution, and consumption effect.

PubMed

Avigliano, Esteban; Schenone, Nahuel

2016-08-01

The South American Atlantic rainforest is a one-of-a-kind ecosystem considered as a biodiversity hotspot; however, in the last decades, it was intensively reduced to 7 % of its original surface. Water resources and water quality are one of the main goods and services this system provides to people. For monitoring and management recommendations, the present study is focused on (1) determining the nutrient content (nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, and phosphate) and physiochemical parameters (temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and total dissolved solids) in surface water from 24 rainforest mountain rivers in Argentina, (2) analyzing the human health risk, (3) assessing the environmental distribution of the determined pollutants, and (4) analyzing water quality indices (WQIobj and WQImin). In addition, for total coliform bacteria, a dataset was used from literature. Turbidity, total dissolved solids, and nitrite (NO2 (-)) exceeded the guideline value recommended by national or international guidelines in several sampling stations. The spatial distribution pattern was analyzed by Principal Component Analysis and Factor Analysis (PCA/FA) showing well-defined groups of rivers. Both WQI showed good adjustment (R (2) = 0.89) and rated water quality as good or excellent in all sampling sites (WQI > 71). Therefore, this study suggests the use of the WQImin for monitoring water quality in the region and also the water treatment of coliform, total dissolved solids, and turbidity.

Temporal variability and climatology of hydrodynamic, water property and water quality parameters in the West Johor Strait of Singapore.

PubMed

Behera, Manasa Ranjan; Chun, Cui; Palani, Sundarambal; Tkalich, Pavel

2013-12-15

The study presents a baseline variability and climatology study of measured hydrodynamic, water properties and some water quality parameters of West Johor Strait, Singapore at hourly-to-seasonal scales to uncover their dependency and correlation to one or more drivers. The considered parameters include, but not limited by sea surface elevation, current magnitude and direction, solar radiation and air temperature, water temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a and turbidity. FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) analysis is carried out for the parameters to delineate relative effect of tidal and weather drivers. The group and individual correlations between the parameters are obtained by principal component analysis (PCA) and cross-correlation (CC) technique, respectively. The CC technique also identifies the dependency and time lag between driving natural forces and dependent water property and water quality parameters. The temporal variability and climatology of the driving forces and the dependent parameters are established at the hourly, daily, fortnightly and seasonal scales. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial and temporal variations in the relationship between lake water surface temperatures and water quality - A case study of Dianchi Lake.

PubMed

Yang, Kun; Yu, Zhenyu; Luo, Yi; Yang, Yang; Zhao, Lei; Zhou, Xiaolu

2018-05-15

Global warming and rapid urbanization in China have caused a series of ecological problems. One consequence has involved the degradation of lake water environments. Lake surface water temperatures (LSWTs) significantly shape water ecological environments and are highly correlated with the watershed ecosystem features and biodiversity levels. Analysing and predicting spatiotemporal changes in LSWT and exploring the corresponding impacts on water quality is essential for controlling and improving the ecological water environment of watersheds. In this study, Dianchi Lake was examined through an analysis of 54 water quality indicators from 10 water quality monitoring sites from 2005 to 2016. Support vector regression (SVR), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Back Propagation Artificial Neural Network (BPANN) methods were applied to form a hybrid forecasting model. A geospatial analysis was conducted to observe historical LSWTs and water quality changes for Dianchi Lake from 2005 to 2016. Based on the constructed model, LSWTs and changes in water quality were simulated for 2017 to 2020. The relationship between LSWTs and water quality thresholds was studied. The results show limited errors and highly generalized levels of predictive performance. In addition, a spatial visualization analysis shows that from 2005 to 2020, the chlorophyll-a (Chla), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total nitrogen (TN) diffused from north to south and that ammonia nitrogen (NH 3 -N) and total phosphorus (TP) levels are increases in the northern part of Dianchi Lake, where the LSWT levels exceed 17°C. The LSWT threshold is 17.6-18.53°C, which falls within the threshold for nutritional water quality, but COD and TN levels fall below V class water quality standards. Transparency (Trans), COD, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and Chla levels present a close relationship with LSWT, and LSWTs are found to fundamentally affect lake cyanobacterial blooms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Remote sensing of water quality and contaminants in the California Bay-Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fichot, C. G.; Downing, B. D.; Windham-Myers, L.; Marvin-DiPasquale, M. C.; Bergamaschi, B. A.; Thompson, D. R.; Gierach, M. M.

2014-12-01

The California Bay-Delta is a highly altered ecosystem largely reclaimed from wetlands for agriculture, and millions of acres of farmland and Californians rely on the Bay-Delta for their water supply. The Bay-Delta also harbors important habitats for many organisms, including commercial and endangered species. Recently, the Delta Stewardship Council developed a two component mission (coequal goals) to 1) provide a more reliable water supply for California while 2) protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Bay-Delta ecosystem. Dissolved organic carbon, turbidity, and contaminants such as methylmercury represent important water quality issues for water management and in the context of wetland restoration in the Bay-Delta, and can threaten the achievement of the coequal goals. Here, we use field measurements of optical properties, chemical analyses, and remotely sensed data acquired with the airborne Portable Remote Imaging SpectroMeter (PRISM ; http://prism.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html) to demonstrate these water quality parameters and the study of their dynamics in the Bay-Delta are amenable to remote sensing. PRISM provides high signal-to-noise, high spatial resolution (~2 m), hyperspectral measurements of remote-sensing reflectance in the 350-1050 nm range, and therefore has the adequate resolutions for water quality monitoring in inland, optically complex waters. Remote sensing of water quality will represent a valuable complement to existing in situ water quality monitoring programs in this region and will help with decision-making to achieve the co-equal goals.

Water Energy Simulation Toolset

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

Nguyen, Thuy; Jeffers, Robert

The Water-Energy Simulation Toolset (WEST) is an interactive simulation model that helps visualize impacts of different stakeholders on water quantity and quality of a watershed. The case study is applied for the Snake River Basin with the fictional name Cutthroat River Basin. There are four groups of stakeholders of interest: hydropower, agriculture, flood control, and environmental protection. Currently, the quality component depicts nitrogen-nitrate contaminant. Users can easily interact with the model by changing certain inputs (climate change, fertilizer inputs, etc.) to observe the change over the entire system. Users can also change certain parameters to test their management policy.

Temporal and spatial variations in the relationship between urbanization and water quality.

PubMed

Ren, Lijun; Cui, Erqian; Sun, Haoyu

2014-12-01

With the development of economy, most of Chinese cities are at the stage of rapid urbanization in recent years, which has caused many environmental problems, especially the serious deterioration of water quality. Therefore, the research of the relationship between urbanization and water quality has important theoretical and practical significance, and it is also the main restriction factor in the urbanization advancement. In this work, we investigated the impact of urbanization on the water quality of the nearby river. We established a comprehensive environmental assessment framework by combining urbanization and water quality, and one model was designed to examine the impact of urbanization on the water quality in Jinan from 2001 to 2010 with factor component analysis. The assessment of urbanization level was accomplished using a comprehensive index system, which was based on four aspects: demographic urbanization, economic urbanization, land urbanization, and social urbanization. In addition, synthetic pollution index method was utilized to assess the water pollution of Xiaoqing River in the study area. Through the analysis of regression curves, we conclude that (1) when the urbanization level is below 25 %, the relationship is low and irregular; (2) if the urbanization level varies between 25 and 40 %, there will be an irreversible degradation of stream water quality; (3) there is a positive correlation between urbanization and pollution levels of urban river after the adjustment period; and (4) land and demographic aspects have the highest independent contribution. This study is a useful reference for policymakers in terms of economic and environmental management.

Contaminant transport pathways between urban sewer networks and water supply wells

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Water supply wells and sanitary sewers are critical components of urban infrastructure, but sewer leakage threatens the quality of groundwater in sewered areas. Previous work by our group has documented the presence of human enteric viruses in deep public supply wells. Our current research uses such...

40 CFR 408.41 - Specialized definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... shall apply to this subpart. (b) The term oil and grease shall mean those components of a waste water amenable to measurement by the method described in Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and Wastes, 1971, Environmental Protection Agency, Analytical Quality Control Laboratory, page 217. (c) The term seafood shall...

Temperature and nutrient effects on periphyton associated bacterial communities in continuous flow-through estuarine mesocosms

EPA Science Inventory

Nutrient pollution is a leading cause of water quality impairments and degraded aquatic ecosystem condition. Reliable and reproducible indicators of ecosystem condition are needed to help manage nutrient pollution. The diatom component of periphyton has been used as a water qua...

Canopy management in rainfed vineyards (cv. Tempranillo) for optimising water use and enhancing wine quality.

PubMed

Pascual, Miquel; Romero, María-Paz; Rufat, Josep; Villar, Josep M

2015-12-01

Rainfed viticulture, mainly in semi-arid environments, is limited by environmental variability, particularly precipitation and its seasonal distribution, and soil water availability, thus ultimately determining the final quality of grape and wine. Studies on the feasibility of practices such as canopy management to adapt plant growth and yield to soil water availability open up possibilities to preserve wine quality and reinforce the characteristics of the terroir. Principal components analysis was used to identify the relationships between a large set of variables, including soil, plant, canopy management, and wine characteristics. Canopy management was found to have a predominant influence on plant response to soil water by modifying plant water status, changing the amino acid profile in berries and, concomitantly, altering the sensorial attributes of the wine obtained. Grapevine canopy management strategies, such as reiterate shoot trimming to restrict growth during early phases, are effective in adapting plant response to soil water availability. Such strategies affect berry and wine quality, mainly the amino acid profile and sensorial attributes of the wine, without changing yield or grape harvest quality control parameters. Also, in such conditions, nitrogen does not make a significant contribution to grapevine growth or yield or to grape quality. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Characterizing spatiotemporal variations of chromophoric dissolved organic matter in headwater catchment of a key drinking water source in China.

PubMed

Chen, Yihan; Yu, Kaifeng; Zhou, Yongqiang; Ren, Longfei; Kirumba, George; Zhang, Bo; He, Yiliang

2017-12-01

Natural surface drinking water sources with the increasing chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) have profound influences on the aquatic environment and drinking water safety. Here, this study investigated the spatiotemporal variations of CDOM in Fengshuba Reservoir and its catchments in China. Twenty-four surface water samples, 45 water samples (including surface water, middle water, and bottom water), and 15 pore water samples were collected from rivers, reservoir, and sediment of the reservoir, respectively. Then, three fluorescent components, namely two humic-like components (C1 and C2) and a tryptophan-like component (C3), were identified from the excitation-emission matrix coupled with parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) for all samples. For spatial distributions, the levels of CDOM and two humic-like components in the reservoir were significantly lower than those in the upstream rivers (p < 0.01), indicating that the reservoir may act as a reactor to partly reduce the levels of exogenous input including CDOM and humic-like matters from the surrounding catchment. For temporal variations, the mean levels of CDOM and three fluorescent components did not significantly change in rivers, suggesting that perennial anthropic activity maybe an important factor impacting the concentration and composition of river CDOM but not the precipitation and runoff. However, these mean values of CDOM for the bulk waters of the reservoir changed markedly along with seasonal variations, indicating that the hydrological processes in the reservoir could control the quality and quantity of CDOM. The different correlations between the fluorescent components and primary water parameters in the river, reservoir, and pore water samples further suggest that the reservoir is an important factor regulating the migration and transformation of FDOM along with the variations of different environmental gradients.

Hydrologic data collected in Maumelle and Winona reservoir systems, central Arkansas, May 1989 through October 1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

Green, W. Reed; Louthian, Bobbie L.

1993-01-01

Physical, chemical, and biological water-quality data were collected and compiled for sites located in the Lakes Maumelle and Winona reservoir systems May 5, 1989, to October 30, 1992. Data were collected in order to establish a comprehensive water-quality data base for the two systems and will be used in water-quality interpretive chemical variables (temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, light transparency, and penetration); solids, and major cations and anions); trace metals; organics (pesticides and industrial organic chemicals); and biological components (bacteria and chlorophyll-a); and nutrients, trace metals, and organic contaminants in bed material. Reservoir sedimentation was measured by comparing fathometry measurements taken during the study to pre-impoundment tophographic maps.

Assessment of surface water quality using a growing hierarchical self-organizing map: a case study of the Songhua River Basin, northeastern China, from 2011 to 2015.

PubMed

Jiang, Mingcen; Wang, Yeyao; Yang, Qi; Meng, Fansheng; Yao, Zhipeng; Cheng, Peixuan

2018-03-30

The analysis of a large number of multidimensional surface water monitoring data for extracting potential information plays an important role in water quality management. In this study, growing hierarchical self-organizing map (GHSOM) was applied to a water quality assessment of the Songhua River Basin in China using 22 water quality parameters monitored monthly from 13 monitoring sites from 2011 to 2015 (14,782 observations). The spatial and temporal features and correlation between the water quality parameters were explored, and the major contaminants were identified. The results showed that the downstream of the Second Songhua River had the worst water quality of the Songhua River Basin. The upstream and midstream of Nenjiang River and the Second Songhua River had the best. The major contaminants of the Songhua River were chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH 3 -N), total phosphorus (TP), and fecal coliform (FC). In the Songhua River, the water pollution at downstream has been gradually eased in years. However, FC and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD 5 ) showed growth over time. The component planes showed that three sets of parameters had positive correlations with each other. GHSOM was found to have advantages over self-organizing maps and hierarchical clustering analysis as follows: (1) automatically generating the necessary neurons, (2) intuitively exhibiting the hierarchical inheritance relationship between the original data, and (3) depicting the boundaries of the classification much more clearly. Therefore, the application of GHSOM in water quality assessments, especially with large amounts of monitoring data, enables the extraction of more information and provides strong support for water quality management.

Systems for monitoring and digitally recording water-quality parameters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smoot, George F.; Blakey, James F.

1966-01-01

Digital recording of water-quality parameters is a link in the automated data collection and processing system of the U.S. Geological Survey. The monitoring and digital recording systems adopted by the Geological Survey, while punching all measurements on a standard paper tape, provide a choice of compatible components to construct a system to meet specific physical problems and data needs. As many as 10 parameters can be recorded by an Instrument, with the only limiting criterion being that measurements are expressed as electrical signals.

[Effects of snow cover on water soluble and organic solvent soluble components during foliar litter decomposition in an alpine forest].

PubMed

Xu, Li-Ya; Yang, Wan-Qin; Li, Han; Ni, Xiang-Yin; He, Jie; Wu, Fu-Zhong

2014-11-01

Seasonal snow cover may change the characteristics of freezing, leaching and freeze-thaw cycles in the scenario of climate change, and then play important roles in the dynamics of water soluble and organic solvent soluble components during foliar litter decomposition in the alpine forest. Therefore, a field litterbag experiment was conducted in an alpine forest in western Sichuan, China. The foliar litterbags of typical tree species (birch, cypress, larch and fir) and shrub species (willow and azalea) were placed on the forest floor under different snow cover thickness (deep snow, medium snow, thin snow and no snow). The litterbags were sampled at snow formation stage, snow cover stage and snow melting stage in winter. The results showed that the content of water soluble components from six foliar litters decreased at snow formation stage and snow melting stage, but increased at snow cover stage as litter decomposition proceeded in the winter. Besides the content of organic solvent soluble components from azalea foliar litter increased at snow cover stage, the content of organic solvent soluble components from the other five foliar litters kept a continue decreasing tendency in the winter. Compared with the content of organic solvent soluble components, the content of water soluble components was affected more strongly by snow cover thickness, especially at snow formation stage and snow cover stage. Compared with the thicker snow covers, the thin snow cover promoted the decrease of water soluble component contents from willow and azalea foliar litter and restrain the decrease of water soluble component content from cypress foliar litter. Few changes in the content of water soluble components from birch, fir and larch foliar litter were observed under the different thicknesses of snow cover. The results suggested that the effects of snow cover on the contents of water soluble and organic solvent soluble components during litter decomposition would be controlled by litter quality.

Design and daytime performance of laser-induced fluorescence spectrum lidar for simultaneous detection of multiple components, dissolved organic matter, phycocyanin, and chlorophyll in river water.

PubMed

Saito, Yasunori; Kakuda, Kei; Yokoyama, Mizuho; Kubota, Tomoki; Tomida, Takayuki; Park, Ho-Dong

2016-08-20

In this work, we developed mobile laser-induced fluorescence spectrum (LIFS) lidar based on preliminary experiments on the excitation emission matrix of a water sample and a method for reducing solar background light using the synchronous detection technique. The combination of a UV short-pulse laser (355 nm, 6 ns) for fluorescence excitation with a 10-100 ns short-time synchronous detection using a gated image-intensified multi-channel CCD of the fluorescence made the LIFS lidar operation possible even in daytime. The LIFS lidar with this construction demonstrated the potential of natural river/lake water quality monitoring at the Tenryu River/Lake Suwa. Three main components in the fluorescence data of the water, dissolved organic matter, phycocyanin, and chlorophyll, were extracted by spectral analysis using the standard spectral functions of these components. Their concentrations were estimated by adapting experimentally calibrated data. Results of long-term field observations using our LIFS lidar from 2010 to 2012 show the necessity of simultaneous multi-component detection to understand the natural water environment.

Buffers and vegetative filter strips

Treesearch

Matthew J. Helmers; Thomas M. Isenhart; Michael G. Dosskey; Seth M. Dabney

2008-01-01

This chapter describes the use of buffers and vegetative filter strips relative to water quality. In particular, we primarily discuss the herbaceous components of the following NRCS Conservation Practice Standards.

Historical water-quality data from the Harlem River, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fisher, Shawn C.

2016-04-22

Data specific to the Harlem River, New York, have been summarized and are presented in this report. The data illustrate improvements in the quality of water for the past 65 years and emphasize the importance of a continuous water-quality record for establishing trends in environmental conditions. Although there is a paucity of sediment-quality data, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) Bureau of Wastewater Treatment has maintained a water-quality monitoring network in the Harlem River (and throughout the harbor of New York City) to which 61 combined sewer outfalls discharge effluent. In cooperation with the NYCDEP, the U.S. Geological Survey evaluated water-quality data collected by the NYCDEP dating back to 1945, which indicate trends in water quality and reveal improvement following the 1972 passage of the Clean Water Act. These improvements are indicated by the steady increase in median dissolved oxygen concentrations and an overall decrease in fecal indicator bacteria concentrations starting in the late 1970s. Further, the magnitude of the highest fecal indicator bacteria concentrations (that is, the 90th percentile) in samples collected from the Harlem River have decreased significantly over the past four decades. Other parameters of water quality used to gauge the health of a water body include total suspended solids and nutrient (inorganic forms of nitrogen and phosphorus) concentrations—mean concentrations for these indicators have also decreased in the past decades. The limited sediment data available for one sample in the Harlem River indicate concentrations of copper, zinc, and lead are above sediment-quality thresholds set by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. However, more data are needed to better understand the changes in both sediment and water quality in the Harlem River, both as the tide cycles and during precipitation events. As a partner in the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, the U.S. Geological Survey has worked to address the chronic water-quality concerns of the Harlem River by compiling relevant data and studies, which is an important component for understanding and rectifying water-quality problems within a watershed.

The importance of quality control in validating concentrations ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A national-scale survey of 247 contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), including organic and inorganic chemical compounds, and microbial contaminants, was conducted in source and treated drinking water samples from 25 treatment plants across the United States. Multiple methods were used to determine these CECs, including six analytical methods to measure 174 pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and pesticides. A three-component quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) program was designed for the subset of 174 CECs which allowed us to assess and compare performances of the methods used. The three components included: 1) a common field QA/QC protocol and sample design, 2) individual investigator-developed method-specific QA/QC protocols, and 3) a suite of 46 method comparison analytes that were determined in two or more analytical methods. Overall method performance for the 174 organic chemical CECs was assessed by comparing spiked recoveries in reagent, source, and treated water over a two-year period. In addition to the 247 CECs reported in the larger drinking water study, another 48 pharmaceutical compounds measured did not consistently meet predetermined quality standards. Methodologies that did not seem suitable for these analytes are overviewed. The need to exclude analytes based on method performance demonstrates the importance of additional QA/QC protocols. This paper compares the method performance of six analytical methods used to measure 174 emer

Early warning risk assessment for drinking water production: decoding subtle evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merz, Christoph; Lischeid, Gunnar; Böttcher, Steven

2016-04-01

Due to increasing demands for high quality water for drinking water supply all over the world there is acute need for methods to detect possible threats to groundwater resources early. Especially drinking water production in complex geologic settings has a particularly high risk for unexpected degradation of the groundwater quality due to the unknown interplay between anthropogenically induced hydraulic changes and geochemical processes. This study investigates the possible benefit of the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for groundwater and drinking water management using common sets of physicochemical monitoring data. The approach was used to identify the prevailing processes driving groundwater quality shifts and related threats, which might be masked in anthropogenically impacted aquifer systems. The approach was applied to a data set from a waterworks located in the state of Brandenburg, NE Germany, which has been operating since nearly four decades. The region faces confronting and increasing demands due to rising peri-urban settlements. The PCA subdivided the data set according to different strengths of effects induced by differing geochemical processes at different sites in the capture zone of the waterworks and varying in time. Thus a spatial assessment of these processes could be performed as well as a temporal assessment of long-term groundwater quality shifts in the extracted water. The analysis revealed that over the period of 16 years of water withdrawal the geochemistry of the extracted groundwater had become increasingly more dissimilar compared to the characteristics found at the majority of observation wells. This component could be identified as highly mineralized CaSO4 dominated water from unexamined deeper zones of the aquifer system. Due to the complex geochemical and hydraulic interactions in the system, this process was masked and was not evident in the data set without validation by the applied statistical analysis. The findings give a clear indication of a potential threat to the groundwater resources in this region with danger for drinking water contamination in a medium-term period.

Water monitor system: Phase 1 test report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, R. E.; Jeffers, E. L.

1976-01-01

Automatic water monitor system was tested with the objectives of assuring high-quality effluent standards and accelerating the practice of reclamation and reuse of water. The NASA water monitor system is described. Various components of the system, including the necessary sensors, the sample collection system, and the data acquisition and display system, are discussed. The test facility and the analysis methods are described. Test results are reviewed, and recommendations for water monitor system design improvement are presented.

Water resources of the Black Sea Basin at high spatial and temporal resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rouholahnejad, Elham; Abbaspour, Karim C.; Srinivasan, Raghvan; Bacu, Victor; Lehmann, Anthony

2014-07-01

The pressure on water resources, deteriorating water quality, and uncertainties associated with the climate change create an environment of conflict in large and complex river system. The Black Sea Basin (BSB), in particular, suffers from ecological unsustainability and inadequate resource management leading to severe environmental, social, and economical problems. To better tackle the future challenges, we used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to model the hydrology of the BSB coupling water quantity, water quality, and crop yield components. The hydrological model of the BSB was calibrated and validated considering sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. River discharges, nitrate loads, and crop yields were used to calibrate the model. Employing grid technology improved calibration computation time by more than an order of magnitude. We calculated components of water resources such as river discharge, infiltration, aquifer recharge, soil moisture, and actual and potential evapotranspiration. Furthermore, available water resources were calculated at subbasin spatial and monthly temporal levels. Within this framework, a comprehensive database of the BSB was created to fill the existing gaps in water resources data in the region. In this paper, we discuss the challenges of building a large-scale model in fine spatial and temporal detail. This study provides the basis for further research on the impacts of climate and land use change on water resources in the BSB.

[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.

Water quality monitoring of Jialing-River in Chongqing using advanced ion chromatographic system.

PubMed

Tanaka, Kazuhiko; Shi, Chao-Hong; Nakagoshi, Nobukazu

2012-04-01

The water quality monitoring operation to evaluate the water quality of polluted river is an extremely important task for the river-watershed management/control based on the environmental policy. In this study, the novel, simple and convenient water quality monitoring of Jialing-River in Chongqing, China was carried out using an advanced ion chromatography (IC) consisting of ion-exclusion/cation-exchange chromatography (IEC/CEC) with conductivity detection for determining simultaneously the common anions such as SO4(2-), Cl(-), and NO3(-) and the cations such as Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+, the ion-exclusion chromatography (IEC) with visible detection for determining simultaneously the nutrient components such as phosphate and silicate ions, and the IEC with the enhanced conductivity detection using a post column of K+-form cation-exchange resin for determining HCO3(-)-alkalinity as an inorganic-carbon source for biomass synthesis in biological reaction process under the aerobic conditions. According to the ionic balance theory between the total equivalent concentrations of anions and cations, the water quality evaluation of the Jialing-River waters taking at different sampling sites in Chongqing metropolitan area was carried out using the advanced IC system. As a result, the effectiveness of this novel water quality monitoring methodology using the IC system was demonstrated on the several practical applications to a typical biological sewage treatment plant on Jialing-River of Chongqing.

National Water-Quality Assessment program: The Trinity River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Land, Larry F.

1991-01-01

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began to implement a full-scale National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. The long-term goals of the NAWQA program are to describe the status and trends in the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation's surface- and ground-water resources and to provide a sound, scientific understanding of the primary natural and human factors affecting the quality of these resources. In meeting these goals, the program will produce a wealth of water-quality information that will be useful to policy makers and managers at the national, State, and local levels. A major design feature of the NAWQA program will enable water-quality information at different areal scales to be integrated. A major component of the program is study-unit investigations, which comprise the principal building blocks of the program on which national-level assessment activities will be based. The 60 study-unit investigations that make up the program are hydrologic systems that include parts of most major river basins and aquifer systems. These study units cover areas of 1,200 to more than 65,000 square miles and incorporate about 60 to 70 percent of the Nation's water use and population served by public water supply. In 1991, the Trinity River basin study was among the first 20 NAWQA study units selected for study under the full-scale implementation plan.

National Water-Quality Assessment Program: The Sacramento River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Domagalski, Joseph L.; Brown, Larry R.

1994-01-01

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began to implement a full-scale National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. The long-term goals of the NAWQA program are to describe the status of and trends in the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation's surface- and ground-water resources and to identify the major natural and human factors that affect the quality of those resources. In addressing these goals, the program will provide a wealth of water- quality information that will be useful to policy makers and managers at the national, State, and local levels. A major asset of the NAWQA program is that it will allow for the integration of water-quality information collected at several scales. A major component of the program is the study-unit investigation-the foundation of national- level assessment. The 60 study units of the NAWQA program are hydrologic systems that include parts of most major river basins and aquifer systems of the conterminous United States. These study units cover areas of 1,000 to more than 60,000 square miles and represent 60 to 70 percent of the Nation's water use and population served by public water supplies. Investigations of the first 20 study units began in 1991. In 1994, the Sacramento River Basin was among the second set of 20 NAWQA study units selected for investigation.

Water quality effects of seepage from earthen dams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yost, C.; Naney, J.W.

1974-01-01

Analyses of surface and seepage waters from selected floodwater retarding structures in west-central Oklahoma, U.S.A. show the salinity of seepage to be several times greater than that of the impounded waters. The increases in concentration of the several chemical components are not proportional. This phenomenon appears to be caused largely by simple solution, which is closely related to the chemical character of the geologic formation that provides the reservoir site and the earth fill of the dam. Concentration of certain chemical components in the seepage water progressively decreases as the structure ages. This is probably a function of depletion, which is related to the amounts and solubility of the parent materials subjected to solution. In contrast, the concentration of certain other components, such as iron and calcium, increases with time. The chemical activities within the accumulating mud on the bottom of the reservoir apparently cause these increases. ?? 1974.

Living Shorelines: Assessing Geomorphic Change and Water Quality in an Urban Waterway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huggins, A.; Schwartz, M. C.; Schmutz, P. P.

2017-12-01

In recent years, alternative strategies for shoreline armoring have become increasingly popular with coastal property owners. In Northwest Florida, local agencies implemented plans to attenuate wave action and reduce landward shore recession in an urban bayou by installing living shorelines. Living shorelines are constructed in the inter-tidal zones and incorporate both hard and soft structured stabilization. Generally, the hard component is fossilized oyster shells and the soft component is planted intertidal vegetation, such as Spartina alterniflora (Smooth cordgrass) and Juncus roemererianus (Black needlerush). Living shorelines were intended to comprise both ecological and societal implications by significantly slowing erosion processes for property owners, by utilizing oyster beds to improve water quality, and by fostering new ecological habitats in the marsh grasses. The issue presented with living shoreline management is long-term studies have not been carried out on these engineered systems. For this study, geospatial technology was utilized to create 3D images of terrain by interpolation of data points using a TotalStation to compute geomorphic change. Additionally, water samples were analyzed using traditional wet chemistry laboratory methods to determine total oxidized nitrogen (TON), ammonium, and orthophosphate content in water. Over a short three-month preliminary study, sediment accretion was observed primarily within the vegetation with the bulk of the erosion occurring around the oyster beds. TON was detected at levels between 10 µM and 30 µM, ammonium up to 5 µM, and orthophosphate was only detected in very low levels, consistently < 2 µM. The project is in its infancy, as the topographic profiles and water quality data will be used to establish baseline data for future research to determine volumetric geomorphic change,and to set a standard for water quality trends, surrounding oyster beds and vegetation in response to climatic events.

Water quality monitoring of an international wetland at Harike, Punjab and its impact on biological systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaur, Jasmit; Walia, Harpreet; Mabwoga, Samson Okongo; Arora, Saroj

2017-06-01

The present study entails the investigation of mutagenic and genotoxic effect of surface water samples collected from 13 different sites of the Harike wetland using the histidine reversion point mutation assay in Salmonella typhimurium (TA98) strain and plasmid nicking assay using pBR322, respectively. The physicochemical characterization of water samples using different parameters was conducted for water quality monitoring. Heavy metal analysis was performed to quantify the toxic components present in water samples. It was observed that although the water samples of all the sites demonstrated mutagenic as well as genotoxic activity, the effect was quite significant with the water samples from sites containing water from river Satluj, i.e., site 1 (upstream Satluj river), site 2 (Satluj river) and site 3 (reservoir Satluj). The high level of pollution due to industrial effluents and agricultural run-off at these sites may engender the genotoxicity and mutagenicity of water samples.

The effects of acid precipitation runoff episodes on reservoir and tapwater quality in an Appalachian Mountain water supply.

PubMed Central

Sharpe, W E; DeWalle, D R

1990-01-01

The aluminum concentration and Ryznar Index increased and the pH decreased in a small Appalachian water supply reservoir following acid precipitation runoff episodes. Concomitant increases in tapwater aluminum and decreases in tapwater pH were also observed at two homes in the water distribution system. Lead concentrations in the tapwater of one home frequently exceeded recommended levels, although spatial and temporal variation in tapwater copper and lead concentrations was considerable. Since source water and reservoir water copper and lead concentrations were much lower, the increased copper and lead concentrations in tapwater were attributed to corrosion of household plumbing. Tapwater copper concentration correlated well with tapwater pH and tapwater temperature. Asbestos fibers were not detected in tapwater. The asbestos-cement pipe in the water distribution system was protected by a spontaneous metallic coating that inhibited fiber release from the pipe. Several simultaneous reactions were hypothesized to be taking place in the distribution system that involved corrosion of metallic components and coating of asbestos-cement pipe components in part with corrosion products and in part by cations of watershed origin. Greater water quality changes might be expected in areas of higher atmospheric deposition. Images FIGURE 5. FIGURE 6. PMID:2088742

Direct Visualization of Short Transverse Relaxation Time Component (ViSTa)

PubMed Central

Oh, Se-Hong; Bilello, Michel; Schindler, Matthew; Markowitz, Clyde E.; Detre, John A.; Lee, Jongho

2013-01-01

White matter of the brain has been demonstrated to have multiple relaxation components. Among them, the short transverse relaxation time component (T2 < 40 ms; T2* < 25 ms at 3T) has been suggested to originate from myelin water whereas long transverse relaxation time components have been associated with axonal and/or interstitial water. In myelin water imaging, T2 or T2* signal decay is measured to estimate myelin water fraction based on T2 or T2* differences among the water components. This method has been demonstrated to be sensitive to demyelination in the brain but suffers from low SNR and image artifacts originating from ill-conditioned multi-exponential fitting. In this study, a novel approach that selectively acquires short transverse relaxation time signal is proposed. The method utilizes a double inversion RF pair to suppress a range of long T1 signal. This suppression leaves short T2* signal, which has been suggested to have short T1, as the primary source of the image. The experimental results confirms that after suppression of long T1 signals, the image is dominated by short T2* in the range of myelin water, allowing us to directly visualize the short transverse relaxation time component in the brain. Compared to conventional myelin water imaging, this new method of direct visualization of short relaxation time component (ViSTa) provides high quality images. When applied to multiple sclerosis patients, chronic lesions show significantly reduced signal intensity in ViSTa images suggesting sensitivity to demyelination. PMID:23796545

Detection of outliers in water quality monitoring samples using functional data analysis in San Esteban estuary (Northern Spain).

PubMed

Díaz Muñiz, C; García Nieto, P J; Alonso Fernández, J R; Martínez Torres, J; Taboada, J

2012-11-15

Water quality controls involve large number of variables and observations, often subject to some outliers. An outlier is an observation that is numerically distant from the rest of the data or that appears to deviate markedly from other members of the sample in which it occurs. An interesting analysis is to find those observations that produce measurements that are different from the pattern established in the sample. Therefore, identification of atypical observations is an important concern in water quality monitoring and a difficult task because of the multivariate nature of water quality data. Our study provides a new method for detecting outliers in water quality monitoring parameters, using oxygen and turbidity as indicator variables. Until now, methods were based on considering the different parameters as a vector whose components were their concentration values. Our approach lies in considering water quality monitoring through time as curves instead of vectors, that is to say, the data set of the problem is considered as a time-dependent function and not as a set of discrete values in different time instants. The methodology, which is based on the concept of functional depth, was applied to the detection of outliers in water quality monitoring samples in San Esteban estuary. Results were discussed in terms of origin, causes, etc., and compared with those obtained using the conventional method based on vector comparison. Finally, the advantages of the functional method are exposed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Social knowledge and the construction of drinking water preference.

PubMed

Soares, Ana Carolina Cordeiro; Carmo, Rose Ferraz; Bevilacqua, Paula Dias

2017-10-01

The analytical categories of Health Surveillance territorialization and daily life guided the design of this study, which aimed to understand from the methodological framework of qualitative research the factors involved in the use of individual supply solutions (ISS) as drinking water sources. We conducted semi-structured interviews with residents of 22 households set at a municipality in the Zona da Mata Mineira. Statements were fully transcribed, processed through content analysis and interpreted based on the psychosocial theory of social representations. It was possible to apprehend the social and affective components of social representations. The social component characterized by the representation of water from IWSS ISS water as clean and of good quality seemed to drive or justify the "resistance" of individuals to use water from public supply. The affective component referred to the use of IWSS water from ISS as a return to and protection of individuals' origins, a way to strengthen respondents' identity. The results pointed out that people's perceptions and demands might guide actions aimed to stimulate trust in the use of public system water and the choice of this source of supply, contributing to health protection.

40 CFR 141.717 - Pre-filtration treatment toolbox components.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... for treatment credit. Granular aquifers are those comprised of sand, clay, silt, rock fragments... Cryptosporidium and related hydrogeologic and water quality parameters during the full range of operating...

Modeling erosion from forest roads with WEPP

Treesearch

J. McFero Grace

2007-01-01

Forest roads can be major sources of soil erosion from forest watersheds. Sediments from forest roads are a concern due to their potential delivery to stream systems resulting in degradation of water quality. The Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) was used to predict erosion from forest road components under different management practices. WEPP estimates are...

Analysis and detection of functional outliers in water quality parameters from different automated monitoring stations in the Nalón river basin (Northern Spain).

PubMed

Piñeiro Di Blasi, J I; Martínez Torres, J; García Nieto, P J; Alonso Fernández, J R; Díaz Muñiz, C; Taboada, J

2015-01-01

The purposes and intent of the authorities in establishing water quality standards are to provide enhancement of water quality and prevention of pollution to protect the public health or welfare in accordance with the public interest for drinking water supplies, conservation of fish, wildlife and other beneficial aquatic life, and agricultural, industrial, recreational, and other reasonable and necessary uses as well as to maintain and improve the biological integrity of the waters. In this way, water quality controls involve a large number of variables and observations, often subject to some outliers. An outlier is an observation that is numerically distant from the rest of the data or that appears to deviate markedly from other members of the sample in which it occurs. An interesting analysis is to find those observations that produce measurements that are different from the pattern established in the sample. Therefore, identification of atypical observations is an important concern in water quality monitoring and a difficult task because of the multivariate nature of water quality data. Our study provides a new method for detecting outliers in water quality monitoring parameters, using turbidity, conductivity and ammonium ion as indicator variables. Until now, methods were based on considering the different parameters as a vector whose components were their concentration values. This innovative approach lies in considering water quality monitoring over time as continuous curves instead of discrete points, that is to say, the dataset of the problem are considered as a time-dependent function and not as a set of discrete values in different time instants. This new methodology, which is based on the concept of functional depth, was applied to the detection of outliers in water quality monitoring samples in the Nalón river basin with success. Results of this study were discussed here in terms of origin, causes, etc. Finally, the conclusions as well as advantages of the functional method are exposed.

Galactic cosmic ray transport methods and radiation quality issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Townsend, L. W.; Wilson, J. W.; Cucinotta, F. A.; Shinn, J. L.

1992-01-01

An overview of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) interaction and transport methods, as implemented in the Langley Research Center GCR transport code, is presented. Representative results for solar minimum, exo-magnetospheric GCR dose equivalents in water are presented on a component by component basis for various thicknesses of aluminum shielding. The impact of proposed changes to the currently used quality factors on exposure estimates and shielding requirements are quantified. Using the cellular track model of Katz, estimates of relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for the mixed GCR radiation fields are also made.

Multivariate analysis of water quality and environmental variables in the Great Barrier Reef catchments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryu, D.; Liu, S.; Western, A. W.; Webb, J. A.; Lintern, A.; Leahy, P.; Wilson, P.; Watson, M.; Waters, D.; Bende-Michl, U.

2016-12-01

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) lagoon has been experiencing significant water quality deterioration due in part to agricultural intensification and urban settlement in adjacent catchments. The degradation of water quality in rivers is caused by land-derived pollutants (i.e. sediment, nutrient and pesticide). A better understanding of dynamics of water quality is essential for land management to improve the GBR ecosystem. However, water quality is also greatly influenced by natural hydrological processes. To assess influencing factors and predict the water quality accurately, selection of the most important predictors of water quality is necessary. In this work, multivariate statistical techniques - cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA) and factor analysis (FA) - are used to reduce the complexity derived from the multidimensional water quality monitoring data. Seventeen stations are selected across the GBR catchments, and the event-based measurements of 12 variables monitored during 9 years (2006 - 2014) were analysed by means of CA and PCA/FA. The key findings are: (1) 17 stations can be grouped into two clusters according to the hierarchical CA, and the spatial dissimilarity between these sites is characterised by the different climatic and land use in the GBR catchments. (2) PCA results indicate that the first 3 PCs explain 85% of the total variance, and FA on the entire data set shows that the varifactor (VF) loadings can be used to interpret the sources of spatial variation in water quality on the GBR catchments level. The impact of soil erosion and non-point source of pollutants from agriculture contribution to VF1 and the variability in hydrological conditions and biogeochemical processes can explain the loadings in VF2. (3) FA is also performed on two groups of sites identified in CA individually, to evaluate the underlying sources that are responsible for spatial variability in water quality in the two groups. For the Cluster 1 sites, spatial variations in water quality are likely from the agricultural inputs (fertilises) and for the Cluster 2 sites, the differences in hydrological transport is responsible for large spatial variations in water quality. These findings can be applied to water quality assessment along with establish effective water and land management in the future.

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.

Sensor and Video Monitoring of Water Quality at Bristol Floating Harbour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yiheng; Han, Dawei

2017-04-01

Water system is an essential component in a smart city for its sustainability and resilience. The harbourside is a focal area of​ ​Bristol with new buildings and features redeveloped in the last ten years, attracting numerous visitors by the diversity of attractions and beautiful views. There is a strong​ ​relationship between the satisfactory of the visitors and local people with the water quality in the Harbour. The freshness and beauty of the water body would please people as well as benefit the aquatic ecosystems. As we are entering a data-rich era, this pilot project aims to explore the concept of using​ ​ video cameras and smart sensors to collect and monitor water quality condition at the Bristol harbourside. The video cameras and smart sensors are connected to the Bristol Is Open network, an open programmable city platform. This will be the​ first​ attempt to collect water quality data in real time in the​ ​Bristol urban area with the wireless network. The videos and images of the water body collected by the cameras will be correlated with the in-situ water quality parameters for research​ ​purposes. The successful implementation of the sensors can attract more academic researchers and industrial partners to expand the sensor network to multiple locations​ ​around the city covering the other parts of the Harbour and River Avon, leading to a new generation of urban system infrastructure model.

Membrane bioreactors for the removal of anionic micropollutants from drinking water.

PubMed

Crespo, João G; Velizarov, Svetlozar; Reis, Maria A

2004-10-01

Biological treatment processes allow for the effective elimination of anionic micropollutants from drinking water. However, special technologies have to be implemented to eliminate the target pollutants without changing water quality, either by adding new pollutants or removing essential water components. Some innovative technologies that combine the use of membranes with the biological degradation of ionic micropollutants in order to minimize the secondary contamination of treated water include pressure-driven membrane bioreactors, gas-transfer membrane bioreactors and ion exchange membrane bioreactors.

The inland water macro-invertebrate occurrences in Flanders, Belgium.

PubMed

Vannevel, Rudy; Brosens, Dimitri; Cooman, Ward De; Gabriels, Wim; Frank Lavens; Mertens, Joost; Vervaeke, Bart

2018-01-01

The Flanders Environment Agency (VMM) has been performing biological water quality assessments on inland waters in Flanders (Belgium) since 1989 and sediment quality assessments since 2000. The water quality monitoring network is a combined physico-chemical and biological network, the biological component focusing on macro-invertebrates. The sediment monitoring programme produces biological data to assess the sediment quality. Both monitoring programmes aim to provide index values, applying a similar conceptual methodology based on the presence of macro-invertebrates. The biological data obtained from both monitoring networks are consolidated in the VMM macro-invertebrates database and include identifications at family and genus level of the freshwater phyla Coelenterata, Platyhelminthes, Annelida, Mollusca, and Arthropoda. This paper discusses the content of this database, and the dataset published thereof: 282,309 records of 210 observed taxa from 4,140 monitoring sites located on 657 different water bodies, collected during 22,663 events. This paper provides some background information on the methodology, temporal and spatial coverage, and taxonomy, and describes the content of the dataset. The data are distributed as open data under the Creative Commons CC-BY license.

Spatial and temporal trends in water quality in a Mediterranean temporary river impacted by sewage effluents.

PubMed

David, Arthur; Tournoud, Marie-George; Perrin, Jean-Louis; Rosain, David; Rodier, Claire; Salles, Christian; Bancon-Montigny, Chrystelle; Picot, Bernadette

2013-03-01

This paper analyzes how changes in hydrological conditions can affect the water quality of a temporary river that receives direct inputs of sewage effluents. Data from 12 spatial surveys of the Vène river were examined. Physico-chemical parameters, major ion, and nutrient concentrations were measured. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate analyses were performed. ANOVA revealed significant spatial differences for conductivity and major ion but no significant spatial differences for nutrient concentrations even if higher average concentrations were observed at stations located downstream from sewage effluent discharge points. Significant temporal differences were observed among all the parameters. Karstic springs had a marked dilution effect on the direct disposal of sewage effluents. During high-flow periods, nutrient concentrations were high to moderate whereas nutrient concentrations ranged from moderate to bad at stations located downstream from the direct inputs of sewage effluents during low-flow periods. Principal component analysis showed that water quality parameters that explained the water quality of the Vène river were highly dependent on hydrological conditions. Cluster analysis showed that when the karstic springs were flowing, water quality was homogeneous all along the river, whereas when karstic springs were dry, water quality at the monitoring stations was more fragmented. These results underline the importance of considering hydrological conditions when monitoring the water quality of temporary rivers. In view of the pollution observed in the Vène river, "good water chemical status" can probably only be achieved by improving the management of sewage effluents during low-flow periods.

Cellular-enabled water quality measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Y.; Kerkez, B.

2013-12-01

While the past decade has seen significant improvements in our ability to measure nutrients and other water quality parameters, the use of these sensors has yet to gain traction due to their costprohibitive nature and deployment expertise required on the part of researchers. Furthermore, an extra burden is incurred when real-time data access becomes an experimental requirement. We present an open-source hardware design to facilitate the real-time, low-cost, and robust measurements of water quality across large urbanized areas. Our hardware platform interfaces an embedded, vastly configurable, high-precision, ultra-low power measurement system, with a low-power cellular module. Each sensor station is configured with an IP address, permitting reliable streaming of sensor data to off-site locations as measurements are made. We discuss the role of high-quality hardware components during extreme event scenarios, and present preliminary performance metrics that validate the ability of the platform to provide streaming access to sensor measurements.

Groundwater quality assessment and pollution source apportionment in an intensely exploited region of northern China.

PubMed

Zhang, Qianqian; Wang, Huiwei; Wang, Yanchao; Yang, Mingnan; Zhu, Liang

2017-07-01

Deterioration in groundwater quality has attracted wide social interest in China. In this study, groundwater quality was monitored during December 2014 at 115 sites in the Hutuo River alluvial-pluvial fan region of northern China. Results showed that 21.7% of NO 3 - and 51.3% of total hardness samples exceeded grade III of the national quality standards for Chinese groundwater. In addition, results of gray relationship analysis (GRA) show that 64.3, 10.4, 21.7, and 3.6% of samples were within the I, II, IV, and V grades of groundwater in the Hutuo River region, respectively. The poor water quality in the study region is due to intense anthropogenic activities as well as aquifer vulnerability to contamination. Results of principal component analysis (PCA) revealed three major factors: (1) domestic wastewater and agricultural runoff pollution (anthropogenic activities), (2) water-rock interactions (natural processes), and (3) industrial wastewater pollution (anthropogenic activities). Using PCA and absolute principal component scores-multivariate linear regression (APCS-MLR), results show that domestic wastewater and agricultural runoff are the main sources of groundwater pollution in the Hutuo River alluvial-pluvial fan area. Thus, the most appropriate methods to prevent groundwater quality degradation are to improve capacities for wastewater treatment and to optimize fertilization strategies.

Great Salt Lake basins study unit

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waddell, Kidd M.; Baskin, Robert L.

1994-01-01

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began implementing a full-scale National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program.The long-term goals of the NAWQA Program are to describe the status and trends in the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation’s surface- and ground-water resources and to provide a sound, scientific understanding of the primary natural and human factors that affect the quality of these resources. In meeting these goals, the program will produce a wealth of water-quality information that will be useful to policy makers and managers at Federal, State, and local levels.A major design feature of the NAWQA Program will enable water-quality information at different areal scales to be integrated. A major component of the program is study-unit investigations, which ae the principal building blocks of the program upon which national-level assessment activities will be based. The 60 study-unit investigations that make up the program are hydrologic systems that include principal river basins and aquifer systems throughout the Nation. These study units cover areas from less than 1.000 to greater than 60,000 mi2 and incorporate from about 60 to 70 percent of the Nation’s water use and population served by public water supply. In 1993, assessment activities began in the Great Salt Lake Basins NAWQA study unit.

Influence of ingredients and chemical components on the quality of Chinese steamed bread.

PubMed

Zhu, Fan

2014-11-15

Chinese steamed bread (CSB) is a staple food in China since ancient time. The basic ingredients include wheat flour, yeast/sourdough, and water. Current consumer trends urge the production of CSB on a large scale as well as the formulation of healthier CSB with specific nutritional benefits. This requires a better definition of the relationship between the properties of ingredients/chemical components and CSB quality. This review summarises the recent advances in understanding the roles of basic and optional ingredients and their chemical components in the appearance, textural, sensory, and shelf-life properties of CSB, and provides suggestions for further research to match the current trends. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of agriculture on water quality of Lake Biwa tributaries, Japan.

PubMed

Nakano, Takanori; Tayasu, Ichiro; Yamada, Yoshihiro; Hosono, Takahiro; Igeta, Akitake; Hyodo, Fujio; Ando, Atsushi; Saitoh, Yu; Tanaka, Takuya; Wada, Eitaro; Yachi, Shigeo

2008-01-15

We investigated the effects of natural environments and human activity on Lake Biwa, central Japan. We determined the concentrations of 19 elements and the compositions of stable S and Sr isotopes in the main tributaries of the lake and compared them with the corresponding values obtained from the lake water during the circulation period. Results of a principal component analysis indicated that the components dissolved in the lower reaches of the tributaries can be divided into group 1 (HCO(3), SO(4), NO(3), Ca, Mg, Sr) and group 2 components (Cl, Br, Na, K, Ba, Rb, Cs). The concentrations of group 1 components were high in the rivers of the southern area, which is urbanized and densely populated, and the eastern area, which consists of plains where agriculture predominates, compared with the rivers of the northern and western areas, which are mostly mountainous and sparsely populated. The concentrations of group 2 components tended to be high in the river water of industrial areas. The delta(34)S values of SO(4) in the river water converged to 0+/-2 per thousand as the SO(4) concentration increased and, excluding the areas where limestone is extensively distributed, as the HCO(3) concentration increased. In particular, both the delta(34)S values (0+/-2 per thousand) and the (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratios (0.7117+/-0.0005) fell within narrow ranges in the small and medium rivers of the eastern plain area, where rice is widely grown. These values agreed respectively with the delta(34)S values of the fertilizers used in the Lake Biwa basin and the soil-exchangeable (87)Sr/(86)Sr in the eastern plain. The characteristics of water quality in the small and medium rivers of the eastern area can be explained by a model in which sulfuric, nitric, and bicarbonic acids generated by the decomposition of agricultural fertilizer and paddy rice selectively leached out alkaline-earth elements adsorbed on the soil and sediments of the plain or dissolved calcium carbonate enriched with Mg and Sr. Compared with tributary waters, the lake water was depleted in NO(3), owing to denitrification, and in Mn, owing to mineralization, which occur under the redox condition of bottom sediments. Excluding NO(3) and Mn, the compositions of both the dissolved elements and the Sr and S isotopes in the water of Lake Biwa can be approximately reproduced by simple mixing of the tributary water, indicating that these components provide effective indices for evaluating the relationship between the waters of the lake and its tributaries.

Water quality impacts from on-site waste disposal systems to coastal areas through groundwater discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, P. J.

1995-12-01

This report summarizes research studies linking on-site waste disposal systems (OSDS) to pathogen and nutrient concentrations in groundwater with the potential to impact coastal embayments. Few studies connect OSDS to coastal water quality. Most studies examined pathogen and nutrient impacts to groundwater and omitted estimations of contaminants discharged to surface water. The majority of studies focused on nitrogen, with little information on pathogens and even less on phosphorus. Nitrogen discharged from OSDS poses the greatest threat to water quality. Vertical distance of septic tank infiltration system from the water table, septic system design, and siting remain the key components in minimizing potential impacts from OSDS for control of both pathogens and nutrients. The most comprehensive information connecting nutrient contributions from OSDS to surface water quality was the study conducted on Buttermilk Bay in Massachusetts where 74% of nitrogen to the bay was attributed to onsite disposal systems. In conclusion, further studies on the viability and transport of pathogens and nutrients through the groundwater aquifer and across the groundwater/surface-water interface are needed. Additional research on the importance of septic system design on the availability of contaminants to groundwater as well as the minimum distance between the septic system and water table necessary to protect groundwater are also indicated.

River water quality assessment using environmentric techniques: case study of Jakara River Basin.

PubMed

Mustapha, Adamu; Aris, Ahmad Zaharin; Juahir, Hafizan; Ramli, Mohammad Firuz; Kura, Nura Umar

2013-08-01

Jakara River Basin has been extensively studied to assess the overall water quality and to identify the major variables responsible for water quality variations in the basin. A total of 27 sampling points were selected in the riverine network of the Upper Jakara River Basin. Water samples were collected in triplicate and analyzed for physicochemical variables. Pearson product-moment correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship of water quality parameters and revealed a significant relationship between salinity, conductivity with dissolved solids (DS) and 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and nitrogen in form of ammonia (NH4). Partial correlation analysis (r p) results showed that there is a strong relationship between salinity and turbidity (r p=0.930, p=0.001) and BOD5 and COD (r p=0.839, p=0.001) controlling for the linear effects of conductivity and NH4, respectively. Principal component analysis and or factor analysis was used to investigate the origin of each water quality parameter in the Jakara Basin and identified three major factors explaining 68.11 % of the total variance in water quality. The major variations are related to anthropogenic activities (irrigation agricultural, construction activities, clearing of land, and domestic waste disposal) and natural processes (erosion of river bank and runoff). Discriminant analysis (DA) was applied on the dataset to maximize the similarities between group relative to within-group variance of the parameters. DA provided better results with great discriminatory ability using eight variables (DO, BOD5, COD, SS, NH4, conductivity, salinity, and DS) as the most statistically significantly responsible for surface water quality variation in the area. The present study, however, makes several noteworthy contributions to the existing knowledge on the spatial variations of surface water quality and is believed to serve as a baseline data for further studies. Future research should therefore concentrate on the investigation of temporal variations of water quality in the basin.

Wastewater retreatment and reuse system for agricultural irrigation in rural villages.

PubMed

Kim, Minyoung; Lee, Hyejin; Kim, Minkyeong; Kang, Donghyeon; Kim, Dongeok; Kim, YoungJin; Lee, Sangbong

2014-01-01

Climate changes and continuous population growth increase water demands that will not be met by traditional water resources, like surface and ground water. To handle increased water demand, treated municipal wastewater is offered to farmers for agricultural irrigation. This study aimed to enhance the effluent quality from worn-out sewage treatment facilities in rural villages, retreat effluent to meet water quality criteria for irrigation, and assess any health-related and environmental impacts from using retreated wastewater irrigation on crops and in soil. We developed the compact wastewater retreatment and reuse system (WRRS), equipped with filters, ultraviolet light, and bubble elements. A pilot greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate lettuce growth patterns and quantify the heavy metal concentration and pathogenic microorganisms on lettuce and in soil after irrigating with tap water, treated wastewater, and WRRS retreated wastewater. The purification performance of each WRRS component was also assessed. The study findings revealed that existing worn-out sewage treatment facilities in rural villages could meet the water quality criteria for treated effluent and also reuse retreated wastewater for crop growth and other miscellaneous agricultural purposes.

Selected Micropollutants as Indicators in a Karst Catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zirlewagen, Johannes; Schiperski, Ferry; Hillebrand, Olav; Nödler, Karsten; Licha, Tobias; Scheytt, Traugott

2015-04-01

High flow dynamics and variations in water quality are typical for karst springs and reflect the complex interaction of different flow and storage components within a karst system. Event-based monitoring of mobile micropollutants in spring water combined with information on their input is used (1) to quantify the impact of certain contamination scenarios on spring water quality and (2) to gain additional information on the intrinsic characteristics of a karst system. We employ the artificial sweeteners acesulfame and cyclamate as source specific indicators for sewage along with the herbicides atrazine and isoproturon for agriculture. The study site is the 45 km² rural catchment of the perennial karst spring Gallusquelle in SW-Germany (mean discharge: 0.5 m³/s). Overflow events of a stormwater detention basin (SDB, combined sewer system) are known to impact water quality. Most of the sewer system is situated in the SW of the catchment. Most agricultural land is found in the NE. Neither atrazine nor significant amounts of isoproturon were detected in wastewater. Concentrations and mass fluxes of acesulfame and cyclamate in wastewater were determined. The combined evaluation of the persistent compound acesulfame with the rather degradable cyclamate allows for the distinction of long and short transit times and thus slow and fast flow components. The same applies for atrazine (persistent) and isoproturon (degradable). In Germany, acesulfame was licensed in 1990, atrazine was banned shortly after, in 1991. During low flow conditions only atrazine (max. 4 ng/L) and acesulfame (max. 20 ng/L) were detected in spring water. After a recharge event without SDB overflow concentrations as well as mass fluxes of both compounds decreased, reflecting an increasing portion of event water in spring discharge. A breakthrough of isoproturon (max. 9 ng/L) indicated the arrival of water from croplands. After a recharge event accompanied by a SDB overflow cyclamate was detected at max. 28 ng/L. Simultaneously, acesulfame concentrations show superposition of background dilution (old component) and a breakthrough (fresh component, max. 22 ng/L). 1-D-transport-modelling of the cyclamate breakthrough revealed results that are in good agreement with the results of other studies. Analyses of micropollutants might become very sensitive tools in karst hydrogeology where natural background concentrations and signal dampening are limiting factors for conventional investigation methods.

Hydrogeochemical effects of a bulkhead in the Dinero mine tunnel, Sugar Loaf mining district, near Leadville, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walton-Day, Katherine; Mills, Taylor J.

2015-01-01

The Dinero mine drainage tunnel is an abandoned, draining mine adit near Leadville, Colorado, that has an adverse effect on downstream water quality and aquatic life. In 2009, a bulkhead was constructed (creating a mine pool and increasing water-table elevations behind the tunnel) to limit drainage from the tunnel and improve downstream water quality. The goal of this study was to document changes to hydrology and water quality resulting from bulkhead emplacement, and to understand post-bulkhead changes in source water and geochemical processes that control mine-tunnel discharge and water quality. Comparison of pre-and post-bulkhead hydrology and water quality indicated that tunnel discharge and zinc and manganese loads decreased by up to 97 percent at the portal of Dinero tunnel and at two downstream sites (LF-537 and LF-580). However, some water-quality problems persisted at LF-537 and LF-580 during high-flow events and years, indicating the effects of the remaining mine waste in the area. In contrast, post-bulkhead water quality degraded at three upstream stream sites and a draining mine tunnel (Nelson tunnel). Water-quality degradation in the streams likely occurred from increased contributions of mine-pool groundwater to the streams. In contrast, water-quality degradation in the Nelson tunnel was likely from flow of mine-pool water along a vein that connects the Nelson tunnel to mine workings behind the Dinero tunnel bulkhead. Principal components analysis, mixing analysis, and inverse geochemical modeling using PHREEQC indicated that mixing and geochemical reactions (carbonate dissolution during acid weathering, precipitation of goethite and birnessite, and sorption of zinc) between three end-member water types generally explain the pre-and post-bulkhead water composition at the Dinero and Nelson tunnels. The three end members were (1) a relatively dilute groundwater having low sulfate and trace element concentrations; (2) mine pool water, and (3) water that flowed from a structure in front of the bulkhead after bulkhead emplacement. Both (2) and (3) had high sulfate and trace element concentrations. These results indicate how analysis of monitoring information can be used to understand hydrogeochemical changes resulting from bulkhead emplacement. This understanding, in turn, can help inform future decisions on the disposition of the remaining mine waste and water-quality problems in the area.

Can Sanitary Surveys Replace Water Quality Testing? Evidence from Kisii, Kenya.

PubMed

Misati, Aaron Gichaba; Ogendi, George; Peletz, Rachel; Khush, Ranjiv; Kumpel, Emily

2017-02-07

Information about the quality of rural drinking water sources can be used to manage their safety and mitigate risks to health. Sanitary surveys, which are observational checklists to assess hazards present at water sources, are simpler to conduct than microbial tests. We assessed whether sanitary survey results were associated with measured indicator bacteria levels in rural drinking water sources in Kisii Central, Kenya. Overall, thermotolerant coliform (TTC) levels were high: all of the samples from the 20 tested dug wells, almost all (95%) of the samples from the 25 tested springs, and 61% of the samples from the 16 tested rainwater harvesting systems were contaminated with TTC. There were no significant associations between TTC levels and overall sanitary survey scores or their individual components. Contamination by TTC was associated with source type (dug wells and springs were more contaminated than rainwater systems). While sanitary surveys cannot be substituted for microbial water quality results in this context, they could be used to identify potential hazards and contribute to a comprehensive risk management approach.

Selenium in the Blackfoot, Salt, and Bear River Watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hamilton, S.J.; Buhl, K.J.

2005-01-01

Nine stream sites in the Blackfoot River, Salt River, and Bear River watersheds in southeast Idaho, USA were sampled in May 2001 for water, surficial sediment, aquatic plants, aquatic invertebrates, and fish. Selenium was measured in these aquatic ecosystem components, and a hazard assessment was performed on the data. Water quality characteristics such as pH, hardness, and specific conductance were relatively uniform among the nine sites. Of the aquatic components assessed, water was the least contaminated with selenium because measured concentrations were below the national water quality criterion of 5 μ g/L at eight of the nine sites. In contrast, selenium was elevated in sediment, aquatic plants, aquatic invertebrates, and fish from several sites, suggesting deposition in sediments and food web cycling through plants and invertebrates. Selenium was elevated to concentrations of concern in fish at eight sites (> 4 μ g/g in whole body). A hazard assessment of selenium in the aquatic environment suggested a moderate hazard at upper Angus Creek (UAC) and Smoky Creek (SC), and high hazard at Little Blackfoot River (LiB), Blackfoot River gaging station (BGS), State Land Creek (SLC), upper (UGC) and lower Georgetown Creek (LGC), Deer Creek (DC), and Crow Creek (CC). The results of this study indicate that selenium concentrations from the phosphate mining area of southeast Idaho were sufficiently elevated in several ecosystem components to cause adverse effects to aquatic resources in southeastern Idaho.

Simulated response of water quality in public supply wells to land use change

USGS Publications Warehouse

McMahon, P.B.; Burow, K.R.; Kauffman, L.J.; Eberts, S.M.; Böhlke, J.K.; Gurdak, J.J.

2008-01-01

Understanding how changes in land use affect water quality of public supply wells (PSW) is important because of the strong influence of land use on water quality, the rapid pace at which changes in land use are occurring in some parts of the world, and the large contribution of groundwater to the global water supply. In this study, groundwater flow models incorporating particle tracking and reaction were used to analyze the response of water quality in PSW to land use change in four communities: Modesto, California (Central Valley aquifer); York, Nebraska (High Plains aquifer); Woodbury, Connecticut (Glacial aquifer); and Tampa, Florida (Floridan aquifer). The water quality response to measured and hypothetical land use change was dependent on age distributions of water captured by the wells and on the temporal and spatial variability of land use in the area contributing recharge to the wells. Age distributions of water captured by the PSW spanned about 20 years at Woodbury and >1,000 years at Modesto and York, and the amount of water <50 years old captured by the PSW ranged from 30% at York to 100% at Woodbury. Short‐circuit pathways in some PSW contributing areas, such as long irrigation well screens that crossed multiple geologic layers (York) and karst conduits (Tampa), affected age distributions by allowing relatively rapid movement of young water to those well screens. The spatial component of land use change was important because the complex distribution of particle travel times within the contributing areas strongly influenced contaminant arrival times and degradation reaction progress. Results from this study show that timescales for change in the quality of water from PSW could be on the order of years to centuries for land use changes that occur over days to decades, which could have implications for source water protection strategies that rely on land use change to achieve water quality objectives.Citing Literature

Simulated response of water quality in public supply wells to land use change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McMahon, P. B.; Burow, K. R.; Kauffman, L. J.; Eberts, S. M.; BöHlke, J. K.; Gurdak, J. J.

2008-07-01

Understanding how changes in land use affect water quality of public supply wells (PSW) is important because of the strong influence of land use on water quality, the rapid pace at which changes in land use are occurring in some parts of the world, and the large contribution of groundwater to the global water supply. In this study, groundwater flow models incorporating particle tracking and reaction were used to analyze the response of water quality in PSW to land use change in four communities: Modesto, California (Central Valley aquifer); York, Nebraska (High Plains aquifer); Woodbury, Connecticut (Glacial aquifer); and Tampa, Florida (Floridan aquifer). The water quality response to measured and hypothetical land use change was dependent on age distributions of water captured by the wells and on the temporal and spatial variability of land use in the area contributing recharge to the wells. Age distributions of water captured by the PSW spanned about 20 years at Woodbury and >1,000 years at Modesto and York, and the amount of water <50 years old captured by the PSW ranged from 30% at York to 100% at Woodbury. Short-circuit pathways in some PSW contributing areas, such as long irrigation well screens that crossed multiple geologic layers (York) and karst conduits (Tampa), affected age distributions by allowing relatively rapid movement of young water to those well screens. The spatial component of land use change was important because the complex distribution of particle travel times within the contributing areas strongly influenced contaminant arrival times and degradation reaction progress. Results from this study show that timescales for change in the quality of water from PSW could be on the order of years to centuries for land use changes that occur over days to decades, which could have implications for source water protection strategies that rely on land use change to achieve water quality objectives.

THE USE OF PYROLYSIS/GC/MS TO CHARACTERIZE THE ORGANIC QUALITY OF SURFACE WATERS; SPECIAL APPLICATION TO DRINKING WATER TREATMENT AND THE FORMATION OF DISINFECTION BYPRODUCTS

EPA Science Inventory

Natural Organ Material (NOM) in aquatic systems controls the effectiveness of engineered treatment processes and the fate of metals and pollutants in natural systems. At present less than 20% of NOM components can be identified. Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (P...

Linking Health Concepts in the Assessment and Evaluation of Water Distribution Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karney, Bryan W.; Filion, Yves R.

2005-01-01

The concept of health is not only a specific criterion for evaluation of water quality delivered by a distribution system but also a suitable paradigm for overall functioning of the hydraulic and structural components of the system. This article views health, despite its complexities, as the only criterion with suitable depth and breadth to allow…

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.

Root zone water quality model (RZWQM2): Model use, calibration and validation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ma, Liwang; Ahuja, Lajpat; Nolan, B.T.; Malone, Robert; Trout, Thomas; Qi, Z.

2012-01-01

The Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM2) has been used widely for simulating agricultural management effects on crop production and soil and water quality. Although it is a one-dimensional model, it has many desirable features for the modeling community. This article outlines the principles of calibrating the model component by component with one or more datasets and validating the model with independent datasets. Users should consult the RZWQM2 user manual distributed along with the model and a more detailed protocol on how to calibrate RZWQM2 provided in a book chapter. Two case studies (or examples) are included in this article. One is from an irrigated maize study in Colorado to illustrate the use of field and laboratory measured soil hydraulic properties on simulated soil water and crop production. It also demonstrates the interaction between soil and plant parameters in simulated plant responses to water stresses. The other is from a maize-soybean rotation study in Iowa to show a manual calibration of the model for crop yield, soil water, and N leaching in tile-drained soils. Although the commonly used trial-and-error calibration method works well for experienced users, as shown in the second example, an automated calibration procedure is more objective, as shown in the first example. Furthermore, the incorporation of the Parameter Estimation Software (PEST) into RZWQM2 made the calibration of the model more efficient than a grid (ordered) search of model parameters. In addition, PEST provides sensitivity and uncertainty analyses that should help users in selecting the right parameters to calibrate.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage and Water Intake in Relation to Diet Quality in U.S. Children.

PubMed

Leung, Cindy W; DiMatteo, S Gemma; Gosliner, Wendi A; Ritchie, Lorrene D

2018-03-01

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are a major contributor to children's added sugar consumption. This study examines whether children's SSB and water intakes are associated with diet quality and total energy intake. Using data on children aged 2-18 years from the 2009-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, linear regression models were used to analyze SSB and water intake in relation to Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI-2010) scores and total energy intake. Generalized linear models were used to analyze SSB and water intake in relation to the HEI-2010 scores. Analyses were conducted including and excluding caloric contributions from SSBs and were conducted in 2016-2017. SSB intake was inversely associated with the HEI-2010 total scores (9.5-point lower score comparing more than two servings/day with zero servings/day, p-trend<0.0001) and positively associated with total energy intake (394 kcal higher comparing more than two servings/day with zero servings/day, p-trend<0.0001). The associations between SSB and HEI-2010 total scores were similar when SSBs were excluded from HEI-2010 calculations. Water intake was positively associated with HEI-2010 total scores, but not associated with total energy intake. SSB intake was inversely associated with several HEI-2010 component scores, notably vegetables, total fruit, whole fruit, greens and beans, whole grains, dairy, seafood and plant proteins, and empty calories. Water intake was positively associated with most of the same HEI-2010 component scores. Children who consume SSBs have poorer diet quality and higher total energy intake than children who do not consume SSBs. Interventions for obesity and chronic disease should focus on replacing SSBs with water and improving other aspects of diet quality that correlate with SSB consumption. Copyright © 2017 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS), with an application to Chesapeake Bay River inputs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hirsch, Robert M.; Moyer, Douglas; Archfield, Stacey A.

2010-01-01

A new approach to the analysis of long-term surface water-quality data is proposed and implemented. The goal of this approach is to increase the amount of information that is extracted from the types of rich water-quality datasets that now exist. The method is formulated to allow for maximum flexibility in representations of the long-term trend, seasonal components, and discharge-related components of the behavior of the water-quality variable of interest. It is designed to provide internally consistent estimates of the actual history of concentrations and fluxes as well as histories that eliminate the influence of year-to-year variations in streamflow. The method employs the use of weighted regressions of concentrations on time, discharge, and season. Finally, the method is designed to be useful as a diagnostic tool regarding the kinds of changes that are taking place in the watershed related to point sources, groundwater sources, and surface-water nonpoint sources. The method is applied to datasets for the nine large tributaries of Chesapeake Bay from 1978 to 2008. The results show a wide range of patterns of change in total phosphorus and in dissolved nitrate plus nitrite. These results should prove useful in further examination of the causes of changes, or lack of changes, and may help inform decisions about future actions to reduce nutrient enrichment in the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.

Response of aquatic macro-invertebrate diversity to environmental factors along the Lower Komati River in Swaziland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dlamini, Vuyisile; Hoko, Zvikomborero; Murwira, Amon; Magagula, Cebisile

This paper assessed macro-invertebrates diversity as an indicator of aquatic ecosystem health in the Lower Komati River. It also investigated whether this diversity is a function of physico-chemical water quality parameters along an area with major agricultural activities. Bio-assessment of aquatic macro-invertebrates present in the Lower Komati River was carried out at seven sites on the river over 3 months. Water samples were also collected at these sites and analysed for pH, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, turbidity, nitrates, ammonia and ortho-phosphates according to standard methods. It was found out that species diversity along agricultural fields was not significantly different ( p > 0.05) between successive sites. However, nitrate and turbidity among the physico-chemical parameters indicated a significant variation of mean values ( p < 0.05) between sites. With the exception of turbidity, no significant relationship ( p > 0.05) was found between diversity and water quality parameters. Principal Component Analysis also demonstrated the influence of turbidity in the sub-catchments as it was the only parameter that showed a significant loading in all Principal Components. Turbidity seems to be the main parameter influencing aquatic macro-invertebrate diversity in the Lower Komati River at the time of study. The study recommends further studies to determine the seasonal variation of the impact of water quality on macro-invertebrates diversity.

New approach for rapid assessment of trophic status of Yellow Sea and East China Sea using easy-to-measure parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Xianyu; Liu, Yanfang; Jian, Huimin; Su, Rongguo; Yao, Qingzhen; Shi, Xiaoyong

2017-10-01

To realize potential cost savings in coastal monitoring programs and provide timely advice for marine management, there is an urgent need for efficient evaluation tools based on easily measured variables for the rapid and timely assessment of estuarine and offshore eutrophication. In this study, using parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), principal component analysis (PCA), and discriminant function analysis (DFA) with the trophic index (TRIX) for reference, we developed an approach for rapidly assessing the eutrophication status of coastal waters using easy-to-measure parameters, including chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), fluorescence excitation-emission matrices, CDOM UV-Vis absorbance, and other water-quality parameters (turbidity, chlorophyll a, and dissolved oxygen). First, we decomposed CDOM excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) by PARAFAC to identify three components. Then, we applied PCA to simplify the complexity of the relationships between the water-quality parameters. Finally, we used the PCA score values as independent variables in DFA to develop a eutrophication assessment model. The developed model yielded classification accuracy rates of 97.1%, 80.5%, 90.3%, and 89.1% for good, moderate, and poor water qualities, and for the overall data sets, respectively. Our results suggest that these easy-to-measure parameters could be used to develop a simple approach for rapid in-situ assessment and monitoring of the eutrophication of estuarine and offshore areas.

Disentangling natural and anthropogenic influences on Patagonian pond water quality.

PubMed

Epele, Luis B; Manzo, Luz M; Grech, Marta G; Macchi, Pablo; Claverie, Alfredo Ñ; Lagomarsino, Leonardo; Miserendino, M Laura

2018-02-01

The water quality of wetlands is governed not only by natural variability in hydrology and other factors, but also by anthropogenic activities. Patagonia is a vast sparsely-populated in which ponds are a key component of rural and urban landscapes because they provide several ecosystem services such as habitat for wildlife and watering for livestock. Integrating field-based and geospatial data of 109 ponds sampled across the region, we identified spatial trends and assessed the effects of anthropogenic and natural factors in pond water quality. The studied ponds were generally shallow, well oxygenated, with maximum nutrient values reported in sites used for livestock breeding. TN:TP ratio values were lower than 14 in >90% of the ponds, indicating nitrogen limitation. Water conductivity decreased from de east to the west, meanwhile pH and dissolved oxygen varied associated with the latitude. To assess Patagonian ponds water status we recommend the measure of total suspended solids and total nitrogen in the water, and evaluate the mallín (wetland vegetation) coverage in a 100m radius from the pond, since those features were significantly influenced by livestock land use. To evaluate the relative importance of natural variability and anthropogenic influences as driving factors of water quality we performed three generalized linear models (GLM) that encompassed the hydrology, hydroperiod and biome (to represent natural influences), and land use (to represent anthropogenic influences) as fixed effects. Our results revealed that at the Patagonian scale, ponds water quality would be strongly dependent on natural gradients. We synthetized spatial patterns of Patagonian pond water quality, and disentangled natural and anthropic factors finding that the dominant environmental influence is rainfall gradient. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[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.

A Hybrid Interval-Robust Optimization Model for Water Quality Management.

PubMed

Xu, Jieyu; Li, Yongping; Huang, Guohe

2013-05-01

In water quality management problems, uncertainties may exist in many system components and pollution-related processes ( i.e. , random nature of hydrodynamic conditions, variability in physicochemical processes, dynamic interactions between pollutant loading and receiving water bodies, and indeterminacy of available water and treated wastewater). These complexities lead to difficulties in formulating and solving the resulting nonlinear optimization problems. In this study, a hybrid interval-robust optimization (HIRO) method was developed through coupling stochastic robust optimization and interval linear programming. HIRO can effectively reflect the complex system features under uncertainty, where implications of water quality/quantity restrictions for achieving regional economic development objectives are studied. By delimiting the uncertain decision space through dimensional enlargement of the original chemical oxygen demand (COD) discharge constraints, HIRO enhances the robustness of the optimization processes and resulting solutions. This method was applied to planning of industry development in association with river-water pollution concern in New Binhai District of Tianjin, China. Results demonstrated that the proposed optimization model can effectively communicate uncertainties into the optimization process and generate a spectrum of potential inexact solutions supporting local decision makers in managing benefit-effective water quality management schemes. HIRO is helpful for analysis of policy scenarios related to different levels of economic penalties, while also providing insight into the tradeoff between system benefits and environmental requirements.

Assessing trihalomethanes (THMs) and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) formation potentials in drinking water treatment plants using fluorescence spectroscopy and parallel factor analysis.

PubMed

Yang, Liyang; Kim, Daekyun; Uzun, Habibullah; Karanfil, Tanju; Hur, Jin

2015-02-01

The formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) is a major challenge in drinking water treatments. This study explored the applicability of fluorescence excitation-emission matrices and parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) for assessing the formation potentials (FPs) of trihalomethanes (THMs) and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), and the treatability of THM and NDMA precursors in nine drinking water treatment plants. Two humic-like and one tryptophan-like components were identified for the samples using PARAFAC. The total THM FP (TTHM FP) correlated strongly with humic-like component C2 (r=0.874), while NDMA FP showed a moderate and significant correlation with the tryptophan-like component C3 (r=0.628). The reduction by conventional treatment was more effective for C2 than C3, and for TTHM FP than NDMA FP. The treatability of DOM and TTHM FP correlated negatively with the absorption spectral slope (S275-295) and biological index (BIX) of the raw water, but it correlated positively with humification index (HIX). Our results demonstrated that PARAFAC components were valuable for assessing DBPs FP in drinking water treatments, and also that the raw water quality could affect the treatment efficiency. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of water quality parameters using multivariate analysis for Klang River basin, Malaysia.

PubMed

Mohamed, Ibrahim; Othman, Faridah; Ibrahim, Adriana I N; Alaa-Eldin, M E; Yunus, Rossita M

2015-01-01

This case study uses several univariate and multivariate statistical techniques to evaluate and interpret a water quality data set obtained from the Klang River basin located within the state of Selangor and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The river drains an area of 1,288 km(2), from the steep mountain rainforests of the main Central Range along Peninsular Malaysia to the river mouth in Port Klang, into the Straits of Malacca. Water quality was monitored at 20 stations, nine of which are situated along the main river and 11 along six tributaries. Data was collected from 1997 to 2007 for seven parameters used to evaluate the status of the water quality, namely dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, ammoniacal nitrogen, pH, and temperature. The data were first investigated using descriptive statistical tools, followed by two practical multivariate analyses that reduced the data dimensions for better interpretation. The analyses employed were factor analysis and principal component analysis, which explain 60 and 81.6% of the total variation in the data, respectively. We found that the resulting latent variables from the factor analysis are interpretable and beneficial for describing the water quality in the Klang River. This study presents the usefulness of several statistical methods in evaluating and interpreting water quality data for the purpose of monitoring the effectiveness of water resource management. The results should provide more straightforward data interpretation as well as valuable insight for managers to conceive optimum action plans for controlling pollution in river water.

Managing vegetation in surface-flow wastewater-treatment wetlands for optimal treatment performance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thullen, J.S.; Sartoris, J.J.; Nelson, S.M.

2005-01-01

Constructed wetlands that mimic natural marshes have been used as low-cost alternatives to conventional secondary or tertiary wastewater treatment in the U.S. for at least 30 years. However, the general level of understanding of internal treatment processes and their relation to vegetation and habitat quality has not grown in proportion to the popularity of these systems. We have studied internal processes in surface-flow constructed wastewater-treatment wetlands throughout the southwestern U.S. since 1990. At any given time, the water quality, hydraulics, water temperature, soil chemistry, available oxygen, microbial communities, macroinvertebrates, and vegetation each greatly affect the treatment capabilities of the wetland. Inside the wetland, each of these components plays a functional role and the treatment outcome depends upon how the various components interact. Vegetation plays a uniquely important role in water treatment due to the large number of functions it supports, particularly with regard to nitrogen transformations. However, it has been our experience that vegetation management is critical for achieving and sustaining optimal treatment function. Effective water treatment function and good wildlife quality within a surface-flow constructed wetland depend upon the health and sustainability of the vegetation. We suggest that an effective tool to manage and sustain healthy vegetation is the use of hummocks, which are shallow emergent plant beds within the wetland, positioned perpendicular to the water flow path and surrounded by water sufficiently deep to limit further emergent vegetation expansion. In this paper, we describe the use of a hummock configuration, in conjunction with seasonal water level fluctuations, to manage the vegetation and maintain the treatment function of wastewater-treatment wetlands on a sustainable basis.

Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Variation of Surface Water Quality in Streams Affected by Coalbed Methane Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chitrakar, S.; Miller, S. N.; Liu, T.; Caffrey, P. A.

2015-12-01

Water quality data have been collected from three representative stream reaches in a coalbed methane (CBM) development area for over five years to improve the understanding of salt loading in the system. These streams are located within Atlantic Rim development area of the Muddy Creek in south-central Wyoming. Significant development of CBM wells is ongoing in the study area. Three representative sampling stream reaches included the Duck Pond Draw and Cow Creek, which receive co-produced water, and; South Fork Creek, and upstream Cow Creek which do not receive co-produced water. Water samples were assayed for various parameters which included sodium, calcium, magnesium, fluoride, chlorine, nitrate, O-phosphate, sulfate, carbonate, bicarbonates, and other water quality parameters such as pH, conductivity, and TDS. Based on these water quality parameters we have investigated various hydrochemical and geochemical processes responsible for the high variability in water quality in the region. However, effective interpretation of complex databases to understand aforementioned processes has been a challenging task due to the system's complexity. In this work we applied multivariate statistical techniques including cluster analysis (CA), principle component analysis (PCA) and discriminant analysis (DA) to analyze water quality data and identify similarities and differences among our locations. First, CA technique was applied to group the monitoring sites based on the multivariate similarities. Second, PCA technique was applied to identify the prevalent parameters responsible for the variation of water quality in each group. Third, the DA technique was used to identify the most important factors responsible for variation of water quality during low flow season and high flow season. The purpose of this study is to improve the understanding of factors or sources influencing the spatial and temporal variation of water quality. The ultimate goal of this whole research is to develop coupled salt loading and GIS-based hydrological modelling tool that will be able to simulate the salt loadings under various user defined scenarios in the regions undergoing CBM development. Therefore, the findings from this study will be used to formulate the predominant processes responsible for solute loading.

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

Wang, Taiping; Yang, Zhaoqing

Increased eutrophication and degraded water quality in estuarine and coastal waters have been a worldwide environmental concern. While it is commonly accepted that anthropogenic impact plays a major role in many emerging water quality issues, natural conditions such as restricted water circulations controlled by geometry may also substantially contribute to unfavorable water quality in certain ecosystems. To elucidate the contributions from different factors, a hydrodynamic-water quality model that integrates both physical transport and pollutant loadings is particularly warranted. A preliminary modeling study using the Environmental Fluid Dynamic Code (EFDC) is conducted to investigate hydrodynamic circulation and low dissolved oxygen (DO)more » in Hood Canal, a representative fjord in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Because the water quality modeling work is still ongoing, this paper focuses on the progress in hydrodynamic modeling component. The hydrodynamic model has been set up using the publicly available forcing data and was calibrated against field observations or NOAA predictions for tidal elevation, current, salinity and temperature. The calibrated model was also used to estimate physical transport timescales such as residence time in the estuary. The preliminary model results demonstrate that the EFDC Hood Canal model is capable of capturing the general circulation patterns in Hood Canal, including weak tidal current and strong vertical stratification. The long residence time (i.e., on the order of 100 days for the entire estuary) also indicates that restricted water circulation could contribute to low DO in the estuary and also makes the system especially susceptible to anthropogenic disturbance, such as excess nutrient input.« less

Spatio-temporal variability of hydro-chemical characteristics of coastal waters of Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve (GoMMBR), South India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kathiravan, K.; Natesan, Usha; Vishnunath, R.

2017-03-01

The intention of this study was to appraise the spatial and temporal variations in the physico-chemical parameters of coastal waters of Rameswaram Island, Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve, south India, using multivariate statistical techniques, such as cluster analysis, factor analysis and principal component analysis. Spatio-temporal variations among the physico-chemical parameters are observed in the coastal waters of Gulf of Mannar, especially during northeast and post monsoon seasons. It is inferred that the high loadings of pH, temperature, suspended particulate matter, salinity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, chlorophyll a, nutrient species of nitrogen and phosphorus strongly determine the discrimination of coastal water quality. Results highlight the important role of monsoonal variations to determine the coastal water quality around Rameswaram Island.

Water quality indicators obtainable from aircraft and Landsat images and their use in classifying lakes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scherz, J. P.; Van Domelen, J. F.

1975-01-01

Equations describing the interaction of sunlight and skylight with the surface of a lake, particles in the water to the depth where light is extinguished, and lake bottom are presented, and the use of aircraft and Landsat images to derive water quality indicators on the basis of these interactions is discussed. A very clear, deep lake with a backscatter signal similar to that of distilled water is used as a reference standard. The degree of turbidity of other target lakes is determined by comparing their residual radiance with the clear lake standard and with the residual radiance of a lake whose turbidity has been determined from water samples. The relative and absolute strengths of residual radiance are used to determine the type and concentration of suspended material, respectively. Oil slicks are characterized by an increased specular reflectance component, decreased signal from the underlying water, and added backscatter signal from the oil volume.

Ground-water flow and quality in Wisconsin's shallow aquifer system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kammerer, P.A.

1995-01-01

In terms of chemical quality, the water is suitable for potable supply and most other uses, but objectionable hardness in large areas and concen- trations of iron and manganese that exceed State drinking-water standards cause aesthetic problems that may require treatment of the water for some uses. Concentrations of major dissolved constitu- ents (calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate), hard- ness, alkalinity, and dissolved solids are highest where the bedrock component of the aquifer is dolo- mite and lowest where the shallow aquifer is almost entirely sand and gravel. Concentrations of other minor constituents (sodium, potassium, sulfate, chloride, and fluoride) are less closely related to common minerals that compose the aquifer system. Sulfate and fluoride concentrations exceed State drinking-water standards locally. Extreme variability in concentrations of iron and manganese are common locally. Iron and manganese concentra- tions exceed State drinking-water standards in water from one-third and one-quarter of the wells, respectively. Likely causes of nitrate-nitrogen con- centrations that exceed State drinking-water stan- dards include local contamination from plant fertilizers, animal wastes, waste water disposed of on land, and septic systems. Water quality in the shallow aquifer system has been affected by saline water from underlying aquifers, primarily along the eastern and western boundaries of the State where the thickness of Paleozoic rocks is greatest.

Spatial variations in water quality of river Ganga with respect to land uses in Varanasi.

PubMed

Sharma, Shikha; Roy, Arijit; Agrawal, Madhoolika

2016-11-01

Water quality of a river is a function of surrounding environment and land use due to its connectivity with land, resulting in pollutants finding their way through land. This necessitates a spatially explicit study of river ecology. The paper presents a pioneer study to establish and explore the linkage between land use and water quality of river Ganga in Varanasi district. The land use land cover (LULC) map of 20 km of river stretch for buffer radii of 1000 m in Varanasi revealed that riparian vegetation is negligible in the district. The hierarchical cluster analysis of LULC data suggested that there are two major land use categories, viz., urban and agriculture. The land use wise principal component analysis (PCA) suggested that urbanized areas are major contributor of metals, whereas agricultural land contributes organic matter into the river. The Spearman correlation study revealed that with rising urbanization, the pollutant load into the river increased compared to that from agricultural land use. The statistical analysis of the data clearly concluded that water quality of river Ganga at Varanasi was a function of adjacent land use. The study provides an insight anticipating the Indian government to embrace the relationship of land use to river water quality while formulating policies for the upcoming River Regulation Zone.

A novel approach combining self-organizing map and parallel factor analysis for monitoring water quality of watersheds under non-point source pollution

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yixiang; Liang, Xinqiang; Wang, Zhibo; Xu, Lixian

2015-01-01

High content of organic matter in the downstream of watersheds underscored the severity of non-point source (NPS) pollution. The major objectives of this study were to characterize and quantify dissolved organic matter (DOM) in watersheds affected by NPS pollution, and to apply self-organizing map (SOM) and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) to assess fluorescence properties as proxy indicators for NPS pollution and labor-intensive routine water quality indicators. Water from upstreams and downstreams was sampled to measure dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and excitation-emission matrix (EEM). Five fluorescence components were modeled with PARAFAC. The regression analysis between PARAFAC intensities (Fmax) and raw EEM measurements indicated that several raw fluorescence measurements at target excitation-emission wavelength region could provide similar DOM information to massive EEM measurements combined with PARAFAC. Regression analysis between DOC concentration and raw EEM measurements suggested that some regions in raw EEM could be used as surrogates for labor-intensive routine indicators. SOM can be used to visualize the occurrence of pollution. Relationship between DOC concentration and PARAFAC components analyzed with SOM suggested that PARAFAC component 2 might be the major part of bulk DOC and could be recognized as a proxy indicator to predict the DOC concentration. PMID:26526140

Seasonal and spatial variations of water quality and trophic status in Daya Bay, South China Sea.

PubMed

Wu, Mei-Lin; Wang, You-Shao; Wang, Yu-Tu; Sun, Fu-Lin; Sun, Cui-Ci; Cheng, Hao; Dong, Jun-De

2016-11-15

Coastal water quality and trophic status are subject to intensive environmental stress induced by human activities and climate change. Quarterly cruises were conducted to identify environmental characteristics in Daya Bay in 2013. Water quality is spatially and temporally dynamic in the bay. Cluster analysis (CA) groups 12 monitoring stations into two clusters. Cluster I consists of stations (S1, S2, S4-S7, S9, and S12) located in the central, eastern, and southern parts of the bay, representing less polluted regions. Cluster II includes stations (S3, S8, S10, and S11) located in the western and northern parts of the bay, indicating the highly polluted regions receiving a high amount of wastewater and freshwater discharge. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified that water quality experience seasonal change (summer, winter, and spring-autumn seasons) because of two monsoons in the study area. Eutrophication in the bay is graded as high by Assessment of Estuarine Trophic Status (ASSETS). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design and methods of the Midwest Stream Quality Assessment (MSQA), 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garrett, Jessica D.; Frey, Jeffrey W.; Van Metre, Peter C.; Journey, Celeste A.; Nakagaki, Naomi; Button, Daniel T.; Nowell, Lisa H.

2017-10-18

During 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment Project (NAWQA), in collaboration with the USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Rivers and Streams Assessment (NRSA), and the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs assessed stream quality across the Midwestern United States. This Midwest Stream Quality Assessment (MSQA) simultaneously characterized watershed and stream-reach water-quality stressors along with instream biological conditions, to better understand regional stressor-effects relations. The MSQA design focused on effects from the widespread agriculture in the region and urban development because of their importance as ecological stressors of particular concern to Midwest region resource managers.A combined random stratified selection and a targeted selection based on land-use data were used to identify and select sites representing gradients in agricultural intensity across the region. During a 14-week period from May through August 2013, 100 sites were selected and sampled 12 times for contaminants, nutrients, and sediment. This 14-week water-quality “index” period culminated with an ecological survey of habitat, periphyton, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish at all sites. Sediment was collected during the ecological survey for analysis of sediment chemistry and toxicity testing. Of the 100 sites, 50 were selected for the MSQA random stratified group from 154 NRSA sites planned for the region, and the other 50 MSQA sites were selected as targeted sites to more evenly cover agricultural and urban stressor gradients in the study area. Of the 50 targeted sites, 12 were in urbanized watersheds and 21 represented “good” biological conditions or “least disturbed” conditions. The remaining 17 targeted sites were selected to improve coverage of the agricultural intensity gradient or because of historical data collection to provide temporal context for the study.This report provides a detailed description of the MSQA study components, including surveys of ecological conditions, routine water sampling, deployment of passive polar organic compound integrative samplers, and stream sediment sampling at all sites. Component studies that were completed to provide finer scale temporal data or more extensive analysis at selected sites, included continuous water-quality monitoring, daily pesticide sampling, laboratory and in-stream water toxicity testing efforts, and deployment of passive suspended-sediment samplers.

[Physicochemical composition of bottled drinking water marketed in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)].

PubMed

Some, Issa Touridomon; Banao, Issouf; Gouado, Inocent; Tapsoba, Théophile Lincoln

2009-01-01

The bottled drinking water marketed in urban areas includes natural mineral water, spring water, and treated drinking water. Their physicochemical qualities depend on the type and quantity of their components and define their safe use. Bottled water is widely consumed in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), and many brand names exist. Although many publications have examined the microbiological qualities of such water, no study has examined the physicochemical quality of water from Burkina Faso. This study, conducted from March 2005 through January 2006, aimed to assess the physicochemical composition of drinking water sold in Ouagadougou to facilitate better choices and use by consumers. Results showed that all the water analyzed in Ouagadougou is soft (TH < 50 ppm) or moderately soft (50 < TH < 200 ppm) and weakly mineralized (total dissolved solid content < 500 mg/L, sulfates [SO(2-)(4)] < 200 mg/L, [Ca(++)] < 150 mg/L, [Mg(2+)] < 50 mg/L, and [HCO(3)-] < 600 mg/l). Some imported water, however, is hard and highly mineralized. French standards do not set limit values for the natural mineral water parameters described above, and much of the water sold in Ouagadougou was natural mineral water. The spring water met potability standards, except for the Montagne d'Arrée brand, which had a pH value of 5.8, below the WHO standards of 6.5 < pH 8.5.

Linking optical properties of dissolved organic matter to multiple processes at the coastal plume zone in the East China Sea.

PubMed

Jiang, Yulin; Zhao, Jianfu; Li, Penghui; Huang, Qinghui

2016-10-12

Because of the significance in photosynthesis, nutrient dynamics, trophodynamics and biological activity, dissolved organic matter (DOM) is important to the microbial community in the coastal plume zone. In this study, we investigated the hydrodynamic processes, photodegradation and biodegradation of DOM at the Yangtze River plume in the East China Sea through analyzing water quality and optical properties of DOM. Surface water samples were collected to examine water quality and fluorescence properties of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM). The results indicated that dilution was the key factor in the multiple processes, and the mixing process gradually increased from nearshore to offshore in coastal water. Four components of FDOM representing humic-like substances (C1 & C4) and protein-like substances (C2 & C3) were identified, and all components showed nearly conservative behaviors. Protein-like substances were more mutable compared to humic-like substances. The photodegradation of humic-like substances caused brown algae blooms to some extent. The molecular weight of humic substances gradually decreased along the mixing process. FDOM in the plume zone was both of terrigenous and autochthonous origins, and the characteristic of terrigenous origin was obvious compared to that of autochthonous origin.

Quality of tomato slices disinfected with ozonated water.

PubMed

Aguayo, Encarna; Escalona, Víctor; Silveira, Ana Cecilia; Artés, Francisco

2014-04-01

Fresh-cut industry needs novel disinfectant to replace the use of chlorine. Ozone is one of the most powerful oxidizing agents and is applied in gaseous or aqueous form for sanitation purposes. However, the strong oxidative effect could affect the nutritional and sensorial quality, in particular, when time of washing is extended. For that reason, the overall impact of ozonated water (0.4 mg/L) dipping applied during 1, 3 and 5 min compared to control washed in water during 5 min was studied in tomato slices stored during 14 days at 5 . According to the results, ozonated water treatment of 3 min achieved the best firmness retention, microbial quality (mesophilic, psychrotrophic and yeas load) and reduced the consumption of fructose and glucose. The use of ozonated water did not affect the total acidity, pH, total solid soluble, organic acid as ascorbic, fumaric or succinic acid and the sensorial parameters, which were only affected by storage time. However, the poor appearance, aroma and overall quality obtained in all treatments prevented shelf life of 14 days and the quality at acceptable levels was established in 10 days at 5 . It is recommended to wash tomato slices with 0.4 mg/L ozonated water for 3 min only. Extending treatment duration did not improve the microbiological quality, possibly due to the extra time permitting the ozone to react with other components of the fruit tissue, undermining the antimicrobial benefits.

Data Assessment and Reporting-Supplement to Section 106 Tribal Guidance

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document is intended to complement the Tribal 106 Guidance and provide additional detail to tribes concerning the reporting information requested by EPA. It addresses the water quality assessment component of a Tribal Assessment Report.

Students as Citizen Scientists - Earth Conservation Corps

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document has an overview of the student workshops on water quality monitoring used to generate citizen scientists. It also includes the main components of the curriculum and contact information for the Earth Conservation Corps to interested parties.

Evaluation of water quality in surface water and shallow groundwater: a case study of a rare earth mining area in southern Jiangxi Province, China.

PubMed

Hao, Xiuzhen; Wang, Dengjun; Wang, Peiran; Wang, Yuxia; Zhou, Dongmei

2016-01-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the quality of surface water and shallow groundwater near a rare earth mining area in southern Jiangxi Province, China. Water samples from paddy fields, ponds, streams, wells, and springs were collected and analyzed. The results showed that water bodies were characterized by low pH and high concentrations of total nitrogen (total N), ammonium nitrogen (NH4 (+)-N), manganese (Mn), and rare earth elements (REEs), which was likely due to residual chemicals in the soil after mining activity. A comparison with the surface water standard (State Environmental Protection Administration & General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China GB3838, 2002) and drinking water sanitary standard (Ministry of Health & National Standardization Management Committee of China GB5749, 2006) of China revealed that 88 % of pond and stream water samples investigated were unsuitable for agricultural use and aquaculture water supply, and 50 % of well and spring water samples were unsuitable for drinking water. Moreover, significant cerium (Ce) negative and heavy REEs enrichment was observed after the data were normalized to the Post-Archean Australian Shales (PAAS). Principal component analysis indicated that the mining activity had a more significant impact on local water quality than terrace field farming and poultry breeding activities. Moreover, greater risk of water pollution and adverse effects on local residents' health was observed with closer proximity to mining sites. Overall, these findings indicate that effective measures to prevent contamination of surrounding water bodies from the effects of mining activity are needed.

Fabrication of light water reactor tritium targets

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

Pilger, J.P.

1991-11-01

The mission of the Fabrication Development Task of the Tritium Target Development Project is: to produce a documented technology basis, including specifications and procedures for target rod fabrication; to demonstrate that light water tritium targets can be manufactured at a rate consistent with tritium production requirements; and to develop quality control methods to evaluate target rod components and assemblies, and establish correlations between evaluated characteristics and target rod performance. Many of the target rod components: cladding tubes, end caps, plenum springs, etc., have similar counterparts in LWR fuel rods. High production rate manufacture and inspection of these components has beenmore » adequately demonstrated by nuclear fuel rod manufacturers. This summary describes the more non-conventional manufacturing processes and inspection techniques developed to fabricate target rod components whose manufacturability at required production rates had not been previously demonstrated.« less

Commissioning and quality assurance for the treatment delivery components of the AccuBoost system.

PubMed

Iftimia, Ileana; Talmadge, Mike; Ladd, Ron; Halvorsen, Per

2015-03-08

The objective for this work was to develop a commissioning methodology for the treatment delivery components of the AccuBoost system, as well as to establish a routine quality assurance program and appropriate guidance for clinical use based on the commissioning results. Various tests were developed: 1) assessment of the accuracy of the displayed separation value; 2) validation of the dwell positions within each applicator; 3) assessment of the accuracy and precision of the applicator localization system; 4) assessment of the combined dose profile of two opposed applicators to confirm that they are coaxial; 5) measurement of the absolute dose delivered with each applicator to confirm acceptable agreement with dose based on Monte Carlo modeling; 6) measurements of the skin-to-center dose ratio using optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters; and 7) assessment of the mammopad cushion's effect on the center dose. We found that the difference between the measured and the actual paddle separation is < 0.1 cm for the separation range of 3 cm to 7.5 cm. Radiochromic film measurements demonstrated that the number of dwell positions inside the applicators agree with the values from the vendor, for each applicator type and size. The shift needed for a good applicator-grid alignment was within 0.2 cm. The dry-run test using film demonstrated that the shift of the dosimetric center is within 0.15 cm. Dose measurements in water converted to polystyrene agreed within 5.0% with the Monte Carlo data in polystyrene for the same applicator type, size, and depth. A solid water-to-water (phantom) factor was obtained for each applicator, and all future annual quality assurance tests will be performed in solid water using an average value of 1.07 for the solid water-to-water factor. The skin-to-center dose ratio measurements support the Monte Carlo-based values within 5.0% agreement. For the treatment separation range of 4 cm to 8cm, the change in center dose would be < 1.0% for all applicators when using a compressed pad of 0.2 cm to 0.3 cm. The tests performed ensured that all treatment components of the AccuBoost system are functional and that a treatment plan can be delivered with acceptable accuracy. Based on the commissioning results, a quality assurance manual and guidance documents for clinical use were developed.

Water-quality assessment of the upper Illinois River Basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin; major and trace elements in water, sediment, and biota, 1978-90

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fitzpatrick, F.A.; Scudder, B.C.; Crawford, J.K.; Schmidt, A.R.; Sieverling, J.B.

1995-01-01

The distribution of 22 major and trace elements was examined in water, sediment, and biota in the upper Illinois River Basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin as part of a pilot National Water-Quality Assessment project done by the U.S. Geological Survey from 1987 through 1990. The 22 elements are aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, boron, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, phosphorus, selenium, silver, strontium, vanadium, and zinc. Concentrations of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) priority pollutants among the 22 elements were elevated in the Chicago area in all three aquatic components (water, sediment, and biota). Further, some of the priority pollutants also were found at elevated concentrations in biota in agricultural areas in the basin. Cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, mercury, silver, and zinc concentrations in water exceeded USEPA acute or chronic water-quality criteria at several sites in the Chicago area. Correlations among concentra- tions of elements in water, sediment, and biota were found, but the correlation analysis was hindered by the large proportion of observations less than the minimum reporting level in water. Those sites where water-quality criteria were sometimes exceeded were not always the same sites where concentrations in biota were the largest. This relation indicates that accumulation of these pollutants in biota is confounded by complex geochemical and biological processes that differ throughout the upper Illinois River Basin.

Characterizing chromophoric dissolved organic matter in Lake Tianmuhu and its catchment basin using excitation-emission matrix fluorescence and parallel factor analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Yunlin; Yin, Yan; Feng, Longqing; Zhu, Guangwei; Shi, Zhiqiang; Liu, Xiaohan; Zhang, Yuanzhi

2011-10-15

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is an important optically active substance that transports nutrients, heavy metals, and other pollutants from terrestrial to aquatic systems and is used as a measure of water quality. To investigate how the source and composition of CDOM changes in both space and time, we used chemical, spectroscopic, and fluorescence analyses to characterize CDOM in Lake Tianmuhu (a drinking water source) and its catchment in China. Parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) identified three individual fluorophore moieties that were attributed to humic-like and protein-like materials in 224 water samples collected between December 2008 and September 2009. The upstream rivers contained significantly higher concentrations of CDOM than did the lake water (a(350) of 4.27±2.51 and 2.32±0.59 m(-1), respectively), indicating that the rivers carried a substantial load of organic matter to the lake. Of the three main rivers that flow into Lake Tianmuhu, the Pingqiao River brought in the most CDOM from the catchment to the lake. CDOM absorption and the microbial and terrestrial humic-like components, but not the protein-like component, were significantly higher in the wet season than in other seasons, indicating that the frequency of rainfall and runoff could significantly impact the quantity and quality of CDOM collected from the catchment. The different relationships between the maximum fluorescence intensities of the three PARAFAC components, CDOM absorption, and chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration in riverine and lake water indicated the difference in the composition of CDOM between Lake Tianmuhu and the rivers that feed it. This study demonstrates the utility of combining excitation-emission matrix fluorescence and PARAFAC to study CDOM dynamics in inland waters. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Global access to safe water: accounting for water quality and the resulting impact on MDG progress.

PubMed

Onda, Kyle; LoBuglio, Joe; Bartram, Jamie

2012-03-01

Monitoring of progress towards the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) drinking water target relies on classification of water sources as "improved" or "unimproved" as an indicator for water safety. We adjust the current Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) estimate by accounting for microbial water quality and sanitary risk using the only-nationally representative water quality data currently available, that from the WHO and UNICEF "Rapid Assessment of Drinking Water Quality". A principal components analysis (PCA) of national environmental and development indicators was used to create models that predicted, for most countries, the proportions of piped and of other-improved water supplies that are faecally contaminated; and of these sources, the proportions that lack basic sanitary protection against contamination. We estimate that 1.8 billion people (28% of the global population) used unsafe water in 2010. The 2010 JMP estimate is that 783 million people (11%) use unimproved sources. Our estimates revise the 1990 baseline from 23% to 37%, and the target from 12% to 18%, resulting in a shortfall of 10% of the global population towards the MDG target in 2010. In contrast, using the indicator "use of an improved source" suggests that the MDG target for drinking-water has already been achieved. We estimate that an additional 1.2 billion (18%) use water from sources or systems with significant sanitary risks. While our estimate is imprecise, the magnitude of the estimate and the health and development implications suggest that greater attention is needed to better understand and manage drinking water safety.

Temporal and spatial assessment of river surface water quality using multivariate statistical techniques: a study in Can Tho City, a Mekong Delta area, Vietnam.

PubMed

Phung, Dung; Huang, Cunrui; Rutherford, Shannon; Dwirahmadi, Febi; Chu, Cordia; Wang, Xiaoming; Nguyen, Minh; Nguyen, Nga Huy; Do, Cuong Manh; Nguyen, Trung Hieu; Dinh, Tuan Anh Diep

2015-05-01

The present study is an evaluation of temporal/spatial variations of surface water quality using multivariate statistical techniques, comprising cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), factor analysis (FA) and discriminant analysis (DA). Eleven water quality parameters were monitored at 38 different sites in Can Tho City, a Mekong Delta area of Vietnam from 2008 to 2012. Hierarchical cluster analysis grouped the 38 sampling sites into three clusters, representing mixed urban-rural areas, agricultural areas and industrial zone. FA/PCA resulted in three latent factors for the entire research location, three for cluster 1, four for cluster 2, and four for cluster 3 explaining 60, 60.2, 80.9, and 70% of the total variance in the respective water quality. The varifactors from FA indicated that the parameters responsible for water quality variations are related to erosion from disturbed land or inflow of effluent from sewage plants and industry, discharges from wastewater treatment plants and domestic wastewater, agricultural activities and industrial effluents, and contamination by sewage waste with faecal coliform bacteria through sewer and septic systems. Discriminant analysis (DA) revealed that nephelometric turbidity units (NTU), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and NH₃ are the discriminating parameters in space, affording 67% correct assignation in spatial analysis; pH and NO₂ are the discriminating parameters according to season, assigning approximately 60% of cases correctly. The findings suggest a possible revised sampling strategy that can reduce the number of sampling sites and the indicator parameters responsible for large variations in water quality. This study demonstrates the usefulness of multivariate statistical techniques for evaluation of temporal/spatial variations in water quality assessment and management.

Environmetric data interpretation to assess the water quality of Maritsa River catchment.

PubMed

Papazova, Petia; Simeonova, Pavlina

2013-01-01

Maritsa River is one of the largest rivers flowing on Bulgarian territory. The quality of its waters is of substantial importance for irrigation, industrial, recreation and domestic use. Besides, part of the river is flowing on Turkish territory and the control and management of the Maritsa catchment is of mutual interst for the neighboring countires. Thus, performing interpretation and modeling of the river water quality is a major environmetric problem. Two multivariate statstical methods (Cluster analysis/CA/and Principal components analysis/PCA/) were applied for model assessment of the water quality of Maritsa River on Bulgarian territory. The study used long-term monitoring data from 21 sampling sites characterized by 8 surface water quality indicators. The application of CA to the indicators results in 3 significant clusters showing the impact of biological, anthropogenic and eutrophication sources. For further assessment of the monitoring data, PCA was implemented, which identified, again,three latent factors confirming, in principle, the clustering output. The latent factors were conditionally named "biologic", "anthropogenic" and "eutrophication" source. Their identification coinside correctly to the location of real pollution sources along the Maritsa River catchment. The linkage of the sampling sites along the river flow by CA identified four special patterns separated by specific tracers levels: biological and anthropogenic major impact for pattern 1, euthrophication major impact for pattern 2, background levels for pattern 3 and eutrophication and agricultural major impact for pattern 4. The apportionment models of the pollution determined the contribution of each one of identified pollution factors to the total concentration of each one of the water quality parameters. Thus, a better risk management of the surface water quality is achieved both on local and national level.

Characterizing groundwater quality ranks for drinking purposes in Sylhet district, Bangladesh, using entropy method, spatial autocorrelation index, and geostatistics.

PubMed

Islam, Abu Reza Md Towfiqul; Ahmed, Nasir; Bodrud-Doza, Md; Chu, Ronghao

2017-12-01

Drinking water is susceptible to the poor quality of contaminated water affecting the health of humans. Thus, it is an essential study to investigate factors affecting groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking uses. In this paper, the entropy theory, multivariate statistics, spatial autocorrelation index, and geostatistics are applied to characterize groundwater quality and its spatial variability in the Sylhet district of Bangladesh. A total of 91samples have been collected from wells (e.g., shallow, intermediate, and deep tube wells at 15-300-m depth) from the study area. The results show that NO 3 - , then SO 4 2- , and As are the most contributed parameters influencing the groundwater quality according to the entropy theory. The principal component analysis (PCA) and correlation coefficient also confirm the results of the entropy theory. However, Na + has the highest spatial autocorrelation and the most entropy, thus affecting the groundwater quality. Based on the entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI) and groundwater quality index (GWQI) classifications, it is observed that 60.45 and 53.86% of water samples are classified as having an excellent to good qualities, while the remaining samples vary from medium to extremely poor quality domains for drinking purposes. Furthermore, the EWQI classification provides the more reasonable results than GWQIs due to its simplicity, accuracy, and ignoring of artificial weight. A Gaussian semivariogram model has been chosen to the best fit model, and groundwater quality indices have a weak spatial dependence, suggesting that both geogenic and anthropogenic factors play a pivotal role in spatial heterogeneity of groundwater quality oscillations.

Waste treatment and biogas quality in small-scale agricultural digesters.

PubMed

Lansing, Stephanie; Botero, Raúl Botero; Martin, Jay F

2008-09-01

Seven low-cost digesters in Costa Rica were studied to determine the potential of these systems to treat animal wastewater and produce renewable energy. The effluent water has a significantly lower oxygen demand (COD decreased from 2,968 mg/L to 472 mg/L) and higher dissolved nutrient concentration (NH(4)-N increased by 78.3% to 82.2mg/L) than the influent water, which increases the usefulness of the effluent as an organic fertilizer and decreases its organic loading on surface waters. On average, methane constituted 66% of the produced biogas, which is consistent with industrial digesters. Through principle component analysis, COD, turbidity, NH(4)-N, TKN, and pH were determined to be the most useful parameters to characterize wastewater. The results suggest that the systems have the ability to withstand fluctuations in the influent water quality. This study revealed that small-scale agricultural digesters can produce methane at concentrations useful for cooking, while improving the quality of the livestock wastewater.

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

Wegemar, B.

Operating experiences from the Forsmark 3 and Oskarshamn 3 BWRs have been evaluated during the first two cycles of their operation. The objective of this work was to determine the influence on water chemistry quality and radiation field buildup from the special design characteristics of these plants. Important differences from older ASEA-ATOM BWRs include the concept of forward pumped high pressure heater drains, magnetic filtration of high pressure drains and use of more erosion-resistant materials in turbine components. Data obtained from water radiochemistry measurements, shutdown dose rates and gamma scanning surveys, fuel deposit analyses and occuptional exposure statistics have beenmore » used in order to enable a comparsion to older ASEA-ATOM BWRs. At the end of the second cycles, satisfactory feedwater quality was reported in both plants. Radiation levels around components in the primary systems are higher in Forsmark 3 and Oskarshamn 3 as compared to other plants. This is in agreement with reactor water activities, fuel deposits and gamma scanning surveys, indicating somewhat higher amounts of cobalt-60 and cobalt-58. However, in both plants occupational exposures were low during the first two years of operation.« less

Carbon nanotube sensors integrated inside a microfluidic channel for water quality monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yu; Li, Xinghui; Dokmeci, Mehmet R.; Wang, Ming L.

2011-04-01

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with their unique electrical properties and large surface area are remarkable materials for detecting low concentration of toxic and hazardous chemicals (both from the gaseous and liquid phases). Ionic adsorbates in water will attach on to SWNTs and drastically alter their electrical properties. Several SWNTs based pH and chemical sensors have been demonstrated. However, most of them require external components to test and analyze the response of SWNTs to ions inside the liquid samples. Here, we report a water quality monitoring sensor composed of SWNTs integrated inside microfluidic channels and on-chip testing components with a wireless transmission board. To detect multiple analytes in water requires the functionalization of SWNTs with different chemistries. In addition, microfluidic channels are used to guide liquid samples to individual nanotube sensors in an efficient manner. Furthermore, the microfluidic system enables sample mixing and separation before testing. To realize the nanosensors, first microelectrodes were fabricated on an oxidized silicon substrate. Next, PDMS micro channels were fabricated and bonded on the substrate. These channels can be incorporated with a microfluidic system which can be designed to manipulate different analytes for specific molecule detection. Low temperature, solution based Dielectrophoretic (DEP) assembly was conducted inside this microfluidic system which successfully bridged SWNTs between the microelectrodes. The SWNTs sensors were next characterized with different pH buffer solutions. The resistance of SWNTs had a linearly increase as the pH values ranged from 5 to 8. The nanosensor incorporated within the microfluidic system is a versatile platform and can be utilized to detect numerous water pollutants, including toxic organics and microorganisms down to low concentrations. On-chip processing and wireless transmission enables the realization of a full autonomous system for real time monitoring of water quality.

Quality assessment of rooftop runoff and harvested rainwater from a building catchment.

PubMed

Lee, J Y; Kim, H J; Han, M Y

2011-01-01

A major obstacle to the promotion of rainwater harvesting is chemical and microbiological concerns. To determine its suitability as an alternative water resource, water quality parameters such as pH, turbidity and metal ion concentrations and counted total coliform, Escherichia coli and heterotrophic bacteria were measured. It was observed that the stored rainwater had a neutral average pH and that its turbidity depended on the duration and intensity of the rainfall event. Metal concentrations were within the permissible limits specified in the Korea drinking water standard. In addition, counts of coliform, E. coli and heterotrophic bacteria were higher in the first flush 5 min after the start of the rainfall event. Principal component analysis and correlation analysis through 40 events in 2009 showed that the quality of stored rainwater depends on the conditions of the catchment and storage tank and the antecedent dry period.

Framework for a ground-water quality monitoring and assessment program for California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belitz, Kenneth; Dubrovsky, Neil M.; Burow, Karen; Jurgens, Bryant C.; John, Tyler

2003-01-01

The State of California uses more ground water than any other State in the Nation. With a population of over 30 million people, an agricultural economy based on intensive irrigation, large urban industrial areas, and naturally elevated concentrations of some trace elements, there is a wide range of contaminant sources that have the potential to contaminate ground water and limit its beneficial uses. In response to the many-and different-potential sources of ground-water contamination, the State of California has evolved an extensive set of rules and programs to protect ground-water quality, and agencies to implement the rules and programs. These programs have in common a focus on compliance with regulations governing chemical use and (or) ground-water quality. Although appropriate for, and successful at, their specific missions, these programs do not at present provide a comprehensive view of ground-water quality in the State of California. In October 2001, The California Assembly passed a bill, AB 599, establishing the Ground-Water- Quality Monitoring Act of 2001.' The goal of AB 599 is to improve Statewide comprehensive ground-water monitoring and increase availability of information about ground-water quality to the public. AB 599 requires the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), in collaboration with an interagency task force (ITF) and a public advisory committee (PAC), to develop a plan for a comprehensive ground-water monitoring program. AB 599 specifies that the comprehensive program should be capable of assessing each ground-water basin in the State through direct and other statistically reliable sampling approaches, and that the program should integrate existing monitoring programs and design new program elements, as necessary. AB 599 also stresses the importance of prioritizing ground-water basins that provide drinking water. The United States Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the SWRCB, and in coordination with the ITF and PAC, has developed a framework for a comprehensive ground-water-quality monitoring and assessment program for California. The proposed framework relies extensively on previous work conducted by the USGS through its National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. In particular, the NAWQA program defines three types of ground-water assessment: (1) status, the assessment of the current quality of the ground-water resource; (2) trends, the detection of changes in water quality, and (3) understanding, assessing the human and natural factors that affect ground-water quality. A Statewide, comprehensive ground-water quality-monitoring and assessment program is most efficiently accomplished by applying uniform and consistent study-design and data-collection protocols to the entire State. At the same time, a comprehensive program should be relevant at a variety of scales, and therefore needs to retain flexibility to address regional and local issues. Consequently, many of the program components include a predominant element that will be consistently applied in all basins, and a secondary element that may be applied in specific basins where local conditions warrant attention.

Can Sanitary Surveys Replace Water Quality Testing? Evidence from Kisii, Kenya

PubMed Central

Misati, Aaron Gichaba; Ogendi, George; Peletz, Rachel; Khush, Ranjiv; Kumpel, Emily

2017-01-01

Information about the quality of rural drinking water sources can be used to manage their safety and mitigate risks to health. Sanitary surveys, which are observational checklists to assess hazards present at water sources, are simpler to conduct than microbial tests. We assessed whether sanitary survey results were associated with measured indicator bacteria levels in rural drinking water sources in Kisii Central, Kenya. Overall, thermotolerant coliform (TTC) levels were high: all of the samples from the 20 tested dug wells, almost all (95%) of the samples from the 25 tested springs, and 61% of the samples from the 16 tested rainwater harvesting systems were contaminated with TTC. There were no significant associations between TTC levels and overall sanitary survey scores or their individual components. Contamination by TTC was associated with source type (dug wells and springs were more contaminated than rainwater systems). While sanitary surveys cannot be substituted for microbial water quality results in this context, they could be used to identify potential hazards and contribute to a comprehensive risk management approach. PMID:28178226

Effects of stock use and backpackers on water quality in wilderness in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, USA.

PubMed

Clow, David W; Forrester, Harrison; Miller, Benjamin; Roop, Heidi; Sickman, James O; Ryu, Hodon; Domingo, Jorge Santo

2013-12-01

During 2010-2011, a study was conducted in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI) to evaluate the influence of pack animals (stock) and backpackers on water quality in wilderness lakes and streams. The study had three main components: (1) a synoptic survey of water quality in wilderness areas of the parks, (2) paired water quality sampling above and below several areas with differing types and amounts of visitor use, and (3) intensive monitoring at six sites to document temporal variations in water quality. Data from the synoptic water quality survey indicated that wilderness lakes and streams are dilute and have low nutrient and Escherichia coli concentrations. The synoptic survey sites were categorized as minimal use, backpacker-use, or mixed use (stock and backpackers), depending on the most prevalent type of use upstream from the sampling locations. Sites with mixed use tended to have higher concentrations of most constituents (including E. coli) than those categorized as minimal-use (P ≤ 0.05); concentrations at backpacker-use sites were intermediate. Data from paired-site sampling indicated that E. coli, total coliform, and particulate phosphorus concentrations were greater in streams downstream from mixed-use areas than upstream from those areas (P ≤ 0.05). Paired-site data also indicated few statistically significant differences in nutrient, E. coli, or total coliform concentrations in streams upstream and downstream from backpacker-use areas. The intensive-monitoring data indicated that nutrient and E. coli concentrations normally were low, except during storms, when notable increases in concentrations of E. coli, nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, and turbidity occurred. In summary, results from this study indicate that water quality in SEKI wilderness generally is good, except during storms; and visitor use appears to have a small, but statistically significant influence on stream water quality.

Effects of Stock Use and Backpackers on Water Quality in Wilderness in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clow, David W.; Forrester, Harrison; Miller, Benjamin; Roop, Heidi; Sickman, James O.; Ryu, Hodon; Domingo, Jorge Santo

2013-12-01

During 2010-2011, a study was conducted in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI) to evaluate the influence of pack animals (stock) and backpackers on water quality in wilderness lakes and streams. The study had three main components: (1) a synoptic survey of water quality in wilderness areas of the parks, (2) paired water quality sampling above and below several areas with differing types and amounts of visitor use, and (3) intensive monitoring at six sites to document temporal variations in water quality. Data from the synoptic water quality survey indicated that wilderness lakes and streams are dilute and have low nutrient and Escherichia coli concentrations. The synoptic survey sites were categorized as minimal use, backpacker-use, or mixed use (stock and backpackers), depending on the most prevalent type of use upstream from the sampling locations. Sites with mixed use tended to have higher concentrations of most constituents (including E. coli) than those categorized as minimal-use ( P ≤ 0.05); concentrations at backpacker-use sites were intermediate. Data from paired-site sampling indicated that E. coli, total coliform, and particulate phosphorus concentrations were greater in streams downstream from mixed-use areas than upstream from those areas ( P ≤ 0.05). Paired-site data also indicated few statistically significant differences in nutrient, E. coli, or total coliform concentrations in streams upstream and downstream from backpacker-use areas. The intensive-monitoring data indicated that nutrient and E. coli concentrations normally were low, except during storms, when notable increases in concentrations of E. coli, nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, and turbidity occurred. In summary, results from this study indicate that water quality in SEKI wilderness generally is good, except during storms; and visitor use appears to have a small, but statistically significant influence on stream water quality.

Effects of stock use and backpackers on water quality in wilderness in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clow, David W.; Forrester, Harrison; Miller, Benjamin; Roop, Heidi; Sickman, James O.; Ryu, Hodon; Santo Domingo, Jorge

2013-01-01

During 2010-2011, a study was conducted in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI) to evaluate the influence of pack animals (stock) and backpackers on water quality in wilderness lakes and streams. The study had three main components: (1) a synoptic survey of water quality in wilderness areas of the parks, (2) paired water-quality sampling above and below several areas with differing types and amounts of visitor use, and (3) intensive monitoring at six sites to document temporal variations in water quality. Data from the synoptic water-quality survey indicated that wilderness lakes and streams are dilute and have low nutrient and Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentrations. The synoptic survey sites were categorized as minimal use, backpacker use, or mixed use (stock and backpackers), depending on the most prevalent type of use upstream from the sampling locations. Sites with mixed use tended to have higher concentrations of most constituents (including E.coli) than those categorized as minimal-use (p≤0.05); concentrations at backpacker-use sites were intermediate. Data from paired-site sampling indicated that E.coli, total coliform, and particulate phosphorus concentrations were greater in streams downstream from mixed-use areas than upstream from those areas (p≤0.05). Paired-site data also indicated few statistically significant differences in nutrient, E. coli, or total coliform concentrations in streams upstream and downstream from backpacker-use areas. The intensive-monitoring data indicated that nutrient and E. coli concentrations normally were low, except during storms, when notable increases in concentrations of E.coli, nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, and turbidity occurred. In summary, results from this study indicate that water quality in SEKI wilderness generally is good, except during storms; and visitor use appears to have a small, but statistically significant influence on stream water quality.

What Medical Directors Need to Know about Dialysis Facility Water Management.

PubMed

Kasparek, Ted; Rodriguez, Oscar E

2015-06-05

The medical directors of dialysis facilities have many operational clinic responsibilities, which on first glance, may seem outside the realm of excellence in patient care. However, a smoothly running clinic is integral to positive patient outcomes. Of the conditions for coverage outlined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, one most critical to quality dialysis treatment is the provision of safe purified dialysis water, because there are many published instances where clinic failure in this regard has resulted in patient harm. As the clinical leader of the facility, the medical director is obliged to have knowledge of his/her facility's water treatment system to reliably ensure that the purified water used in dialysis will meet the standards for quality set by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation and used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for conditions for coverage. The methods used to both achieve and maintain these quality standards should be a part of quality assessment and performance improvement program meetings. The steps for water treatment, which include pretreatment, purification, and distribution, are largely the same, regardless of the system used. Each water treatment system component has a specific role in the process and requires individualized maintenance and monitoring. The medical director should provide leadership by being engaged with the process, knowing the facility's source water, and understanding water treatment system operation as well as the clinical significance of system failure. Successful provision of quality water will be achieved by those medical directors who learn, know, and embrace the requirements of dialysis water purification and system maintenance. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Nephrology.

Quantifying the Global Fresh Water Budget: Capabilities from Current and Future Satellite Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hildebrand, Peter; Zaitchik, Benjamin

2007-01-01

The global water cycle is complex and its components are difficult to measure, particularly at the global scales and with the precision needed for assessing climate impacts. Recent advances in satellite observational capabilities, however, are greatly improving our knowledge of the key terms in the fresh water flux budget. Many components of the of the global water budget, e.g. precipitation, atmospheric moisture profiles, soil moisture, snow cover, sea ice are now routinely measured globally using instruments on satellites such as TRMM, AQUA, TERRA, GRACE, and ICESat, as well as on operational satellites. New techniques, many using data assimilation approaches, are providing pathways toward measuring snow water equivalent, evapotranspiration, ground water, ice mass, as well as improving the measurement quality for other components of the global water budget. This paper evaluates these current and developing satellite capabilities to observe the global fresh water budget, then looks forward to evaluate the potential for improvements that may result from future space missions as detailed by the US Decadal Survey, and operational plans. Based on these analyses, and on the goal of improved knowledge of the global fresh water budget under the effects of climate change, we suggest some priorities for the future, based on new approaches that may provide the improved measurements and the analyses needed to understand and observe the potential speed-up of the global water cycle under the effects of climate change.

Shallow groundwater quality and associated non-cancer health risk in agricultural areas (Poyang Lake basin, China).

PubMed

Soldatova, Evgeniya; Sun, Zhanxue; Maier, Sofya; Drebot, Valeriia; Gao, Bai

2018-03-24

Owing to their accessibility, shallow groundwater is an essential source of drinking water in rural areas while usually being used without control by authorities. At the same time, this type of water resource is one of the most vulnerable to pollution, especially in regions with extensive agricultural activity. These factors increase the probability of adverse health effects in the population as a result of the consumption of shallow groundwater. In the present research, shallow groundwater quality in the agricultural areas of Poyang Lake basin was assessed according to world and national standards for drinking water quality. To evaluate non-cancer health risk from drinking groundwater, the hazard quotient from exposure to individual chemicals and hazard index from exposure to multiple chemicals were applied. It was found that, in shallow groundwater, the concentrations of 11 components (NO 3 - , NH 4 + , Fe, Mn, As, Al, rare NO 2 - , Se, Hg, Tl and Pb) exceed the limits referenced in the standards for drinking water. According to the health risk assessment, only five components (NO 3 - , Fe, As, rare NO 2 - and Mn) likely provoke non-cancer effects. The attempt to evaluate the spatial distribution of human health risk from exposure to multiple chemicals shows that the most vulnerable area is associated with territory characterised by low altitude where reducing or near-neutral conditions are formed (lower reaches of Xiushui and Ganjiang Rivers). The largest health risk is associated with the immune system and adverse dermal effects.

Application of receptor models on water quality data in source apportionment in Kuantan River Basin

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Recent techniques in the management of surface river water have been expanding the demand on the method that can provide more representative of multivariate data set. A proper technique of the architecture of artificial neural network (ANN) model and multiple linear regression (MLR) provides an advance tool for surface water modeling and forecasting. The development of receptor model was applied in order to determine the major sources of pollutants at Kuantan River Basin, Malaysia. Thirteen water quality parameters were used in principal component analysis (PCA) and new variables of fertilizer waste, surface runoff, anthropogenic input, chemical and mineral changes and erosion are successfully developed for modeling purposes. Two models were compared in terms of efficiency and goodness-of-fit for water quality index (WQI) prediction. The results show that APCS-ANN model gives better performance with high R2 value (0.9680) and small root mean square error (RMSE) value (2.6409) compared to APCS-MLR model. Meanwhile from the sensitivity analysis, fertilizer waste acts as the dominant pollutant contributor (59.82%) to the basin studied followed by anthropogenic input (22.48%), surface runoff (13.42%), erosion (2.33%) and lastly chemical and mineral changes (1.95%). Thus, this study concluded that receptor modeling of APCS-ANN can be used to solve various constraints in environmental problem that exist between water distribution variables toward appropriate water quality management. PMID:23369363

A Hybrid Interval–Robust Optimization Model for Water Quality Management

PubMed Central

Xu, Jieyu; Li, Yongping; Huang, Guohe

2013-01-01

Abstract In water quality management problems, uncertainties may exist in many system components and pollution-related processes (i.e., random nature of hydrodynamic conditions, variability in physicochemical processes, dynamic interactions between pollutant loading and receiving water bodies, and indeterminacy of available water and treated wastewater). These complexities lead to difficulties in formulating and solving the resulting nonlinear optimization problems. In this study, a hybrid interval–robust optimization (HIRO) method was developed through coupling stochastic robust optimization and interval linear programming. HIRO can effectively reflect the complex system features under uncertainty, where implications of water quality/quantity restrictions for achieving regional economic development objectives are studied. By delimiting the uncertain decision space through dimensional enlargement of the original chemical oxygen demand (COD) discharge constraints, HIRO enhances the robustness of the optimization processes and resulting solutions. This method was applied to planning of industry development in association with river-water pollution concern in New Binhai District of Tianjin, China. Results demonstrated that the proposed optimization model can effectively communicate uncertainties into the optimization process and generate a spectrum of potential inexact solutions supporting local decision makers in managing benefit-effective water quality management schemes. HIRO is helpful for analysis of policy scenarios related to different levels of economic penalties, while also providing insight into the tradeoff between system benefits and environmental requirements. PMID:23922495

Recording Fathometer Techniques for Hydrilla Distribution and Biomass Studies.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-01-01

DISTRIBUTION AND BIOMASS STUDIES PART I: FATHOMETER STUDIES Introduction . 1. Aquatic macrophytes are an integral component of freshwater ecosystems...larger bodies of water . Color and infrared photography have been employed successfully as remote sensing techniques to map the coverage of aquatic ...Fox, editors. Water quality manage- ment through biological control. Rep. No. ENV-07-75-1. Carlander, K. D. 1977. Handbook of freshwater fishery biology

Remote sensing inputs to National Model Implementation Program for water resources quality improvement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eidenshink, J. C.; Schmer, F. A.

1979-01-01

The Lake Herman watershed in southeastern South Dakota has been selected as one of seven water resources systems in the United States for involvement in the National Model Implementation Program (MIP). MIP is a pilot program initiated to illustrate the effectiveness of existing water resources quality improvement programs. The Remote Sensing Institute (RSI) at South Dakota State University has produced a computerized geographic information system for the Lake Herman watershed. All components necessary for the monitoring and evaluation process were included in the data base. The computerized data were used to produce thematic maps and tabular data for the land cover and soil classes within the watershed. These data are being utilized operationally by SCS resource personnel for planning and management purposes.

Water cycle research associated with the CaPE hydrometeorology project (CHymP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duchon, Claude E.

1993-01-01

One outgrowth of the Convection and Precipitation/Electrification (CaPE) experiment that took place in central Florida during July and August 1991 was the creation of the CaPE Hydrometeorology Project (CHymP). The principal goal of this project is to investigate the daily water cycle of the CaPE experimental area by analyzing the numerous land and atmosphere in situ and remotely sensed data sets that were generated during the 40-days of observations. The water cycle comprises the atmospheric branch. In turn, the atmospheric branch comprises precipitation leaving the base of the atmospheric volume under study, evaporation and transpiration entering the base, the net horizontal fluxes of water vapor and cloud water through the volume and the conversion of water vapor to cloud water and vice-versa. The sum of these components results in a time rate of change in the water and liquid water (or ice) content of the atmospheric volume. The components of the land branch are precipitation input to and evaporation and transpiration output from the surface, net horizontal fluxes of surface and subsurface water, the sum of which results in a time rate of change in surface and subsurface water mass. The objective of CHymP is to estimate these components in order to determine the daily water budget for a selected area within the CaPE domain. This work began in earnest in the summer of 1992 and continues. Even estimating all the budget components for one day is a complex and time consuming task. The discussions below provides a short summary of the rainfall quality assessment procedures followed by a plan for estimating the horizontal moisture flux.

Impact on enzyme activity as a new quality index of wastewater.

PubMed

Balestri, Francesco; Moschini, Roberta; Cappiello, Mario; Del-Corso, Antonella; Mura, Umberto

2013-03-15

The aim of this study was to define a new indicator for the quality of wastewaters that are released into the environment. A quality index is proposed for wastewater samples in terms of the inertness of wastewater samples toward enzyme activity. This involves taking advantage of the sensitivity of enzymes to pollutants that may be present in the waste samples. The effect of wastewater samples on the rate of a number of different enzyme-catalyzed reactions was measured, and the results for all the selected enzymes were analyzed in an integrated fashion (multi-enzymatic sensor). This approach enabled us to define an overall quality index, the "Impact on Enzyme Function" (IEF-index), which is composed of three indicators: i) the Synoptic parameter, related to the average effect of the waste sample on each component of the enzymatic sensor; ii) the Peak parameter, related to the maximum effect observed among all the effects exerted by the sample on the sensor components; and, iii) the Interference parameter, related to the number of sensor components that are affected less than a fixed threshold value. A number of water based samples including public potable tap water, fluids from urban sewage systems, wastewater disposal from leather, paper and dye industries were analyzed and the IEF-index was then determined. Although the IEF-index cannot discriminate between different types of wastewater samples, it could be a useful parameter in monitoring the improvement of the quality of a specific sample. However, by analyzing an adequate number of waste samples of the same type, even from different local contexts, the profile of the impact of each component of the multi-enzymatic sensor could be typical for specific types of waste. The IEF-index is proposed as a supplementary qualification score for wastewaters, in addition to the certification of the waste's conformity to legal requirements. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coupling System Dynamics and Physically-based Models for Participatory Water Management - A Methodological Framework, with Two Case Studies: Water Quality in Quebec, and Soil Salinity in Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boisvert-Chouinard, J.; Halbe, J.; Baig, A. I.; Adamowski, J. F.

2014-12-01

The principles of Integrated Water Resource Management outline the importance of stakeholder participation in water management processes, but in practice, there is a lack of meaningful engagement in water planning and implementation, and participation is often limited to public consultation and education. When models are used to support water planning, stakeholders are usually not involved in their development and use, and the models commonly fail to represent important feedbacks between socio-economic and physical processes. This paper presents the development of holistic models of the Du Chêne basin in Quebec, and the Rechna Doab basin in Pakistan, that simulate socio-economic and physical processes related to, respectively, water quality management, and soil salinity management. The models each consists of two sub-components: a System Dynamics (SD) model, and a physically based model. The SD component was developed in collaboration with key stakeholders in the basins. The Du Chêne SD model was coupled with a Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, while the Rechna Doab SD model was coupled with SahysMod, a soil salinity model. The coupled models were used to assess the environmental and socio-economic impacts of different management scenarios proposed by stakeholders. Results indicate that coupled SD - physically-based models can be used as effective tools for participatory water planning and implementation. The participatory modeling process provides a structure for meaningful stakeholder engagement, and the models themselves can be used to transparently and coherently assess and compare different management options.

Innovative solutions for intractable water problems in the face of climate change in southern and East African sub regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mapani, Benjamin; Makurira, Hodson; Magole, Lapologang; Meck, Maideyi; Mkandawire, Theresa; Mul, Marloes; Ngongondo, Cosmo

2018-06-01

This issue has a total of thirty-two (32) papers; and covers the IWRM sub themes of Hydrology, Land and People, Water Resources Management, Water and Environment and Wastewater and Sanitation. Water issues have become more and more complex as the supply side is affected by issues of quantity, availability and vulnerability due to natural factors such as climate change and urbanization. These challenges call for new management strategies and governance styles. Access to clean freshwater is a basic requirement for enhanced quality of life and development by all. However, this access has three main components that must be met adequately as this issue illustrates. These components are firstly, the quantity of water available; secondly, the quality and thirdly supply and appropriate delivery of this precious resource to domestic, commercial and industrial users. The demand side has also become more challenging, especially in urban areas as more and more people move from the rural areas to the cities. It has become a daily challenge in many African cities to supply water to these new urban dwellers and more so in unplanned settlements. These issues require a way and manner of delivering solutions and new innovative ideas. The topics in this issue vary from climate variability and how we are to improve our management strategies to mitigation, through to vulnerability of water resources and how to strengthen governance issues that plague some institutions in our region.

Auto Drain Valve Water Separator inside the Unit of Komatsu HD 465-7R

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manurung, V. A. T.; Joko W, Y. T.; Poetra, R. I.

2018-02-01

Water separator is a component that separate water from fuel, so the circulating fuel in the fuel system is not contaminated by water. If there is water inside the water separator, it will be carried by into the fuel system and then impacting to the engine performance. It’s such as lowering engine power because the fuel filter is clogged due to the fuel mix with water. Then the real danger is in case of the fuel mixes with the water. It will damage the fuel system components such as blockage of injectors due to corrosion and wear of fuel supply pump. As informed from daily maintenance record data, we have found that the low power engine trouble was caused by the fuel filter that was clogged high enough. Using the fishbone analysis, we got the main problem is there was water in the fuel separator at maximum level and did not discharge. In this condition, it is need optional device to automatically discharge the water from the water separator while maximum level reached, so the operator does not need to drain the water manually. The operator will be warned by buzzing active alarm and flashing caution lamp inside the cabin. By this method, the potential risk of mix up water with fuel would be avoided and the loss of others component failure would be mostly avoided. By using this tool, we can save net quality income around IDR (Indonesia Rupiah) 11,673,519,800.

Roadway applications of vegetation and riprap for streambank protection : synthesis report , appendix.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-01-01

Riprap is commonly used for roadway protection at streams. However, vegetation is generally not a component of such protection. Environmental impacts such as increased water temperature and decreased quality of stream habitat may result from the remo...

Roadway applications of vegetation and riprap for streambank protection : synthesis report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-01-01

Riprap is commonly used for roadway protection at streams. However, vegetation is generally not a component of such protection. Environmental impacts such as increased water temperature and decreased quality of stream habitat may result from the remo...

CHARACTERIZATION AND REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR LIGHT NONAQUEOUS PHASE LIQUIDS

EPA Science Inventory

Light nonaqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs), principally petroleum products, affect ground-water quality at numerous sites across this country and throughout the world. Petroleum products are typically multi-component organic mixtures composed of chemicals with a wide range of solubi...

[Review on HSPF model for simulation of hydrology and water quality processes].

PubMed

Li, Zhao-fu; Liu, Hong-Yu; Li, Yan

2012-07-01

Hydrological Simulation Program-FORTRAN (HSPF), written in FORTRAN, is one ol the best semi-distributed hydrology and water quality models, which was first developed based on the Stanford Watershed Model. Many studies on HSPF model application were conducted. It can represent the contributions of sediment, nutrients, pesticides, conservatives and fecal coliforms from agricultural areas, continuously simulate water quantity and quality processes, as well as the effects of climate change and land use change on water quantity and quality. HSPF consists of three basic application components: PERLND (Pervious Land Segment) IMPLND (Impervious Land Segment), and RCHRES (free-flowing reach or mixed reservoirs). In general, HSPF has extensive application in the modeling of hydrology or water quality processes and the analysis of climate change and land use change. However, it has limited use in China. The main problems with HSPF include: (1) some algorithms and procedures still need to revise, (2) due to the high standard for input data, the accuracy of the model is limited by spatial and attribute data, (3) the model is only applicable for the simulation of well-mixed rivers, reservoirs and one-dimensional water bodies, it must be integrated with other models to solve more complex problems. At present, studies on HSPF model development are still undergoing, such as revision of model platform, extension of model function, method development for model calibration, and analysis of parameter sensitivity. With the accumulation of basic data and imorovement of data sharing, the HSPF model will be applied more extensively in China.

Prediction of Water Quality Parameters Using Statistical Methods: A Case Study in a Specially Protected Area, Ankara, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alp, E.; Yücel, Ö.; Özcan, Z.

2014-12-01

Turkey has been making many legal arrangements for sustainable water management during the harmonization process with the European Union. In order to make cost effective and efficient decisions, monitoring network in Turkey has been expanding. However, due to time and budget constraints, desired number of monitoring campaigns can not be carried. Hence, in this study, independent parameters that can be measured easily and quickly are used to estimate water quality parameters in Lake Mogan and Eymir using linear regression. Nonpoint sources are one of the major pollutant components in Eymir and Mogan lakes. In this paper, a correlation between easily measurable parameters, DO, temperature, electrical conductivity, pH, precipitation and dependent variables, TN, TP, COD, Chl-a, TSS, Total Coliform is investigated. Simple regression analysis is performed for each season in Eymir and Mogan lakes by using SPSS Statistical program using the water quality data collected between 2006-2012. Regression analysis demonstrated significant linear relationship between measured and simulated concentrations for TN (R2=0.86), TP (R2=0.85), TSS (R2=0.91), Chl-a (R2=0.94), COD (R2=0.99), T. Coliform (R2=0.97) which are the best results in each season for Eymir and Mogan Lakes. The overall results of this study shows that by using easily measurable parameters even in ungauged situation the water quality of lakes can be predicted. Moreover, the outputs obtained from the regression equations can be used as an input for water quality models such as phosphorus budget model which is used to calculate the required reduction in the external phosphorus load to Lake Mogan to meet the water quality standards.

Application of GIS and Visualization Technology in the Regional-Scale Ground-Water Modeling of the Twentynine Palms and San Jose Areas, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Z.

2003-12-01

Application of GIS and visualization technology significantly contributes to the efficiency and success of developing ground-water models in the Twentynine Palms and San Jose areas, California. Visualizations from GIS and other tools can help to formulate the conceptual model by quickly revealing the basinwide geohydrologic characteristics and changes of a ground-water flow system, and by identifying the most influential components of system dynamics. In addition, 3-D visualizations and animations can help validate the conceptual formulation and the numerical calibration of the model by checking for model-input data errors, revealing cause and effect relationships, and identifying hidden design flaws in model layering and other critical flow components. Two case studies will be presented: The first is a desert basin (near the town of Twentynine Palms) characterized by a fault-controlled ground-water flow system. The second is a coastal basin (Santa Clara Valley including the city of San Jose) characterized by complex, temporally variable flow components ­¦ including artificial recharge through a large system of ponds and stream channels, dynamically changing inter-layer flow from hundreds of multi-aquifer wells, pumping-driven subsidence and recovery, and climatically variable natural recharge. For the Twentynine Palms area, more than 10,000 historical ground-water level and water-quality measurements were retrieved from the USGS databases. The combined use of GIS and visualization tools allowed these data to be swiftly organized and interpreted, and depicted by water-level and water-quality maps with a variety of themes for different uses. Overlaying and cross-correlating these maps with other hydrological, geological, geophysical, and geochemical data not only helped to quickly identify the major geohydrologic characteristics controlling the natural variation of hydraulic head in space, such as faults, basin-bottom altitude, and aquifer stratigraphies, but also helped to identify the temporal changes induced by human activities, such as pumping. For the San Jose area, a regional-scale ground-water/surface-water flow model was developed with 6 model layers, 360 monthly stress periods, and complex flow components. The model was visualized by creating animations for both hydraulic head and land subsidence. Cell-by-cell flow of individual flow components was also animated. These included simulated infiltration from climatically variable natural recharge, interlayer flow through multi-aquifer well bores, flow gains and losses along stream channels, and storage change in response to system recharge and discharge. These animations were used to examine consistency with other independent observations, such as measured water-level distribution, mapped gaining and losing stream reaches, and INSAR-interpreted subsidence and uplift. In addition, they revealed enormous detail on the spatial and temporal variation of both individual flow components as well as the entire flow system, and thus significantly increased understanding of system dynamics and improved the accuracy of model simulations.

Relevance between SV and components based on water quality inspection by gas plumes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakanishi, A.; Aoyama, C.; Fukuoka, H.; Tajima, H.; Kumagai, H.; Takahashi, A.

2017-12-01

Gas and hydrate seeping from the seafloor into ocean water can be monitored on board, as images on echogram (acoustic equipment display inboard) by utilizing acoustic measurement equipment such as multi-beam sonars. Colors and shades of these images displayed on the monitor vary depending on the acoustic impedance. Backscattering strength (hereinafter referred as SV) depends on the type and density of plume components. Therefore, plume components should not be determined only by examining volume scattering density. By standardizing the relevance between gas plume SV and the components, types of plume components can be presumed just by calculating plume SV based on multi-beam data.Data from the following explorations will be utilized to perform the analysis of metal sensor, CTD measurement, and sampling. July, 2017 KAIYO-MARU2 (KAIYO ENGINEERING CO., LTD) @ Sea of Japan July, 2017 SIHNYO MARU (Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology) @ Sea of Japan. And Chemical data obtained through YK16-07 cruise is also to be discussed.

Spatial and temporal assessment of surface water quality in the Arka River, Akkar, Lebanon.

PubMed

Daou, Claude; Nabbout, Rony; Kassouf, Amine

2016-12-01

Surface water quality monitoring constitutes a crucial and important step in any water quality management system. Twenty-three physicochemical and microbiological parameters were assessed in surface water samples collected from the Arka River located in the Akkar District, north of Lebanon. Eight sampling locations were considered along the river and seven sampling campaigns were performed in order to evaluate spatial and temporal influences. The extraction of relevant information from this relatively large data set was done using principal component analysis (PCA), being a very well established chemometric tool in this field. In a first step, extracted PCA loadings revealed the implication of several physicochemical parameters in the discriminations and trends highlighted by PCA scores, mainly due to soil leaching and seawater intrusion. However, further investigations showed the implication of organic and bacterial parameters in the discrimination of stations in the Akkar flatland. These discriminations probably refer to anthropogenic pollution coming from the agricultural area and the surrounding villages. Specific ultraviolet absorption (SUVA) indices confirmed these findings since values decreased for samples collected across the villages and the flatland, indicating an increase in anthropogenic dissolved organic matter. This study will hopefully help the national and local authorities to ameliorate the surface water quality management, enabling its proper use for irrigation purposes.

Operational Draft Regional Guidebook for the Functional Assessment of High-Gradient Headwater Streams and Low-Gradient Perennial Streams in Appalachia

DTIC Science & Technology

rapid assessments provided in this guidebook utilize structural components of streams and their watershed and can be used in conjunction with assessment of water quality and biotic communities if desired.

SNAG AND LARGE WOODY DEBRIS DYNAMICS IN RIPARIAN FORESTS

EPA Science Inventory

Important components of riparian forests are snags and streamside large woody debris (LWD) because they are functional in maintaining water quality and providing habitat for numerous plants and animals. To effectively manage riparian forests, it is important to understand the dy...

Monitoring and evaluation of the water quality of Budeasa Reservoir-Arges River, Romania.

PubMed

Ion, Antoanela; Vladescu, Luminita; Badea, Irinel Adriana; Comanescu, Laura

2016-09-01

The purpose of this study was to monitor and record the specific characteristics and properties of the Arges River water in the Budeasa Reservoir (the principal water resources of municipal tap water of the big Romanian city Pitesti and surrounding area) for a period of 5 years (2005-2009). The monitored physical and chemical parameters were turbidity, pH, electrical conductivity, chemical oxygen demand, 5 days biochemical oxygen demand, free dissolved oxygen, nitrite, nitrate, ammonia nitrogen, chloride, total dissolved iron ions, sulfate, manganese, phosphate, total alkalinity, and total hardness. The results were discussed in correlation with the precipitation values during the study. Monthly and annual values of each parameter determined in the period January 2005-December 2009 were used as a basis for the classification of Budeasa Reservoir water, according to the European legislation, as well as for assessing its quality as a drinking water supply. Principal component analysis and Pearson correlation coefficients were used as statistical procedures in order to evaluate the data obtained during this study.

Long-term characterization, lagoon treatment and migration potential of landfill leachate: a case study in an active Italian landfill.

PubMed

Frascari, D; Bronzini, F; Giordano, G; Tedioli, G; Nocentini, M

2004-01-01

The elaboration of 10 years of monitoring of leachate quality and quantity, leachate treatment and degree of contamination of soil and surface waters at the Tre Monti site--an active, 4-million-m(3) landfill in Northern Italy--is presented in this study. A hydrological model of leachate production is applied, with a good match of the experimental data. The concentrations of all leachate components except sulfate are characterized by fluctuations over a constant or increasing value. Different ways of interpreting leachate quality data are discussed; the elaboration indicates that the pollutant load on the leachate treatment facility will remain basically constant as long as waste will be added to the landfill. The analysis of the data relative to 10 years of leachate pre-treatment in the adjoining, non-aerated lagoon system indicates that a significant removal is achieved for most leachate components; the operational conditions of the plant are described, and the removal mechanisms are discussed. Finally, the potential for contamination of soil and surface waters is examined by analyzing long-term quality trends of the sub-superficial waters sampled near the lagoons and by means of an analytical campaign conducted on clay cores sampled near and underneath the treatment ponds. The experimental values indicate that the clay layer located under the entire site offers an effective barrier to the migration of leachate contaminants.

Characterization of Surface Water and Groundwater Quality in the Lower Tano River Basin Using Statistical and Isotopic Approach.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edjah, Adwoba; Stenni, Barbara; Cozzi, Giulio; Turetta, Clara; Dreossi, Giuliano; Tetteh Akiti, Thomas; Yidana, Sandow

2017-04-01

Adwoba Kua- Manza Edjaha, Barbara Stennib,c,Giuliano Dreossib, Giulio Cozzic, Clara Turetta c,T.T Akitid ,Sandow Yidanae a,eDepartment of Earth Science, University of Ghana Legon, Ghana West Africa bDepartment of Enviromental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca Foscari University of Venice, Italy cInstitute for the Dynamics of Environmental Processes, CNR, Venice, Italy dDepartment of Nuclear Application and Techniques, Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences University of Ghana Legon This research is part of a PhD research work "Hydrogeological Assessment of the Lower Tano river basin for sustainable economic usage, Ghana, West - Africa". In this study, the researcher investigated surface water and groundwater quality in the Lower Tano river basin. This assessment was based on some selected sampling sites associated with mining activities, and the development of oil and gas. Statistical approach was applied to characterize the quality of surface water and groundwater. Also, water stable isotopes, which is a natural tracer of the hydrological cycle was used to investigate the origin of groundwater recharge in the basin. The study revealed that Pb and Ni values of the surface water and groundwater samples exceeded the WHO standards for drinking water. In addition, water quality index (WQI), based on physicochemical parameters(EC, TDS, pH) and major ions(Ca2+, Na+, Mg2+, HCO3-,NO3-, CL-, SO42-, K+) exhibited good quality water for 60% of the sampled surface water and groundwater. Other statistical techniques, such as Heavy metal pollution index (HPI), degree of contamination (Cd), and heavy metal evaluation index (HEI), based on trace element parameters in the water samples, reveal that 90% of the surface water and groundwater samples belong to high level of pollution. Principal component analysis (PCA) also suggests that the water quality in the basin is likely affected by rock - water interaction and anthropogenic activities (sea water intrusion). This was confirm by further statistical analysis (cluster analysis and correlation matrix) of the water quality parameters. Spatial distribution of water quality parameters, trace elements and the results obtained from the statistical analysis was determined by geographical information system (GIS). In addition, the isotopic analysis of the sampled surface water and groundwater revealed that most of the surface water and groundwater were of meteoric origin with little or no isotopic variations. It is expected that outcomes of this research will form a baseline for making appropriate decision on water quality management by decision makers in the Lower Tano river Basin. Keywords: Water stable isotopes, Trace elements, Multivariate statistics, Evaluation indices, Lower Tano river basin.

Quantifying Sources and Fluxes of Aquatic Carbon in U.S. Streams and Reservoirs Using Spatially Referenced Regression Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyer, E. W.; Smith, R. A.; Alexander, R. B.; Schwarz, G. E.

2004-12-01

Organic carbon (OC) is a critical water quality characteristic in riverine systems that is an important component of the aquatic carbon cycle and energy balance. Examples of processes controlled by OC interactions are complexation of trace metals; enhancement of the solubility of hydrophobic organic contaminants; formation of trihalomethanes in drinking water; and absorption of visible and UV radiation. Organic carbon also can have indirect effects on water quality by influencing internal processes of aquatic ecosystems (e.g. photosynthesis and autotrophic and heterotrophic activity). The importance of organic matter dynamics on water quality has been recognized, but challenges remain in quantitatively addressing OC processes over broad spatial scales in a hydrological context. In this study, we apply spatially referenced watershed models (SPARROW) to statistically estimate long-term mean-annual rates of dissolved- and total- organic carbon export in streams and reservoirs across the conterminous United States. We make use of a GIS framework for the analysis, describing sources, transport, and transformations of organic matter from spatial databases providing characterizations of climate, land use, primary productivity, topography, soils, and geology. This approach is useful because it illustrates spatial patterns of organic carbon fluxes in streamflow, highlighting hot spots (e.g., organic-rich environments in the southeastern coastal plain). Further, our simulations provide estimates of the relative contributions to streams from allochthonous and autochthonous sources. We quantify surface water fluxes of OC with estimates of uncertainty in relation to the overall US carbon budget; our simulations highlight that aquatic sources and sinks of OC may be a more significant component of regional carbon cycling than was previously thought. Further, we are using our simulations to explore the potential role of climate and other changes in the terrestrial environment on OC fluxes in aquatic systems.

Identification of prominent spatio-temporal signals in GRACE derived terrestrial water storage for India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, C.; Nagesh Kumar, D.

2014-11-01

Fresh water is a necessity of the human civilization. But with the increasing global population, the quantity and quality of available fresh water is getting compromised. To mitigate this subliminal problem, it is essential to enhance our level of understanding about the dynamics of global and regional fresh water resources which include surface and ground water reserves. With development in remote sensing technology, traditional and much localized in-situ observations are augmented with satellite data to get a holistic picture of the terrestrial water resources. For this reason, Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission was jointly implemented by NASA and German Aerospace Research Agency - DLR to map the variation of gravitational potential, which after removing atmospheric and oceanic effects is majorly caused by changes in Terrestrial Water Storage (TWS). India also faces the challenge of rejuvenating the fast deteriorating and exhausting water resources due to the rapid urbanization. In the present study we try to identify physically meaningful major spatial and temporal patterns or signals of changes in TWS for India. TWS data set over India for a period of 90 months, from June 2003 to December 2010 is use to isolate spatial and temporal signals using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), an extensively used method in meteorological studies. To achieve better disintegration of the data into more physically meaningful components we use a blind signal separation technique, Independent Component Analysis (ICA).

A review of proton exchange membrane water electrolysis on degradation mechanisms and mitigation strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Qi; Yuan, Xiao-Zi; Liu, Gaoyang; Wei, Bing; Zhang, Zhen; Li, Hui; Wang, Haijiang

2017-10-01

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is an advanced and effective solution to the primary energy storage technologies. A better understanding of performance and durability of PEMWE is critical for the engineers and researchers to further advance this technology for its market penetration, and for the manufacturers of PEM water electrolyzers to implement quality control procedures for the production line or on-site process monitoring/diagnosis. This paper reviews the published works on performance degradations and mitigation strategies for PEMWE. Sources of degradation for individual components are introduced. With degradation causes discussed and degradation mechanisms examined, the review emphasizes on feasible strategies to mitigate the components degradation. To avoid lengthy real lifetime degradation tests and their high costs, the importance of accelerated stress tests and protocols is highlighted for various components. In the end, R&D directions are proposed to move the PEMWE technology forward to become a key element in future energy scenarios.

Membrane oxygenator heat exchanger failure detected by unique blood gas findings.

PubMed

Hawkins, Justin L

2014-03-01

Failure of components integrated into the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit, although rare, can bring about catastrophic results. One of these components is the heat exchanger of the membrane oxygenator. In this compartment, unsterile water from the heater cooler device is separated from the sterile blood by stainless steel, aluminum, or by polyurethane. These areas are glued or welded to keep the two compartments separate, maintaining sterility of the blood. Although quality control testing is performed by the manufacturer at the factory level, transport presents the real possibility for damage. Because of this, each manufacturer has included in the instructions for use a testing procedure for testing the integrity of the heat exchanger component. Water is circulated through the heat exchanger before priming and a visible check is made of the oxygenator bundle to check for leaks. If none are apparent, then priming of the oxygenator is performed. In this particular case, this procedure was not useful in detecting communication between the water and blood chambers of the oxygenator.

Temporal performance assessment of wastewater treatment plants by using multivariate statistical analysis.

PubMed

Ebrahimi, Milad; Gerber, Erin L; Rockaway, Thomas D

2017-05-15

For most water treatment plants, a significant number of performance data variables are attained on a time series basis. Due to the interconnectedness of the variables, it is often difficult to assess over-arching trends and quantify operational performance. The objective of this study was to establish simple and reliable predictive models to correlate target variables with specific measured parameters. This study presents a multivariate analysis of the physicochemical parameters of municipal wastewater. Fifteen quality and quantity parameters were analyzed using data recorded from 2010 to 2016. To determine the overall quality condition of raw and treated wastewater, a Wastewater Quality Index (WWQI) was developed. The index summarizes a large amount of measured quality parameters into a single water quality term by considering pre-established quality limitation standards. To identify treatment process performance, the interdependencies between the variables were determined by using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The five extracted components from the 15 variables accounted for 75.25% of total dataset information and adequately represented the organic, nutrient, oxygen demanding, and ion activity loadings of influent and effluent streams. The study also utilized the model to predict quality parameters such as Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Total Phosphorus (TP), and WWQI. High accuracies ranging from 71% to 97% were achieved for fitting the models with the training dataset and relative prediction percentage errors less than 9% were achieved for the testing dataset. The presented techniques and procedures in this paper provide an assessment framework for the wastewater treatment monitoring programs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of water quality, benthic invertebrates, and periphyton in the Threemile Creek basin, Mobile, Alabama, 1999-2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

McPherson, Ann K.; Gill, Amy C.; Moreland, Richard S.

2005-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a 4-year investigation of water quality and aquatic-community structure in Threemile Creek, an urban stream that drains residential areas in Mobile, Alabama. Water-quality samples were collected between March 2000 and September 2003 at four sites on Threemile Creek, and between March 2000 and October 2001 at two tributary sites that drain heavily urbanized areas in the watershed. Stream samples were analyzed for major ions, nutrients, fecal-indicator bacteria, and selected organic wastewater compounds. Continuous measurements of dissolved-oxygen concentrations, water temperature, specific conductance, and turbidity were recorded at three sites on Threemile Creek during 1999?2003. Aquatic-community structure was evaluated by conducting one survey of the benthic invertebrate community and multiple surveys of the algal community (periphyton). Benthic invertebrate samples were collected in July 2000 at four sites on Threemile Creek; periphyton samples were collected at four sites on Threemile Creek and the two tributary sites during 2000 ?2003. The occurrence and distribution of chemical constituents in the water column provided an initial assessment of water quality in the streams; the structure of the benthic invertebrate and algal communities provided an indication of the cumulative effects of water quality on the aquatic biota. Information contained in this report can be used by planners and resource managers in the evaluation of proposed total maximum daily loads and other restoration efforts that may be implemented on Threemile Creek. The three most upstream sites on Threemile Creek had similar water chemistry, characterized by a strong calcium-bicarbonate component; the most downstream site on Threemile Creek was affected by tidal fluctuations and mixing from Mobile Bay and had a strong sodium-chloride component. The water chemistry at the tributary site on Center Street was characterized by a strong sodium-chloride component; the water chemistry at the second tributary site, Toulmins Spring Branch, was characterized by a strong calcium component without a dominant anionic species. The ratios of sodium to chloride at the tributary at Center Street were higher than typical values for seawater, indicating that sources other than seawater (such as leaking or overflowing sewer systems or industrial discharge) likely are contributors to the increased levels of sodium and chloride. Concentrations of fluoride and boron also were elevated at this site, indicating possible anthropogenic sources. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations were not always within levels established by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management; continuous monitors recorded dissolved-oxygen concentrations that were repeatedly less than the minimum criterion (3.0 milligrams per liter) at the most downstream site on Threemile Creek. Water temperature exceeded the recommended criterion (32.2 degrees Celsius) at five of six sites in the Threemile Creek basin. The pH values were within established criteria (6.0 ? 8.5) at sites on Threemile Creek; however, pH values ranged from 7.2 to 10.0 at the tributary at Center Street and from 6.6 to 9.9 at Toulmins Spring Branch. Nutrient concentrations in the Threemile Creek basin reflect the influences of both land use and the complex hydrologic systems in the lower part of the basin. Nitrite-plus-nitrate concentrations exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ecoregion nutrient criteria in 88 percent of the samples. In 45 percent of the samples, total phosphorus concentrations exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency goal of 0.1 milligram per liter for preventing nuisance aquatic growth. Ratios of nitrogen to phosphorus indicate that both nutrients have limiting effects. Median concentrations of enterococci and fecal coliform bacteria were highest at the two tributary sites and lowest at the most upstream site on Threemile Creek. In general, concentrations o

Water and bed-sediment quality in the vicinity of Berlin Lake, Ohio, 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Darner, Robert A.

2002-01-01

Berlin Lake, in northeast Ohio, was created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1943 and is used primarily for flood control for the upper reaches of the Mahoning River. The area surrounding and under the lake has been tapped for oil and natural gas production. One of the by-products of oil and gas production is concentrated salt water or brine, which might have an effect on the chemical quality of area potable-water sources. This report presents the results of a U.S. Geological Survey baseline study to collect current (2001) water and sediment-quality data and to characterize water quality in the Berlin Lake watershed. Chloride-to-bromide ratios were used to detect the presence of brine in water samples and to indicate possible adverse effects on water quality. Analyses of ground-water samples from domestic wells in the area indicate a source of chloride and bromide, but defining the source would require more data collection. Analyses of specific conductance and dissolved solids indicate that 78 percent (14 of 18) of the ground-water samples exceeded the Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level for dissolved solids in public water supplies of 500 milligrams per liter (mg/L), compared to 6 percent of samples exceeding 500 mg/L in two nearby studies. Surface water was analyzed twice, once each during low-flow and surface runoff conditions. A comparison of the 2001 data to historical chloride concentrations, accounting for seasonal changes, does not indicate an increase in chloride loads for surface water in the area of Berlin Lake. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were found in bed-sediment samples collected from the mouths of major tributaries to Berlin Lake. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are produced during the incomplete combustion of organic carbon materials such as wood and fossil fuels, and they are components of petroleum products.

Occurrence and distribution of bacteria indicators, chemical tracers and pathogenic vibrios in Singapore coastal waters.

PubMed

Goh, Shin Giek; Bayen, Stéphane; Burger, David; Kelly, Barry C; Han, Ping; Babovic, Vladan; Gin, Karina Yew-Hoong

2017-01-15

Water quality in Singapore's coastal area was evaluated with microbial indicators, pathogenic vibrios, chemical tracers and physico-chemical parameters. Sampling sites were grouped into two clusters (coastal sites at (i) northern and (ii) southern part of Singapore). The coastal sites located at northern part of Singapore along the Johor Straits exhibited greater pollution. Principal component analysis revealed that sampling sites at Johor Straits have greater loading on carbamazepine, while turbidity poses greater influence on sampling sites at Singapore Straits. Detection of pathogenic vibrios was also more prominent at Johor Straits than the Singapore Straits. This study examined the spatial variations in Singapore's coastal water quality and provided the baseline information for health risk assessment and future pollution management. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimating the susceptibility of surface water in Texas to nonpoint-source contamination by use of logistic regression modeling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Battaglin, William A.; Ulery, Randy L.; Winterstein, Thomas; Welborn, Toby

2003-01-01

In the State of Texas, surface water (streams, canals, and reservoirs) and ground water are used as sources of public water supply. Surface-water sources of public water supply are susceptible to contamination from point and nonpoint sources. To help protect sources of drinking water and to aid water managers in designing protective yet cost-effective and risk-mitigated monitoring strategies, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the U.S. Geological Survey developed procedures to assess the susceptibility of public water-supply source waters in Texas to the occurrence of 227 contaminants. One component of the assessments is the determination of susceptibility of surface-water sources to nonpoint-source contamination. To accomplish this, water-quality data at 323 monitoring sites were matched with geographic information system-derived watershed- characteristic data for the watersheds upstream from the sites. Logistic regression models then were developed to estimate the probability that a particular contaminant will exceed a threshold concentration specified by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Logistic regression models were developed for 63 of the 227 contaminants. Of the remaining contaminants, 106 were not modeled because monitoring data were available at less than 10 percent of the monitoring sites; 29 were not modeled because there were less than 15 percent detections of the contaminant in the monitoring data; 27 were not modeled because of the lack of any monitoring data; and 2 were not modeled because threshold values were not specified.

[Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy of CDOM from Yundang Lagoon and its indication for organic pollution].

PubMed

Zhuo, Jian-Fu; Guo, Wei-Dong; Deng, Xun; Zhang, Zhi-Ying; Xu, Jing; Huang, Ling-Feng

2010-06-01

Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMs) combined with absorption spectroscopy were applied to study the optical properties of CDOM samples from highly-polluted Yundang Lagoon in Xiamen in order to demonstrate the feasibility of using these spectral properties as a tracer of the degree of organic pollution in similar polluted coastal waters. Surface water samples were collected from 13 stations 4 times during April and May, 2008. Parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) model was used to resolve the EEMs of CDOM. Five separate fluorescent components were identified, including two humic-like components (C1: 240, 325/422 nm; C5: 260, 380/474 nm), two protein-like components (C2: 225, 275/350 nm; C4: 240, 300/354 nm) and one xenobiotic-like component (C3: 225/342 nm), which could be used as a good tracer for the input of the anthropogenic organic, pollutants. The concentrations of component C3 and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) are much higher near the inlet of sewage discharge, demonstrating that the discharge of surrounding sewage is a major source of organic pollutants in Yundang Lagoon. CDOM absorption coefficient alpha (280) and the score of humic-like component C1 showed significant linear relationships with COD(Mn), and a strong positive correlation was also found between the score of protein-like component C2 and BOD5. This suggested that the optical properties of CDOM may provide a fast in-situ way to monitor the variation of the water quality in Yundang Lagoon and that of similar polluted coastal waters.

[Spring water quality assessment regarding the problem of endemic fluorosis].

PubMed

Leshchenko, D V; Mialo, O A; Beliakova, M B; Beliaeva, E A; Samoukina, A M; Chervinets, Iu V; Ivanova, O V

2013-01-01

A possible variant for reducing the consumption of fluoride by population of Tver region is the use of water with low fluoride content, such as spring water. Assessment of drinking suitability of spring water (the content of physiologically important mineral elements and microbial purity) is relevant to our region. Water samples from 6 spring-water source of Tver region were studied during the year. The content of fluoride and calcium were measured by using an ion-selective electrodes. Microbiological purity tested by the presence of total coliform bacteria, thermotolerant coliform bacteria, coliphages and total microbial numbers. The analysis of some mineral components in spring water of Tver region showed that calcium content was in range 33-88 mg/l, that satisfied the recommended value; fluoride concentration is less then 0.5 mg/l. In all spring water samples total coliforms, thermotolerant coliforms and coliphages were absent. The total microbial number was in standard range, except of two spring-water source in the autumn and summer. The data suppose that spring water of Tver region can be used as a component of diet normalizing the fluoride consumption at risk of dental fluorosis in children.

Modeling energy consumption in membrane bioreactors for wastewater treatment in north Africa.

PubMed

Skouterisl, George; Arnot, Tom C; Jraou, Mouna; Feki, Firas; Sayadi, Sami

2014-03-01

Two pilot-scale membrane bioreactors were operated alongside a full-sized activated sludge plant in Tunisia in order to compare specific energy demand and treated water quality. Energy consumption rates were measured for the complete membrane bioreactor systems and for their different components. Specific energy demand was measured for the systems and compared with the activated sludge plant, which operated at around 3 kWh m(-3). A model was developed for each membrane bioreactor based on both dynamic and steady-state mass balances, microbial kinetics and stoichiometry, and energy balance. Energy consumption was evaluated as a function of mixed-liquor suspended solids concentration, net permeate fluxes, and the resultant treated water quality. This work demonstrates the potential for using membrane bioreactors in decentralised domestic water treatment in North Africa, at energy consumption levels similar or lower than conventional activated sludge systems, with the added benefit of producing treated water suitable for unrestricted crop irrigation.

QUANTIFICATION OF INSTREAM FLOW NEEDS OF A WILD AND SCENIC RIVER FOR WATER RIGHTS LITIGATION.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garn, Herbert S.

1986-01-01

The lower 4 miles of the Red River, a tributary of the Rio Grande in northern New Mexico, was designated as one of the 'instant' components of the National Wild and Scenic River System in 1968. Instream flow requirements were determined by several methods to quantify the claims made by the United States for a federal reserved water right under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The scenic (aesthetic), recreational, and fish and wildlife values are the purposes for which instream flow requirements were claimed. Since water quality is related to these values, instream flows for waste transport and protection of water quality were also included in the claim. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Instream Flow Incremental Methodology was used to quantify the relationship between various flow regimes and fish habitat. Study results are discussed.

Estimation of available water capacity components of two-layered soils using crop model inversion: Effect of crop type and water regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sreelash, K.; Buis, Samuel; Sekhar, M.; Ruiz, Laurent; Kumar Tomer, Sat; Guérif, Martine

2017-03-01

Characterization of the soil water reservoir is critical for understanding the interactions between crops and their environment and the impacts of land use and environmental changes on the hydrology of agricultural catchments especially in tropical context. Recent studies have shown that inversion of crop models is a powerful tool for retrieving information on root zone properties. Increasing availability of remotely sensed soil and vegetation observations makes it well suited for large scale applications. The potential of this methodology has however never been properly evaluated on extensive experimental datasets and previous studies suggested that the quality of estimation of soil hydraulic properties may vary depending on agro-environmental situations. The objective of this study was to evaluate this approach on an extensive field experiment. The dataset covered four crops (sunflower, sorghum, turmeric, maize) grown on different soils and several years in South India. The components of AWC (available water capacity) namely soil water content at field capacity and wilting point, and soil depth of two-layered soils were estimated by inversion of the crop model STICS with the GLUE (generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation) approach using observations of surface soil moisture (SSM; typically from 0 to 10 cm deep) and leaf area index (LAI), which are attainable from radar remote sensing in tropical regions with frequent cloudy conditions. The results showed that the quality of parameter estimation largely depends on the hydric regime and its interaction with crop type. A mean relative absolute error of 5% for field capacity of surface layer, 10% for field capacity of root zone, 15% for wilting point of surface layer and root zone, and 20% for soil depth can be obtained in favorable conditions. A few observations of SSM (during wet and dry soil moisture periods) and LAI (within water stress periods) were sufficient to significantly improve the estimation of AWC components. These results show the potential of crop model inversion for estimating the AWC components of two-layered soils and may guide the sampling of representative years and fields to use this technique for mapping soil properties that are relevant for distributed hydrological modelling.

46 CFR 160.135-11 - Fabrication of prototype lifeboats for approval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

.... The Commandant may prescribe additional prototype tests and inspections necessary to maintain quality... inspecting— (i) Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) Construction. (A) FRP components of each prototype lifeboat... system; (vii) Installation of the steering system; and (viii) Installation of the water spray fire...

46 CFR 160.135-11 - Fabrication of prototype lifeboats for approval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

.... The Commandant may prescribe additional prototype tests and inspections necessary to maintain quality... inspecting— (i) Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) Construction. (A) FRP components of each prototype lifeboat... system; (vii) Installation of the steering system; and (viii) Installation of the water spray fire...

46 CFR 160.135-11 - Fabrication of prototype lifeboats for approval.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

.... The Commandant may prescribe additional prototype tests and inspections necessary to maintain quality... inspecting— (i) Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) Construction. (A) FRP components of each prototype lifeboat... system; (vii) Installation of the steering system; and (viii) Installation of the water spray fire...

Storm Water Management Model Reference Manual Volume I, Hydrology

EPA Science Inventory

SWMM is a dynamic rainfall-runoff simulation model used for single event or long-term (continuous) simulation of runoff quantity and quality from primarily urban areas. The runoff component of SWMM operates on a collection of subcatchment areas that receive precipitation and gene...

Storm Water Management Model Reference Manual Volume II – Hydraulics

EPA Science Inventory

SWMM is a dynamic rainfall-runoff simulation model used for single event or long-term (continuous) simulation of runoff quantity and quality from primarily urban areas. The runoff component of SWMM operates on a collection of subcatchment areas that receive precipitation and gene...

A continental-scale hydrology and water quality model for Europe: Calibration and uncertainty of a high-resolution large-scale SWAT model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbaspour, K. C.; Rouholahnejad, E.; Vaghefi, S.; Srinivasan, R.; Yang, H.; Kløve, B.

2015-05-01

A combination of driving forces are increasing pressure on local, national, and regional water supplies needed for irrigation, energy production, industrial uses, domestic purposes, and the environment. In many parts of Europe groundwater quantity, and in particular quality, have come under sever degradation and water levels have decreased resulting in negative environmental impacts. Rapid improvements in the economy of the eastern European block of countries and uncertainties with regard to freshwater availability create challenges for water managers. At the same time, climate change adds a new level of uncertainty with regard to freshwater supplies. In this research we build and calibrate an integrated hydrological model of Europe using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) program. Different components of water resources are simulated and crop yield and water quality are considered at the Hydrological Response Unit (HRU) level. The water resources are quantified at subbasin level with monthly time intervals. Leaching of nitrate into groundwater is also simulated at a finer spatial level (HRU). The use of large-scale, high-resolution water resources models enables consistent and comprehensive examination of integrated system behavior through physically-based, data-driven simulation. In this article we discuss issues with data availability, calibration of large-scale distributed models, and outline procedures for model calibration and uncertainty analysis. The calibrated model and results provide information support to the European Water Framework Directive and lay the basis for further assessment of the impact of climate change on water availability and quality. The approach and methods developed are general and can be applied to any large region around the world.

Study of Geochemical System in Constructed Wetland Using Multivariate Statistical Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, V.

2015-12-01

People have recognized that the human activities lead to the degradation of the environment, and constructed wetland is one of the well-known technologies for water treatment. In constructed wetland, complicated processes should be considered such as redox reactions, acid-base reactions, adsorption-desorption between water and sediment and biochemical reactions associated with plant and microorganism. In this study, most of inorganic components were analyzed and principal component analysis (PCA) was followed for depicting the controlling biochemical reaction in the constructed wetland. The results could be a guide to operate the constructed wetland. The constructed wetland in this study is located in Taoyuan County, north Taiwan. It's a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland composed of ten cells. The water in wetland was pumped from Nankan River, which collects wastewater from Hwaya technology park, Linkou, Guishan and Nankan industrial zone. The water of inflow and outflow from each cell were collected for analyzing inorganic components with ICP-MS and IC. In general, the results show that water quality had dramatically changed in the first three cells and became stable in the following seven cells. In this study, PCA extracted two major factors (PCs), which can respectively explain 52.76%（PC1）and 28.32%（PC2）of variance of water quality data. PC1 separates samples of the first three cells from those of the other following cells. It is believed that there was another pollution source involved in the 4th cell because PC1 is characterized by high loadings of most of trace heavy metals. On the other hand, the hydrochemistry of water mainly evolve along PC2 axis. PC2 is composed of Fe, Mn, NH4, dissolved oxygen, pH, etc with high loadings. These chemical components are predominately controlled by redox reactions. Moreover, the deep water from the 4th cell contains high concentrations of many heavy metals, especially Cu and Ga. This confirms the previous derivation based on PCA. The rare earth elements (REEs) were also measured in this study. After normalized to North American shale, the REEs shows an uncommon pattern with Eu and Gd positive anomalies and Tm negative anomaly, which probably result from industrial contamination. However, more studies would be needed to prove it.

Success in Outreach and Education Through a Partnership Approach Between Government and Grass Roots: The Yukon River Basin Water Quality Monitoring Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maracle, B. K.; Schuster, P. F.

2008-12-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently concluded a five-year water quality study (2001-2005) of the Yukon River and its major tributaries. One component of the study was to establish a water quality baseline providing a frame of reference to assess changes in the basin that may result from climate change. As the study neared its conclusion, the USGS began to foster a relationship with the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC). The YRITWC was in the process of building a steward-based Yukon River water quality program. Both the USGS and the YRITWC recognized the importance of collaboration resulting in mutual benefits. Through the guidance, expertise, and training provided by the USGS, YRITWC developed and implemented a basin-wide water quality program. The YRITWC program began in March, 2006 utilizing USGS protocols, techniques, and in-kind services. To date, more than 300 samplings and field measurements at more than 25 locations throughout the basin (twice the size of California) have been completed by more than 50 trained volunteers. The Yukon River Basin baseline water quality database has been extended from 5 to 8 years due to the efforts of the YRITWC-USGS collaboration. Basic field measurements include field pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and water temperature. Samples taken for laboratory analyses include major ions, dissolved organic carbon, greenhouse gases, nutrients, and stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen, and selected trace elements. Field replicates and blanks were introduced into the program in 2007 for quality assurance. Building toward a long-term dataset is critical to understanding the effects of climate change on river basins. Thus, relaying the importance of long-term water-quality databases is a main focus of the training workshops. Consistencies in data populations between the USGS 5-year database and the YRITWC 3-year database indicate protocols and procedures made a successful transition. This reflects the success of the YRITWC- USGS sponsored water-quality training workshops for water technicians representing more than 18 Tribal Councils and First Nations throughout the Yukon River Basin. The collaborative approach to outreach and education will be described along with discussion of future opportunities using this model.

Integrated water system simulation by considering hydrological and biogeochemical processes: model development, with parameter sensitivity and autocalibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y. Y.; Shao, Q. X.; Ye, A. Z.; Xing, H. T.; Xia, J.

2016-02-01

Integrated water system modeling is a feasible approach to understanding severe water crises in the world and promoting the implementation of integrated river basin management. In this study, a classic hydrological model (the time variant gain model: TVGM) was extended to an integrated water system model by coupling multiple water-related processes in hydrology, biogeochemistry, water quality, and ecology, and considering the interference of human activities. A parameter analysis tool, which included sensitivity analysis, autocalibration and model performance evaluation, was developed to improve modeling efficiency. To demonstrate the model performances, the Shaying River catchment, which is the largest highly regulated and heavily polluted tributary of the Huai River basin in China, was selected as the case study area. The model performances were evaluated on the key water-related components including runoff, water quality, diffuse pollution load (or nonpoint sources) and crop yield. Results showed that our proposed model simulated most components reasonably well. The simulated daily runoff at most regulated and less-regulated stations matched well with the observations. The average correlation coefficient and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency were 0.85 and 0.70, respectively. Both the simulated low and high flows at most stations were improved when the dam regulation was considered. The daily ammonium-nitrogen (NH4-N) concentration was also well captured with the average correlation coefficient of 0.67. Furthermore, the diffuse source load of NH4-N and the corn yield were reasonably simulated at the administrative region scale. This integrated water system model is expected to improve the simulation performances with extension to more model functionalities, and to provide a scientific basis for the implementation in integrated river basin managements.

Chapter 16Tracing Nitrogen Sources and Cycling in Catchments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kendall, Carol

1998-01-01

This chapter focuses on the uses of isotopes to understand water chemistry.I Isotopic compositions generally cannot be interpreted successfully in the absence of other chemical and hydrologic data. The chapter focusses on uses of isotopes in tracing sources and cycling of nitrogen in the water-component of forested catchment, and on dissolved nitrate in shallow waters, nutrient uptake studies in agricultural areas, large-scale tracer experiments, groundwater contamination studies, food-web investigations, and uses of compound-specific stable isotope techniques. Shallow waters moving along a flowpath through a relatively uniform material and reacting with minerals probably do not achieve equilibrium but gradually approach some steady-state composition. The chapter also discusses the use of isotopic techniques to assess impacts of changes in land-management practices and land use on water quality. The analysis of individual molecular components for isotopic composition has much potential as a method for tracing the source, biogeochemistry, and degradation of organic liquids and gases because different materials have characteristic isotope spectrums or biomarkers.

Establishment of the TREECS Platform: A Survey of Existing Tools, Portals, and Frameworks

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

advanced analysis tiers may require the user to download analysis components that will need to be run on his/her system. TREECS initially focuses on...location, water, economy, quality of life , and infrastructure (Jenicek and Goran 2005). Potential indicators for measuring regional resources within...County Quality of Life Sustainability QL1 Crime rate National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) County QL2 Housing availability US Census

Hydrochemical and multivariate analysis of groundwater quality in the northwest of Sinai, Egypt.

PubMed

El-Shahat, M F; Sadek, M A; Salem, W M; Embaby, A A; Mohamed, F A

2017-08-01

The northwestern coast of Sinai is home to many economic activities and development programs, thus evaluation of the potentiality and vulnerability of water resources is important. The present work has been conducted on the groundwater resources of this area for describing the major features of groundwater quality and the principal factors that control salinity evolution. The major ionic content of 39 groundwater samples collected from the Quaternary aquifer shows high coefficients of variation reflecting asymmetry of aquifer recharge. The groundwater samples have been classified into four clusters (using hierarchical cluster analysis), these match the variety of total dissolvable solids, water types and ionic orders. The principal component analysis combined the ionic parameters of the studied groundwater samples into two principal components. The first represents about 56% of the whole sample variance reflecting a salinization due to evaporation, leaching, dissolution of marine salts and/or seawater intrusion. The second represents about 15.8% reflecting dilution with rain water and the El-Salam Canal. Most groundwater samples were not suitable for human consumption and about 41% are suitable for irrigation. However, all groundwater samples are suitable for cattle, about 69% and 15% are suitable for horses and poultry, respectively.

Water quality modelling of an impacted semi-arid catchment using flow data from the WEAP model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slaughter, Andrew R.; Mantel, Sukhmani K.

2018-04-01

The continuous decline in water quality in many regions is forcing a shift from quantity-based water resources management to a greater emphasis on water quality management. Water quality models can act as invaluable tools as they facilitate a conceptual understanding of processes affecting water quality and can be used to investigate the water quality consequences of management scenarios. In South Africa, the Water Quality Systems Assessment Model (WQSAM) was developed as a management-focussed water quality model that is relatively simple to be able to utilise the small amount of available observed data. Importantly, WQSAM explicitly links to systems (yield) models routinely used in water resources management in South Africa by using their flow output to drive water quality simulations. Although WQSAM has been shown to be able to represent the variability of water quality in South African rivers, its focus on management from a South African perspective limits its use to within southern African regions for which specific systems model setups exist. Facilitating the use of WQSAM within catchments outside of southern Africa and within catchments for which these systems model setups to not exist would require WQSAM to be able to link to a simple-to-use and internationally-applied systems model. One such systems model is the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) model, which incorporates a rainfall-runoff component (natural hydrology), and reservoir storage, return flows and abstractions (systems modelling), but within which water quality modelling facilities are rudimentary. The aims of the current study were therefore to: (1) adapt the WQSAM model to be able to use as input the flow outputs of the WEAP model and; (2) provide an initial assessment of how successful this linkage was by application of the WEAP and WQSAM models to the Buffalo River for historical conditions; a small, semi-arid and impacted catchment in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The simulations of the two models were compared to the available observed data, with the initial focus within WQSAM on a simulation of instream total dissolved solids (TDS) and nutrient concentrations. The WEAP model was able to adequately simulate flow in the Buffalo River catchment, with consideration of human inputs and outputs. WQSAM was adapted to successfully take as input the flow output of the WEAP model, and the simulations of nutrients by WQSAM provided a good representation of the variability of observed nutrient concentrations in the catchment. This study showed that the WQSAM model is able to accept flow inputs from the WEAP model, and that this approach is able to provide satisfactory estimates of both flow and water quality for a small, semi-arid and impacted catchment. It is hoped that this research will encourage the application of WQSAM to an increased number of catchments within southern Africa and beyond.

Optimizing basin-scale coupled water quantity and water quality man-agement with stochastic dynamic programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davidsen, Claus; Liu, Suxia; Mo, Xingguo; Engelund Holm, Peter; Trapp, Stefan; Rosbjerg, Dan; Bauer-Gottwein, Peter

2015-04-01

Few studies address water quality in hydro-economic models, which often focus primarily on optimal allocation of water quantities. Water quality and water quantity are closely coupled, and optimal management with focus solely on either quantity or quality may cause large costs in terms of the oth-er component. In this study, we couple water quality and water quantity in a joint hydro-economic catchment-scale optimization problem. Stochastic dynamic programming (SDP) is used to minimize the basin-wide total costs arising from water allocation, water curtailment and water treatment. The simple water quality module can handle conservative pollutants, first order depletion and non-linear reactions. For demonstration purposes, we model pollutant releases as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and use the Streeter-Phelps equation for oxygen deficit to compute the resulting min-imum dissolved oxygen concentrations. Inelastic water demands, fixed water allocation curtailment costs and fixed wastewater treatment costs (before and after use) are estimated for the water users (agriculture, industry and domestic). If the BOD concentration exceeds a given user pollution thresh-old, the user will need to pay for pre-treatment of the water before use. Similarly, treatment of the return flow can reduce the BOD load to the river. A traditional SDP approach is used to solve one-step-ahead sub-problems for all combinations of discrete reservoir storage, Markov Chain inflow clas-ses and monthly time steps. Pollution concentration nodes are introduced for each user group and untreated return flow from the users contribute to increased BOD concentrations in the river. The pollutant concentrations in each node depend on multiple decision variables (allocation and wastewater treatment) rendering the objective function non-linear. Therefore, the pollution concen-tration decisions are outsourced to a genetic algorithm, which calls a linear program to determine the remainder of the decision variables. This hybrid formulation keeps the optimization problem computationally feasible and represents a flexible and customizable method. The method has been applied to the Ziya River basin, an economic hotspot located on the North China Plain in Northern China. The basin is subject to severe water scarcity, and the rivers are heavily polluted with wastewater and nutrients from diffuse sources. The coupled hydro-economic optimiza-tion model can be used to assess costs of meeting additional constraints such as minimum water qual-ity or to economically prioritize investments in waste water treatment facilities based on economic criteria.

Well installation and documentation, and ground-water sampling protocols for the pilot National Water-Quality Assessment Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hardy, M.A.; Leahy, P.P.; Alley, W.M.

1989-01-01

Several pilot projects are being conducted as part of the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The purpose of the pilot program is to test and refine concepts for a proposed full-scale program. Three of the pilot projects are specifically designed to assess groundwater. The purpose of this report is to describe the criteria that are being used in the NAWQA pilot projects for selecting and documenting wells, installing new wells, and sampling wells for different water quality constituents. Guidelines are presented for the selection of wells for sampling. Information needed to accurately document each well includes site characteristics related to the location of the well, land use near the well, and important well construction features. These guidelines ensure the consistency of the information collected and will provide comparable data for interpretive purposes. Guidelines for the installation of wells are presented and include procedures that need to be followed for preparations prior to drilling, the selection of the drilling technique and casing type, the grouting procedure, and the well-development technique. A major component of the protocols is related to water quality sampling. Tasks are identified that need to be completed prior to visiting the site for sampling. Guidelines are presented for purging the well prior t sampling, both in terms of the volume of water pumped and the chemical stability of field parameters. Guidelines are presented concerning sampler selection as related to both inorganic and organic constituents. Documentation needed to describe the measurements and observations related to sampling each well and treating and preserving the samples are also presented. Procedures are presented for the storage and shipping of water samples, equipment cleaning, and quality assurance. Quality assurance guidelines include the description of the general distribution of the various quality assurance samples (blanks, spikes, duplicates, and reference samples) that will be used in the pilot program. (Lantz-PTT)

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.

Hydrochemical characteristics and spatial analysis of groundwater quality in parts of Bundelkhand Massif, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Syed Ahmad; Ali, Umair

2018-03-01

The tribulations of water quality have become more serious than the quantity, as the environmental evils are getting more severe day by day in different parts of the world. Large number of components like soil, geology, sewage disposal, effluents and other environmental conditions in which the water tends to reside or move and interact with ground and biological characteristics, greatly persuade the groundwater quality. Therefore, hydrochemical study has been carried out graphically and spatially in GIS environment in part of Bundelkhand Massif. The hydrochemical study exposes the water quality by measuring the concentration of parameters and comparing them with the drinking water and irrigation standards. Groundwater samples have been collected and analysed for physiochemical characteristics in order to understand the hydrochemistry of the water. The results revealed that ground water is alkaline in nature and total hardness observed in all samples falls under moderately hard to very hard category. At some places higher concentration of Cl- could be dangerous from health point of view. Major hydrochemical facies were identified using Piper Trilinear diagram and Durov diagrams, etc. Analysis of different determinations such as sodium adsorption ratio, residual sodium carbonate and per cent sodium revealed that most of the samples are unsuitable for irrigation. It was also observed that the quality of groundwater was not suitable for drinking purpose in industrial and irrigation area. In the area, few sampling sites showed unsuitability because of influences of urban and industrial waste discharge, aquifer material mineralogy, other anthropogenic activities and increased human interventions.

A reliable low cost integrated wireless sensor network for water quality monitoring and level control system in UAE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abou-Elnour, Ali; Khaleeq, Hyder; Abou-Elnour, Ahmad

2016-04-01

In the present work, wireless sensor network and real-time controlling and monitoring system are integrated for efficient water quality monitoring for environmental and domestic applications. The proposed system has three main components (i) the sensor circuits, (ii) the wireless communication system, and (iii) the monitoring and controlling unit. LabView software has been used in the implementation of the monitoring and controlling system. On the other hand, ZigBee and myRIO wireless modules have been used to implement the wireless system. The water quality parameters are accurately measured by the present computer based monitoring system and the measurement results are instantaneously transmitted and published with minimum infrastructure costs and maximum flexibility in term of distance or location. The mobility and durability of the proposed system are further enhanced by fully powering via a photovoltaic system. The reliability and effectiveness of the system are evaluated under realistic operating conditions.

Determination of the delta(2H/1H)of Water: RSIL Lab Code 1574

USGS Publications Warehouse

Revesz, Kinga; Coplen, Tyler B.

2008-01-01

Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) lab code 1574 describes a method used to determine the relative hydrogen isotope-ratio delta(2H,1H), abbreviated hereafter as d2H of water. The d2H measurement of water also is a component of the National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) schedules 1142 and 1172. The water is collected unfiltered in a 60-mL glass bottle and capped with a Polyseal cap. In the laboratory, the water sample is equilibrated with gaseous hydrogen using a platinum catalyst (Horita, 1988; Horita and others, 1989; Coplen and others, 1991). The reaction for the exchange of one hydrogen atom is shown in equation 1.

Stability of ricinine, abrine, and alpha-amanitin in finished tap ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Journal Article Ricinine and abrine are potential indicators of drinking water contamination by the biotoxins ricin and abrin, respectively. Simultaneous detection of ricinine and abrine, along with α-amanitin, another potential biotoxin water contaminant, is reportable through the use of automated sample preparation via solid phase extraction and detection using liquid chromatography/tandem-mass spectrometry. Performance of the method was characterized over eight analytical batches with quality control samples analyzed over 10 days. For solutions of analytes prepared with appropriate preservatives, the minimum reporting level (MRL) was 0.50 μg/L for ricinine and abrine and 2.0 μg/L for α-amanitin. Among the analytes, the accuracy of the analysis ranged between 93 and 100% at concentrations of 1-2.5 x the MRL, with analytical precision ranging from 4 to 8%. Five drinking waters representing a range of water quality parameters and disinfection practices were fortified with the analytes and analyzed over a 28 day period to determine their storage stability in these waters. Ricinine was observed to be stable for 28 days in all tap waters. The analytical signal decreased within 5 hrs of sample preparation for abrine and μ-amanitin in some waters, but afterwards, remained stable for 28 days. The magnitude of the decrease correlated with common water quality parameters potentially related to sorption of contaminants onto dissolved and colloidal components within

Assessment of Characteristics and Remedial Alternatives for Abandoned Mine Drainage: Case Study at Staple Bend Tunnel Unit of Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, 2004

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

water quality-Northern Appalachian Basin, In Brady, K. B. C., Smith, M. W., and Schueck, J. H., (eds.), Coal Mine Drainage Prediction and Pollution ...United States: Water , Air, and Soil Pollution , v. 50, p. 91-107. Hyman, D. M., and Watzlaf, G. R., 1997, Metals and other components of coal mine...Advances in the hydrochemistry and microbiology of acid mine waters : International Geology Review, v. 42, p. 499-515. Nordstrom, D. K., and Alpers, C

An overview of the refinements and improvements to the USEPA’s sediment toxicity methods for freshwater sediment

EPA Science Inventory

Sediment toxicity tests are used for contaminated sediments, chemical registration, and water quality criteria evaluations and can be a core component of ecological risk assessments at contaminated sediments sites. Standard methods for conducting sediment toxicity tests have been...

Profiling contents of water-soluble metabolites and mineral nutrients to evaluate the effects of pesticides and organic and chemical fertilizers on tomato fruit quality.

PubMed

Watanabe, Masami; Ohta, Yuko; Licang, Sun; Motoyama, Naoki; Kikuchi, Jun

2015-02-15

In this study, the contents of water-soluble metabolites and mineral nutrients were measured in tomatoes cultured using organic and chemical fertilizers, with or without pesticides. Mineral nutrients and water-soluble metabolites were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry and (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry, respectively, and results were analysed by principal components analysis (PCA). The mineral nutrient and water-soluble metabolite profiles differed between organic and chemical fertilizer applications, which accounted for 88.0% and 55.4%, respectively, of the variation. (1)H-(13)C-hetero-nuclear single quantum coherence experiments identified aliphatic protons that contributed to the discrimination of PCA. Pesticide application had little effect on mineral nutrient content (except Fe and P), but affected the correlation between mineral nutrients and metabolites. Differences in the content of mineral nutrients and water-soluble metabolites resulting from different fertilizer and pesticide applications probably affect tomato quality. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Survey of trace metals in drinking water supplied to rural populations in the eastern Llanos of Venezuela.

PubMed

Mora, Abrahan; Mac-Quhae, César; Calzadilla, Malvis; Sánchez, Luzmila

2009-02-01

To ascertain the water quality for human consumption, chemical parameters such as pH, conductivity and total dissolved calcium, magnesium, iron, aluminum, zinc, copper and manganese were measured during four sampling periods (November 2002; March, May and July 2003) in drinking water wells which supply several forest camps and rural populations located in the eastern Llanos of Venezuela. Copper levels in drinking water in November 2002 were found to be significantly higher (P<0.05) than the other assessed periods. Temporal variations of the other parameters considered were not statistically significant. Calcium and magnesium concentrations were found to be extremely low (mean concentration+/-S.D. of 0.27+/-0.25mg/l for Ca and 0.219+/-0.118 for Mg) during the four sampling periods, probably because of the carbonate bearing scarcity in the soils lithic component. The rest of the metals complied with the Venezuelan and International guidelines of quality criteria for drinking water.

A potential approach for monitoring drinking water quality from groundwater systems using organic matter fluorescence as an early warning for contamination events.

PubMed

Stedmon, Colin A; Seredyńska-Sobecka, Bożena; Boe-Hansen, Rasmus; Le Tallec, Nicolas; Waul, Christopher K; Arvin, Erik

2011-11-15

The fluorescence characteristics of natural organic matter in a groundwater based drinking water supply plant were studied with the aim of applying it as a technique to identify contamination of the water supply. Excitation-emission matrices were measured and modeled using parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) and used to identify which wavelengths provide the optimal signal for monitoring contamination events. The fluorescence was characterized by four components: three humic-like and one amino acid-like. The results revealed that the relative amounts of two of the humic-like components were very stable within the supply plant and distribution net and changed in a predictable fashion depending on which wells were supplying the water. A third humic-like component and an amino acid-like component did not differ between wells. Laboratory contamination experiments with wastewater revealed that combined they could be used as an indicator of microbial contamination. Their fluorescence spectra did not overlap with the other components and therefore the raw broadband fluorescence at the wavelengths specific to their fluorescence could be used to detect contamination. Contamination could be detected at levels equivalent to the addition of 60 μg C/L in drinking water with a TOC concentration of 3.3 mg C/L. The results of this study suggest that these types of drinking water systems, which are vulnerable to microbial contamination due to the lack of disinfectant treatment, can be easily monitored using online organic matter fluorescence as an early warning system to prompt further intensive sampling and appropriate corrective measures. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Review of Phosphorus Control Measures in the United States and Their Effects on Water Quality

USGS Publications Warehouse

Litke, David W.

1999-01-01

Historical information on phosphorus loadings to the environment and the effect on water quality are summarized in this report, which was produced as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Phosphorus is a water-quality constituent of concern because it is often the limiting nutrient responsible for accelerated eutrophication in water bodies. Phosphorus inputs to the environment have increased since 1950 as the use of phosphate fertilizer, manure, and phosphate laundry detergent increased; however, the manufacture of phosphate detergent for household laundry was ended voluntarily in about 1994 after many States had established phosphate detergent bans. Total phosphorus concentrations in raw wastewater effluent contained about 3 milligrams per liter of total phosphorus during the 1940's, increased to about 11 milligrams per liter at the height of phosphate detergent use (1970), and have currently declined to about 5 milligrams per liter. However, in some cases, tertiary wastewater treatment still is needed to effectively improve water quality of streams. Downward trends in phosphorus concentrations since 1970 have been identified in many streams, but median total phosphorus concentrations still exceed the recommended limit of 0.1 milligram per liter across much of the Nation. Data from the NAWQA Program are representative of a variety of phosphorus-control measures, and, therefore, may be used to evaluate the effects of various control strategies. Current areas of concern include: evaluation of the effects of increased manure loadings of phosphorus on soil phosphorus and, subsequently, on ground water and subsurface runoff; determination of point-source and nonpoint-source components of phosphorus loads by geographic modeling and hydrologic separation techniques; and development of methods or indices to evaluate nutrient impairment in streams and rivers to serve as a basis for developing phosphorus criteria or standards.

Evaluation of seasonal variation of water quality using multivariate statistical analysis and irrigation parameter indices in Ajakanga area, Ibadan, Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganiyu, S. A.; Badmus, B. S.; Olurin, O. T.; Ojekunle, Z. O.

2018-03-01

The variation of groundwater quality across different regions is of great importance in the study of groundwater so as to ascertain the sources of contaminants to available water sources. Geochemical assessment of groundwater samples from hand-dug wells were done within the vicinity of Ajakanga dumpsite, Ibadan, Southwestern, Nigeria, with the aim of assessing their suitability for domestic and irrigation purposes. Ten groundwater samples were collected both in dry and wet seasons for analysis of physicochemical parameters such as: pH, EC, TDS, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, HCO3^{ - } Cl-, SO4^{2 - }, NO3^{2 - } principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used to determine probable sources of groundwater contamination. The results of the analyses showed the groundwater samples to be within permissible limits of WHO/NSDWQ, while elevated values of concentrations of most analyzed chemical constituents in water samples were noticed in S1 and S10 due to their nearness to the dumpsite and agricultural overflow, respectively. Groundwater in the study area is of hard, fresh and alkaline nature. There are very strong associations between EC and TDS, HCO3^{ - } and CO3^{2 - } in both seasons. PCA identified five and three major factors accounting for 95.7 and 88.7% of total variation in water quality for dry and wet seasons, respectively. PCA also identified factors influencing water quality as those probably related to mineral dissolution, groundwater-rock interaction, weathering process and anthropogenic activities from the dumpsite. Results of CA show groups based on similar water quality characteristics and on the extent of proximity to the dumpsite. Assessment for irrigation purpose showed that most of the water samples were suitable for agricultural purpose except in a few locations.

Simulation of streamflow and water quality in the White Clay Creek subbasin of the Christina River Basin, Pennsylvania and Delaware, 1994-98

USGS Publications Warehouse

Senior, Lisa A.; Koerkle, Edward H.

2003-01-01

The Christina River Basin drains 565 square miles (mi2) in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. Water from the basin is used for recreation, drinking water supply, and to support aquatic life. The Christina River Basin includes the major subbasins of Brandywine Creek, White Clay Creek, and Red Clay Creek. The White Clay Creek is the second largest of the subbasins and drains an area of 108 mi2. Water quality in some parts of the Christina River Basin is impaired and does not support designated uses of the streams. A multi-agency water-quality management strategy included a modeling component to evaluate the effects of point and nonpoint-source contributions of nutrients and suspended sediment on stream water quality. To assist in non point-source evaluation, four independent models, one for each of the three major subbasins and for the Christina River, were developed and calibrated using the model code Hydrological Simulation Program—Fortran (HSPF). Water-quality data for model calibration were collected in each of the four main subbasins and in smaller subbasins predominantly covered by one land use following a nonpoint-source monitoring plan. Under this plan, stormflow and base- flow samples were collected during 1998 at two sites in the White Clay Creek subbasin and at nine sites in the other subbasins.The HSPF model for the White Clay Creek Basin simulates streamflow, suspended sediment, and the nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus. In addition, the model simulates water temperature, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, and plankton as secondary objectives needed to support the sediment and nutrient simulations. For the model, the basin was subdivided into 17 reaches draining areas that ranged from 1.37 to 13 mi2. Ten different pervious land uses and two impervious land uses were selected for simulation. Land-use areas were determined from 1995 land-use data. The predominant land uses in the White Clay Creek Basin are agricultural, forested, residential, and urban.The hydrologic component of the model was run at an hourly time step and primarily calibrated using streamflow data from two U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-measurement stations for the period of October 1, 1994, through October 29, 1998. Additional calibration was done using data from two other USGS streamflow-measurement stations with periods of record shorter than the calibration period. Daily precipitation data from two National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) gages and hourly precipitation and other meteorological data for one NOAA gage were used for model input. The difference between simulated and observed streamflow volume ranged from -0.9 to 1.8 percent for the 4-year period at the two calibration sites with 4-year records. Annual differences between observed and simulated streamflow generally were greater than the overall error. For example, at a site near the bottom of the basin (drainage area of 89.1 mi2), annual differences between observed and simulated streamflow ranged from -5.8 to 14.4 percent and the overall error for the 4-year period was -0.9 percent. Calibration errors for 36 storm periods at the two calibration sites for total volume, low-flowrecession rate, 50-percent lowest flows, 10-percent highest flows, and storm peaks were within the recommended criteria of 20 percent or less. Much of the error in simulating storm events on an hourly time step can be attributed to uncertainty in the hourly rainfall data.The water-quality component of the model was calibrated using data collected by the USGS and state agencies at three USGS streamflow-measurement stations with variable water-quality monitoring periods ending October 1998. Because of availability, monitoring data for suspended-solids concentrations were used as surrogates for suspended-sediment concentrations, although suspended solids may underestimate suspended sediment and affect apparent accuracy of the suspended-sediment simulation. Comparison of observed to simulated loads for up to five storms in 1998 at each of the two nonpoint-source monitoring sites in the White Clay Creek Basin indicate that simulation error is commonly as large as an order of magnitude for suspended sediment and nutrients. The simulation error tends to be smaller for dissolved nutrients than for particulate nutrients. Errors of 40 percent or less for monthly or annual values indicate a fair to good water-quality calibration according to recommended criteria, with much larger errors possible for individual events. The accuracy of the water-quality calibration under stormflow conditions is limited by the relatively small amount of water-quality data available for the White Clay Creek Basin.Users of the White Clay Creek HSPF model should be aware of model limitations and consider the following if the model is used for predictive purposes: streamflow and water quality for individual storm events may not be well simulated, but the model performance is reasonable when evaluated over longer periods of time; the observed flow-duration curve for the simulation period is similar to the long-term flow-duration curve at White Clay Creek near Newark, Del., indicating that the calibration period is representative of all but highest 0.1 percent and lowest 0.1 percent of flows at that site; relative errors in streamflow and water-quality simulations are greater for smaller drainage areas than for larger areas; and calibration for water-quality was based on sparse data.

Simultaneous quantitative analysis of main components in linderae reflexae radix with one single marker.

PubMed

Wang, Li-Li; Zhang, Yun-Bin; Sun, Xiao-Ya; Chen, Sui-Qing

2016-05-08

Establish a quantitative analysis of multi-components by the single marker (QAMS) method for quality evaluation and validate its feasibilities by the simultaneous quantitative assay of four main components in Linderae Reflexae Radix. Four main components of pinostrobin, pinosylvin, pinocembrin, and 3,5-dihydroxy-2-(1- p -mentheneyl)- trans -stilbene were selected as analytes to evaluate the quality by RP-HPLC coupled with a UV-detector. The method was evaluated by a comparison of the quantitative results between the external standard method and QAMS with a different HPLC system. The results showed that no significant differences were found in the quantitative results of the four contents of Linderae Reflexae Radix determined by the external standard method and QAMS (RSD <3%). The contents of four analytes (pinosylvin, pinocembrin, pinostrobin, and Reflexanbene I) in Linderae Reflexae Radix were determined by the single marker of pinosylvin. This fingerprint was the spectra determined by Shimadzu LC-20AT and Waters e2695 HPLC that were equipped with three different columns.

Using NASA Products of the Water Cycle for Improved Water Resources Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toll, D. L.; Doorn, B.; Engman, E. T.; Lawford, R. G.

2010-12-01

NASA Water Resources works within the Earth sciences and GEO community to leverage investments of space-based observation and modeling results including components of the hydrologic cycle into water resources management decision support tools for the goal towards the sustainable use of water. These Earth science hydrologic related observations and modeling products provide a huge volume of valuable data in both near-real-time and extended back nearly 50 years. Observations of this type enable assessment of numerous water resources management issues including water scarcity, extreme events of drought and floods, and water quality. Examples of water cycle estimates make towards the contributions to the water management community include snow cover and snowpack, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, precipitation, streamflow and ground water. The availability of water is also contingent on the quality of water and hence water quality is an important part of NASA Water Resources. Water quality activities include both nonpoint source (agriculture land use, ecosystem disturbances, impervious surfaces, etc.) and direct remote sensing ( i.e., turbidity, algae, aquatic vegetation, temperature, etc.). . The NASA Water Resources Program organizes its projects under five functional themes: 1) stream-flow and flood forecasting; 2) water consumptive use and irrigation (includes evapotranspiration); 3) drought; 4) water quality; and 5) climate impacts on water resources. Currently NASA Water Resources is supporting 21 funded projects with 11 additional projects being concluded. To maximize the use of NASA water cycle measurements end to projects are supported with strong links with decision support systems. The NASA Water Resources Program works closely with other government agencies NOAA, USDA-FAS, USGS, AFWA, USAID, universities, and non-profit, international, and private sector organizations. International water cycle applications include: 1) Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET) being expanded for famine relief to many developing nations of the world using a NASA Land Data Assimilation System (LDAS); 2) Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA) global hydrology mapping program that extends their global hydrology to much finer resolutions through use of an optimized LDAS; 3) 'SERVIR' a visualization and monitoring center of Earth science information in Central America and East Africa with plans for additional locations in developing countries of the world; 4) installing NASA Water Information System Platforms (WISPs) strategically located throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in partnerships with USAID and the World Bank; and 5) Latin American capacity building efforts within GEO.

Statewide water-quality network for Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Desimone, Leslie A.; Steeves, Peter A.; Zimmerman, Marc James

2001-01-01

A water-quality monitoring program is proposed that would provide data to meet multiple information needs of Massachusetts agencies and other users concerned with the condition of the State's water resources. The program was designed by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Watershed Management, with input from many organizations involved in water-quality monitoring in the State, and focuses on inland surface waters (streams and lakes). The proposed monitoring program consists of several components, or tiers, which are defined in terms of specific monitoring objectives, and is intended to complement the Massachusetts Watershed Initiative (MWI) basin assessments. Several components were developed using the Neponset River Basin in eastern Massachusetts as a pilot area, or otherwise make use of data from and sampling approaches used in that basin as part of a MWI pilot assessment in 1994. To guide development of the monitoring program, reviews were conducted of general principles of network design, including monitoring objectives and approaches, and of ongoing monitoring activities of Massachusetts State agencies.Network tiers described in this report are primarily (1) a statewide, basin-based assessment of existing surface-water-quality conditions, and (2) a fixed-station network for determining contaminant loads carried by major rivers. Other components, including (3) targeted programs for hot-spot monitoring and other objectives, and (4) compliance monitoring, also are discussed. Monitoring programs for the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads for specific water bodies, which would constitute another tier of the network, are being developed separately and are not described in this report. The basin-based assessment of existing conditions is designed to provide information on the status of surface waters with respect to State water-quality standards and designated uses in accordance with the reporting requirements [Section 305(b)] of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Geographic Information System (GIS)-based procedures were developed to inventory streams and lakes in a basin for these purposes. Several monitoring approaches for this tier and their associated resource requirements were investigated. Analysis of the Neponset Basin for this purpose demonstrated that the large number of sites needed in order for all the small streams in a basin to be sampled (about half of stream miles in the basin were headwater or first-order streams) pose substantial resource-based problems for a comprehensive assessment of existing conditions. The many lakes pose similar problems. Thus, a design is presented in which probabilistic monitoring of small streams is combined with deterministic or targeted monitoring of large streams and lakes to meet CWA requirements and to provide data for other information needs of Massachusetts regulatory agencies and MWI teams.The fixed-station network is designed to permit the determination of contaminant loads carried by the State's major rivers to sensitive inland and coastal receiving waters and across State boundaries. Sampling at 19 proposed sites in 17 of the 27 major basins in Massachusetts would provide information on contaminant loads from 67 percent of the total land area of the State; unsampled areas are primarily coastal areas drained by many small streams that would be impossible to sample within realistic resource limitations. Strategies for hot-spot monitoring, a targeted monitoring program focused on identifying contaminant sources, are described with reference to an analysis of the bacteria sampling program of the 1994 Neponset Basin assessment. Finally, major discharge sites permitted under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) were evaluated as a basis for ambient water-quality monitoring. The discharge sites are well distributed geographically among basins, but are primarily on large rivers (two-thirds or more

Migration of Water in Litopenaeus Vannamei Muscle Following Freezing and Thawing.

PubMed

Deng, Qi; Wang, Yaling; Sun, Lijun; Li, Jianrong; Fang, Zhijia; Gooneratne, Ravi

2018-06-15

Water and protein are major constituents of shrimp, any changes in protein and the state of water influence the quality of shrimp. Therefore, a study to examine the law of moisture migration and protein denaturation under different freezing and thawing conditions is important. The proton density images of thawed frozen-shrimp revealed that the water loss during quick-freezing was much greater than that during slow freezing or microfreezing. At room temperature (25 °C), the water loss from brine-thawing was more than still-water thawing and still-water thawing was more than thawing spontaneously. Freezing-thawing resulted in uniform water redistribution in shrimp muscle. Nuclear magnetic resonance technology (low field magnetic imaging) was used to directly monitor the dynamic processes of fluidity state in shrimp and indirectly monitor protein denaturation and thereby determine the optimal method of freezing-thawing shrimp. Our research showed that microfreezing preservation minimized weight loss, juice leakage and protein denaturation in shrimp muscle during thawing. Water is one of the major components in most organs and is an important factor that influences the shrimp muscle quality. Water migration patterns and subsequent effects on the shrimp muscle under different freezing and thawing conditions were examined using low field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology. This research provides a theoretical foundation for shrimp processing plants to improve the freezing and thawing process to obtain optimal quality and flavor of shrimp products. © 2018 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Accounting for and predicting the influence of spatial autocorrelation in water quality modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miralha, L.; Kim, D.

2017-12-01

Although many studies have attempted to investigate the spatial trends of water quality, more attention is yet to be paid to the consequences of considering and ignoring the spatial autocorrelation (SAC) that exists in water quality parameters. Several studies have mentioned the importance of accounting for SAC in water quality modeling, as well as the differences in outcomes between models that account for and ignore SAC. However, the capacity to predict the magnitude of such differences is still ambiguous. In this study, we hypothesized that SAC inherently possessed by a response variable (i.e., water quality parameter) influences the outcomes of spatial modeling. We evaluated whether the level of inherent SAC is associated with changes in R-Squared, Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), and residual SAC (rSAC), after accounting for SAC during modeling procedure. The main objective was to analyze if water quality parameters with higher Moran's I values (inherent SAC measure) undergo a greater increase in R² and a greater reduction in both AIC and rSAC. We compared a non-spatial model (OLS) to two spatial regression approaches (spatial lag and error models). Predictor variables were the principal components of topographic (elevation and slope), land cover, and hydrological soil group variables. We acquired these data from federal online sources (e.g. USGS). Ten watersheds were selected, each in a different state of the USA. Results revealed that water quality parameters with higher inherent SAC showed substantial increase in R² and decrease in rSAC after performing spatial regressions. However, AIC values did not show significant changes. Overall, the higher the level of inherent SAC in water quality variables, the greater improvement of model performance. This indicates a linear and direct relationship between the spatial model outcomes (R² and rSAC) and the degree of SAC in each water quality variable. Therefore, our study suggests that the inherent level of SAC in response variables can predict improvements in models even before performing spatial regression approaches. We also recognize the constraints of this research and suggest that further studies focus on better ways of defining spatial neighborhoods, considering the differences among stations set in tributaries near to each other and in upstream areas.

Impact of green roofs on stormwater quality in a South Australian urban environment.

PubMed

Razzaghmanesh, M; Beecham, S; Kazemi, F

2014-02-01

Green roofs are an increasingly important component of water sensitive urban design systems and can potentially improve the quality of urban runoff. However, there is evidence that they can occasionally act as a source rather than a sink for pollutants. In this study, the water quality of the outflow from both intensive and extensive green roof systems were studied in the city of Adelaide, South Australia over a period of nine months. The aim was to examine the effects of different green roof configurations on stormwater quality and to compare this with runoff from aluminium and asphalt roofs as control surfaces. The contaminant concentrations in runoff from both intensive and extensive green roofs generally decreased during the study period. A comparison between the two types of green roof showed that except for some events for EC, TDS and chloride, the values of the parameters such as pH, turbidity, nitrate, phosphate and potassium in intensive green roof outflows were higher than in the outflows from the extensive green roofs. These concentrations were compared to local, state, national and international water quality guidelines in order to investigate the potential for outflow runoff from green roofs to be reused for potable and non-potable purposes. The study found that green roof outflow can provide an alternative water source for non-potable purposes such as urban landscape irrigation and toilet flushing. © 2013.

Seasonal rationalization of river water quality sampling locations: a comparative study of the modified Sanders and multivariate statistical approaches.

PubMed

Varekar, Vikas; Karmakar, Subhankar; Jha, Ramakar

2016-02-01

The design of surface water quality sampling location is a crucial decision-making process for rationalization of monitoring network. The quantity, quality, and types of available dataset (watershed characteristics and water quality data) may affect the selection of appropriate design methodology. The modified Sanders approach and multivariate statistical techniques [particularly factor analysis (FA)/principal component analysis (PCA)] are well-accepted and widely used techniques for design of sampling locations. However, their performance may vary significantly with quantity, quality, and types of available dataset. In this paper, an attempt has been made to evaluate performance of these techniques by accounting the effect of seasonal variation, under a situation of limited water quality data but extensive watershed characteristics information, as continuous and consistent river water quality data is usually difficult to obtain, whereas watershed information may be made available through application of geospatial techniques. A case study of Kali River, Western Uttar Pradesh, India, is selected for the analysis. The monitoring was carried out at 16 sampling locations. The discrete and diffuse pollution loads at different sampling sites were estimated and accounted using modified Sanders approach, whereas the monitored physical and chemical water quality parameters were utilized as inputs for FA/PCA. The designed optimum number of sampling locations for monsoon and non-monsoon seasons by modified Sanders approach are eight and seven while that for FA/PCA are eleven and nine, respectively. Less variation in the number and locations of designed sampling sites were obtained by both techniques, which shows stability of results. A geospatial analysis has also been carried out to check the significance of designed sampling location with respect to river basin characteristics and land use of the study area. Both methods are equally efficient; however, modified Sanders approach outperforms FA/PCA when limited water quality and extensive watershed information is available. The available water quality dataset is limited and FA/PCA-based approach fails to identify monitoring locations with higher variation, as these multivariate statistical approaches are data-driven. The priority/hierarchy and number of sampling sites designed by modified Sanders approach are well justified by the land use practices and observed river basin characteristics of the study area.

Global Access to Safe Water: Accounting for Water Quality and the Resulting Impact on MDG Progress

PubMed Central

Onda, Kyle; LoBuglio, Joe; Bartram, Jamie

2012-01-01

Monitoring of progress towards the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) drinking water target relies on classification of water sources as “improved” or “unimproved” as an indicator for water safety. We adjust the current Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) estimate by accounting for microbial water quality and sanitary risk using the only-nationally representative water quality data currently available, that from the WHO and UNICEF “Rapid Assessment of Drinking Water Quality”. A principal components analysis (PCA) of national environmental and development indicators was used to create models that predicted, for most countries, the proportions of piped and of other-improved water supplies that are faecally contaminated; and of these sources, the proportions that lack basic sanitary protection against contamination. We estimate that 1.8 billion people (28% of the global population) used unsafe water in 2010. The 2010 JMP estimate is that 783 million people (11%) use unimproved sources. Our estimates revise the 1990 baseline from 23% to 37%, and the target from 12% to 18%, resulting in a shortfall of 10% of the global population towards the MDG target in 2010. In contrast, using the indicator “use of an improved source” suggests that the MDG target for drinking-water has already been achieved. We estimate that an additional 1.2 billion (18%) use water from sources or systems with significant sanitary risks. While our estimate is imprecise, the magnitude of the estimate and the health and development implications suggest that greater attention is needed to better understand and manage drinking water safety. PMID:22690170

Spatial and seasonal variations in the composition of dissolved organic matter in a tropical catchment: the Lower Kinabatangan River, Sabah, Malaysia.

PubMed

Harun, Sahana; Baker, Andy; Bradley, Chris; Pinay, Gilles

2016-01-01

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) was characterised in water samples sampled in the Lower Kinabatangan River Catchment, Sabah, Malaysia between October 2009 and May 2010. This study aims at: (i) distinguishing between the quality of DOM in waters draining palm oil plantations (OP), secondary forests (SF) and coastal swamps (CS) and, (ii) identifying the seasonal variability of DOM quantity and quality. Surface waters were sampled during fieldwork campaigns that spanned the wet and dry seasons. DOM was characterised optically by using the fluorescence Excitation Emission Matrix (EEM), the absorption coefficient at 340 nm and the spectral slope coefficient (S). Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) was undertaken to assess the DOM composition from EEM spectra and five terrestrial derived components were identified: (C1, C2, C3, C4 and C5). Components C1 and C4 contributed the most to DOM fluorescence in all study areas during both the wet and dry seasons. The results suggest that component C4 could be a significant (and common) PARAFAC signal found in similar catchments. Peak M (C2 and C3) was dominant in all samples collected during wet and dry seasons, which could be anthropogenic in origin given the active land use change in the study area. In conclusion, there were significant seasonal and spatial variations in DOM which demonstrated the effects of land use cover and precipitation amounts in the Kinabatangan catchment.

Simulation of streamflow and water quality in the Brandywine Creek subbasin of the Christina River basin, Pennsylvania and Delaware, 1994-98

USGS Publications Warehouse

Senior, Lisa A.; Koerkle, Edward H.

2003-01-01

The Christina River Basin drains 565 mi2 (square miles) in Pennsylvania and Delaware. Water from the basin is used for recreation, drinking-water supply, and to support aquatic life. The Christina River Basin includes the major subbasins of Brandywine Creek, Red Clay Creek, White Clay Creek, and Christina River. The Brandywine Creek is the largest of the subbasins and drains an area of 327 mi2. Water quality in some parts of the Christina River Basin is impaired and does not support designated uses of the streams. A multi-agency water-quality management strategy included a modeling component to evaluate the effects of point and nonpoint-source contributions of nutrients and suspended sediment on streamwater quality. To assist in nonpoint-source evaluation, four independent models, one for each of the four main subbasins of the Christina River Basin, were developed and calibrated using the model code Hydrological Simulation Program—Fortran (HSPF). Water-quality data for model calibration were collected in each of the four main subbasins and in small subbasins predominantly covered by one land use following a nonpoint-source monitoring plan. Under this plan, stormflow and base-flow samples were collected during 1998 at six sites in the Brandywine Creek subbasin and five sites in the other subbasins.The HSPF model for the Brandywine Creek Basin simulates streamflow, suspended sediment, and the nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus. In addition, the model simulates water temperature, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, and plankton as secondary objectives needed to support the sediment and nutrient simulations. For the model, the basin was subdivided into 35 reaches draining areas that ranged from 0.6 to 18 mi2. Three of the reaches contain regulated reservoir. Eleven different pervious land uses and two impervious land uses were selected for simulation. Land-use areas were determined from 1995 land-use data. The predominant land uses in the basin are forested, agricultural, residential, and urban. The hydrologic component of the model was run at an hourly time step and calibrated using streamflow data for eight U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) stream-flow-measurement stations for the period of January 1, 1994, through October 29, 1998. Daily precipitation data for three National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) gages and hourly data for one NOAA gage were used for model input. The difference between observed and simulated streamflow volume ranged from -2.7 to 3.9 percent for the nearly 5-year period at the eight calibration sites. Annual differences between observed and simulated streamflow generally were greater than the overall error. For example, at a site near the bottom of the basin (drainage area of 237 mi2), annual differences between observed and simulated streamflow ranged from -14.0 to 18.8 percent and the overall error for the 5-year period was 1.0 percent. Calibration errors for 36 storm periods at the eight calibration sites for total volume, low-flow-recession rate, 50-percent lowest flows, 10-percent highest flows, and storm peaks were within the recommended criteria of 20 percent or less. Much of the error in simulating storm events on an hourly time step can be attributed to uncertainty in the rainfall data.The water-quality component of the model was calibrated using monitoring data collected at six USGS streamflow-measurement stations with variable water quality monitoring periods ending October 1998. Because of availability, monitoring data for suspended solids concentrations were used as surrogates for suspended-sediment concentrations, although suspended-solids data may underestimate suspended sediment and affect apparent accuracy of the suspended-sediment simulation. Comparison of observed to simulated loads for two to six individual storms in 1998 at each of the six monitoring sites indicate that simulation error is commonly as large as an order of magnitude for suspended sediment and nutrients. The simulation error tends to be smaller for dissolved nutrients than for particulate nutrients. Errors of 40 percent or less for monthly or annual values indicate a fair to good water-quality calibration according to recommended criteria, with much larger errors possible for individual events. Assessment of the water-quality calibration under stormflow conditions is limited by the relatively small amount of available water-quality data in the basin. Duration curves for simulated and reported sediment concentration at Brandywine Creek at Wilmington, Del., are similar, indicating model performance is better when evaluated over longer periods than when evaluated on individual storm events.

The Dynamics of Trust in the Shanghai Water Supply Regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhen, Nahui; Barnett, Jon; Webber, Michael

2018-02-01

Trust in natural resource managers and planners is recognized as a crucial component of the public's perception of environmental risks, including the risk of consuming water in cities. Although China is famous for its dubious water quality, public perception of the performance of water suppliers in China has scarcely been considered. Yet this is important, not least because improvements in urban water quality are most likely if the public perceives that there is a risk, which is a function of their levels of trust. We, therefore, examine the Shanghai public's trust in urban water authorities through analysis of the results from a face-to-face questionnaire that 5007 residents responded to. We find that although respondents show a moderate level of overall trust in water suppliers, they have less trust in the honesty and fairness of these organizations. In addition, we find that hukou status and education help explain the differences in people's trust in Shanghai's water authorities, and that these are more influential than factors such as gender and age. For water managers in Shanghai, this implies trust can be improved through a greater effort at public relations and increased transparency about decision making and levels of pollution.

A Summary Catalogue of Microbial Drinking Water Tests for Low and Medium Resource Settings

PubMed Central

Bain, Robert; Bartram, Jamie; Elliott, Mark; Matthews, Robert; McMahan, Lanakila; Tung, Rosalind; Chuang, Patty; Gundry, Stephen

2012-01-01

Microbial drinking-water quality testing plays an essential role in measures to protect public health. However, such testing remains a significant challenge where resources are limited. With a wide variety of tests available, researchers and practitioners have expressed difficulties in selecting the most appropriate test(s) for a particular budget, application and setting. To assist the selection process we identified the characteristics associated with low and medium resource settings and we specified the basic information that is needed for different forms of water quality monitoring. We then searched for available faecal indicator bacteria tests and collated this information. In total 44 tests have been identified, 18 of which yield a presence/absence result and 26 of which provide enumeration of bacterial concentration. The suitability of each test is assessed for use in the three settings. The cost per test was found to vary from $0.60 to $5.00 for a presence/absence test and from $0.50 to $7.50 for a quantitative format, though it is likely to be only a small component of the overall costs of testing. This article presents the first comprehensive catalogue of the characteristics of available and emerging low-cost tests for faecal indicator bacteria. It will be of value to organizations responsible for monitoring national water quality, water service providers, researchers and policy makers in selecting water quality tests appropriate for a given setting and application. PMID:22754460

A summary catalogue of microbial drinking water tests for low and medium resource settings.

PubMed

Bain, Robert; Bartram, Jamie; Elliott, Mark; Matthews, Robert; McMahan, Lanakila; Tung, Rosalind; Chuang, Patty; Gundry, Stephen

2012-05-01

Microbial drinking-water quality testing plays an essential role in measures to protect public health. However, such testing remains a significant challenge where resources are limited. With a wide variety of tests available, researchers and practitioners have expressed difficulties in selecting the most appropriate test(s) for a particular budget, application and setting. To assist the selection process we identified the characteristics associated with low and medium resource settings and we specified the basic information that is needed for different forms of water quality monitoring. We then searched for available faecal indicator bacteria tests and collated this information. In total 44 tests have been identified, 18 of which yield a presence/absence result and 26 of which provide enumeration of bacterial concentration. The suitability of each test is assessed for use in the three settings. The cost per test was found to vary from $0.60 to $5.00 for a presence/absence test and from $0.50 to $7.50 for a quantitative format, though it is likely to be only a small component of the overall costs of testing. This article presents the first comprehensive catalogue of the characteristics of available and emerging low-cost tests for faecal indicator bacteria. It will be of value to organizations responsible for monitoring national water quality, water service providers, researchers and policy makers in selecting water quality tests appropriate for a given setting and application.

Modeling and Optimization for Management of Intermittent Water Supply

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lieb, A. M.; Wilkening, J.; Rycroft, C.

2014-12-01

In many urban areas, piped water is supplied only intermittently, as valves direct water to different parts of the water distribution system at different times. The flow is transient, and may transition between free-surface and pressurized, resulting in complex dynamical features with important consequences for water suppliers and users. These consequences include degradation of distribution system components, compromised water quality, and inequitable water availability. The goal of this work is to model the important dynamics and identify operating conditions that mitigate certain negative effects of intermittent water supply. Specifically, we will look at controlling valve parameters occurring as boundary conditions in a network model of transient, transition flow through closed pipes. Gradient-based optimization will be used to find boundary values to minimize pressure gradients and ensure equitable water availability at system endpoints.

Optimal Dynamics of Intermittent Water Supply

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lieb, Anna; Wilkening, Jon; Rycroft, Chris

2014-11-01

In many urban areas of the developing world, piped water is supplied only intermittently, as valves direct water to different parts of the water distribution system at different times. The flow is transient, and may transition between free-surface and pressurized, resulting in complex dynamical features with important consequences for water suppliers and users. These consequences include degradation of distribution system components, compromised water quality, and inequitable water availability. The goal of this work is to model the important dynamics and identify operating conditions that mitigate certain negative effects of intermittent water supply. Specifically, we will look at valve parameters occurring as boundary conditions in a network model of transient, transition flow through closed pipes. Optimization will be used to find boundary values to minimize pressure gradients and ensure equitable water availability.

Importance of return flow as a component of water use

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trotta, L.C.; Horn, M.S.

1990-01-01

Understanding the relation between the hydrologjc cycle and water use is important for effective water-resources management. The hydrologic cycle is the natural pathway of water from evaporation to precipitation to infiltration or runoff and to storage from which evaporation can again occur. The science of water use is the study of human influences on the hydrologic cycle. Human activities affect the hydrologic cycle by changing the quantity, distribution, and quality of available water. Quantifying return flow is useful to water managers in evaluating such changes. Return flow is often thought of as what runs down the drain, or what is leftover after the water's purpose has been served. As innocuous as that may sound, return flow plays a significant part in the overall water-use picture.

Results of a modeling workshop concerning economic and environmental trends and concomitant resource management issues in the Mobile Bay area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hamilton, David B.; Andrews, Austin K.; Auble, Gregor T.; Ellison, Richard A.; Johnson, Richard A.; Roelle, James E.; Staley, Michael J.

1982-01-01

During the past decade, the southern regions of the U.S. have experienced rapid change which is expected to continue into the foreseeable future. Growth in population, industry, and resource development has been attributed to a variety of advantages such as an abundant and inexpensive labor force, a mild climate, and the availability of energy, water, land, and other natural resources. While this growth has many benefits for the region, it also creates the potential for increased air, water, and solid waste pollution, and modification of natural habitats. A workshop was convened to consider the Mobile Bay area as a site-specific case of growth and its environmental consequences in the southern region. The objectives of the modeling workshop were to: (1) identify major factors of economic development as they relate to growth in the area over the immediate and longer term; (2) identify major environmental and resource management issues associated with this expected growth; and (3) identify and characterize the complex interrelationships among economic and environmental factors. This report summarizes the activities and results of a modeling workshop concerning economic growth and concomitant resource management issues in the Mobile Bay area. The workshop was organized around construction of a simulation model representing the relationships between a series of actions and indicators identified by participants. The workshop model had five major components. An Industry Submodel generated scenarios of growth in several industrial and transportation sectors. A Human Population/Economy Submodel calculated human population and economic variables in response to employment opportunities. A Land Use/Air Quality Submodel tabulated changes in land use, shoreline use, and air quality. A Water Submodel calculated indicators of water quality and quantity for fresh surface water, ground water, and Mobile Bay based on discharge information provided by the Industry and Human Population/Economy Submodels. Finally, a Fish Submodel calculated indicators of habitat quality for finfish and shellfish, utilizing information on water quality and wetlands acreage. The workshop was successful in identifying many of the critical interrelations between components of the Mobile area system. Not all of those interactions, such as the feedback of air quality as a limitation on development, could be incorporated into the workshop model because of the model's broad spatial scale and because of uncertainties or data gaps. Thus, the value of the modeling workshop was in the areas outlines below, rather than in the predictive power of the initial model developed at the workshop. First, participants developed a holistic perspective on the interactions which will determine future economic and environmental trends within the Mobile Bay area. Potential environmental consequences and limitations to grown identified at the workshop included: shoreline and water access; water quality of Mobile Bay; finfish and shellfish habitat quality with respect to dissolved oxygen and coliforms; air quality; and acreage of critical wetland habitat. Second, the model's requirements for specific, quantitative information stimulated supporting analyses, such as economic input-output calculations, which provide additional insight into the Mobile Bay area system. Third, the perspective of the Mobile area as an interacting system was developed in an open, cooperative forum which my provide a foundation for conflict resolution based on common understanding. Finally, the identification of model limitations and uncertainties should be useful in guiding the efficient allocation of future research effort.

Fish and fish oil in health and disease prevention

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fish is an important dietary component due to its contribution of valuable nutrients. In addition to the high quality protein and micronutrients provided, fish is the primary source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids which are found in oils of ‘fatty’ cold water fish. Biomedical evidence supports th...

42 CFR 494.40 - Condition: Water and dialysate quality.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... the port of the initial component or carbon tank referred to in section 6.2.5 of AAMI RD52:2004 are greater than 0.5 mg/L for free chlorine or 0.1 mg/L for chloramines, or equal to or greater than 0.1 mg/L...

42 CFR 494.40 - Condition: Water and dialysate quality.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... the port of the initial component or carbon tank referred to in section 6.2.5 of AAMI RD52:2004 are greater than 0.5 mg/L for free chlorine or 0.1 mg/L for chloramines, or equal to or greater than 0.1 mg/L...

STATUS OF THE AMPHIPOD DIPOREIA SPP. IN LAKE SUPERIOR, 1994-2000

EPA Science Inventory

The amphipod Diporeia spp. is the dominant component of the Great Lakes benthic macroinvertebrate fauna in terms of both numbers and biomass, and plays an important role in the ecosystem. The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement calls for the use of Diporeia as an indicator of ec...

REMOTE SENSING OF PERCHLORATE EFFECTS ON SALT CEDAR PRELIMINARY RESULTS FROM THE LAS VEGAS WASH

EPA Science Inventory

Sodium Perchlorate and ammonium Perchlorate, major components of solid rocket fuel, have been manufactured in the Las Vegas Valley immediately up gradient from the Las Vegas Wash, since 1945 and 1956, respectively. Measurements of emerging ground water quality in the vici...

The Water Risks of Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking): Key Issues from the New California Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gleick, P. H.

2015-12-01

A key component of the Water-Energy Nexus is the effort over the past decade or so to quantify the volumes and form of water required for the energy fuel cycle from extraction to generation to waste disposal. The vast majority of the effort in this area has focused on the water needs of electricity generation, but other fuel-cycle components also entail significant water demands and threats to water quality. Recent work for the State of California (managed by the California Council on Science and Technology - CCST) has produced a new state-of-the-art assessment of a range of potential water risks associated with hydraulic fracturing and related oil and gas extraction, including volumetric water demands, methods of disposal of produced water, and aquifer contamination. For example, this assessment produced new information on the disposal of produced water in surface percolation pits and the potential for contamination of local groundwater (see Figure). Understanding these risks raises questions about current production and future plans to expand production, as well as tools used by state and federal agencies to manage these risks. This talk will summarize the science behind the CCST assessment and related policy recommendations for both water and energy managers.

Water quality and antifungal susceptibility of opportunistic yeast pathogens from rivers.

PubMed

Monapathi, M E; Bezuidenhout, C C; Rhode, O H J

2017-03-01

Yeasts from water sources have been associated with diseases ranging from superficial mucosal infections to life threatening diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the water quality as well as diversity and antifungal susceptibility of yeasts from two rivers. Yeast levels and physico-chemical parameter data were analyzed by principal component analysis to determine correlations between physico-chemical data and yeast levels. Yeast morphotypes were identified by biochemical tests and 26S rRNA gene sequencing. Disk diffusion antifungal susceptibility tests were conducted. Physico-chemical parameters of the water were within target water quality range (TWQR) for livestock farming. For irrigational use, total dissolved solids and nitrates were not within the TWQR. Yeast levels ranged between 27 ± 10 and 2,573 ± 306 cfu/L. Only non-pigmented, ascomycetous yeasts were isolated. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida glabrata were most frequently isolated. Several other opportunistic pathogens were also isolated. A large number of isolates were resistant to azoles, especially fluconazole, but also to other antifungal classes. Candida species were resistant to almost all the antifungal classes. These water sources are used for recreation and religious as well as for watering livestock and irrigation. Of particular concern is the direct contact of individuals with opportunistic yeast, especially the immune-compromised. Resistance of these yeast species to antifungal agents is a further health concern.

Management of groundwater supply and water quality in the Los Angeles Basin, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reichard, E.G.; Crawford, S.M.; Land, M.T.; Paybins, K.S.

1999-01-01

Water use and water needs in the coastal Los Angeles Basin in California have been very closely tied to the development of the region during the last 150 years. The first water wells were drilled in the mid-1800s. Currently about 40% of the water supply (9.4 m3 s-1) in the region is provided by groundwater. Other sources of water supply include reclaimed water and surface water imported from Owens Valley, the Colorado River, and northern California. Increasing groundwater use in the basin led to over-abstraction and seawater instrusion. Because of this, an important component of water management in the area has been the artificial recharge of local, imported, and reclaimed water which is spread in ponds and injected in wells to recharge the aquifer system and control seawater intrusion. The US Geological Survey (USGS) is working co-operatively with the Water Replenishment District of Southern California to evaluate the hydraulic and water-quality effects of these recharge operations and to assess the potential impacts of alternative water-management strategies, including changes in pumping and increases in the use of reclaimed water. As part of this work, the USGS has developed a geographic information system (GIS), collected water-quality and geohydrological data from new and existing wells, and developed a multi-aquifer regional groundwater flow model. Chemical and isotopic data were used to identify the age and source of recharge to groundwater throughout the study area. This information is key to understanding the fate of artificially recharged water and helps define the three-dimensional groundwater flow system. The geohydrological data, especially the geophysical and geological data collected from 11 newly installed multi-completion monitoring wells, were used to redefine the regional hydrostratigraphy. The groundwater flow model is being used to enhance the understanding of the geohydrological system and to quantitatively evaluate new water-management strategies.As part of the work aimed at evaluating the hydraulic and water-quality effects of recharge operations and to assess the potential impacts of alternative water-management strategies, the US Geological Survey (USGS), has developed a geographic information system (GIS), collected water-quality and geohydrological data from new and existing wells, and developed a multi-aquifer regional groundwater flow model. At present, the developed model is being used to enhance the understanding of the geohydrological system and to quantitatively evaluate new water-management strategies.

Pseudocontamination of blood components with Burkholderia cepacia during quality controls.

PubMed

Ebner, W; Meyer, E; Schulz-Huotari, C; Scholz, R; Zilow, G; Daschner, F D

2005-06-01

We report on a pseudooutbreak of Burkholderia cepacia because of the use of a contaminated disinfectant during quality controls in a university blood bank. No septic reactions associated with transfusions had been reported in patients over the last 6 months. Analysis of the individual quality control procedures showed that a disinfectant based on a quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) had been used in order to disinfect the rubber stopper of the blood culture bottle. B. cepacia was found in a sample taken from this disinfectant, which was prepared with concentrate and tap water according to the manufacturer's instructions. The four isolates (one in disinfectant and three in blood components) were found to be identical in their biochemical reactions and resistance patterns. QAC-based disinfectants are not efficacious against a part of the spectrum of gram-negatives and are therefore inadequate. After introduction of an alcohol-based preparation, no more cases of B. cepacia contamination have been identified.

Source partitioning of anthropogenic groundwater nitrogen in a mixed-use landscape, Tutuila, American Samoa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shuler, Christopher K.; El-Kadi, Aly I.; Dulai, Henrietta; Glenn, Craig R.; Fackrell, Joseph

2017-12-01

This study presents a modeling framework for quantifying human impacts and for partitioning the sources of contamination related to water quality in the mixed-use landscape of a small tropical volcanic island. On Tutuila, the main island of American Samoa, production wells in the most populated region (the Tafuna-Leone Plain) produce most of the island's drinking water. However, much of this water has been deemed unsafe to drink since 2009. Tutuila has three predominant anthropogenic non-point-groundwater-pollution sources of concern: on-site disposal systems (OSDS), agricultural chemicals, and pig manure. These sources are broadly distributed throughout the landscape and are located near many drinking-water wells. Water quality analyses show a link between elevated levels of total dissolved groundwater nitrogen (TN) and areas with high non-point-source pollution density, suggesting that TN can be used as a tracer of groundwater contamination from these sources. The modeling framework used in this study integrates land-use information, hydrological data, and water quality analyses with nitrogen loading and transport models. The approach utilizes a numerical groundwater flow model, a nitrogen-loading model, and a multi-species contaminant transport model. Nitrogen from each source is modeled as an independent component in order to trace the impact from individual land-use activities. Model results are calibrated and validated with dissolved groundwater TN concentrations and inorganic δ15N values, respectively. Results indicate that OSDS contribute significantly more TN to Tutuila's aquifers than other sources, and thus should be prioritized in future water-quality management efforts.

Operation of remote mobile sensors for security of drinking water distribution systems.

PubMed

Perelman, By Lina; Ostfeld, Avi

2013-09-01

The deployment of fixed online water quality sensors in water distribution systems has been recognized as one of the key components of contamination warning systems for securing public health. This study proposes to explore how the inclusion of mobile sensors for inline monitoring of various water quality parameters (e.g., residual chlorine, pH) can enhance water distribution system security. Mobile sensors equipped with sampling, sensing, data acquisition, wireless transmission and power generation systems are being designed, fabricated, and tested, and prototypes are expected to be released in the very near future. This study initiates the development of a theoretical framework for modeling mobile sensor movement in water distribution systems and integrating the sensory data collected from stationary and non-stationary sensor nodes to increase system security. The methodology is applied and demonstrated on two benchmark networks. Performance of different sensor network designs are compared for fixed and combined fixed and mobile sensor networks. Results indicate that complementing online sensor networks with inline monitoring can increase detection likelihood and decrease mean time to detection. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water Quality and Algal Data for the North Umpqua River Basin, Oregon, 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tanner, Dwight Q.; Arnsberg, Andrew J.; Anderson, Chauncey W.; Carpenter, Kurt D.

2006-01-01

The upper North Umpqua River Basin has experienced a variety of water-quality problems since at least the early 1990's. Several reaches of the North Umpqua River are listed as water-quality limited under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. Diamond Lake, a eutrophic lake that is an important source of water and nutrients to the upper North Umpqua River, is also listed as a water-quality limited waterbody (pH, nuisance algae). A draft Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) was proposed for various parameters and is expected to be adopted in full in 2006. Diamond Lake has supported potentially toxic blue-green algae blooms since 2001 that have resulted in closures to recreational water contact and impacts to the local economy. Increased populations of the invasive tui chub fish are reportedly responsible, because they feed on zooplankton that would otherwise control the algal blooms. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Diamond Lake Restoration Project advocates reduced fish biomass in Diamond Lake in 2006 as the preferred alternative. A restoration project scheduled to reduce fish biomass for the lake includes a significant water-level drawdown that began in January 2006. After the drawdown of Diamond Lake, the fish toxicant rotenone was applied to eradicate the tui chub. The lake will be refilled and restocked with game fish in 2007. Winter exports of nutrients from Diamond Lake during the restoration project could affect the summer trophic status of the North Umpqua River if retention and recycling in Lemolo Lake are significant. The FEIS includes comprehensive monitoring to assess the water quality of the restored Diamond Lake and the effects of that restoration downstream. One component of the monitoring is the collection of baseline data, in order to observe changes in the river's water quality and algal conditions resulting from the restoration of Diamond Lake. During July 2005, the USGS, in cooperation with Douglas County, performed a synoptic survey of water quality and algal conditions, the results of which can be used for comparison with post-restoration conditions in the river as well as with those documented in an earlier study in 1995. This report presents data from that survey.

Data collection and development of a hydrodynamic and temperature model to evaluate causeway modifications at the mouth of the Yakima River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez Baquero, G. F.; Furnans, J.; Hudson, C.; Magan, C.

2012-12-01

Management decisions on rivers and associated habitats require sound tools to identify major drivers for spatial and temporal variations of temperature and related water quality variables. 3D hydrodynamic and water quality models are key components to abstract flow dynamics in complex river systems as they allow extrapolating available observations to ungaged locations and alternative scenarios. The data collection and model development are intended to support the Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group in conjunction with the Benton Conservation District in efforts to understand how seasonal flow patterns in the Yakima and Columbia rivers interact with the Yakima delta geometry to cause the relatively high water temperatures previously observed west of Bateman Island. These high temperatures are suspected of limiting salmonid success in the area, possibly contributing to adjustments in migration patterns and increased predation. The Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC) and Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP) are used to model flow patterns and enable simulations of temperature distributions and water quality parameters at the confluence. Model development is supported by a bathymetric campaign in 2011 to evaluate delta geometry and to construct the EFDC domain, a sonar river survey in 2012 to measure velocity profiles and to enable model calibration, and a continuous collection of temperature and dissolved oxygen records from Level Scout probes at key locations during last year to drive water quality simulations. The current model is able to reproduce main flow features observed at the confluence and is being prepared to integrate previous and current temperature observations. The final model is expected to evaluate scenarios for the removal or alteration of the Bateman Island Causeway. Alterations to the causeway that permit water passage to the south of Bateman Island are likely to dramatically alter the water flow patterns through the Yakima and Columbia River confluence, which in turn will alter water temperature distributions, sediment transport pathways, and salmonid migration routes.

National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, Long Island-New Jersey (LINJ) Coastal Drainages Study Unit : Scope of the Long Island-New Jersey Coastal Drainages Study-Unit investigation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ayers, Mark A.

1994-01-01

Scope of the Long Island-New Jersey Coastal Drainages Study-Unit InvestigationIn 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program to document the status of and trends in quality of a large representative part of the Nation's water resources and to provide a sound scientific understanding of the primary natural and human factors that affect the quality of these resources. The program is designed to produce long-term, consistent water-quality information that will be useful to policymakers and managers at national, State, and local levels.Investigations of 60 hydrologic systems (study units), which include parts of most major river basins and aquifer systems in the United States, are the building blocks of NAWQA. A framework has been established to ensure nationwide consistency in the approach to each study--in field and laboratory methods, in water-quality measurements, and in the supporting data requirements. Twenty studies were started in 1991, 20 more have begun in 1994, and 20 are scheduled to begin in 1997.A major design feature of the program that will facilitate integration of water-quality information at national, regional, and local scales is coordination between the individual study-unit teams and the national synthesis effort at all stages of the investigations. Thus, results that relate to various topics addressed in the study-unit investigations will be integrated smoothly into NAWQA's national synthesis component. Teams have been developed to address the following topics of national importance: pesticides, nutrients, and volatile organic compounds. These teams are investigating the specific issues by means of comparative studies of a large set of hydrologic systems distributed over a wide range of environmental settings found in the 60 study-units.The information below summarizes the goals and scope of the NAWQA Program and the Long Island-New Jersey Coastal Drainages study, which began in 1994.

How is the River Water Quality Response to Climate Change Impacts?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, T. T.; Willems, P.

2015-12-01

Water quality and its response to climate change have been become one of the most important issues of our society, which catches the attention of many scientists, environmental activists and policy makers. Climate change influences the river water quality directly and indirectly via rainfall and air temperature. For example, low flow decreases the volume of water for dilution and increases the residence time of the pollutants. By contrast, high flow leads to increases in the amount of pollutants and sediment loads from catchments to rivers. The changes in hydraulic characteristics, i.e. water depth and velocity, affect the transportation and biochemical transformation of pollutants in the river water body. The high air temperature leads to increasing water temperature, shorter growing periods of different crops and water demands from domestic households and industries, which eventually effects the level of river pollution. This study demonstrates the quantification of the variation of the water temperature and pollutant concentrations along the Molse Neet river in the North East of Belgium as a result of the changes in the catchment rainfall-runoff, air temperature and nutrient loads. Firstly, four climate change scenarios were generated based on a large ensemble of available global and regional climate models and statistical downscaling based on a quantile perturbation method. Secondly, the climatic changes to rainfall and temperature were transformed to changes in the evapotranspiration and runoff flow through the conceptual hydrological model PDM. Thirdly, the adjustment in nutrient loads from agriculture due to rainfall and growing periods of crops were calculated by means of the semi-empirical SENTWA model. Water temperature was estimated from air temperature by a stochastic model separating the temperature into long-term annual and short-term residual components. Next, hydrodynamic and water quality models of the river, implemented in InfoWorks RS, were simulated for both historical (2000-2010) and projected future periods (2050-2060). The advection movement and physico-biochemical processes were considered for simulation of the following water quality variables: water temperature, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, ammonium, nitrate, nitrite and organic nitrogen.

Determining Water Quality Trends in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed in the Face of Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kynett, K.; Azimi-Gaylon, S.; Doidic, C.

2014-12-01

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Suisun Marsh (Delta) is the largest estuary on the West Coast of the Americas and is a resource of local, State, and national significance. The Delta is simultaneously the most critical component of California's water supply, a primary focus of the state's ecological conservation measures, and a vital resource deeply imperiled by degraded water quality. Delta waterbodies are identified as impaired by salinity, excess nutrients, low dissolved oxygen, pathogens, pesticides, heavy metals, and other contaminants. Climate change is expected to exacerbate the impacts of existing stressors in the Delta and magnify the challenges of managing this natural resource. A clear understanding of the current state of the watershed is needed to better inform scientists, decision makers, and the public about potential impacts from climate change. The Delta Watershed Initiative Network (Delta WIN) leverages the ecological benefits of healthy watersheds, and enhances, expands and creates opportunities for greater watershed health by coordinating with agencies, established programs, and local organizations. At this critical junction, Delta WIN is coordinating data integration and analysis to develop better understanding of the existing and emerging water quality concerns. As first steps, Delta WIN is integrating existing water quality data, analyzing trends, and monitoring to fill data gaps and to evaluate indicators of climate change impacts. Available data will be used for trend analysis; Delta WIN will continue to monitor where data is incomplete and new questions arise. Understanding how climate change conditions may affect water quality will be used to inform efforts to build resilience and maintain water quality levels which sustain aquatic life and human needs. Assessments of historical and new data will aid in recognition of potential climate change impacts and in initiating implementation of best management practices in collaboration with State and local agencies. Ultimately, Delta WIN can inform responsive science and adaptive management in other estuaries and critical natural resource areas facing times of change.

Seasonal variations in the water quality of a tropical wetland dominated by floating meadows and its implication for conservation of Ramsar wetlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuboi, Chongpi; Irengbam, Michelle; Hussain, Syed Ainul

2018-02-01

The Loktak Lake is a palustrine wetland located in the Barak-Chindwin river basin of Northeast India. The Lake is characterized by floating meadows of various thickness which support severely depleted endangered Eld's deer (Rucervus eldii) and sympatric hog deer (Axis porcinus). The southern part of the Lake is protected as Keibul Lamjao National Park as the last remaining habitat of the Eld's deer in India. The Loktak Lake has been included in the Montreux record as it is changing its ecological character due to anthropogenic pressures especially due to water pollution. We examined the seasonal pattern of water quality of Loktak Lake and compared it with the Keibul Lamjao National Park with a view to suggest measures for removal of this wetland from the Montreux record and for improved conservation. The evaluation of spatio-temporal variations in the water quality parameters over two years was carried out using multivariate statistical analysis. Hierarchical cluster analysis grouped the 11 sampling sites into four groups, less polluted, medium polluted, highly polluted and most polluted and the 12 months into three time periods. Principal Component Analysis identified three factors in the data structure which explained 92.9% of the total variance of the data set which was used to group the selected parameters according to common features and to evaluate the influence of each group on the overall variation in water quality. Significant difference in terms of water quality parameters were observed across different parts of the lake and seasons (ANOVA, p < 0.05). Our study revealed that the Loktak Lake is hypereutrophic leading to decreased water quality that has adverse impacts on ecosystem level processes. Restoration of the Lake requires an integrated approach in reduction of nutrient inputs, enhanced flushing mechanism and restoration of environmental flow which has been disrupted due to damming.

Spatial patterns of water quality in Xingu River Basin (Amazonia) prior to the Belo Monte dam impoundment.

PubMed

Rodrigues-Filho, J L; Abe, D S; Gatti-Junior, P; Medeiros, G R; Degani, R M; Blanco, F P; Faria, C R L; Campanelli, L; Soares, F S; Sidagis-Galli, C V; Teixeira-Silva, V; Tundisi, J E M; Matsmura-Tundisi, T; Tundisi, J G

2015-08-01

The Xingu River, one of the most important of the Amazon Basin, is characterized by clear and transparent waters that drain a 509.685 km2 watershed with distinct hydrological and ecological conditions and anthropogenic pressures along its course. As in other basins of the Amazon system, studies in the Xingu are scarce. Furthermore, the eminent construction of the Belo Monte for hydropower production, which will alter the environmental conditions in the basin in its lower middle portion, denotes high importance of studies that generate relevant information that may subsidize a more balanced and equitable development in the Amazon region. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the water quality in the Xingu River and its tributaries focusing on spatial patterns by the use of multivariate statistical techniques, identifying which water quality parameters were more important for the environmental changes in the watershed. Data sampling were carried out during two complete hydrological cycles in twenty-five sampling stations. The data of twenty seven variables were analyzed by Spearman's correlation coefficients, cluster analysis (CA), and principal component analysis (PCA). The results showed a high auto-correlation between variables (> 0.7). These variables were removed from multivariate analyzes because they provided redundant information about the environment. The CA resulted in the formation of six clusters, which were clearly observed in the PCA and were characterized by different water quality. The statistical results allowed to identify a high spatial variation in the water quality, which were related to specific features of the environment, different uses, influences of anthropogenic activities and geochemical characteristics of the drained basins. It was also demonstrated that most of the sampling stations in the Xingu River basin showed good water quality, due to the absence of local impacts and high power of depuration of the river itself.

Advancing Water Science through Improved Cyberinfrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koch, B. J.; Miles, B.; Rai, A.; Ahalt, S.; Band, L. E.; Minsker, B.; Palmer, M.; Williams, M. R.; Idaszak, R.; Whitton, M. C.

2012-12-01

Major scientific advances are needed to help address impacts of climate change and increasing human-mediated environmental modification on the water cycle at global and local scales. However, such advances within the water sciences are limited in part by inadequate information infrastructures. For example, cyberinfrastructure (CI) includes the integrated computer hardware, software, networks, sensors, data, and human capital that enable scientific workflows to be carried out within and among individual research efforts and across varied disciplines. A coordinated transformation of existing CI and development of new CI could accelerate the productivity of water science by enabling greater discovery, access, and interoperability of data and models, and by freeing scientists to do science rather than create and manage technological tools. To elucidate specific ways in which improved CI could advance water science, three challenges confronting the water science community were evaluated: 1) How does ecohydrologic patch structure affect nitrogen transport and fate in watersheds?, 2) How can human-modified environments emulate natural water and nutrient cycling to enhance both human and ecosystem well-being?, 3) How do changes in climate affect water availability to support biodiversity and human needs? We assessed the approaches used by researchers to address components of these challenges, identified barriers imposed by limitations of current CI, and interviewed leaders in various water science subdisciplines to determine the most recent CI tools employed. Our preliminary findings revealed four areas where CI improvements are likely to stimulate scientific advances: 1) sensor networks, 2) data quality assurance/quality control, 3) data and modeling standards, 4) high performance computing. In addition, the full potential of a re-envisioned water science CI cannot be realized without a substantial training component. In light of these findings, we suggest that CI industry-proven practices such as open-source community architecture, agile development methodologies, and sound software engineering methods offer a promising pathway to a transformed water science CI capable of meeting the demands of both individual scientists and community-wide research initiatives.

Alabama Water Use, 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hutson, Susan S.; Littlepage, Thomas M.; Harper, Michael J.; Tinney, James O.

2009-01-01

Water is one of Alabama's most precious natural resources. It is a vital component of human existence and essential to the overall quality of life. Wise stewardship of this valuable resource depends on a continuing assessment of water availability and water use. Population growth in many parts of the State has resulted in increased competition for available water resources. This competition includes offstream uses, such as residential, agricultural, and industrial, and instream uses for maintenance of species habitat and diversity, navigation, power generation, recreation, and water quality. Accurate water-use information is required for sound management decisions within this competitive framework and is necessary for a more comprehensive understanding of the link between water use, water supply, and overall water availability. A study of water use during 2005 was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, Office of Water Resources, Water Management Branch (ADECA-OWR), to provide water-use data for local and State water managers. The results of the study about the amount of water used, how it was used, and where it was used in Alabama have been published in 'Estimated use of water in Alabama in 2005' by Hutson and others, 2009, and is accessible on the Web at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2009/5163 and available upon request as a CD-ROM through USGS and ADECA-OWR.

Relative Linkages of Chlorophyll-a with the Hydroclimatic and Biogeochemical Variables across the Continental U.S. (CONUS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, M. H.; Abdul-Aziz, O. I.

2017-12-01

Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) is a key indicator for stream water quality and ecological health. The characterization of interplay between Chl-a and its numerous hydroclimatic and biogeochemical drivers is complex, and often involves multicollinear datasets. A systematic data analytics methodology was employed to determine the relative linkages of stream Chl-a with its dynamic environmental drivers at 50 stream water quality monitoring stations across the continental U.S. Multivariate statistical techniques of principal component analysis (PCA) and factor analysis (FA), in concert with Pearson correlation analysis, were applied to evaluate interrelationships among hydroclimatic, biogeochemical, and biological variables. Power-law based partial least square regression (PLSR) models were developed with a bootstrap Monte Carlo procedure (1000 iterations) to reliably estimate the comparative linkages of Chl-a by resolving multicollinearity in the data matrices (Nash-Sutcliff efficiency = 0.50-87). The data analytics suggested four environmental regimes of stream Chl-a, as dominated by nutrient, climate, redox, and hydro-atmospheric contributions, respectively. Total phosphorous (TP) was the most dominant driver of stream Chl-a in the nutrient controlled regime. Water temperature demonstrated the strongest control of Chl-a in the climate-dominated regime. Furthermore, pH and stream flow were found to be the most important drivers of Chl-a in the redox and hydro-atmospheric component dominated regimes, respectively. The research led to a significant reduction of dimensionality in the large data matrices, providing quantitative and qualitative insights on the dynamics of stream Chl-a. The findings would be useful to manage stream water quality and ecosystem health in the continental U.S. and around the world under a changing climate and environment.

Chemical Analysis and Water Recovery Testing of Shuttle-Mir Humidity Condensate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mudgett, Paul D.; Straub, John E., II; Schultz, John R.; Sauer, Richard L.; Williams, David E.; Bobe, L. S.; Novikov, V. M.; Andreichouk, P. O.; Protasov, N. N.

1999-01-01

Humidity condensate collected and processed in-flight is an important component of a space station drinking water supply. Water recovery systems in general are designed to handle finite concentrations of specific chemical components. Previous analyses of condensate derived from spacecraft and ground sources showed considerable variation in composition. Consequently, an investigation was conducted to collect condensate on the Shuttle while the vehicle was docked to Mir, and return the condensate to Earth for testing. This scenario emulates an early ISS configuration during a Shuttle docking, because the atmospheres intermix during docking and the condensate composition should reflect that. During the STS-89 and STS-91 flights, a total volume of 50 liters of condensate was collected and returned. Inorganic and organic chemical analyses were performed on aliquots of the fluid. Tests using the actual condensate were then conducted with scaled-down elements of the Russian condensate recovery system to determine the quality of water produced. The composition and test results are described, and implications for ISS are discussed.

Freshwater DOM quantity and quality from a two-component model of UV absorbance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carter, Heather T.; Tipping, Edward; Koprivnjak, Jean-Francois; Miller, Matthew P.; Cookson, Brenda; Hamilton-Taylor, John

2012-01-01

We present a model that considers UV-absorbing dissolved organic matter (DOM) to consist of two components (A and B), each with a distinct and constant spectrum. Component A absorbs UV light strongly, and is therefore presumed to possess aromatic chromophores and hydrophobic character, whereas B absorbs weakly and can be assumed hydrophilic. We parameterised the model with dissolved organic carbon concentrations [DOC] and corresponding UV spectra for c. 1700 filtered surface water samples from North America and the United Kingdom, by optimising extinction coefficients for A and B, together with a small constant concentration of non-absorbing DOM (0.80 mg DOC L-1). Good unbiased predictions of [DOC] from absorbance data at 270 and 350 nm were obtained (r2 = 0.98), the sum of squared residuals in [DOC] being reduced by 66% compared to a regression model fitted to absorbance at 270 nm alone. The parameterised model can use measured optical absorbance values at any pair of suitable wavelengths to calculate both [DOC] and the relative amounts of A and B in a water sample, i.e. measures of quantity and quality. Blind prediction of [DOC] was satisfactory for 9 of 11 independent data sets (181 of 213 individual samples).

Reality check of socio-hydrological interactions in water quality and ecosystem management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Destouni, Georgia; Fischer, Ida; Prieto, Carmen

2017-04-01

Socio-hydrological interactions in water management for improving water quality and ecosystem status include as key components both (i) the societal measures taken for mitigation and control, and (ii) the societal characterization and monitoring efforts made for choosing management targets and checking the effects of measures taken to reach the targets. This study investigates such monitoring, characterization and management efforts and effects over the first six-year management cycle of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). The investigation uses Sweden and the WFD-regulated management of its stream and lake waters as a concrete quantification example, with focus on the nutrient and eutrophication conditions that determine the most prominent water quality and ecosystem problems in need of mitigation in the Swedish waters. The case results show a relatively small available monitoring base for determination of these nutrient and eutrophication conditions, even though they constitute key parts in the overall WFD-based approach to classification and management of ecosystem status. Specifically, actual nutrient monitoring exists in only around 1% (down to 0.2% for nutrient loads) of the Swedish stream and lake water bodies; modeling is used to fill the gaps for the remaining unmonitored fraction of classified and managed waters. The available data show that the hydro-climatically driven stream water discharge is a primary explanatory variable for the resulting societal classification of ecosystem status in Swedish waters; this may be due to the discharge magnitude being dominant in determining nutrient loading to these waters. At any rate, with such a hydro-climatically related, rather than human-pressure related, determinant of the societal ecosystem-status classification, the main human-driven causes and effects of eutrophication may not be appropriately identified, and the measures taken for mitigating these may not be well chosen. The available monitoring data from Swedish waters support this hypothesis, by showing that the first WFD management cycle 2009-2015 has led to only slight changes in measured nutrient concentrations, with moderate-to-bad status waters mostly undergoing concentration increases. These management results are in direct contrast to the WFD management goals that ecosystem status in all member-state waters must be improved to at least good level, and in any case not be allowed to further deteriorate. In general, the present results show that societal approaches to ecosystem status classification, monitoring and improvement may need a focus shift for improved identification and quantification of the human-driven components of nutrient inputs, concentrations and loads in water environments. Dominant hydro-climatic change drivers and effects must of course also be understood and accounted for. However, adaptation to hydro-climatic changes should be additional to and aligned with, rather than instead of, necessary mitigation of human-driven eutrophication. The present case results call for further science-based testing and evidence of societal water quality and ecosystem management actually targeting and following up the potential achievement of such mitigation.

Quality of water in the Trinity and Edwards aquifers, south-central Texas, 1996-98

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fahlquist, Lynne; Ardis, Ann F.

2004-01-01

During 1996–98, the U.S. Geological Survey studied surface- and ground-water quality in south-central Texas. The ground-water components included the upper and middle zones (undifferentiated) of the Trinity aquifer in the Hill Country and the unconfined part (recharge zone) and confined part (artesian zone) of the Edwards aquifer in the Balcones fault zone of the San Antonio region. The study was supplemented by information compiled from four ground-water-quality studies done during 1996–98.Trinity aquifer waters are more mineralized and contain larger dissolved solids, sulfate, and chloride concentrations compared to Edwards aquifer waters. Greater variability in water chemistry in the Trinity aquifer likely reflects the more variable lithology of the host rock. Trace elements were widely detected, mostly at small concentrations. Median total nitrogen was larger in the Edwards aquifer than in the Trinity aquifer. Ammonia nitrogen was detected more frequently and at larger concentrations in the Trinity aquifer than in the Edwards aquifer. Although some nitrate nitrogen concentrations in the Edwards aquifer exceeded a U.S. Geological Survey national background threshold concentration, no concentrations exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency public drinking-water standard.Synthetic organic compounds, such as pesticides and volatile organic compounds, were detected in the Edwards aquifer and less frequently in the Trinity aquifer, mostly at very small concentrations (less than 1 microgram per liter). These compounds were detected most frequently in urban unconfined Edwards aquifer samples. Atrazine and its breakdown product deethylatrazine were the most frequently detected pesticides, and trihalomethanes were the most frequently detected volatile organic compounds. Widespread detections of these compounds, although at small concentrations, indicate that anthropogenic activities affect ground-water quality.Radon gas was detected throughout the Trinity aquifer but not throughout the Edwards aquifer. Fourteen samples from the Trinity aquifer and 10 samples from the Edwards aquifer exceeded a proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency public drinking-water standard. Sources of radon in the study area might be granitic sediments underlying the Trinity aquifer and igneous intrusions in and below the Edwards aquifer.The presence of tritium in nearly all Edwards aquifer samples indicates that some component of sampled water is young (less than about 50 years), even for long flow paths in the confined zone. About one-half of the Trinity aquifer samples contained tritium, indicating that only part of the aquifer contains young water.Hydrogen and oxygen isotopes of water provide indicators of recharge sources to the Trinity and Edwards aquifers. Most ground-water samples have a meteorological isotopic signature indicating recharge as direct infiltration of water with little residence time on the land surface. Isotopic data from some samples collected from the unconfined Edwards aquifer indicate the water has undergone evaporation. At the time that ground-water samples were collected (during a drought), nearby streams were the likely sources of recharge to these wells.

Hydrogeologic framework refinement, ground-water flow and storage, water-chemistry analyses, and water-budget components of the Yuma area, southwestern Arizona and southeastern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dickinson, Jesse; Land, Michael; Faunt, Claudia C.; Leake, S.A.; Reichard, Eric G.; Fleming, John B.; Pool, D.R.

2006-01-01

The ground-water and surface-water system in the Yuma area in southwestern Arizona and southeastern California is managed intensely to meet water-delivery requirements of customers in the United States, to manage high ground-water levels in the valleys, and to maintain treaty-mandated water-quality and quantity requirements of Mexico. The following components in this report, which were identified to be useful in the development of a ground-water management model, are: (1) refinement of the hydrogeologic framework; (2) updated water-level maps, general ground-water flow patterns, and an estimate of the amount of ground water stored in the mound under Yuma Mesa; (3) review and documentation of the ground-water budget calculated by the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of the Interior (Reclamation); and (4) water-chemistry characterization to identify the spatial distribution of water quality, information on sources and ages of ground water, and information about the productive-interval depths of the aquifer. A refined three-dimensional digital hydrogeologic framework model includes the following hydrogeologic units from bottom to top: (1) the effective hydrologic basement of the basin aquifer, which includes the Pliocene Bouse Formation, Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary rocks, and pre-Tertiary metamorphic and plutonic rocks; (2) undifferentiated lower units to represent the Pliocene transition zone and wedge zone; (3) coarse-gravel unit; (4) lower, middle, and upper basin fill to represent the upper, fine-grained zone between the top of the coarse-gravel unit and the land surface; and (5) clay A and clay B. Data for the refined model includes digital elevation models, borehole lithology data, geophysical data, and structural data to represent the geometry of the hydrogeologic units. The top surface of the coarse-gravel unit, defined by using borehole and geophysical data, varies similarly to terraces resulting from the down cutting of the Colorado River. Clay A is nearly the same as the previous conceptual hydrogeologic model definition (Olmsted and others, 1973), except for a minor westward extension from the city of Yuma. Clay B is extended to the southerly international boundary and increased in areal extent by about two-thirds of the original extent (Olmsted and others, 1973). The other hydrogeologic units generally are the same as in the previous conceptual hydrogeologic model. Before development, the Colorado and Gila Rivers were the sources of nearly all the ground water in the Yuma area through direct infiltration of water from river channels and annual overbank flooding. After construction of upstream reservoirs and clearing and irrigation of the floodplains, the rivers now act as drains for the ground water. Ground-water levels in most of the Yuma area are higher now than they were in predevelopment time. A general gradient of ground-water flow toward the natural discharge area south of the Yuma area still exists, but many other changes in flow are evident. Ground water in Yuma Valley once flowed away from the Colorado River, but now has a component of flow towards the river and Mexicali Valley. A ground-water mound has formed under Yuma Mesa from long-term surface-water irrigation; about 600,000 to 800,000 acre-ft of water are stored in the mound. Ground-water withdrawals adjacent to the southerly international boundary have resulted in water-level declines in that area. The reviewed and documented water budget includes the following components: (1) recharge in irrigated areas, (2) evapotranspiration by irrigated crops and phreatophytes, (3) ground-water return flow to the Colorado River, and (4) ground-water withdrawals (including those in Mexicali Valley). Recharge components were calculated by subtracting the amount of water used by crops from the amount of water delivered. Evapotranspiration rates were calculated on the basis of established methods, thus were appropriate for input to the ground-wate

FRNA Bacteriophages as Viral Indicators of Faecal Contamination in Mexican Tropical Aquatic Systems.

PubMed

Arredondo-Hernandez, Luis Jose Rene; Diaz-Avalos, Carlos; Lopez-Vidal, Yolanda; Castillo-Rojas, Gonzalo; Mazari-Hiriart, Marisa

2017-01-01

A particular challenge to water safety in populous intertropical regions is the lack of reliable faecal indicators to detect microbiological contamination of water, while the numerical relationships of specific viral indicators remain largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate the numerical relationships of FRNA-bacteriophage genotypes, adenovirus 41, and human adenoviruses (HADV) in Mexican surface water systems to assess sewage contamination. We studied the presence of HADV, HADV41 and FRNA bacteriophage genotypes in water samples and quantified by qPCR and RT-qPCR. Virus and water quality indicator variances, as analyzed by principal component analysis and partial least squared regression, followed along the major percentiles of water faecal enterococci. FRNA bacteriophages adequately deciphered viral and point source water contamination. The strongest correlation for HADV was with FRNA bacteriophage type II, in water samples higher than the 50th percentiles of faecal enterococci, thus indicating urban pollution. FRNA bacteriophage genotypes I and III virus indicator performances were assisted by their associations with electrical conductivity and faecal enterococci. In combination, our methods are useful for inferring water quality degradation caused by sewage contamination. The methods used have potential for determining source contamination in water and, specifically, the presence of enteric viruses where clean and contaminated water have mixed.

FRNA Bacteriophages as Viral Indicators of Faecal Contamination in Mexican Tropical Aquatic Systems

PubMed Central

Diaz-Avalos, Carlos; Lopez-Vidal, Yolanda; Castillo-Rojas, Gonzalo; Mazari-Hiriart, Marisa

2017-01-01

A particular challenge to water safety in populous intertropical regions is the lack of reliable faecal indicators to detect microbiological contamination of water, while the numerical relationships of specific viral indicators remain largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate the numerical relationships of FRNA-bacteriophage genotypes, adenovirus 41, and human adenoviruses (HADV) in Mexican surface water systems to assess sewage contamination. We studied the presence of HADV, HADV41 and FRNA bacteriophage genotypes in water samples and quantified by qPCR and RT-qPCR. Virus and water quality indicator variances, as analyzed by principal component analysis and partial least squared regression, followed along the major percentiles of water faecal enterococci. FRNA bacteriophages adequately deciphered viral and point source water contamination. The strongest correlation for HADV was with FRNA bacteriophage type II, in water samples higher than the 50th percentiles of faecal enterococci, thus indicating urban pollution. FRNA bacteriophage genotypes I and III virus indicator performances were assisted by their associations with electrical conductivity and faecal enterococci. In combination, our methods are useful for inferring water quality degradation caused by sewage contamination. The methods used have potential for determining source contamination in water and, specifically, the presence of enteric viruses where clean and contaminated water have mixed. PMID:28114378

Spatial and seasonal patterns in water quality in an embayment-mainstem reach of the tidal freshwater Potomac River, USA: a multiyear study.

PubMed

Jones, R Christian; Kelso, Donald P; Schaeffer, Elaine

2008-12-01

Spatial and temporal patterns in water quality were studied for seven years within an embayment-river mainstem area of the tidal freshwater Potomac River. The purpose of this paper is to determine the important components of spatial and temporal variation in water quality in this study area to facilitate an understanding of management impacts and allow the most effective use of future monitoring resources. The study area received treated sewage effluent and freshwater inflow from direct tributary inputs into the shallow embayment as well as upriver sources in the mainstem. Depth variations were determined to be detectable, but minimal due mainly to the influence of tidal mixing. Results of principal component analysis of two independent water quality datasets revealed clear spatial and seasonal patterns. Interannual variation was generally minimal despite substantial variations in tributary and mainstem discharge among years. Since both spatial and seasonal components were important, data were segmented by season to best determine the spatial pattern. A clear difference was found between a set of stations located within one embayment (Gunston Cove) and a second set in the nearby Potomac mainstem. Parameters most highly correlated with differences were those typically associated with higher densities of phytoplankton: chlorophyll a, photosynthetic rate, pH, dissolved oxygen, BOD, total phosphorus and Secchi depth. These differences and their consistency indicated two distinct water masses: one in the cove harboring higher algal density and activity and a second in the river with lower phytoplankton activity. A second embayment not receiving sewage effluent generally had an intermediate position. While this was the most consistent spatial pattern, there were two others of a secondary nature. Stations closer to the effluent inputs in the embayment sometimes grouped separately due to elevated ammonia and chloride. Stations closer to tributary inflows into the embayment sometimes grouped separately due to dilution with freshwater runoff. Segmenting the datasets by spatial region resulted in a clarification of seasonal patterns with similar factors relating to algal activity being the major correlates of the seasonal pattern. A basic seasonal pattern of lower scores in the spring increasing steadily to a peak in July and August followed by a steady decline through the fall was observed in the cove. In the river, the pattern of increases tended to be delayed slightly in the spring. Results indicate that the study area can be effectively monitored with fewer study sites provided that at least one is located in each of the spatial regions.

Online fluorescence spectroscopy for the real-time evaluation of the microbial quality of drinking water.

PubMed

Sorensen, J P R; Vivanco, A; Ascott, M J; Gooddy, D C; Lapworth, D J; Read, D S; Rushworth, C M; Bucknall, J; Herbert, K; Karapanos, I; Gumm, L P; Taylor, R G

2018-06-15

We assessed the utility of online fluorescence spectroscopy for the real-time evaluation of the microbial quality of untreated drinking water. Online fluorimeters were installed on the raw water intake at four groundwater-derived UK public water supplies alongside existing turbidity sensors that are used to forewarn of the presence of microbial contamination in the water industry. The fluorimeters targeted fluorescent dissolved organic matter (DOM) peaks at excitation/emission wavelengths of 280/365 nm (tryptophan-like fluorescence, TLF) and 280/450 nm (humic-like fluorescence, HLF). Discrete samples were collected for Escherichia coli, total bacterial cell counts by flow cytometry, and laboratory-based fluorescence and absorbance. Both TLF and HLF were strongly correlated with E. coli (ρ = 0.71-0.77) and total bacterial cell concentrations (ρ = 0.73-0.76), whereas the correlations between turbidity and E. coli (ρ = 0.48) and total bacterial cell counts (ρ = 0.40) were much weaker. No clear TLF peak was observed at the sites and all apparent TLF was considered to be optical bleed-through from the neighbouring HLF peak. Therefore, a HLF fluorimeter alone would be sufficient to evaluate the microbial water quality at these sources. Fluorescent DOM was also influenced by site operations such as pump start-up and the precipitation of cations on the sensor windows. Online fluorescent DOM sensors are a better indicator of the microbial quality of untreated drinking water than turbidity and they have wide-ranging potential applications within the water industry. Copyright © 2018 British Geological Survey, a component institute of NERC - 'BGS © NERC 2018'. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Monitoring the effects of manure policy in the Peat region, Netherlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hooijboer, Arno; Buis, Eke; Fraters, Dico; Boumans, Leo; Lukacs, Saskia; Vrijhoef, Astrid

2014-05-01

Total N concentrations in farm ditches in the Peat region of the Netherlands are on the average twice as high as the Good Ecological Potential value of the Water Framework Directive. Since ditches are connected to regional surface water, they may contribute to eutrophication. The minerals policy aims to improve the water quality. In the Netherlands, the effectiveness of the minerals policy on water quality is evaluated with data from the National Minerals Policy Monitoring Programme (LMM). This regards farm data on the quality of water leaching from the root zone and on farm practices. The soil balance nitrogen surpluses decreased between 1996 and 2003 on dairy farms in the Peat region. However, no effect on root zone leaching was found. This study aims to show how monitoring in the Peat region can be improved in order to link water quality to agricultural practice. Contrary to the other Dutch regions, nitrate concentrations in root zone leaching on farms in the Peat region are often very low (90% of the farms below 25 mg/l) due to the reduction of nitrate (denitrification). The main nitrogen (N) components in the peat region waters are ammonium and organic N. Total N is therefore a better measure for N concentrations in the Peat region. The ammonium concentration in groundwater in Dutch peat soils increases with depth. It is assumed that the deeper ammonia-rich water is older and relates to anaerobic peat decomposition instead of agricultural practice. Recent infiltrated low-ammonium water, lies like a thin freshwater lens on the older water. In the Peat region, root zone leaching is monitored by taking samples from the upper meter of groundwater. Unintended, often both lens water and older water are sampled and this distorts the relation between agricultural practice and water quality. In the Peat region, the N surplus is transported with the precipitation surplus to ditches. The relation between the N surplus and the total N in ditch water is therefore better than between N surplus and total N in root zone leaching. The precipitation surplus flows to ditches directly or via open field drains. However, the ditches may be fed partly with older water (seepage of groundwater). In the open field drain only recent water will occur. We expect that monitoring the water quality of the open field drains may even better reflect changes in agricultural practices. These data may also improve the understanding of contribution of agricultural nitrogen and natural nitrogen, necessary to develop measures to decrease the total-N concentration in ditch water.

Simulation of streamflow and water quality in the Christina River subbasin and overview of simulations in other subbasins of the Christina River Basin, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware, 1994-98

USGS Publications Warehouse

Senior, Lisa A.; Koerkle, Edward H.

2003-01-01

The Christina River Basin drains 565 square miles (mi2) in Pennsylvania and Delaware and includes the major subbasins of Brandywine Creek, Red Clay Creek, White Clay Creek, and Christina River. The Christina River subbasin (exclusive of the Brandywine, Red Clay, and White Clay Creek subbasins) drains an area of 76 mi2. Streams in the Christina River Basin are used for recreation, drinking water supply, and support of aquatic life. Water quality in some parts of the Christina River Basin is impaired and does not support designated uses of the stream. A multi-agency water-quality management strategy included a modeling component to evaluate the effects of point- and nonpoint-source contributions of nutrients and suspended sediment on stream water quality. To assist in nonpoint-source evaluation, four independent models, one for each of the four main subbasins of the Christina River Basin, were developed and calibrated using the model code Hydrological Simulation Program–Fortran (HSPF). Water-quality data for model calibration were collected in each of the four main subbasins and in small subbasins predominantly covered by one land use following a nonpoint- source monitoring plan. Under this plan, stormflow and base-flow samples were collected during 1998 at two sites in the Christina River subbasin and nine sites elsewhere in the Christina River Basin.The HSPF model for the Christina River subbasin simulates streamflow, suspended sediment, and the nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus. In addition, the model simulates water temperature, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, and plankton as secondary objectives needed to support the sediment and nutrient simulations. For the model, the basin was subdivided into nine reaches draining areas that ranged from 3.8 to 21.9 mi2. Ten different pervious land uses and two impervious land uses were selected for simulation. Land-use areas were determined from 1995 land-use data. The predominant land uses in the Christina River subbasin are residential, urban, forested, agricultural, and open.The hydrologic component of the model was run at an hourly time step and calibrated using streamflow data from two U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-measurement stations for the period of October 1, 1994, through October 29, 1998. Daily precipitation data from one National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) meteorologic station and hourly data from one NOAA meteorologic station were used for model input. The difference between observed and simulated streamflow volume ranged from -2.3 to 5.3 percent for a 10-month portion of the calibration period at the two calibration sites. Annual differences between observed and simulated streamflow generally were greater than the overall error for the 4-year period. For example, at Christina River at Coochs Bridge, near the bottom of the free-flowing part of the subbasin (drainage area of 21 mi2), annual differences between observed and simulated streamflow ranged from -6.9 to 6.5 percent and the overall error for the 4-year period was -1.1 percent. Calibration errors for 36 storm periods at the three calibration sites for total volume, low-flow recession rate, 50-percent lowest flows, 10-percent highest flows, and storm peaks were within the recommended criteria of 20 percent or less. Much of the error in simulating storm events on an hourly time step can be attributed to uncertainty in the rainfall data.The water-quality component of the model was calibrated using nonpoint-source monitoring data collected at two USGS streamflow-measurement stations and other water-quality monitoring data. The period of record for water-quality monitoring was variable at the stations, with a start date ranging from October 1994 to January 1998 and an end date of October 1998. Because of availability, monitoring data for suspended-solids concentrations were used as surrogates for suspended-sediment concentrations, although suspended-solids data may underestimate suspended sediment and affect apparent accuracy of the suspended-sediment simulaion. Comparison of observed to simulated loads for up to six storms in 1998 at the two nonpoint-source monitoring sites (Little Mill Creek near Newport and Christina River at Coochs Bridge, Del.) indicate that simulation error is commonly as large as an order of magnitude for suspended sediment and nutrients. The simulation error tends to be smaller for dissolved nutrients than for particulate nutrients. Errors of 40 percent or less for monthly or annual values indicate a fair to good water-quality calibration according to recommended criteria; much larger errors are possible for individual events. Assessment of the water-quality calibration under stormflow conditions is limited by the relatively small amount of available water-quality data in the subbasin.Users of the Christina River subbasin HSPF model and HSPF models for other subbasins in the Christina River Basin should be aware of model limitations and consider the following if the model is used for predictive purposes: streamflow-duration curves suggest the model simulates streamflow reasonably well when measured over a broad range of conditions and time although streamflow and the corresponding water quality for individual storm events may not be well simulated; streamflow-duration curves for the simulation period compare well with duration curves for the 8-year period ending in 2001 at Christina River at Coochs Bridge, Del., and include all but the extreme high-flow and low-flow events; and calibration for water quality was based on limited data, with the result of increasing uncertainty in the water-quality simulation.

Compartment-based hydrodynamics and water quality modeling of a northern Everglades wetland, Florida, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, Hongqing; Meselhe, Ehab A.; Waldon, Michael G.; Harwell, Matthew C.; Chen, Chunfang

2012-01-01

The last remaining large remnant of softwater wetlands in the US Florida Everglades lies within the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. However, Refuge water quality today is impacted by pumped stormwater inflows to the eutrophic and mineral-enriched 100-km canal, which circumscribes the wetland. Optimal management is a challenge and requires scientifically based predictive tools to assess and forecast the impacts of water management on Refuge water quality. In this research, we developed a compartment-based numerical model of hydrodynamics and water quality for the Refuge. Using the numerical model, we examined the dynamics in stage, water depth, discharge from hydraulic structures along the canal, and exchange flow among canal and marsh compartments. We also investigated the transport of chloride, sulfate and total phosphorus from the canal to the marsh interior driven by hydraulic gradients as well as biological removal of sulfate and total phosphorus. The model was calibrated and validated using long-term stage and water quality data (1995-2007). Statistical analysis indicates that the model is capable of capturing the spatial (from canal to interior marsh) gradients of constituents across the Refuge. Simulations demonstrate that flow from the eutrophic and mineral-enriched canal impacts chloride and sulfate in the interior marsh. In contrast, total phosphorus in the interior marsh shows low sensitivity to intrusion and dispersive transport. We conducted a rainfall-driven scenario test in which the pumped inflow concentrations of chloride, sulfate and total phosphorus were equal to rainfall concentrations (wet deposition). This test shows that pumped inflow is the dominant factor responsible for the substantially increased chloride and sulfate concentrations in the interior marsh. Therefore, the present day Refuge should not be classified as solely a rainfall-driven or ombrotrophic wetland. The model provides an effective screening tool for studying the impacts of various water management alternatives on water quality across the Refuge, and demonstrates the practicality of similarly modeling other wetland systems. As a general rule, modeling provides one component of a multi-faceted effort to provide technical support for ecosystem management decisions.

Assessment of roadside surface water quality of Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh using GIS and multivariate statistical techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Fahad; Fakhruddin, A. N. M.; Imam, MD. Toufick; Khan, Nasima; Abdullah, Abu Tareq Mohammad; Khan, Tanzir Ahmed; Rahman, Md. Mahfuzur; Uddin, Mohammad Nashir

2017-11-01

In this study, multivariate statistical techniques in collaboration with GIS are used to assess the roadside surface water quality of Savar region. Nineteen water samples were collected in dry season and 15 water quality parameters including TSS, TDS, pH, DO, BOD, Cl-, F-, NO3 2-, NO2 -, SO4 2-, Ca, Mg, K, Zn and Pb were measured. The univariate overview of water quality parameters are TSS 25.154 ± 8.674 mg/l, TDS 840.400 ± 311.081 mg/l, pH 7.574 ± 0.256 pH unit, DO 4.544 ± 0.933 mg/l, BOD 0.758 ± 0.179 mg/l, Cl- 51.494 ± 28.095 mg/l, F- 0.771 ± 0.153 mg/l, NO3 2- 2.211 ± 0.878 mg/l, NO2 - 4.692 ± 5.971 mg/l, SO4 2- 69.545 ± 53.873 mg/l, Ca 48.458 ± 22.690 mg/l, Mg 19.676 ± 7.361 mg/l, K 12.874 ± 11.382 mg/l, Zn 0.027 ± 0.029 mg/l, Pb 0.096 ± 0.154 mg/l. The water quality data were subjected to R-mode PCA which resulted in five major components. PC1 explains 28% of total variance and indicates the roadside and brick field dust settle down (TDS, TSS) in the nearby water body. PC2 explains 22.123% of total variance and indicates the agricultural influence (K, Ca, and NO2 -). PC3 describes the contribution of nonpoint pollution from agricultural and soil erosion processes (SO4 2-, Cl-, and K). PC4 depicts heavy positively loaded by vehicle emission and diffusion from battery stores (Zn, Pb). PC5 depicts strong positive loading of BOD and strong negative loading of pH. Cluster analysis represents three major clusters for both water parameters and sampling sites. The site based on cluster showed similar grouping pattern of R-mode factor score map. The present work reveals a new scope to monitor the roadside water quality for future research in Bangladesh.

Building an Open Source Framework for Integrated Catchment Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jagers, B.; Meijers, E.; Villars, M.

2015-12-01

In order to develop effective strategies and associated policies for environmental management, we need to understand the dynamics of the natural system as a whole and the human role therein. This understanding is gained by comparing our mental model of the world with observations from the field. However, to properly understand the system we should look at dynamics of water, sediments, water quality, and ecology throughout the whole system from catchment to coast both at the surface and in the subsurface. Numerical models are indispensable in helping us understand the interactions of the overall system, but we need to be able to update and adjust them to improve our understanding and test our hypotheses. To support researchers around the world with this challenging task we started a few years ago with the development of a new open source modeling environment DeltaShell that integrates distributed hydrological models with 1D, 2D, and 3D hydraulic models including generic components for the tracking of sediment, water quality, and ecological quantities throughout the hydrological cycle composed of the aforementioned components. The open source approach combined with a modular approach based on open standards, which allow for easy adjustment and expansion as demands and knowledge grow, provides an ideal starting point for addressing challenging integrated environmental questions.

Surface water quality assessment of the Upper Illinois River basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin : geochemical data for fine-fraction streambed sediment from high- and low-order streams, 1987

USGS Publications Warehouse

Colman, John A.; Sanzolone, R.F.

1991-01-01

Geochemical data are presented from a synoptic survey of 46 elements in fine-fraction streambed sediments of the Upper Illinois River Basin during the fall of 1987. The survey was a component study of the Illinois pilot project of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment program. Most of the sampling sites were randomly chosen--135 on main stems of rivers and 238 on first- and second-order streams. In addition, 196 samples were collected for quality-assurance and special-study purposes. The report includes element concentration data and summary-statistics tables of percentiles, nested analysis of variance, and correlation coefficients. All concentration data are included in tabular form and can be selected by map reference number, latitude and longitude, or remark code indicating purpose for collecting sample.

Microbial, physical and chemical properties of irrigation water in rice fields of Southern Brazil.

PubMed

Reche, Maria Helena L R; Machado, Vilmar; Saul, Danilo A; Macedo, Vera R M; Marcolin, Elio; Knaak, Neiva; Fiuza, Lidia M

2016-03-01

This paper presents the results of the statistical analysis of microbiological, physical and chemical parameters related to the quality of the water used in rice fields in Southern Brazil. Data were collected during three consecutive crop years, within structure of a comprehensive monitoring program. The indicators used were: potential hydrogen, electrical conductivity, turbidity, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, total and fecal coliforms. Principal Component and Discriminant Analysis showed consistent differences between the water irrigation and drainage, as the temporal variation demonstrated a clear reduction in the concentration of most of the variables analyzed. The pattern of this reduction is not the same in the two regions - that is, the importance of each of the different variables in the observed differentiation is modified in two locations. These results suggested that the variations in the water quality utilized for rice irrigation was influenced by certain specific aspects of each rice region in South Brazilian - such as anthropic action or soil/climate conditions in each hydrographic basin.

A Mesoscale Total Dissolved Solids Quantity and Quality Study Integrating Responses of Multiple Biological Components in Small Stream Communities

EPA Science Inventory

A 42-day dosing test with ions comprising an excess TDS was run using mesocosms colonized with natural stream water fed continuously. In gridded gravel beds biota from microbes through macroinvertebrates are measured and interact in a manner realistic of stream riffle/run ecology...

Effects of forest harvest on biogeochemical processes in the Caspar Creek watershed

Treesearch

Randy A. Dahlgren

1998-01-01

Water quality and long-term sustainability are major components addressed within the ecosystem approach to forest management. Forest harvest practices are often implicated as having adverse impacts on sensitive aquatic communities and on the long-term sustainability of forest ecosystems. While careless harvest practices can certainly cause adverse impacts, proper...

Application of WEPP to a Southern Appalachian Forest road

Treesearch

Johnny M. Grace

2005-01-01

Forest roads can be major sources of sediment and soil erosion from southern Appalachian Mountain watersheds. Sediments from forest roads are a concern due to their potential delivery to stream systems resulting in degradation of water quality. Prediction of sediment yields from forest road components can provide valuable information in planning, locating, and...

Agriculture-related trends in groundwater quality of the glacial deposits aquifer, central Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saad, D.A.

2008-01-01

Measuring and understanding trends in groundwater quality is necessary for determining whether changes in land-management practices have an effect on groundwater quality. This paper describes an approach that was used to measure and understand trends using data from two groundwater studies conducted in central Wisconsin as part of the USGS NAWQA program. One of the key components of this approach, determining the age of sampled groundwater, gave a temporal component to the snapshots of water quality that were obtained through synoptic-sampling efforts. This approach can be used at other locations where groundwater quality data are collected, groundwater age can be determined, and associated temporal data are available. Results of these studies indicate measured concentrations of nitrate and atrazine plus deethylatrazine were correlated to historical patterns of fertilizer and atrazine use. Concentrations of nitrate in groundwater have increased over time; concentrations of atrazine plus deethylatrazine increased and then decreased. Concentrations of nitrate also were correlated to screen depth below the water level and concentrations of dissolved O2; concentrations of atrazine plus deethylatrazine were correlated to dissolved O2 and annual precipitation. To measure trends in concentrations of atrazine plus deethylatrazine, the data, collected over a near-decadal period, were adjusted to account for changes in laboratory-reporting levels and analytical recoveries. Only after accounting for these changes was it apparent that the median concentrations of atrazine plus deethylatrazine decreased over the near-decadal interval between sampling efforts. Copyright ?? 2008 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

Water Deficit and Salinity Stress Reveal Many Specific QTL for Plant Growth and Fruit Quality Traits in Tomato

PubMed Central

Diouf, Isidore A.; Derivot, Laurent; Bitton, Frédérique; Pascual, Laura; Causse, Mathilde

2018-01-01

Quality is a key trait in plant breeding, especially for fruit and vegetables. Quality involves several polygenic components, often influenced by environmental conditions with variable levels of genotype × environment interaction that must be considered in breeding strategies aiming to improve quality. In order to assess the impact of water deficit and salinity on tomato fruit quality, we evaluated a multi-parent advanced generation intercross (MAGIC) tomato population in contrasted environmental conditions over 2 years, one year in control vs. drought condition and the other in control vs. salt condition. Overall 250 individual lines from the MAGIC population—derived from eight parental lines covering a large diversity in cultivated tomato—were used to identify QTL in both experiments for fruit quality and yield component traits (fruit weight, number of fruit, Soluble Solid Content, firmness), phenology traits (time to flower and ripe) and a vegetative trait, leaf length. All the traits showed a large genotype variation (33–86% of total phenotypic variation) in both experiments and high heritability whatever the year or treatment. Significant genotype × treatment interactions were detected for five of the seven traits over the 2 years of experiments. QTL were mapped using 1,345 SNP markers. A total of 54 QTL were found among which 15 revealed genotype × environment interactions and 65% (35 QTL) were treatment specific. Confidence intervals of the QTL were projected on the genome physical map and allowed identifying regions carrying QTL co-localizations, suggesting pleiotropic regulation. We then applied a strategy for candidate gene detection based on the high resolution mapping offered by the MAGIC population, the allelic effect of each parental line at the QTL and the sequence information of the eight parental lines. PMID:29559986

Monitoring bacterial indicators of water quality in a tidally influenced delta: A Sisyphean pursuit.

PubMed

Partyka, Melissa L; Bond, Ronald F; Chase, Jennifer A; Atwill, Edward R

2017-02-01

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary (Delta) is the confluence of two major watersheds draining the Western Sierra Nevada mountains into the Central Valley of California, ultimately terminating into San Francisco Bay. We sampled 88 sites once a month for two years (2006-2008) over 87 separate sampling events for a total of 1740 samples. Water samples were analyzed for fecal indicator bacteria (Escherichia coli, enterococci and fecal coliforms), and 53 other physiochemical, land use, and environmental characteristics. The purpose of the study was to create a baseline of microbial water quality in the Delta and to identify various factors (climatic, land use, tidal, etc.) that were associated with elevated concentrations of indicator bacteria. Fecal indicator bacteria generally had weak to modest relationships to environmental conditions; the strength and direction of which varied for each microbial indicator, drainage region, and across seasons. Measured and unmeasured, site-specific effects accounted for large portions of variance in model predictions (ρ=0.086 to 0.255), indicating that spatial autocorrelation was a major component of water quality outcomes. The effects of tidal cycling and lack of connectivity between waterways and surrounding landscapes likely contributed to the lack of association between local land uses and microbial outcomes, though weak associations may also be indicative of mismatched spatiotemporal scales. The complex nature of this system necessitates continued monitoring and regular updates to statistical models designed to predict microbial water quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Simulation of streamflow and water quality in the Red Clay Creek subbasin of the Christina River Basin, Pennsylvania and Delaware, 1994-98

USGS Publications Warehouse

Senior, Lisa A.; Koerkle, Edward H.

2003-01-01

The Christina River Basin drains 565 square miles (mi2) in Pennsylvania and Delaware and includes the major subbasins of Red Clay Creek, White Clay Creek, Brandywine Creek, and Christina River. The Red Clay Creek is the smallest of the subbasins and drains an area of 54 mi2. Streams in the Christina River Basin are used for recreation, drinking-water supply, and to support aquatic life. Water quality in some parts of the Christina River Basin is impaired and does not support designated uses of the stream. A multi-agency, waterquality management strategy included a modeling component to evaluate the effects of point and nonpointsource contributions of nutrients and suspended sediment on stream water quality. To assist in nonpointsource evaluation, four independent models, one for each of the four main subbasins of the Christina River Basin, were developed and calibrated using the model code Hydrological Simulation Program?Fortran (HSPF). Water-quality data for model calibration were collected in each of the four main subbasins and in smaller subbasins predominantly covered by one land use following a nonpoint-source monitoring plan. Under this plan, stormflow and base-flow samples were collected during 1998 at 1 site in the Red Clay Creek subbasin and at 10 sites elsewhere in the Christina River Basin.The HSPF model for the Red Clay Creek subbasin simulates streamflow, suspended sediment, and the nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus. In addition, the model simulates water temperature, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, and plankton as secondary objectives needed to support the sediment and nutrient simulations. For the model, the basin was subdivided into nine reaches draining areas that ranged from 1.7 to 10 mi2. One of the reaches contains a regulated reservoir. Ten different pervious land uses and two impervious land uses were selected for simulation. Land-use areas were determined from 1995 land-use data. The predominant land uses in the Red Clay Creek subbasin are agricultural, forested, residential, and urban.The hydrologic component of the model was run at an hourly time step and calibrated using streamflow data from three U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-measurement stations for the period of October 1, 1994, through October 29, 1998. Daily precipitation data from one National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) gage and hourly data from one NOAA gage were used for model input. The difference between observed and simulated stream- flow volume ranged from -0.8 to 2.1 percent for the 4-year period at the three calibration sites. Annual differences between observed and simulated streamflow generally were greater than the overall error for the 4-year period. For example, at a site near Stanton, Del., near the bottom of the basin (drainage area of 50.2 mi2), annual differences between observed and simulated streamflow ranged from -5.8 to 6.0 percent and the overall error for the 4-year period was -0.8 percent. Calibration errors for 36 storm periods at the three calibration sites for total volume, low-flow-recession rate, 50-percent lowest flows, 10-percent highest flows, and storm peaks were 20 percent or less. Much of the error in simulating storm events on an hourly time step can be attributed to uncertainty in the rainfall data.The water-quality component of the model was calibrated using nonpoint-source monitoring data collected in 1998 at one USGS streamflowmeasurement station and other water-quality monitoring data collected at three USGS streamflowmeasurement stations. The period of record for waterquality monitoring was variable at the stations, with an end date of October 1998 but the start date ranging from October 1994 to January 1998. Because of availability, monitoring data for suspended-solids concentrations were used as surrogates for suspendedsediment concentrations, although suspended solids may underestimate suspended sediment and affect apparent accuracy of the suspended-sediment simulation. Comparison of observed to simulated loads for five storms in 1998 at the one nonpoint-source monitoring site at Wooddale, Del., indicates that simulation error commonly is as large as an order of magnitude for suspended sediment and nutrients. The simulation error tends to be smaller for dissolved utrients than particulate nutrients. Errors of 40 percent or less for monthly or annual values indicate a fair to good water-quality calibration according to recommended criteria, with much larger errors possible for individual storm events. Assessment of the accuracy of the water-quality calibration under stormflow conditions is limited by the sparsity of available water-quality data in the basin.Users of the Red Clay Creek HSPF model should be aware of model limitations and consider the following when predictive scenarios are desired: streamflow-duration curves indicate the model simulates stream-flow reasonably well when evaluated over a broad range of conditions and time, although streamflow and the corresponding water quality for individual storm events may not be well simulated; streamflow-duration curves for the simulation period compare well with duration curves for the 57.5-year period ending in 2001 at Wooddale, Del., and include all but the extreme high-flow and low-flow events; calibration for water quality was based on sparse data, with the result of increasing uncertainty in the water-quality simulation.

Tracking stormwater discharge plumes and water quality of the Tijuana River with multispectral aerial imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Svejkovsky, Jan; Nezlin, Nikolay P.; Mustain, Neomi M.; Kum, Jamie B.

2010-04-01

Spatial-temporal characteristics and environmental factors regulating the behavior of stormwater runoff from the Tijuana River in southern California were analyzed utilizing very high resolution aerial imagery, and time-coincident environmental and bacterial sampling data. Thirty nine multispectral aerial images with 2.1-m spatial resolution were collected after major rainstorms during 2003-2008. Utilizing differences in color reflectance characteristics, the ocean surface was classified into non-plume waters and three components of the runoff plume reflecting differences in age and suspended sediment concentrations. Tijuana River discharge rate was the primary factor regulating the size of the freshest plume component and its shorelong extensions to the north and south. Wave direction was found to affect the shorelong distribution of the shoreline-connected fresh plume components much more strongly than wind direction. Wave-driven sediment resuspension also significantly contributed to the size of the oldest plume component. Surf zone bacterial samples collected near the time of each image acquisition were used to evaluate the contamination characteristics of each plume component. The bacterial contamination of the freshest plume waters was very high (100% of surf zone samples exceeded California standards), but the oldest plume areas were heterogeneous, including both polluted and clean waters. The aerial imagery archive allowed study of river runoff characteristics on a plume component level, not previously done with coarser satellite images. Our findings suggest that high resolution imaging can quickly identify the spatial extents of the most polluted runoff but cannot be relied upon to always identify the entire polluted area. Our results also indicate that wave-driven transport is important in distributing the most contaminated plume areas along the shoreline.

Receiving water quality assessment: comparison between simplified and detailed integrated urban modelling approaches.

PubMed

Mannina, Giorgio; Viviani, Gaspare

2010-01-01

Urban water quality management often requires use of numerical models allowing the evaluation of the cause-effect relationship between the input(s) (i.e. rainfall, pollutant concentrations on catchment surface and in sewer system) and the resulting water quality response. The conventional approach to the system (i.e. sewer system, wastewater treatment plant and receiving water body), considering each component separately, does not enable optimisation of the whole system. However, recent gains in understanding and modelling make it possible to represent the system as a whole and optimise its overall performance. Indeed, integrated urban drainage modelling is of growing interest for tools to cope with Water Framework Directive requirements. Two different approaches can be employed for modelling the whole urban drainage system: detailed and simplified. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Specifically, detailed approaches can offer a higher level of reliability in the model results, but can be very time consuming from the computational point of view. Simplified approaches are faster but may lead to greater model uncertainty due to an over-simplification. To gain insight into the above problem, two different modelling approaches have been compared with respect to their uncertainty. The first urban drainage integrated model approach uses the Saint-Venant equations and the 1D advection-dispersion equations, for the quantity and for the quality aspects, respectively. The second model approach consists of the simplified reservoir model. The analysis used a parsimonious bespoke model developed in previous studies. For the uncertainty analysis, the Generalised Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation (GLUE) procedure was used. Model reliability was evaluated on the basis of capacity of globally limiting the uncertainty. Both models have a good capability to fit the experimental data, suggesting that all adopted approaches are equivalent both for quantity and quality. The detailed model approach is more robust and presents less uncertainty in terms of uncertainty bands. On the other hand, the simplified river water quality model approach shows higher uncertainty and may be unsuitable for receiving water body quality assessment.

Preparation and validation of gross alpha/beta samples used in EML`s quality assessment program

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

Scarpitta, S.C.

1997-10-01

A set of water and filter samples have been incorporated into the existing Environmental Measurements Laboratory`s (EML) Quality Assessment Program (QAP) for gross alpha/beta determinations by participating DOE laboratories. The participating laboratories are evaluated by comparing their results with the EML value. The preferred EML method for measuring water and filter samples, described in this report, uses gas flow proportional counters with 2 in. detectors. Procedures for sample preparation, quality control and instrument calibration are presented. Liquid scintillation (LS) counting is an alternative technique that is suitable for quantifying both the alpha ({sup 241}Am, {sup 230}Th and {sup 238}Pu) andmore » beta ({sup 90}Sr/{sup 90}Y) activity concentrations in the solutions used to prepare the QAP water and air filter samples. Three LS counting techniques (Cerenkov, dual dpm and full spectrum analysis) are compared. These techniques may be used to validate the activity concentrations of each component in the alpha/beta solution before the QAP samples are actually prepared.« less

Improving the quality of matured coconut (Cocos nucifera Linn.) water by low alcoholic fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae: antioxidant and volatile profiles.

PubMed

Zhang, Guanfei; Chen, Wenxue; Chen, Weijun; Chen, Haiming

2018-03-01

Matured coconut water (MCW) is a by-product in the coconut milk industry that is usually discarded due to its unpleasant flavor. In this study, low-alcohol coconut water (LACW) was fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae to improve the quality of MCW. Volatile components and nonvolatile flavor-related elements were estimated to compare the qualities of the MCW and LACW. Besides measuring the kinetic changes, the levels of fructose, glucose, sucrose and ethanol contents were also determined. The results of the organic acid assays showed that tartaric, pyruvic and succinic acids were the primary organic acids present in LACW and increased significantly with fermentation. The resulting volatile composition assay indicated that esters, alcohols and fatty acids were significantly influenced by fermentation and yeast strains. Moreover, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity and ferric reducing antioxidant power values increased significantly throughout the process, correlating with the enhancement of total phenolic content.

Environmental effects monitoring at the Terra Nova offshore oil development (Newfoundland, Canada): Program design and overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeBlois, Elisabeth M.; Tracy, Ellen; Janes, G. Gregory; Crowley, Roger D.; Wells, Trudy A.; Williams, Urban P.; Paine, Michael D.; Mathieu, Anne; Kilgour, Bruce W.

2014-12-01

An environmental effects monitoring (EEM) program was developed by Suncor (formerly Petro-Canada) in 1997/98 to assess effects of the Terra Nova offshore oil and gas development on the receiving environment. The Terra Nova Field is located on the Grand Banks approximately 350 km southeast of Newfoundland (Canada), at approximately 100 m water depth. The EEM program was developed with guidance from experts in government, academia and elsewhere, and with input from the public. The EEM program proposed by Suncor was accepted by Canadian regulatory agencies and the program was implemented in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010, with pre-development sampling in 1997. The program continues to be implemented every two years. EEM includes an assessment of alterations in sediment quality through examination of changes in sediment chemistry, particle size, toxicity and benthic invertebrate community structure. A second component of the program examines potential effects on two species of commercial fishing interest: Iceland scallop (Chlamys islandica) and American plaice (Hippoglossoides platessoides). Chemical body burden for these two species is examined and taste tests are performed to assess the presence of taint in edible tissues. Effects on American plaice bioindicators are also examined. A final component of the program assesses potential effects of the Terra Nova development on water quality and examines water column chemistry, chlorophyll concentration and physical properties. The papers presented in this collection focus on effects of drill cuttings and drilling muds on the seafloor environment and, as such, report results on sediment quality and bioaccumulation of drilling mud components in Iceland scallop and American plaice. This paper provides information on drilling discharges, an overview of the physical oceanography at the Terra Nova Field, and an overview of the field program designed to assess environmental effects of drilling at Terra Nova.

May cause environmental damage the diversion of the Danube in the Szigetköz area, Hungary?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novak, Brigitta

2009-04-01

Summary The floodplain area between the main channel of Danube and its branch river Mosoni-Duna is called the Szigetköz. This wetland area has special flora and fauna, and it is a natural protection area. Underneath of the Szigetköz, there are a thick (several hundreds meters) sedimentary sequence, the so called Kisalföld Quaternary Aquifer. This aquifer system is fed by the surface river system of Danube and supplies excellent quality drinking water for several hundred thousands of people in Hungary and Slovakia. The Szigetköz Monitoring Network was established in 1991 to describe the environmental effects of the Bős-Nagymaros Dam System, which was partly built in 1992 on the Slovakian part of the Danube. The dam diverts three-quarter of the Danube runoff to a 40 km long artificial concrete channel north of the original river bed. The effect of this diversion is spectacular on the wetland area. Water level in the meandering channels have decreased significantly, part of the wetland area frequently becomes dry. The natural flow pattern has disappeared. As a consequence, the channel characteristics of the river network, therefore the flow pattern, the quantity and quality of surface and subsurface water on the upper region of the Danube have significantly changed. The aim of our research is to describe the relationship between surface water and groundwater and considering the variable geology of the area, to describe trends in chemistry and to find the possible reasons for extreme values. Also to detect possible connection between the extreme values and the changes in flow pattern caused by the human intervention. Water sample pairs from surface water and shallow and deeper ground water were taken in every season at 18 locations. To sample shallow ground-water 1,5 m long, screened metal probes were derived into the sediment at the possible nearest point to the surface water. On the field pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, specific conductivity, and in the wells redox potential were measured. Samples were taken for further laboratory analyses (major and trace components, nitrate. The chemical parameters of surface and subsurface water show seasonal changes, due to the changes of temperature, of precipitation, of biological and microbiological activity. At the monitoring points along the main channel the surface and subsurface water is closely related, and the velocity of groundwater can be calculated by the seasonal periodical dislocation. At the monitoring points on the north-western part of the study area (point 1), subsurface water replenished by the rivers, and water level in the probes follow the surface water level changes with short shift. Practically water quality is the same in the probe as in the surface. It is the same on the south-eastern part of the study area, where the diverted channel rejoins to the original river channel (point 10). The middle section (at points 4 and 5) of the study area, water level in the probes is higher than surface water level. Also concentrations of some chemical components are higher in the subsurface water here. These components are typically the results of water - sediment interaction. Based on these observations, the study area can be differentiated by the hydrochemical composition for losing and gaining sections. At the monitoring points along the meandering sub-branch system, water in the probes is reductive, the connection between surface and subsurface water is week, furthermore at some point is non-existent. At some points surface water has slow flow, or it is even stagnant. This means reductive environments, and high concentrations of some components, especially at the monitoring points of 31 and 41. For example, concentrations of ammonium, sulphate, phosphate, magnesium, iron, manganese are extremely high in the shallow groundwater. Originally the Danube supplied fresh, oxygen-rich water to the area, while nowadays at these locations surface water and subsurface water almost has no connection, and these sections of river bed already turned muddy, and organic material accumulated in the sediment, which further increase the rate of reduction and decrease the flow rate. The extreme values, and values not following the trend in the time series of chemical parameters can be explained only by further detailed examination. On the whole, it is unambiguously clear, since the diversion of Danube the water replenishment of the meandering sub-branch system is poorer, causing unfavourable changes in water chemistry both in surface and subsurface water. Other research teams of the monitoring system, studying ecology, have found that the water regulation has major adverse effects on the biology as well. The typical floodplain vegetation is changing toward species tolerating dryness. In the water flora and fauna alters gradually as well, due to the changing chemical characteristic of water and the decreasing flow. Considering that the abiotic environment react slower than the biotic to the anthropologic influence, we do not have a clear view how the water quality will deteriorate on the long run. Furthermore, the changes in flora and fauna have already caused changes in water chemistry, and these changes will persist causing a slow but continuous diversion from the original, natural values. In Szigetköz area, the decreased flow and the deteriorating quality of surface water will endanger the important subsurface drinking water aquifer on the long-term.

Design and Deployment of Low-Cost Sensors for Monitoring the Water Quality and Fish Behavior in Aquaculture Tanks during the Feeding Process

PubMed Central

Parra, Lorena; García, Laura

2018-01-01

The monitoring of farming processes can optimize the use of resources and improve its sustainability and profitability. In fish farms, the water quality, tank environment, and fish behavior must be monitored. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are a promising option to perform this monitoring. Nevertheless, its high cost is slowing the expansion of its use. In this paper, we propose a set of sensors for monitoring the water quality and fish behavior in aquaculture tanks during the feeding process. The WSN is based on physical sensors, composed of simple electronic components. The system proposed can monitor water quality parameters, tank status, the feed falling and fish swimming depth and velocity. In addition, the system includes a smart algorithm to reduce the energy waste when sending the information from the node to the database. The system is composed of three nodes in each tank that send the information though the local area network to a database on the Internet and a smart algorithm that detects abnormal values and sends alarms when they happen. All the sensors are designed, calibrated, and deployed to ensure its suitability. The greatest efforts have been accomplished with the fish presence sensor. The total cost of the sensors and nodes for the proposed system is less than 90 €. PMID:29494560

Design and Deployment of Low-Cost Sensors for Monitoring the Water Quality and Fish Behavior in Aquaculture Tanks during the Feeding Process.

PubMed

Parra, Lorena; Sendra, Sandra; García, Laura; Lloret, Jaime

2018-03-01

The monitoring of farming processes can optimize the use of resources and improve its sustainability and profitability. In fish farms, the water quality, tank environment, and fish behavior must be monitored. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are a promising option to perform this monitoring. Nevertheless, its high cost is slowing the expansion of its use. In this paper, we propose a set of sensors for monitoring the water quality and fish behavior in aquaculture tanks during the feeding process. The WSN is based on physical sensors, composed of simple electronic components. The system proposed can monitor water quality parameters, tank status, the feed falling and fish swimming depth and velocity. In addition, the system includes a smart algorithm to reduce the energy waste when sending the information from the node to the database. The system is composed of three nodes in each tank that send the information though the local area network to a database on the Internet and a smart algorithm that detects abnormal values and sends alarms when they happen. All the sensors are designed, calibrated, and deployed to ensure its suitability. The greatest efforts have been accomplished with the fish presence sensor. The total cost of the sensors and nodes for the proposed system is less than 90 €.

Biological conditions in streams of Johnson County, Kansas, and nearby Missouri, 2003 and 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poulton, Barry C.; Rasmussen, Teresa J.; Lee, Casey J.

2007-01-01

Johnson County is one of the fastest growing and most populated counties in Kansas. Urban development affects streams by altering stream hydrology, geomorphology, water chemistry, and habitat, which then can lead to adverse effects on fish and macroinvertebrate communities. In addition, increasing sources of contaminants in urbanizing streams results in public-health concerns associated with exposure to and consumption of contaminated water. Biological assessments, or surveys of organisms living in aquatic environments, are crucial components of water-quality programs because they provide an indication of how well water bodies support aquatic life. This fact sheet describes current biological conditions of Johnson County streams and characterizes stream biology relative to urban development. Biological conditions were evaluated by collecting macroinvertebrate samples from 15 stream sites in Johnson County, Kansas, in 2003 and 2004 (fig. 1). Data from seven additional sites, collected as part of a separate study with similar objectives in Kansas and Missouri (Wilkison and others, 2005), were evaluated to provide a more comprehensive assessment of watersheds that cross State boundaries. Land-use and water- and streambed-sediment-quality data also were used to evaluate factors that may affect macroinvertebrate communities. Metrics are indices used to measure, or evaluate, macroinvertebrate response to various factors such as human disturbance. Multimetric scores, which integrated 10 different metrics that measure various aspects of macroinvertebrate communities, including organism diversity, composition, tolerance, and feeding characteristics, were used to evaluate and compare biological health of Johnson County streams. This information is useful to city and county officials for defining current biological conditions, evaluating conditions relative to State biological criteria, evaluating effects of urbanization, developing effective water-quality management plans, and documenting changes in biological conditions and water quality.

Estimating discharge and non-point source nitrate loading to streams from three end-member pathways using high-frequency water quality and streamflow data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, M. P.; Tesoriero, A. J.; Hood, K.; Terziotti, S.; Wolock, D.

2017-12-01

The myriad hydrologic and biogeochemical processes taking place in watersheds occurring across space and time are integrated and reflected in the quantity and quality of water in streams and rivers. Collection of high-frequency water quality data with sensors in surface waters provides new opportunities to disentangle these processes and quantify sources and transport of water and solutes in the coupled groundwater-surface water system. A new approach for separating the streamflow hydrograph into three components was developed and coupled with high-frequency specific conductance and nitrate data to estimate time-variable watershed-scale nitrate loading from three end-member pathways - dilute quickflow, concentrated quickflow, and slowflow groundwater - to two streams in central Wisconsin. Time-variable nitrate loads from the three pathways were estimated for periods of up to two years in a groundwater-dominated and a quickflow-dominated stream, using only streamflow and in-stream water quality data. The dilute and concentrated quickflow end-members were distinguished using high-frequency specific conductance data. Results indicate that dilute quickflow contributed less than 5% of the nitrate load at both sites, whereas 89±5% of the nitrate load at the groundwater-dominated stream was from slowflow groundwater, and 84±13% of the nitrate load at the quickflow-dominated stream was from concentrated quickflow. Concentrated quickflow nitrate concentrations varied seasonally at both sites, with peak concentrations in the winter that were 2-3 times greater than minimum concentrations during the growing season. Application of this approach provides an opportunity to assess stream vulnerability to non-point source nitrate loading and expected stream responses to current or changing conditions and practices in watersheds.

Estimating Discharge and Nonpoint Source Nitrate Loading to Streams From Three End-Member Pathways Using High-Frequency Water Quality Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Matthew P.; Tesoriero, Anthony J.; Hood, Krista; Terziotti, Silvia; Wolock, David M.

2017-12-01

The myriad hydrologic and biogeochemical processes taking place in watersheds occurring across space and time are integrated and reflected in the quantity and quality of water in streams and rivers. Collection of high-frequency water quality data with sensors in surface waters provides new opportunities to disentangle these processes and quantify sources and transport of water and solutes in the coupled groundwater-surface water system. A new approach for separating the streamflow hydrograph into three components was developed and coupled with high-frequency nitrate data to estimate time-variable nitrate loads from chemically dilute quick flow, chemically concentrated quick flow, and slowflow groundwater end-member pathways for periods of up to 2 years in a groundwater-dominated and a quick-flow-dominated stream in central Wisconsin, using only streamflow and in-stream water quality data. The dilute and concentrated quick flow end-members were distinguished using high-frequency specific conductance data. Results indicate that dilute quick flow contributed less than 5% of the nitrate load at both sites, whereas 89 ± 8% of the nitrate load at the groundwater-dominated stream was from slowflow groundwater, and 84 ± 25% of the nitrate load at the quick-flow-dominated stream was from concentrated quick flow. Concentrated quick flow nitrate concentrations varied seasonally at both sites, with peak concentrations in the winter that were 2-3 times greater than minimum concentrations during the growing season. Application of this approach provides an opportunity to assess stream vulnerability to nonpoint source nitrate loading and expected stream responses to current or changing conditions and practices in watersheds.

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.

Review: Groundwater resources and related environmental issues in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Aibing; Zhang, Yilong; Zhang, Eryong; Li, Zhenghong; Yu, Juan; Wang, Huang; Yang, Jianfeng; Wang, Yao

2018-05-01

As an important component of water resources, groundwater plays a crucial role in water utilization in China and an irreplaceable role in supporting economic and social development, especially in the northern arid and semi-arid plains and basin areas, which are densely populated and relatively short of surface-water resources. This paper comprehensively reviews and discusses the regional hydrogeological conditions, the temporal and spatial distribution of groundwater, the groundwater quality, and the actuality of groundwater exploitation and utilization in China. Meanwhile, aiming at the environmental problems induced by overexploitation to meet the sharply increasing water demand, this paper puts forward the major tasks for the next few years in terms of groundwater exploitation control, conservation and management.

River habitat assessment for ecological restoration of Wei River Basin, China.

PubMed

Yang, Tao; Wang, Shuo; Li, Xiaoping; Wu, Ting; Li, Li; Chen, Jia

2018-04-11

As an important composition component of river ecosystems, river habitats must undergo quality assessment to potentially provide scientific basis for river ecological restoration. Substrate composition, habitat complexity, bank erosion degree, river meandering degree, human activity intensity, vegetation buffer width, water quality, and water condition were determined as indicators for river habitat assessment. The comprehensive habitat quality index (CHQI) was established for the Wei River Basin. In addition, the indicator values were determined on the basis of a field investigation at 12 national hydrological stations distributed across the Wei, Jing, and Beiluo Rivers. The analytic hierarchy process was used to determine the indicator weights and thus distinguish the relative importance of the assessment indicator system. Results indicated that the average CHQIs for the Wei, Jing, and Beiluo Rivers were 0.417, 0.508, and 0.304, respectively. The river habitat quality for the three rivers was well. As for the whole river basin, the river habitat quality for 25% of the cross section was very well, the other 25% was well, and the 50% remaining was in critical state. The river habitat quality of the Jing River was better than that of the Wei and Beiluo Rivers.

A Review On Accuracy and Uncertainty of Spatial Data and Analyses with special reference to Urban and Hydrological Modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devendran, A. A.; Lakshmanan, G.

2014-11-01

Data quality for GIS processing and analysis is becoming an increased concern due to the accelerated application of GIS technology for problem solving and decision making roles. Uncertainty in the geographic representation of the real world arises as these representations are incomplete. Identification of the sources of these uncertainties and the ways in which they operate in GIS based representations become crucial in any spatial data representation and geospatial analysis applied to any field of application. This paper reviews the articles on the various components of spatial data quality and various uncertainties inherent in them and special focus is paid to two fields of application such as Urban Simulation and Hydrological Modelling. Urban growth is a complicated process involving the spatio-temporal changes of all socio-economic and physical components at different scales. Cellular Automata (CA) model is one of the simulation models, which randomly selects potential cells for urbanisation and the transition rules evaluate the properties of the cell and its neighbour. Uncertainty arising from CA modelling is assessed mainly using sensitivity analysis including Monte Carlo simulation method. Likewise, the importance of hydrological uncertainty analysis has been emphasized in recent years and there is an urgent need to incorporate uncertainty estimation into water resources assessment procedures. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a continuous time watershed model to evaluate various impacts of land use management and climate on hydrology and water quality. Hydrological model uncertainties using SWAT model are dealt primarily by Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation (GLUE) method.

Drinking water quality and formation of biofilms in an office building during its first year of operation, a full scale study.

PubMed

Inkinen, Jenni; Kaunisto, Tuija; Pursiainen, Anna; Miettinen, Ilkka T; Kusnetsov, Jaana; Riihinen, Kalle; Keinänen-Toivola, Minna M

2014-02-01

Complex interactions existing between water distribution systems' materials and water can cause a reduction in water quality and unwanted changes in materials, aging or corrosion of materials and formation of biofilms on surfaces. Substances leaching from pipe materials and water fittings, as well as the microbiological quality of water and formation of biofilms were evaluated by applying a Living Lab theme i.e. a research in a real life setting using a full scale system during its first year of operation. The study site was a real office building with one part of the building lined with copper pipes, the other with cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) pipes thus enabling material comparison; also differences within the cold and hot water systems were analysed. It was found that operational conditions, such as flow conditions and temperature affected the amounts of metals leaching from the pipe network. In particular, brass components were considered to be a source of leaching; e. g. the lead concentration was highest during the first few weeks after the commissioning of the pipe network when the water was allowed to stagnate. Assimilable organic carbon (AOC) and microbially available phosphorus (MAP) were found to leach from PEX pipelines with minor effects on biomass of the biofilm. Cultivable and viable biomass (heterotrophic plate count (HPC), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP)) levels in biofilms were higher in the cold than in the hot water system whereas total microbial biomass (total cell count (DAPI)) was similar with both systems. The type of pipeline material was not found to greatly affect the microbial biomass or Alpha-, Beta- and Gammaproteobacteria profiles (16s rRNA gene copies) after the first one year of operation. Also microbiological quality of water was found to deteriorate due to stagnation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimizing household survey methods to monitor the Sustainable Development Goals targets 6.1 and 6.2 on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: A mixed-methods field-test in Belize.

PubMed

Khan, Shane M; Bain, Robert E S; Lunze, Karsten; Unalan, Turgay; Beshanski-Pedersen, Bo; Slaymaker, Tom; Johnston, Richard; Hancioglu, Attila

2017-01-01

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) require household survey programmes such as the UNICEF-supported Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) to enhance data collection to cover new indicators. This study aims to evaluated methods for assessing water quality, water availability, emptying of sanitation facilities, menstrual hygiene management and the acceptability of water quality testing in households which are key to monitoring SDG targets 6.1 and 6.2 on drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and emerging issues. As part of a MICS field test, we interviewed 429 households and 267 women age 15-49 in Stann Creek, Belize in a split-sample experiment. In a concurrent qualitative component, we conducted focus groups with interviewers and cognitive interviews with respondents during and immediately following questionnaire administration in the field to explore their question comprehension and response processes. About 88% of respondents agreed to water quality testing but also desired test results, given the potential implications for their own health. Escherichia coli was present in 36% of drinking water collected at the source, and in 47% of samples consumed in the household. Both questions on water availability necessitated probing by interviewers. About one quarter of households reported emptying of pit latrines and septic tanks, though one-quarter could not provide an answer to the question. Asking questions on menstrual hygiene was acceptable to respondents, but required some clarification and probing. In the context of Belize, this study confirmed the feasibility of collecting information on the availability and quality of drinking water, emptying of sanitation facilities and menstrual hygiene in a multi-purpose household survey, indicating specific areas to improve question formulation and field protocols. Improvements have been incorporated into the latest round of MICS surveys which will be a major source of national data for monitoring of SDG targets for drinking water, sanitation and hygiene and emerging issues for WASH sector programming.

Prototype solar heating and hot water systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Alternative approaches to solar heating and hot water system configurations were studied, parametrizing the number and location of the dampers, the number and location of the fans, the interface locations with the furnace, the size and type of subsystems, and operating modes. A two-pass air-heating collector was selected based on efficiency and ease of installation. Also, an energy transport module was designed to compactly contain all the mechanical and electrical control components. System performance calculations were carried out over a heating season for the tentative site location at Tunkhnana, Pa. Results illustrate the effect of collector size, storage capacity, and use of a reflector. Factors which affected system performance include site location, insulative quality of the house, and of the system components. A preliminary system performance specification is given.

Selected hydrologic data, through water year 1994, Black Hills Hydrology Study, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Driscoll, D.G.; Bradford, W.L.; Neitzert, K.M.

1996-01-01

This report presents water-level, water-quality, and spring data that have been collected or compiled, through water year 1994, for the Black Hills Hydrology Study. This study is a long-term cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey, the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the West Dakota Water Development District (which represents various local and county cooperators). This report is the second in a series of biennial project data reports produced for the study. Daily water-level data are presented for 39 observation wells and 2 cave sites in the Black Hills area of western South Dakota. The wells are part of a network of observation wells maintained by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and are completed in various bedrock formations that are utilized as aquifers in the Black Hills area. Both cave sites are located within outcrops of the Madison Limestone. Data presented include site descriptions, hydrographs, and tables of daily water levels. Annual measurements of water levels collected during water years 1993-94 from a network of 20 additional, miscellaneous wells are presented. These wells are part of a Statewide network of wells completed in bedrock aquifers that was operated from 1959 through 1989 in cooperation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Site descriptions and hydrographs for the entire period of record for each site also are presented. Drawdown and recovery data are presented for five wells that were pumped (or flowed) for collection of water-quality samples. These wells are part of the network of observation wells for which daily water-level records are compiled. Water-quality data are presented for 20 surface-water sites and 22 ground-water sites. Data presented include field parameters, bacteria counts, and concentrations of common ions, solids, nutrients, trace elements, radiometrics and isotopes, cyanide, phenols, and suspended sediment. Spring data are presented for 94 springs and 21 stream reaches with significant springflow components. Data presented include site information, discharge, and field water-quality parameters including temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH.

[An ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography/linear ion trap-Orbitrap mass spectrometry method coupled with a diagnostic fragment ions-searching-based strategy for rapid identification and characterization of chemical components in Polygonum cuspidatum].

PubMed

Pan, Zhiran; Liang, Hailong; Liang, Chabhufi; Xu, Wen

2015-01-01

A method for qualitative analysis of constituents in Polygonum cuspidatum by ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS) has been established. The methanol extract of Polygonum cuspidatumrn was separated on a Waters UPLC C18 column using acetonitrile-water (containing formic acid) eluting system and detected by LTQ-Orbitrap hybrid mass spectrometer in negative mode. The targeted components were further fragmented in LTQ and high accuracy data were acquired by Orbitrap MS. The summarized fragmentation pathways of typical reference components and a diagnostic fragment ions-searching-based strategy were used for detection and identification of the main phenolic components in Polygonum cuspidatum. Other clues such as nitrogen rule, even electron rule, degree of unsaturation rule and isotopic peak data were included for the structural elucidation as well. The whole analytical procedure was within 10 min and more than 30 components were identified or tentatively identified. This method is helpful for further phytochemical research and quality control on Polygonum cuspidatum and related preparations.

Assessment of the hydrogeology and water quality in a near-shore well field, Sarasota, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Broska, J.C.; Knochenmus, L.A.

1996-01-01

The city of Sarasota, Florida, operates a downtown well field that pumps mineralized water from ground water sources to supply a reverse osmosis plant. Because of the close proximity of the well field to Sarasota Bay and the high sulfate and chloride concentrations of ground-water supplies, a growing concern exists about the possibility of lateral movement of saltwater in a landward direction (intrusion) and vertical movement of relict sea water (upconing). In 1992, the U.S. Geological Survey began a 3-year study to evaluate the hydraulic characteristics and water quality of ground-water resources within the downtown well field and the surrounding 235-square-mile study area. Delineation of the hydrogeology of the study area was based on water- quality data, aquifer test data, and extensive borehole geophysical surveys (including gamma, caliper, temperature, electrical resistivity, and flow meter logs) from the six existing production wells and from a corehole drilled as part of the study, as well as from published and unpublished reports on file at the U.S. Geological Survey, the Southwest Florida Water Management District, and consultant's reports. Water-quality data were examined for spatial and temporal trends that might relate to the mechanism for observed water-quality changes. Water quality in the study area appears to be dependent upon several mechanisms, including upconing of higher salinity water from deeper zones within the aquifer system, interbore-hole flow between zones of varying water quality through improperly cased and corroded wells, migration of highly mineralized waters through structural deformities, and the presence of unflushed relict seawater. A numerical ground-water flow model was developed as an interpretative tool where field-derived hydrologic characteristics could be tested. The conceptual model consisted of seven layers to represent the multilayered aquifer systems underlying the study area. Particle tracking was utilized to delineate the travel path of water as it enters the model area under a set of given conditions. Within the model area, simulated flow in the intermediate aquifer system originates primarily from the northwestern boundary. Simulated flow in the Upper Floridan aquifer originates in lower model layers (deeper flow zones) and ultimately can be traced to the southeastern and northwestern boundaries. Volumetric budgets calculated from numerical simulation of a hypothetical well field indicate that the area of contribution to the well field changes seasonally. Although ground-water flow patterns change with wet and dry seasons, most water enters the well-field flow system through lower parts of the Upper Floridan aquifer from a southeastern direction. Moreover, particle tracking indicated that ground-water flow paths with strictly lateral pathlines in model layers correspond to the intermediate aquifer system, whereas particles traced through model layers corresponding to the Upper Floridan aquifer had components of vertical and lateral flow.

Patterns, structures and regulations of domestic water cycle systems in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Junying; Wang, Hao; Wang, Jianhua; Qin, Dayong

2010-05-01

Domestic water cycle systems serving as one critical component of artificial water cycle at the catchment's scale, is so closely related to public healthy, human rights and social-economic development, and has gained the highest priority in strategic water resource and municipal infrastructure planning. In this paper, three basic patterns of domestic water cycle systems are identified and analyzed, including rural domestic water system (i.e. primary level), urban domestic water system (i.e. intermediate level) and metropolitan domestic water system (i.e. senior level), with different "abstract-transport-consume-discharge" mechanisms and micro-components of water consumption (such as drinking, cooking, toilet flushing, showering or cleaning). The rural domestic water system is general simple with three basic "abstract-consume-discharge" mechanisms and micro-components of basic water consumption such as drinking, cooking, washing and sanitation. The urban domestic water system has relative complex mechanisms of "abstract-supply-consume-treatment-discharge" and more micro-components of water consumption such as bath, dishwashing or car washing. The metropolitan domestic water system (i.e. senior level) has the most complex mechanisms by considering internal water reuse, external wastewater reclamation, and nutrient recycling processes. The detailed structures for different water cycle pattern are presented from the aspects of water quantity, wastewater quality and nutrients flow. With the speed up of urbanization and development of social-economy in China, those three basic patterns are interacting, transforming and upgrading. According to the past experiences and current situations, urban domestic water system (i.e. intermediate level) is the dominant pattern based on indicator of system number or system scale. The metropolitan domestic water system (i.e. senior level) is the idealized model for the future development and management. Current domestic water system management efforts typically fail in China, because the approach is generally narrowly-focused and fragmented. This paper put forward a total-process control framework following the water and pollutants (or nutrients) flows along the dualistic domestic water cycle process. Five key objectives of domestic water cycle system regulation are identified including water use safety, water use equity, water saving, wastewater reduction and nutrient recycling. Comprehensive regulatory framework regarding administrative, economic, technical and social measures is recommended to promote sustainable domestic water usage and demand management. Considering the relatively low affordability in rural area, economic measures should be mainly applied in urban domestic water systems and metropolitan domestic water systems. Engineering or technological measures which are suitable to the three domestic water cycle systems are discussed respectively.

Interactive Effects of Storms, Drought, and Weekly Land Cover Changes on Water Quality Patterns in an Agricultural-dominated Subtropical Catchment in New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Julian, J.; Owsley, B.; de Beurs, K.; Hughes, A.

2013-12-01

Rivers are the funnels of landscapes, with the quality of water at the catchment outlet reflecting interactions among geomorphic processes, vegetation characteristics, weather patterns, and anthropogenic land uses. The impacts of changing climate and land cover on water quality are not straightforward; but instead, are set by the interaction of numerous landscape components at multiple spatiotemporal scales. In agricultural-dominated subtropical landscapes such as the Hoteo River Catchment in northern North Island of New Zealand, the land surface can be very dynamic, responding quickly to storms, drought, forest clearings, and grazing practices. In order to capture these short-term fluctuations, we created an 8-day land disturbance index for the catchment using MODIS Nadir BRDF-adjusted reflectance (NBAR) data (500 meter resolution) from 2000 to 2013. We also fused this time-series with Landsat TM/ETM surface reflectance data (30 meter resolution) to more precisely capture the location and extent of these land disturbances. This high-resolution land disturbance time-series was then compared to daily rainfall, daily river discharge, and monthly water samples to assess the effects of changing weather and land cover on a suite of water quality variables including water clarity, turbidity, ammonium (NH4), nitrate (NO3), total nitrogen (TN), dissolved reactive phosphate (DRP), total phosphorus (TP), and fecal coliforms. Forest clearings in the early part of our study period created the most intense land disturbances, which led to elevated turbidity and DRP during subsequent storms. Pasture areas during drought were also characterized by high disturbance indices, particularly in 2013 - the worst drought on record for northern New Zealand. Seasonal effects on land disturbance and water quality were also detected, especially for water clarity and turbidity. From 2011 to 2013, river discharge and turbidity from three sub-catchments were measured at 5-minute intervals to capture rainfall event-based water quality patterns. Together, the event-based and monthly turbidity data suggest that intense land disturbances in the Hoteo Catchment have the ability to switch the catchment from supply-limited (river loadings are dictated by what is available from the landscape) to transport-limited (loadings from the landscape are abundant, and thus dictated by water runoff). The findings from this research can be used to assess (1) the vulnerability of agricultural land uses to climate changes, particularly the impact of severe droughts from intensifying ENSO phenomena; and (2) the interactive effects of changing climate and land use on water quality across multiple spatiotemporal scales.

A spatial evaluation of global wildfire-water risks to human and natural systems.

PubMed

Robinne, François-Nicolas; Bladon, Kevin D; Miller, Carol; Parisien, Marc-André; Mathieu, Jérôme; Flannigan, Mike D

2018-01-01

The large mediatic coverage of recent massive wildfires across the world has emphasized the vulnerability of freshwater resources. The extensive hydrogeomorphic effects from a wildfire can impair the ability of watersheds to provide safe drinking water to downstream communities and high-quality water to maintain riverine ecosystem health. Safeguarding water use for human activities and ecosystems is required for sustainable development; however, no global assessment of wildfire impacts on water supply is currently available. Here, we provide the first global evaluation of wildfire risks to water security, in the form of a spatially explicit index. We adapted the Driving forces-Pressure-State-Impact-Response risk analysis framework to select a comprehensive set of indicators of fire activity and water availability, which we then aggregated to a single index of wildfire-water risk using a simple additive weighted model. Our results show that water security in many regions of the world is potentially vulnerable, regardless of socio-economic status. However, in developing countries, a critical component of the risk is the lack of socio-economic capability to respond to disasters. Our work highlights the importance of addressing wildfire-induced risks in the development of water security policies; the geographic differences in the components of the overall risk could help adapting those policies to different regional contexts. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A new design to evaluate erosion and sediment control

Treesearch

Johnny M. Grace

2006-01-01

Water quality issues surrounding sediment movement related to forest operations are a focus in forest management. The forest road system is a primary area of concern related to sediment movement because roads are a component of most forest operations. Controlling sediment movement is a common objective in most forestry best management practices (BMPs). However, there...

STATUS OF SEMI-CONTINUOUS MONITORING INSTRUMENTATION FOR GAS AND WATER SOLUBLE PARTICLE COMPONENTS NEEDED FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OF AMBIENT AIR QUALITY SIMULATION MODELS

EPA Science Inventory

This status report documents the effort by the National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL), Office of Research and Development (ORD) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) to provide methods of measurement, including calibration procedures, that meet the requir...

Assessing remediation of contaminated sediments using multiple biological endpoints: sediment toxicity, food web tissue contamination, biotic condition and DNA damage.

EPA Science Inventory

The Ottawa River is a component of the Maumee River Area of Concern (AOC) as defined by the International Joint Commission’s Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. A sediment remediation project took place in the lower 14.2 km of the river where urban and industrial activitie...

Model Construct and Calibration of an Integrated Water Quality Model (LM2-Toxic) for the Lake Michigan Mass Balance Project

EPA Science Inventory

The Lake Michigan Mass Balance Project (LMMBP) is a part of the Enhanced Monitoring Plan (EMP) for Lake Michigan (McCarty, et al., 2006). PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) were one of the targeted pollutants studied in the project. As one of the components in the overall LMMBP mod...

A global index for mapping the exposure of water resources to wildfire

Treesearch

Francois-Nicolas Robinne; Carol Miller; Marc-Andre Parisien; Monica B. Emelko; Kevin D. Bladon; Uldis Silins; Mike Flannigan

2016-01-01

Wildfires are keystone components of natural disturbance regimes that maintain ecosystem structure and functions, such as the hydrological cycle, in many parts of the world. Consequently, critical surface freshwater resources can be exposed to post-fire effects disrupting their quantity, quality and regularity. Although well studied at the local scale, the potential...

Small Business Innovations (Crystal Components)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

Scientific Materials Corporation, Bozeman, MT developed the SciMax line of improved Nd:Yag crystals under an Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract with Langley Research Center. They reduced the amount of water trapped in the crystals during growth to improve the optical quality and efficiency. Applications of the crystals include fiber optics, telecommunications, welding, drilling, eye surgery and medical instrumentation.

Advances in the spatially distributed ages-w model: parallel computation, java connection framework (JCF) integration, and streamflow/nitrogen dynamics assessment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

AgroEcoSystem-Watershed (AgES-W) is a modular, Java-based spatially distributed model which implements hydrologic and water quality (H/WQ) simulation components under the Java Connection Framework (JCF) and the Object Modeling System (OMS) environmental modeling framework. AgES-W is implicitly scala...

Identifying Nature's Benefits, Deficits, and Opportunities for Equitable Distribution in Populated Places:A High-Resolution Component of the National Atlas for Sustainability

EPA Science Inventory

Towns and cities rely on clean air, water and other natural resources for economic sustainability and quality of life. Yet, these natural resources and their benefits are not always fully understood or considered in local decisions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and ...

Developing a framework to assess the water quality and quantity impacts of climate change, shifting land use, and urbanization in a Midwestern agricultural landscape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loheide, S. P.; Booth, E. G.; Kucharik, C. J.; Carpenter, S. R.; Gries, C.; Katt-Reinders, E.; Rissman, A. R.; Turner, M. G.

2011-12-01

Dynamic hydrological processes play a critical role in the structure and functioning of agricultural watersheds undergoing urbanization. Developing a predictive understanding of the complex interaction between agricultural productivity, ecosystem health, water quality, urban development, and public policy requires an interdisciplinary effort that investigates the important biophysical and social processes of the system. Our research group has initiated such a framework that includes a coordinated program of integrated scenarios, model experiments to assess the effects of changing drivers on a broad set of ecosystem services, evaluations of governance and leverage points, outreach and public engagement, and information management. Our geographic focus is the Yahara River watershed in south-central Wisconsin, which is an exemplar of water-related issues in the Upper Midwest. This research addresses three specific questions. 1) How do different patterns of land use, land cover, land management, and water resources engineering practices affect the resilience and sensitivity of ecosystem services under a changing climate? 2) How can regional governance systems for water and land use be made more resilient and adaptive to meet diverse human needs? 3) In what ways are regional human-environment systems resilient and in what ways are they vulnerable to potential changes in climate and water resources? A comprehensive program of model experiments and biophysical measurements will be utilized to evaluate changes in five freshwater ecosystem services (flood regulation, groundwater recharge, surface water quality, groundwater quality, and lake recreation) and five related ecosystem services (food crop yields, bioenergy crop yields, carbon storage in soil, albedo, and terrestrial recreation). Novel additions to existing biophysical models will allow us to simulate all components of the hydrological cycle as well as agricultural productivity, nitrogen and phosphorus transport, and lake water quality. The integrated model will be validated using a comprehensive observational database that includes soil moisture, evapotranspiration, stomatal conductance, streamflow, stream and lake water quality, and crop yields and productivity. Integrated scenarios will be developed to synthesize decision-maker perspectives, alternative approaches to resource governance, plausible trends in demographic and economic drivers, and model projections under alternate climate and land use regimes to understand future conditions of the watershed and its ecosystem services. The quantitative data and integrated scenarios will then be linked to evaluate governance of water and land use.

Results of high heat flux qualification tests of W monoblock components for WEST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greuner, H.; Böswirth, B.; Lipa, M.; Missirlian, M.; Richou, M.

2017-12-01

One goal of the WEST project (W Environment in Steady-state Tokamak) is the manufacturing, quality assessment and operation of ITER-like actively water-cooled divertor plasma facing components made of tungsten. Six W monoblock plasma facing units (PFUs) from different suppliers have been successfully evaluated in the high heat flux test facility GLADIS at IPP. Each PFU is equipped with 35 W monoblocks of an ITER-like geometry. However, the W blocks are made of different tungsten grades and the suppliers applied different bonding techniques between tungsten and the inserted Cu-alloy cooling tubes. The intention of the HHF test campaign was to assess the manufacturing quality of the PFUs on the basis of a statistical analysis of the surface temperature evolution of the individual W monoblocks during thermal loading with 100 cycles at 10 MW m-2. These tests confirm the non-destructive examinations performed by the manufacturer and CEA prior to the installation of the WEST platform, and no defects of the components were detected.

Microdialysis as a New Technique for Extracting Phenolic Compounds from Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

PubMed

Bazzu, Gianfranco; Molinu, Maria Giovanna; Dore, Antonio; Serra, Pier Andrea

2017-03-01

The amount and composition of the phenolic components play a major role in determining the quality of olive oil. The traditional liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) method requires a time-consuming sample preparation to obtain the "phenolic profile" of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). This study aimed to develop a microdialysis extraction (MDE) as an alternative to the LLE method to evaluate the phenolic components of EVOO. To this purpose, a microdialysis device and dialysis procedure were developed. "Dynamic-oil" microdialysis was performed using an extracting solution (80:20 methanol/water) flow rate of 2 μL min -1 and a constant EVOO stream of 4 μL min -1 . The results indicated a strong positive correlation between MDE and the LLE method, providing a very similar phenolic profile obtained with traditional LLE. In conclusion, the MDE approach, easier and quicker in comparison to LLE, provided a reliable procedure to determine the phenolic components used as a marker of the quality and traceability of EVOO.

Geochemistry of surface water in alpine catchments in central Colorado, USA: Resolving host-rock effects at different spatial scales

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wanty, R.B.; Verplanck, P.L.; San, Juan C.A.; Church, S.E.; Schmidt, T.S.; Fey, D.L.; deWitt, E.H.; Klein, T.L.

2009-01-01

The US Geological Survey is conducting a study of surface-water quality in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado, an area of approximately 55,000 km2. Using new and existing geologic maps, the more than 200 rock formations represented in the area were arranged into 17 groups based on lithologic similarity. The dominant regional geologic feature affecting water quality in central Colorado is the Colorado mineral belt (CMB), a NE-trending zone hosting many polymetallic vein or replacement deposits, and porphyry Mo deposits, many of which have been mined historically. The influence of the CMB is seen in lower surface-water pH (<5), and higher concentrations of SO42 - (>100 mg/L) and chalcophile metals such as Cu (>10 ??g/L), Zn (>100 ??g/L), and Cd (>1 ??g/L) relative to surface water outside the CMB. Not all streams within the CMB have been affected by mineralization, as there are numerous catchments within the CMB that have no mineralization or alteration exposed at the surface. At the regional-scale, and away from sites affected by mineralization, hydrothermal alteration, or mining, the effects of lithology on water quality can be distinguished using geochemical reaction modeling and principal components analysis. At local scales (100 s of km2), effects of individual rock units on water chemistry are subtle but discernible, as shown by variations in concentrations of major lithophile elements or ratios between them. These results demonstrate the usefulness of regional geochemical sampling of surface waters and process-based interpretations incorporating geologic and geochemical understanding to establish geochemical baselines.

Quality-control results for ground-water and surface-water data, Sacramento River Basin, California, National Water-Quality Assessment, 1996-1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Munday, Cathy; Domagalski, Joseph L.

2003-01-01

Evaluating the extent that bias and variability affect the interpretation of ground- and surface-water data is necessary to meet the objectives of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Quality-control samples used to evaluate the bias and variability include annual equipment blanks, field blanks, field matrix spikes, surrogates, and replicates. This report contains quality-control results for the constituents critical to the ground- and surface-water components of the Sacramento River Basin study unit of the NAWQA Program. A critical constituent is one that was detected frequently (more than 50 percent of the time in blank samples), was detected at amounts exceeding water-quality standards or goals, or was important for the interpretation of water-quality data. Quality-control samples were collected along with ground- and surface-water samples during the high intensity phase (cycle 1) of the Sacramento River Basin NAWQA beginning early in 1996 and ending in 1998. Ground-water field blanks indicated contamination of varying levels of significance when compared with concentrations detected in environmental ground-water samples for ammonia, dissolved organic carbon, aluminum, and copper. Concentrations of aluminum in surface-water field blanks were significant when compared with environmental samples. Field blank samples collected for pesticide and volatile organic compound analyses revealed no contamination in either ground- or surface-water samples that would effect the interpretation of environmental data, with the possible exception of the volatile organic compound trichloromethane (chloroform) in ground water. Replicate samples for ground water and surface water indicate that variability resulting from sample collection, processing, and analysis was generally low. Some of the larger maximum relative percentage differences calculated for replicate samples occurred between samples having lowest absolute concentration differences and(or) values near the reporting limit. Surrogate recoveries for pesticides analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), pesticides analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and volatile organic compounds in ground- and surface-water samples were within the acceptable limits of 70 to 130 percent and median recovery values between 82 and 113 percent. The recovery percentages for surrogate compounds analyzed by HPLC had the highest standard deviation, 20 percent for ground-water samples and 16 percent for surface-water samples, and the lowest median values, 82 percent for ground-water samples and 91 percent for surface-water samples. Results were consistent with the recovery results described for the analytical methods. Field matrix spike recoveries for pesticide compounds analyzed using GC/MS in ground- and surface-water samples were comparable with published recovery data. Recoveries of carbofuran, a critical constituent in ground- and surface-water studies, and desethyl atrazine, a critical constituent in the ground-water study, could not be calculated because of problems with the analytical method. Recoveries of pesticides analyzed using HPLC in ground- and surface-water samples were generally low and comparable with published recovery data. Other methodological problems for HPLC analytes included nondetection of the spike compounds and estimated values of spike concentrations. Recovery of field matrix spikes for volatile organic compounds generally were within the acceptable range, 70 and 130 percent for both ground- and surface-water samples, and median recoveries from 62 to 127 percent. High or low recoveries could be related to errors in the field, such as double spiking or using spike solution past its expiration date, rather than problems during analysis. The methodological changes in the field spike protocol during the course of the Sacramento River Basin study, which included decreasing the amount of spike solu

Capacity building in water demand management as a key component for attaining millennium development goals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gumbo, Bekithemba; Forster, Laura; Arntzen, Jaap

Successful water demand management (WDM) implementation as a component of integrated water resource management (IWRM) can play a significant role in the alleviation of poverty through more efficient use of available water resources. The urban population in Southern African cities is characterised by so-called ‘water poor’ communities who typically expend a high percentage of their household income on poor quality water. Usually they have no access to an affordable alternative source. Although WDM as a component of IWRM is not a panacea for poverty, it can help alleviate poverty by facilitating water services management by municipal water supply agencies (MWSAs) in the region. WDM is a key strategy for achieving the millennium development goals (MDGs) and, as such, should be given due attention in the preparation of national IWRM and water efficiency plans. Various studies in the Southern African region have indicated that capacity building is necessary for nations to develop IWRM and water-use efficiency plans to meet the targets set out in the MDGs. WDM education and training of water professionals and end-users is particularly important in developing countries, which are resource and information-access poor. In response to these findings, The World Conservation Union (IUCN) and its consulting partners, the Training and Instructional Design Academy of South Africa (TIDASA), and Centre for Applied Research (CAR) designed, developed and presented a pilot WDM Guideline Training Module for MWSAs as part of Phase II of IUCN’s Southern Africa regional WDM project. Pilot training was conducted in July 2004 in Lusaka, Zambia for a group of 36 participants involved in municipal water supply from nine Southern African countries. This paper looks at the links between building the capacity of professionals, operational staff and other role-players in the municipal water supply chain to implement WDM as part of broader IWRM strategies, and the subsequent potential for poverty relief resulting from more effective, efficient and equitable use and allocation of municipal water supplies.

Design and Application of a Solar Mobile Pond Aquaculture Water Quality-Regulation Machine Based in Bream Pond Aquaculture.

PubMed

Liu, Xingguo; Xu, Hao; Ma, Zhuojun; Zhang, Yongjun; Tian, Changfeng; Cheng, Guofeng; Zou, Haisheng; Lu, Shimin; Liu, Shijing; Tang, Rong

2016-01-01

Bream pond aquaculture plays a very important role in China's aquaculture industry and is the main source of aquatic products. To regulate and control pond water quality and sediment, a movable solar pond aquaculture water quality regulation machine (SMWM) was designed and used. This machine is solar-powered and moves on water, and its primary components are a solar power supply device, a sediment lifting device, a mechanism for walking on the water's surface and a control system. The solar power supply device provides power for the machine, and the water walking mechanism drives the machine's motion on the water. The sediment lifting device orbits the main section of the machine and affects a large area of the pond. Tests of the machine's mechanical properties revealed that the minimum illumination necessary for the SMWM to function is 13,000 Lx and that its stable speed on the water is 0.02-0.03 m/s. For an illumination of 13,000-52,500 Lx, the sediment lifting device runs at 0.13-0.35 m/s, and its water delivery capacity is 110-208 m(3)/h. The sediment lifting device is able to fold away, and the angle of the suction chamber can be adjusted, making the machine work well in ponds at different water depths from 0.5 m to 2 m. The optimal distance from the sediment lifting device to the bottom of the pond is 10-15 cm. In addition, adjusting the length of the connecting rod and the direction of the traction rope allows the SMWM to work in a pond water area greater than 80%. The analysis of water quality in Wuchang bream (Parabramis pekinensis) and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) culture ponds using the SMWM resulted in decreased NH3(+)-N and available phosphorus concentrations and increased TP concentrations. The TN content and the amount of available phosphorus in the sediment were reduced. In addition, the fish production showed that the SMWM enhanced the yields of Wuchang bream and silver carp by more than 30% and 24%, respectively. These results indicate that the SMWM may be suitable for Wuchang bream pond aquaculture in China and that it can be used in pond aquaculture for regulating and controlling water quality.

Design and methods of the Pacific Northwest Stream Quality Assessment (PNSQA), 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sheibley, Rich W.; Morace, Jennifer L.; Journey, Celeste A.; Van Metre, Peter C.; Bell, Amanda H.; Nakagaki, Naomi; Button, Daniel T.; Qi, Sharon L.

2017-08-25

In 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) project conducted the Pacific Northwest Stream Quality Assessment (PNSQA) to investigate stream quality across the western part of the Pacific Northwest. The goal of the PNSQA was to assess the health of streams in the region by characterizing multiple water-quality factors that are stressors to in-stream aquatic life and by evaluating the relation between these stressors and the condition of biological communities. The effects of urbanization and agriculture on stream quality for the Puget Lowland and Willamette Valley Level III Ecoregions were the focus of this regional study. Findings will help inform the public and policymakers about human and environmental factors that are the most critical in affecting stream quality and, thus, provide insights into possible strategies to protect or improve the health of streams in the region.Land-use data were used in the study to identify and select sites within the region that ranged in levels of urban and agricultural development. A total of 88 sites were selected across the region—69 were on streams that explicitly spanned a range of urban land use in their watersheds, 8 were on streams in agricultural watersheds, and 11 were reference sites with little or no development in their watersheds. Depending on the type of land use, sites were sampled for contaminants, nutrients, and sediment for either a 4- or 10-week period during April, May, and June 2015. This water-quality “index period” was immediately followed with an ecological survey of all sites that included stream habitat, benthic algae, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish. Additionally, streambed sediment was collected during the ecological survey for analysis of sediment chemistry and toxicity testing.This report provides a detailed description of the specific study components and methods of the PNSQA, including (1) surveys of stream habitat and aquatic biota, (2) discrete water sampling, (3) deployment of passive polar organic chemical integrative samplers for pesticides and pharmaceuticals, and (4) sampling of streambed sediment. At selected study sites, toxicity testing of streambed sediment, continuous water-quality monitoring, and daily pesticide sampling also were conducted and are described.

Deepwater seismic acquisition technology

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

Caldwell, J.

1996-09-01

Although truly new technology is not required for successful acquisition of seismic data in deep Gulf of Mexico waters, it is helpful to review some basic aspects of these seismic surveys. Additionally, such surveys are likely to see early use of some emerging new technology which can improve data quality. Because such items as depth imaging, borehole seismic, 4-D and marine 3-component recording were mentioned in the May 1996 issue of World Oil, they are not discussed again here. However, these technologies will also play some role in the deepwater seismic activities. What is covered in this paper are somemore » new considerations for: (1) longer data records needed in deeper water, (2) some pros and cons of very long steamer use, and (3) two new commercial systems for quantifying data quality.« less

Improved Hypoxia Modeling for Nutrient Control Decisions in the Gulf of Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Habib, Shahid; Pickering, Ken; Tzortziou, Maria; Maninio, Antonio; Policelli, Fritz; Stehr, Jeff

2011-01-01

The Gulf of Mexico Modeling Framework is a suite of coupled models linking the deposition and transport of sediment and nutrients to subsequent bio-geo chemical processes and the resulting effect on concentrations of dissolved oxygen in the coastal waters of Louisiana and Texas. Here, we examine the potential benefits of using multiple NASA remote sensing data products within this Modeling Framework for increasing the accuracy of the models and their utility for nutrient control decisions in the Gulf of Mexico. Our approach is divided into three components: evaluation and improvement of (a) the precipitation input data (b) atmospheric constituent concentrations in EPA's air quality/deposition model and (c) the calculation of algal biomass, organic carbon and suspended solids within the water quality/eutrophication models of the framework.

Linking of EEM spectra with FTICRMS data via van Krevelen diagrams and rank correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herzsprung, Peter; von Tümpling, Wolf; Hertkorn, Norbert; Harir, Mourad; Bravidor, Jenny; Büttner, Olaf; Friese, Kurt; Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe

2014-05-01

DOM plays an important role in both natural and engineered water systems. Due to its sensitivity and non-destruction of samples EEM is widespread used for comprehension of CDOM. EEM provides sensitive bulk optical parameters with low structural resolution concerning DOM quality even when spectra are modelled by PARAFAC or EEM is coupled to chromatography. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICRMS) is a high-resolution analytical tool to determine the elemental compositions of thousands of DOM components directly out of mixtures. Lacking the ability for identification of distinct chemical substances (isomers), the elemental compositions can nevertheless be allocated to biogeochemical pools by means of van Krevelen diagrams. The spearman rank correlation was applied to link the EEM intensities (humic like fluorescence) with exact molecular formulas and their corresponding relative mass peak abundances. The initiative for this study to find out what is humic like fluorescence was the environmental problem of increasing levels of organic carbon in fresh waters as a great challenge for processing and commercial supply of drinking water. In the southern Saxony region, Germany, raw drinking water is mainly received from reservoirs situated in the ore mountains (Erzgebirge). Most of these reservoirs are affected by high concentrations of humic substances detected by the drinking water administration via measurement of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and the spectral absorption coefficient at 254 nm (SAC254). To get a better insight into the DOM composition, the seasonal variability of DOM quality was determined using EEM and FTICRMS and coupling these two methods in the catchment area of the reservoir Muldenberg. Thereby, humic-like fluorescence could be allocated to the pool of oxygen-rich and relatively unsaturated components with stoichiometries similar to those of tannic acids [1]. [1] Herzsprung, P., von Tümpling, W., Hertkorn, N., Harir, M., Büttner, O., Bravidor, J., Friese, K., Schmitt-Kopplin, P. Variations of DOM quality in inflows of a drinking water reservoir: Linking of van Krevelen diagrams with EEMF spectra by rank correlation. Environ. Sci. Technol. 46, 5511-5518 (2012).

Systems Modeling to Improve River, Riparian, and Wetland Habitat Quality and Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alafifi, A.

2016-12-01

The suitability of watershed habitat to support the livelihood of its biota primarily depends on managing flow. Ecological restoration requires finding opportunities to reallocate available water in a watershed to increase ecological benefits and maintain other beneficial uses. We present the Watershed Area of Suitable Habitat (WASH) systems model that recommends reservoir releases, streamflows, and water allocations throughout a watershed to maximize the ecosystem habitat quality. WASH embeds and aggregates area-weighted metrics for aquatic, floodplain, and wetland habitat components as an ecosystem objective to maximize, while maintaining water deliveries for domestic and agricultural uses, mass balance, and available budget for restoration actions. The metrics add spatial and temporal functionality and area coverage to traditional habitat quality indexes and can accommodate multiple species of concern. We apply the WASH model to the Utah portion of the Bear River watershed which includes 8 demand sites, 5 reservoirs and 37 nodes between the Utah-Idaho state line and the Great Salt Lake. We recommend water allocations to improve current conservation efforts and show tradeoffs between human and ecosystem uses of water. WASH results are displayed on an open-source web mapping application that allows stakeholders to access, visualize, and interact with the model data and results and compare current and model-recommended operations. Results show that the Bear River is largely developed and appropriated for human water uses. However, increasing reservoirs winter and early spring releases and minimizing late spring spill volumes can significantly improve habitat quality without harming agricultural or urban water users. The spatial and temporal reallocation of spring spills to environmental uses creates additional 70 thousand acres of suitable habitat in the watershed without harming human users. WASH also quantifies the potential environmental gains and losses from conserving water and from the impact of climate change on head flows and thus helps planning for the future of our water resources and ecosystem.

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

Becker, C.D.; Woodfield, W.G.; Strand, J.A.

The Freshwater Sciences Section of PNL has initiated biologically oriented studies at the P and M solvent refined coal (SRC) pilot plant on the Fort Lewis Reservation in western Washington. Essentially, the study objectives are to identify residual components in the treated SRC process and assess potential for adverse impact on water quality and aquatic biota. Since inception of research in mid-1976, six static toxicity tests with treated SRC process effluent have been conducted. Toxic components, not yet specifically identified, sometimes occur in the effluent. It is believed these components involve organic hydrocarbons of the phenol and cresol groups. Analysesmore » have been obtained on inorganic and organic constituents in partially-treated and treated process effluent. Concentrations of inorganics identified in the effluent did not differ greatly from their concentrations in Lake Sequalitchew or SRC plant tap water, but the low concentrations may be due primarily to dilution with freshwater before discharge. Organics identified in the effluent are similar to those found in samples contaminated with petroleum, and involve many complex hydrocarbons.« less

Urban air-quality assessment and source apportionment studies for Bhubaneshwar, Odisha

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahapatra, Parth Sarathi; Ray, Sanak; Das, Namrata; Mohanty, Ayusman; Ramulu, T. S.; Das, Trupti; Chaudhury, G. Roy; Das, S. N.

2013-04-01

Acid- and water-soluble component of suspended particulate matter was studied from January 2009 to December 2009 at Bhubaneshwar, an urban coastal location of eastern India, by high-volume sampler, environmental dust monitor using GRIMM®, and scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. The water-soluble components accounted for 30-45 % of the total suspended particulate matter, and the major elements were observed to be ammonium and nitrate as the cationic and anionic species, respectively. The acid-soluble component like copper, nickel, cobalt, iron, and lead accounted for 5-15 % of the total particulate matter concentration. The composition of particulate matter shows a clear seasonal variation in relation to wind speed, wind direction, and trajectories of the air mass movement. The GRIMM spectrometer analysis shows higher concentration of fine particulate matter. Source apportionment and enrichment factor analysis indicated that except sodium and chloride, all other elements have emerged from different sources such as crustal as well as anthropogenic.

Linking Stream Dissolved Oxygen with the Dynamic Environmental Drivers across the Pacific Coast of U.S.A.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Araya, F. Z.; Abdul-Aziz, O. I.

2017-12-01

This study utilized a systematic data analytics approach to determine the relative linkages of stream dissolved oxygen (DO) with the hydro-climatic and biogeochemical drivers across the U.S. Pacific Coast. Multivariate statistical techniques of Pearson correlation matrix, principal component analysis, and factor analysis were applied to a complex water quality dataset (1998-2015) at 35 water quality monitoring stations of USGS NWIS and EPA STORET. Power-law based partial least squares regression (PLSR) models with a bootstrap Monte Carlo procedure (1000 iterations) were developed to reliably estimate the relative linkages by resolving multicollinearity (Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency, NSE = 0.50-0.94). Based on the dominant drivers, four environmental regimes have been identified and adequately described the system-data variances. In Pacific North West and Southern California, water temperature was the most dominant driver of DO in majority of the streams. However, in Central and Northern California, stream DO was controlled by multiple drivers (i.e., water temperature, pH, stream flow, and total phosphorus), exhibiting a transitional environmental regime. Further, total phosphorus (TP) appeared to be the limiting nutrient for most streams. The estimated linkages and insights would be useful to identify management priorities to achieve healthy coastal stream ecosystems across the Pacific Coast of U.S.A. and similar regions around the world. Keywords: Data analytics, water quality, coastal streams, dissolved oxygen, environmental regimes, Pacific Coast, United States.

Water-quality monitoring and process understanding in support of environmental policy and management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peters, N.E.

2008-01-01

The quantity and quality of freshwater at any point on the landscape reflect the combined effects of many processes operating along hydrological pathways within a drainage basin/watershed/catchment. Primary drivers for the availability of water are landscape changes and patterns, and the processes affecting the timing, magnitude, and intensity of precipitation, including global climate change. The degradation of air, land, and water in one part of a drainage basin can have negative effects on users downstream; the time and space scales of the effects are determined by the residence time along the various hydrological pathways. Hydrology affects transport, deposition, and recycling of inorganic materials and sediment. These components affect biota and associated ecosystem processes, which rely on sustainable flows throughout a drainage basin. Human activities on all spatial scales affect both water quantity and quality, and some human activities can have a disproportionate effect on an entire drainage basin. Aquatic systems have been continuously modified by agriculture, through land-use change, irrigation and navigation, disposal of urban, mining, and industrial wastes, and engineering modifications to the environment. Interdisciplinary integrated basin studies within the last several decades have provided a more comprehensive understanding of the linkages among air, land, and water resources. This understanding, coupled with environmental monitoring, has evolved a more multidisciplinary integrated approach to resource management, particularly within drainage basins.

A hybrid artificial neural network as a software sensor for optimal control of a wastewater treatment process.

PubMed

Choi, D J; Park, H

2001-11-01

For control and automation of biological treatment processes, lack of reliable on-line sensors to measure water quality parameters is one of the most important problems to overcome. Many parameters cannot be measured directly with on-line sensors. The accuracy of existing hardware sensors is also not sufficient and maintenance problems such as electrode fouling often cause trouble. This paper deals with the development of software sensor techniques that estimate the target water quality parameter from other parameters using the correlation between water quality parameters. We focus our attention on the preprocessing of noisy data and the selection of the best model feasible to the situation. Problems of existing approaches are also discussed. We propose a hybrid neural network as a software sensor inferring wastewater quality parameter. Multivariate regression, artificial neural networks (ANN), and a hybrid technique that combines principal component analysis as a preprocessing stage are applied to data from industrial wastewater processes. The hybrid ANN technique shows an enhancement of prediction capability and reduces the overfitting problem of neural networks. The result shows that the hybrid ANN technique can be used to extract information from noisy data and to describe the nonlinearity of complex wastewater treatment processes.

Compilation of selected hydrologic data, through water year 1992, Black Hills Hydrology Study, western South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Driscoll, Daniel G.; Bradford, Wendell

1994-01-01

This report presents water-level, water-quailty, and springflow data that have been collected or compiled, through water year 1992, for the Black Hills Hydrology Study. This study is a long-term cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey, the South Dakota Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, and the West Dakota Water Development District (which represents various local and county cooperators). Water-level data are presented for 32 observation wells and 2 cave sites in the Black Hills area of western South Dakota. The wells are part of a network of observation wells maintained by the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources and are completed in various bedrock formations that are utilized as aquifers in the Black Hills area. Both cave sites are located within outcrops of the Madison Limestone. Data presented include site descriptions, hydrographs, and tabular data. Water- quality data are presented for 12 surface-water sites and 5 ground-water sites. Data presented include field parameters, bacteria counts, and concentrations of common ions, solids, nutrients, trace elements, radiometrics, cyanide, phenols, dissolved organic carbon, and suspended sediment. Spring data are presented for 83 springs and 21 stream reaches with significant springflow components. Data presented include site information, discharge, and field water-quality parameters including temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH.

[Drinking water supply in the Russian Federation: problems and ways of their solution].

PubMed

Onishchenko, G G

2007-01-01

Russia having a fifth of the worldwide drinking water resources is faced with considerable difficulties in solving the problems associated with the safe and rational attitude towards water resources, in improving the technologies of drinking water purification and conditioning, in introducing new universal forms of supplying the population with high-quality portable water. Particular emphasis has been recently placed on the setting-up of an effective legal and normative base for the sanitary protection of water sources and the upgrading of the quality of drinking water. Regional (republican, territorial) drinking water supply programs have been worked out up to the period 2010 in 47 subjects of the Russian Federation, with the participation of sanitary-and-epidemiological surveillance systems and approved in accordance with the established procedures. The majority of administrative areas have district and town programs to implement high-priority measures for improving the water supple system. Safe drinking water supply is one of the major components of Russia's national security. Under the established conditions, even in case of the favorable financial position, this cannot be achieved by only engineering decisions (construction and modernization of water-supply networks, use of new equipment and breakthrough technologies). Water service as a type of water consumption is based on the general principles of natural resource management. Its safety should be combined with the strategic objective of water resources utilization and conservation in the catchment basins in the country as a whole.

Reactive nitrogen chemistry in aerosol water as a source of sulfate during haze events in China

PubMed Central

Cheng, Yafang; Zheng, Guangjie; Wei, Chao; Mu, Qing; Zheng, Bo; Wang, Zhibin; Gao, Meng; Zhang, Qiang; He, Kebin; Carmichael, Gregory; Pöschl, Ulrich; Su, Hang

2016-01-01

Fine-particle pollution associated with winter haze threatens the health of more than 400 million people in the North China Plain. Sulfate is a major component of fine haze particles. Record sulfate concentrations of up to ~300 μg m−3 were observed during the January 2013 winter haze event in Beijing. State-of-the-art air quality models that rely on sulfate production mechanisms requiring photochemical oxidants cannot predict these high levels because of the weak photochemistry activity during haze events. We find that the missing source of sulfate and particulate matter can be explained by reactive nitrogen chemistry in aerosol water. The aerosol water serves as a reactor, where the alkaline aerosol components trap SO2, which is oxidized by NO2 to form sulfate, whereby high reaction rates are sustained by the high neutralizing capacity of the atmosphere in northern China. This mechanism is self-amplifying because higher aerosol mass concentration corresponds to higher aerosol water content, leading to faster sulfate production and more severe haze pollution. PMID:28028539

Impact of fresh tailing deposition on the evolution of groundwater hydrogeochemistry at the abandoned Manitou mine site, Quebec, Canada.

PubMed

Maqsoud, Abdelkabir; Neculita, Carmen Mihaela; Bussière, Bruno; Benzaazoua, Mostafa; Dionne, Jean

2016-05-01

The abandoned Manitou mine site has produced acid mine drainage (AMD) for several decades. In order to limit the detrimental environmental impacts of AMD, different rehabilitation scenarios were proposed and analyzed. The selected rehabilitation scenario was to use fresh tailings from the neighboring Goldex gold mine as monolayer cover and to maintain an elevated water table. In order to assess the impact of the Goldex tailing deposition on the hydrogeochemistry of the Manitou mine site, a network of 30 piezometers was installed. These piezometers were used for continuous measurement of the groundwater level, as well as for water sampling campaigns for chemical quality monitoring, over a 3-year period. Hydrochemical data were analyzed using principal component analysis. Results clearly showed the benefic impact of fresh tailing deposition on the groundwater quality around the contaminated area. These findings were also confirmed by the evolution of electrical conductivity. In addition to the improvement of the physicochemical quality of water on the Manitou mine site, new tailing deposition induced an increase of water table level. However, at this time, the Manitou reactive tailings are not completely submerged and possible oxidation might still occur, especially after ceasing of the fresh tailing deposition. Therefore, complementary rehabilitation scenarios should still be considered.

Assessment of the Eutrophication-Related Environmental Parameters in Two Mediterranean Lakes by Integrating Statistical Techniques and Self-Organizing Maps.

PubMed

Hadjisolomou, Ekaterini; Stefanidis, Konstantinos; Papatheodorou, George; Papastergiadou, Evanthia

2018-03-19

During the last decades, Mediterranean freshwater ecosystems, especially lakes, have been under severe pressure due to increasing eutrophication and water quality deterioration. In this article, we compared the effectiveness of different data analysis methods by assessing the contribution of environmental parameters to eutrophication processes. For this purpose, principal components analysis (PCA), cluster analysis, and a self-organizing map (SOM) were applied, using water quality data from two transboundary lakes of North Greece. SOM is considered as an advanced and powerful data analysis tool because of its ability to represent complex and nonlinear relationships among multivariate data sets. The results of PCA and cluster analysis agreed with the SOM results, although the latter provided more information because of the visualization abilities regarding the parameters' relationships. Besides nutrients that were found to be a key factor for controlling chlorophyll-a (Chl - a), water temperature was related positively with algal production, while the Secchi disk depth parameter was found to be highly important and negatively related toeutrophic conditions. In general, the SOM results were more specific and allowed direct associations between the water quality variables. Our work showed that SOMs can be used effectively in limnological studies to produce robust and interpretable results, aiding scientists and managers to cope with environmental problems such as eutrophication.

A Bioassay System Using Bioelectric Signals from Small Fish

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terawaki, Mitsuru; Soh, Zu; Hirano, Akira; Tsuji, Toshio

Although the quality of tap water is generally examined using chemical assay, this method cannot be used for examination in real time. Against such a background, the technique of fish bioassay has attracted attention as an approach that enables constant monitoring of aquatic contamination. The respiratory rhythms of fish are considered an efficient indicator for the ongoing assessment of water quality, since they are sensitive to chemicals and can be indirectly measured from bioelectric signals generated by breathing. In order to judge aquatic contamination accurately, it is necessary to measure bioelectric signals from fish swimming freely as well as to stably discriminate measured signals, which vary between individuals. However, no bioassay system meeting the above requirements has yet been established. This paper proposes a bioassay system using bioelectric signals generated from small fish in free-swimming conditions. The system records signals using multiple electrodes to cover the extensive measurement range required in a free-swimming environment, and automatically discriminates changes in water quality from signal frequency components. This discrimination is achieved through an ensemble classification method using probability neural networks to solve the problem of differences between individual fish. The paper also reports on the results of related validation experiments, which showed that the proposed system was able to stably discriminate between water conditions before and after bleach exposure.

An index-based robust decision making framework for watershed management in a changing climate.

PubMed

Kim, Yeonjoo; Chung, Eun-Sung

2014-03-01

This study developed an index-based robust decision making framework for watershed management dealing with water quantity and quality issues in a changing climate. It consists of two parts of management alternative development and analysis. The first part for alternative development consists of six steps: 1) to understand the watershed components and process using HSPF model, 2) to identify the spatial vulnerability ranking using two indices: potential streamflow depletion (PSD) and potential water quality deterioration (PWQD), 3) to quantify the residents' preferences on water management demands and calculate the watershed evaluation index which is the weighted combinations of PSD and PWQD, 4) to set the quantitative targets for water quantity and quality, 5) to develop a list of feasible alternatives and 6) to eliminate the unacceptable alternatives. The second part for alternative analysis has three steps: 7) to analyze all selected alternatives with a hydrologic simulation model considering various climate change scenarios, 8) to quantify the alternative evaluation index including social and hydrologic criteria with utilizing multi-criteria decision analysis methods and 9) to prioritize all options based on a minimax regret strategy for robust decision. This framework considers the uncertainty inherent in climate models and climate change scenarios with utilizing the minimax regret strategy, a decision making strategy under deep uncertainty and thus this procedure derives the robust prioritization based on the multiple utilities of alternatives from various scenarios. In this study, the proposed procedure was applied to the Korean urban watershed, which has suffered from streamflow depletion and water quality deterioration. Our application shows that the framework provides a useful watershed management tool for incorporating quantitative and qualitative information into the evaluation of various policies with regard to water resource planning and management. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrogeochemical and isotopic investigation and water quality assessment of groundwater in the Sisseb El Alem Nadhour Saouaf aquifer (SANS), northeastern Tunisia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamdi, Mohamed; Zagrarni, Mohamed Faouzi; Jerbi, Hamza; Tarhouni, Jamila

2018-05-01

In the Sisseb El Alem Nadhour Saouaf basin (SANS), as in all other arid regions, surface water is scarce and groundwater is the greatest most important source of water for all uses. This study aims to identify the processes governing groundwater mineralization in order to assess the suitability of the groundwater for drinking and agriculture purposes. This research used a geodatabase which includes information on hydrogeology, geochemistry, land cover, and geology. We identified the most important factors involved in the deterioration of water quality, including anhydrite and gypsum dissolution, silicate weathering, downward leakage between aquifers, evaporation, groundwater over-exploitation, and the overuse of fertilizers. Furthermore, the two following important factors were identified: the intrusion of Sebkhat El Kelbia and the vertical flow from the deep aquifer. Results were used to develop a conceptual geochemical model, wherein three geochemical regions were differentiated. Statistical techniques, such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) were used to confirm the water affinities and the presence of three different geochemical regions. The water quality index (WQI), Wilcox and Richards's diagrams were performed to assess the suitability of groundwater to drinking and irrigation purposes. These indexes confirm the fact that the groundwater of this aquifer is not suitable for irrigation, neither for drinking. Furthermore, 18O and deuterium isotope data indicate the importance of evaporation in the basin, and the recharge with modern rainfall.

Groundwater quality assessment in semi-arid regions using integrated approaches: the case of Grombalia aquifer (NE Tunisia).

PubMed

Kammoun, Siwar; Trabelsi, Rim; Re, Viviana; Zouari, Kamel; Henchiri, Jihed

2018-01-19

As many arid and semi-arid regions in the Mediterranean Basin, the Grombalia coastal aquifer (NE Tunisia) is affected by severe groundwater exploitation and contamination. Therefore, quality assessments are becoming increasingly important as the long-term protection of water resources is at stake. Multidisciplinary investigations, like the one presented in this paper, are particularly effective in identifying the different origins of mineralization within an aquifer and investigating the impact of anthropogenic activities on groundwater quality. An integrated assessment, focused on the combined use of geostatistical, geochemical and isotopic (δ 18 O, δ 2 H and 3 H) tools, was performed in the Grombalia aquifer between February and March 2014. The overall goal was to study the main processes controlling aquifer salinization, with special focus to nitrate contamination. Results indicate a persisting deterioration of water quality over the whole basin except the south-eastern zone juxtaposing the recharge area of the aquifer. Nitrate contents exceed the drinking water standard (50 mg/l) in 70% of groundwater samples, mainly due to the excessive use of fertilizers and urban activities. Stable isotope measurements showed the contribution of modern rainwater to aquifer recharge and proved the presence of evaporation contributing to the salinity increase. Tritium values of groundwater samples suggested two hypotheses: the existence of mixture between old and recent water or/and the existence of two recharge periods of the aquifer, pre- and post-nuclear weapons test. Principal component analysis confirmed the geochemical interpretation, highlighting that water-rock interaction evaporation effect and intensive anthropogenic activities constitute the main processes controlling the regional groundwater mineralization.

Impact of urbanization on the ecology of Mukuvisi River, Harare, Zimbabwe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moyo, N. A. G.; Rapatsa, M. M.

2016-04-01

The main objective in this study was to compare the physico-chemical characteristics and biota of a river (Mukuvisi) passing through an urban area to that of a non-urbanised river (Gwebi). Five sites in the Mukuvisi River and five sites in the Gwebi River were sampled for water physico-chemical parameters (pH, conductivity, DO, BOD, TDS, ammonia, Cl, SO42-, PO42-, NO33-, F-, Pb, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cr) once every month between August, 2012-August, 2013. Cluster analysis based on the physico-chemical parameters grouped the sites into two groups. Mukuvisi River sites formed their own grouping except for one site which was grouped with Gwebi River sites. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to extract the physico-chemical parameters that account for most variations in water quality in the Mukuvisi and Gwebi Rivers. PCA identified sulphate, chloride, fluoride, iron, manganese and zinc as the major factors contributing to the variability of Mukuvisi River water quality. In the Gwebi river, sulphate, nitrate, fluoride and copper accounted for most of the variation in water quality. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was used to explore the relationship between physico-chemical parameters and macroinvertebrate communities. CCA plots in both Mukuvisi and Gwebi Rivers showed significant relationships between macroinvertebrate communities and water quality variables. Phosphate, ammonia and nitrates were correlated with Chironomidae and Simulidae. Gwebi River had higher (P < 0.05, ANOVA) macroinvertebrates and fish diversity than Mukuvisi River. Clarias gariepinus from the Mukuvisi River had high liver histological lesions and low AChE activity and this led to lower growth rates in this river.

Integrated watershed planning across jurisdictional boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watts, A. W.; Roseen, R.; Stacey, P.; Bourdeau, R.

2014-12-01

We will present the foundation for an Coastal Watershed Integrated Plan for three communities in southern New Hampshire. Small communities are often challenged by complex regulatory requirements and limited resources, but are wary of perceived risks in engaging in collaborative projects with other communities. Potential concerns include loss of control, lack of resources to engage in collaboration, technical complexity, and unclear benefits. This project explores a multi-town subwatershed application of integrated planning across jurisdictional boundaries that addresses some of today's highest priority water quality issues: wastewater treatment plant upgrades for nutrient removal; green infrastructure stormwater management for developing and re-developing areas; and regional monitoring of ecosystem indicators in support of adaptive management to achieve nutrient reduction and other water quality goals in local and downstream waters. The project outcome is a collaboratively-developed inter-municipal integrated plan, and a monitoring framework to support cross jurisdictional planning and assess attainment of water quality management goals. This research project has several primary components: 1) assessment of initial conditions, including both the pollutant load inputs and the political, economic and regulatory status within each community, 2) a pollutant load model for point and non-point sources, 3) multi-criteria evaluation of load reduction alternatives 4) a watershed management plan optimized for each community, and for Subwatersheds combining multiple communities. The final plan will quantify the financial and other benefits/drawbacks to each community for both inter municipal and individual pollution control approaches. We will discuss both the technical and collaborative aspects of the work, with lessons learned regarding science to action, incorporation of social, economic and water quality assessment parameters, and stakeholder/researcher interaction.

A systems approach to modeling Community-Based Environmental Monitoring: a case of participatory water quality monitoring in rural Mexico.

PubMed

Burgos, Ana; Páez, Rosaura; Carmona, Estela; Rivas, Hilda

2013-12-01

Community-Based Environmental Monitoring (CBM) is a social practice that makes a valuable contribution to environmental management and construction of active societies for sustainable future. However, its documentation and analysis show deficiencies that hinder contrast and comparison of processes and effects. Based on systems approach, this article presents a model of CBM to orient assessment of programs, with heuristic or practical goals. In a focal level, the model comprises three components, the social subject, the object of monitoring, and the means of action, and five processes, data management, social learning, assimilation/decision making, direct action, and linking. Emergent properties were also identified in the focal and suprafocal levels considering community self-organization, response capacity, and autonomy for environmental management. The model was applied to the assessment of a CBM program of water quality implemented in rural areas in Mexico. Attributes and variables (indicators) for components, processes, and emergent properties were selected to measure changes that emerged since the program implementation. The assessment of the first 3 years (2010-2012) detected changes that indicated movement towards the expected results, but it revealed also the need to adjust the intervention strategy and procedures. Components and processes of the model reflected relevant aspects of the CBM in real world. The component called means of action as a key element to transit "from the data to the action." The CBM model offered a conceptual framework with advantages to understand CBM as a socioecological event and to strengthen its implementation under different conditions and contexts.

Increasing a Community's Knowledge about Drought, Watershed Ecosystems, and Water Quality Through Educational Activities Added to Coastal Cleanup Day Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brinker, R.; Allen, L.; Cole, P.; Rho, C.

2016-12-01

International Coastal Cleanup Day, held each September, is an effective campaign to bring volunteers together to clean trash from beaches and waterways and document results. Over 500,000 participants cleared over 9 million pounds of trash in 2015. To build on the enthusiasm for this event, the city of Livermore, California's Water Resource Department, the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District, Livermore Area Recreation and Parks Department created a water education program to embed within the city's Coastal Cleanup Day events. Goals of the education program are to increase awareness of the local watershed and its geographic reach, impacts of climate change and drought on local water supplies, pollution sources and impacts of local pollution on the ocean, positive impacts of a recent plastic bag ban, water quality assessment, and action steps citizens can take to support a healthy watershed. Volunteers collect and test water samples (when water is in the creek) using modified GLOBE and World Water Monitoring Day protocols. Test results are uploaded to the World Water Monitoring Day site and documented on the program web site. Volunteers report that they did not know about watersheds, impacts of local pollution, and water quality components before the education program. Volunteers are encouraged to adopt a creek spot for one year, and continue to collect and document trash. High school and middle school science classes added the water quality testing into curriculum, and regularly visit creek sites to clean the spots and monitor habitats. Each year for the past five years, about 300 volunteers have worked on creek clean-up events, 20 have adopted creek sites, and collected over 4,000 gallons of trash annually. As a result of these efforts, sites have been downgraded from a trash hot spot of concern. Strategies will be shared to expand an established (or start a new) Coastal Cleanup Day event into a successful watershed and climate awareness citizen science program. Include are: Data collection and review; Watershed posters and maps created for the event; Water quality test kits, equipment and protocols; Promotional items; Uses of social media and apps; Connecting with teachers; Recruiting interns; Program costs and supporting agencies. Attendees should feel that the program could be duplicated at their location.

Design and Application of a Solar Mobile Pond Aquaculture Water Quality-Regulation Machine Based in Bream Pond Aquaculture

PubMed Central

Liu, Xingguo; Xu, Hao; Ma, Zhuojun; Zhang, Yongjun; Tian, Changfeng; Cheng, Guofeng; Zou, Haisheng; Lu, Shimin; Liu, Shijing; Tang, Rong

2016-01-01

Bream pond aquaculture plays a very important role in China’s aquaculture industry and is the main source of aquatic products. To regulate and control pond water quality and sediment, a movable solar pond aquaculture water quality regulation machine (SMWM) was designed and used. This machine is solar-powered and moves on water, and its primary components are a solar power supply device, a sediment lifting device, a mechanism for walking on the water’s surface and a control system. The solar power supply device provides power for the machine, and the water walking mechanism drives the machine’s motion on the water. The sediment lifting device orbits the main section of the machine and affects a large area of the pond. Tests of the machine’s mechanical properties revealed that the minimum illumination necessary for the SMWM to function is 13,000 Lx and that its stable speed on the water is 0.02–0.03 m/s. For an illumination of 13,000–52,500 Lx, the sediment lifting device runs at 0.13–0.35 m/s, and its water delivery capacity is 110–208 m3/h. The sediment lifting device is able to fold away, and the angle of the suction chamber can be adjusted, making the machine work well in ponds at different water depths from 0.5 m to 2 m. The optimal distance from the sediment lifting device to the bottom of the pond is 10–15 cm. In addition, adjusting the length of the connecting rod and the direction of the traction rope allows the SMWM to work in a pond water area greater than 80%. The analysis of water quality in Wuchang bream (Parabramis pekinensis) and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) culture ponds using the SMWM resulted in decreased NH3+–N and available phosphorus concentrations and increased TP concentrations. The TN content and the amount of available phosphorus in the sediment were reduced. In addition, the fish production showed that the SMWM enhanced the yields of Wuchang bream and silver carp by more than 30% and 24%, respectively. These results indicate that the SMWM may be suitable for Wuchang bream pond aquaculture in China and that it can be used in pond aquaculture for regulating and controlling water quality. PMID:26789004

The Water-Energy-Food Nexus in a Rapidly Developing Resource Sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, D. M.; Kirste, D. M.

2014-12-01

Technological advances and access to global markets have changed the rate at which resource exploitation takes place. The environmental impact of the rapid development and distribution of resources such as minerals and hydrocarbons has led to a greater potential for significant stress on water resources both in terms of quality and quantity. How and where those impacts manifest is crucial to determining appropriate risk management strategies. North East British Columbia has an abundance of shale gas reserves that are anticipated to be exploited at a large scale in coming years, primarily for export as liquefied natural gas (LNG). However, there is growing concern that fracking and other activities related to shale gas development pose risks to water quality and quantity in the region. Water lies at the center of the water-energy-food nexus, with an accelerating water demand for fracking and industrial operations as well as for domestic, environmental and agricultural uses. Climate change is also anticipated to alter the hydrologic regime, posing added stress to the water resource. This case study examines the water-energy-food nexus in the context of a region that is impacted by a rapidly developing resource sector, encompassing water demand/supply, climate change, interaction between deep aquifers and shallow aquifers/surface waters, water quality concerns related to fracking, land use disturbance, and community impacts. Due to the rapid rate of development, there are significant knowledge gaps in our understanding of the water resource. Currently agencies are undertaking water resource assessments and establishing monitoring sites. This research aims to assess water security in North East British Columbia in a coordinated fashion through various partnerships. In addition to collecting baseline knowledge and data, the study will evaluate risk and resilience indicators in relation to water security. A risk assessment framework specific to the shale gas development context will be developed to evaluate the various components of risk spatially and temporally. Resilience is currently being assessed through a comprehensive examination of the current regulatory and policy regime.

Development of the Second Generation International Space Station (ISS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clements, Anna L.; Stinson, Richard G.; VanWie, Michael; Warren, Eric

2009-01-01

The second generation International Space Station (ISS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer s (TOCA) function is to monitor concentrations of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) in ISS water samples. TOC is one measurement that provides a general indication of overall water quality by indicating the potential presence of hazardous chemicals. The data generated from the TOCA is used as a hazard control to assess the quality of the reclaimed and stored water supplies on-orbit and their suitability for crew consumption. This paper details the unique ISS Program requirements, the design of the ISS TOCA, and a brief description of the on-orbit concept-of-operations. The TOCA schematic will be discussed in detail along with specific information regarding key components. The ISS TOCA was designed as a non-toxic TOC analyzer that could be deployed in a flight ready package. This basic concept was developed through laboratory component level testing, two moderate fidelity integrated system breadboard prototypes, a flight-like full scale prototype, as well as lessons learned from the inadequacies of the first unit. The result: a new TOCA unit that is robust in design and includes special considerations to microgravity and the on-orbit ISS environment. TOCA meets the accuracy needs of the ISS Program with a 1,000 to 25,000 g/L range, accurate to within +/-25%.

[Physicochemical quality of drinking water in Southern Algeria: study of excess mineral salts].

PubMed

Djellouli, H M; Taleb, S; Harrache-Chettouh, D; Djaroud, S

2005-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the physicochemical composition of water intended for human consumption in several regions of Southern Algeria. Excess minerals in drinking water, including magnesium, calcium, sulfates and fluorides play a fundamental role in the prevention of urinary calculi, which are formed mainly from calcium oxalate. The ever-increasingly prevalence of this disorder and its recurrence make it a real public health problem in Algeria. The most elementary preventive treatment, recommended to all subjects with lithiasis, is to drink 2 to 3 L water distributed throughout the (24-hour) day. This study began by conducting a physicochemical analysis of the principal components of water from several sources. We will subsequently test it to examine the effects of its mineral salts on the crystallization kinetics of the principal component of calculi (calcium oxalate). The results indicate that 77.5 % of the samples had magnesium concentrations ([Mg 2+] > 50 mg/L), 95 % were sulfated, with sulfate ion concentrations exceeding the standard recommended by WHO ([SO4 2-] > 250 mg/L). Moreover, 57.5 % had excess fluoride levels, [F-] > 1.5 mg/L, and 65 % excessive calcium concentrations, with Ca 2+ > 150 mg/L.

Properties of Polyvinylpyrrolidone in a Deep Eutectic Solvent

DOE PAGES

Sapir, Liel; Stanley, Christopher B.; Harries, Daniel

2016-03-10

Deep eutectic solvents (DES) are mixtures of two or more components with high melting temperatures, which form a liquid at room temperature. These DES hold great promise as green solvents for chemical processes, as they are inexpensive and environmentally friendly. Specifically, they present a unique solvating environment to polymers that is different from water. In this paper, we use small angle neutron scattering to study the polymer properties of the common, water-soluble, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in the prominent DES formed by a 1:2 molar mixture of choline chloride and urea. We find that the polymer adopts a slightly different structure inmore » DES than in water, so that at higher concentrations the polymer favors a more expanded conformation compared to the same concentration in water. Yet, the osmotic pressure of PVP solutions in DES is very similar to that in water, indicating that both solvents are of comparable quality and that the DES components interact favorably with PVP. Finally, the osmotic pressure measurements within this novel class of promising solvents should be of value toward future technological applications as well as for osmotic stress experiments in nonaqueous environments.« less

Properties of Polyvinylpyrrolidone in a Deep Eutectic Solvent

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

Sapir, Liel; Stanley, Christopher B.; Harries, Daniel

Deep eutectic solvents (DES) are mixtures of two or more components with high melting temperatures, which form a liquid at room temperature. These DES hold great promise as green solvents for chemical processes, as they are inexpensive and environmentally friendly. Specifically, they present a unique solvating environment to polymers that is different from water. In this paper, we use small angle neutron scattering to study the polymer properties of the common, water-soluble, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in the prominent DES formed by a 1:2 molar mixture of choline chloride and urea. We find that the polymer adopts a slightly different structure inmore » DES than in water, so that at higher concentrations the polymer favors a more expanded conformation compared to the same concentration in water. Yet, the osmotic pressure of PVP solutions in DES is very similar to that in water, indicating that both solvents are of comparable quality and that the DES components interact favorably with PVP. Finally, the osmotic pressure measurements within this novel class of promising solvents should be of value toward future technological applications as well as for osmotic stress experiments in nonaqueous environments.« less

Commissioning and quality assurance for the treatment delivery components of the AccuBoost system

PubMed Central

Talmadge, Mike; Ladd, Ron; Halvorsen, Per

2015-01-01

The objective for this work was to develop a commissioning methodology for the treatment delivery components of the AccuBoost system, as well as to establish a routine quality assurance program and appropriate guidance for clinical use based on the commissioning results. Various tests were developed: 1) assessment of the accuracy of the displayed separation value; 2) validation of the dwell positions within each applicator; 3) assessment of the accuracy and precision of the applicator localization system; 4) assessment of the combined dose profile of two opposed applicators to confirm that they are coaxial; 5) measurement of the absolute dose delivered with each applicator to confirm acceptable agreement with dose based on Monte Carlo modeling; 6) measurements of the skin‐to‐center dose ratio using optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters; and 7) assessment of the mammopad cushion's effect on the center dose. We found that the difference between the measured and the actual paddle separation is <0.1 cm for the separation range of 3 cm to 7.5 cm. Radiochromic film measurements demonstrated that the number of dwell positions inside the applicators agree with the values from the vendor, for each applicator type and size. The shift needed for a good applicator‐grid alignment was within 0.2 cm. The dry‐run test using film demonstrated that the shift of the dosimetric center is within 0.15 cm. Dose measurements in water converted to polystyrene agreed within 5.0% with the Monte Carlo data in polystyrene for the same applicator type, size, and depth. A solid water‐to‐water (phantom) factor was obtained for each applicator, and all future annual quality assurance tests will be performed in solid water using an average value of 1.07 for the solid water‐to‐water factor. The skin‐to‐center dose ratio measurements support the Monte Carlo‐based values within 5.0% agreement. For the treatment separation range of 4 cm to 8 cm, the change in center dose would be <1.0% for all applicators when using a compressed pad of 0.2 cm to 0.3 cm. The tests performed ensured that all treatment components of the AccuBoost system are functional and that a treatment plan can be delivered with acceptable accuracy. Based on the commissioning results, a quality assurance manual and guidance documents for clinical use were developed. PACS numbers: 87.55.Qr, 87.56.Da, 87.90.+y PMID:26103184

An analysis of the chemical and microbiological quality of ground water from boreholes and shallow wells in Zimbabwe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moyo, N. A. G.

Groundwater from boreholes and shallow wells is a major source of drinking water in most rural areas of Zimbabwe. The quality of groundwater has been taken for granted and the status and the potential threats to groundwater quality have not been investigated on a large scale in Zimbabwe. A borehole and shallow well water quality survey was undertaken between January, 2009 and February, 2010 to determine the chemical and microbial aspects of drinking water in three catchment areas. Groundwater quality physico-chemical indicators used in this study were nitrates, chloride, water hardness, conductivity, alkalinity, total dissolved solids, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, calcium, fluoride, sulphates, sodium and pH. The microbiological indicators were total coliforms, faecal coliforms and heterotrophs. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that most of the variation in ground water quality in all catchment areas is accounted for by Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), sodium, bicarbonate and magnesium. The principal dissolved constituents in ground water are in the form of electrically charged ions. Nitrate is a significant problem as the World Health Organization recommended levels were exceeded in 36%, 37% and 22% of the boreholes in the Manyame, Mazowe and Gwayi catchment areas respectively. The nitrate levels were particularly high in commercial farming areas. Iron and manganese also exceeded the recommended levels. The probable source of high iron levels is the underlying geology of the area which is dominated by dolerites. Dolerites weather to give soils rich in iron and other mafic minerals. The high level of manganese is probably due to the lithology of the rock as well as mining activity in some areas. Water hardness is a problem in all catchment areas, particularly in the Gwayi catchment area where a value of 2550 mg/l was recorded in one borehole. The problems with hard water use are discussed. Chloride levels exceeded the recommended levels in a few areas under irrigation. Most of the chloride is probably from agricultural activity particularly the application of potassium chloride. Fluoride levels were particularly elevated in the Gwayi catchment area and this is because of the geology of the area. There was no evidence of microbial contamination in all the boreholes sampled as the total coliform, faecal coliforms, heterotrophs count was nil. However, severe microbial contamination was found in the wells especially those in clay areas.

Cost Effective Instrumentation for Developing Autonomous Groundwater Monitoring Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viti, T. M.; Garmire, D. G.

2017-12-01

Despite a relatively poor understanding of Hawaiian groundwater systems, the State of Hawaii depends almost exclusively on groundwater for its public water supply. Ike Wai, an NSF funded project (EPSCoR Program Award OIA #1557349) at the University of Hawaii, aims to develop new groundwater models for Hawaii's aquifers, including water quality and transport processes. To better understand aquifer properties such as capacity and hydraulic conductivity, we are developing well-monitoring instruments that can autonomously record water parameters such as conductivity, temperature, and hydraulic head level, with sampling frequencies on the order of minutes. We are currently exploring novel methods and materials for solving classical design problems, such as applying dielectric spectroscopy techniques for measuring salinity, and using recycled materials for producing custom cable assemblies. System components are fabricated in house using rapid prototyping (e.g. 3D printing, circuit board milling, and laser cutting), and traditional manufacturing techniques. This approach allows us to produce custom components while minimizing development cost, and maximizing flexibility in the overall system's design.

Factors affecting the yield of bio-oil from the pyrolysis of coconut shell.

PubMed

Gao, Yun; Yang, Yi; Qin, Zhanbin; Sun, Yi

2016-01-01

Coconut is a high-quality agricultural product of the Asia-Pacific region. In this paper, coconut shell which mainly composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin was used as a raw material for coconut shell oil from coconut shell pyrolysis. The influence of the pyrolysis temperature, heating rate and particle size on coconut oil yield was investigated, and the effect of heating rate on coconut oil components was discussed. Experimental results show that the maximum oil yield of 75.74 wt% (including water) were obtained under the conditions that the final pyrolysis temperature 575 °C, heating rate 20 °C/min, coconut shell diameter about 5 mm. Thermal gravimetric analysis was used and it can be seen that coconut shell pyrolysis process can be divided into three stages: water loss, pyrolysis and pyrocondensation. The main components of coconut-shell oil are water (about 50 wt%), aromatic, phenolic, acid, ketone and ether containing compounds.

Spatial and temporal patterns of surface water quality and ichthyotoxicity in urban and rural river basins in Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

VanLandeghem, Matthew M.; Meyer, Matthew D.; Cox, Stephen B.; Sharma, Bibek; Patino, Reynaldo

2012-01-01

The Double Mountain Fork Brazos River (Texas, USA) consists of North (NF) and South Forks (SF). The NF receives urban runoff and twice-reclaimed wastewater effluent, whereas the SF flows through primarily rural areas. The objective of this study was to determine and compare associations between standard water quality variables and ichthyotoxicity at a landscape scale that included urban (NF) and rural (SF) sites. Five NF and three SF sites were sampled quarterly from March 2008 to March 2009 for specific conductance, salinity, hardness, pH, temperature, and turbidity; and a zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo bioassay was used to determine ichthyotoxicity. Metal and nutrient concentrations at all sites were also measured in addition to standard water quality variables in spring 2009. Principal component analyses identified hardness, specific conductance, and salinity as the water variables that best differentiate the urban NF (higher levels) from rural SF habitat. Nutrient levels were also higher in the NF, but no landscape scale patterns in metal concentrations were observed. Ichthyotoxicity was generally higher in NF water especially in winter, and multiple regression analyses suggested a positive association between water hardness and ichthyotoxicity. To test for the potential influence of the toxic golden alga (Prymnesium parvum) on overall ichthyotoxicity, a cofactor known to enhance golden alga toxin activity was used in the bioassays. Golden alga ichthyotoxicity was detected in the NF but not the SF, suggesting golden alga may have contributed to overall ichthyotoxicity in the urban but not in the rural system. In conclusion, the physicochemistry of the urban-influenced NF water was conducive to the expression of ichthyotoxicity and also point to water hardness as a novel factor influencing golden alga ichthyotoxicity in surface waters.

Performance assessment of a single-layer moisture store-and-release cover system at a mine waste rock pile in a seasonally humid region (Nova Scotia, Canada).

PubMed

Power, Christopher; Ramasamy, Murugan; Mkandawire, Martin

2018-03-03

Cover systems are commonly applied to mine waste rock piles (WRPs) to control acid mine drainage (AMD). Single-layer covers utilize the moisture "store-and-release" concept to first store and then release moisture back to the atmosphere via evapotranspiration. Although more commonly used in semi-arid and arid climates, store-and-release covers remain an attractive option in humid climates due to the low cost and relative simplicity of installation. However, knowledge of their performance in these climates is limited. The objective of this study was to assess the performance of moisture store-and-release covers at full-scale WRPs located in humid climates. This cover type was installed at a WRP in Nova Scotia, Canada, alongside state-of-the-art monitoring instrumentation. Field monitoring was conducted over 5 years to assess key components such as meteorological conditions, cover material water dynamics, net percolation, surface runoff, pore-gas, environmental receptor water quality, landform stability and vegetation. Water balances indicate small reductions in water influx to the waste rock (i.e., 34 to 28% of precipitation) with the diminished AMD release also apparent by small improvements in groundwater quality (increase in pH, decrease in sulfate/metals). Surface water quality analysis and field observations of vegetative/aquatic life demonstrate significant improvements in the surface water receptor. The WRP landform is stable and the vegetative cover is thriving. This study has shown that while a simple store-and-release cover may not be a highly effective barrier to water infiltration in humid climates, it can be used to (i) eliminate contaminated surface water runoff, (ii) minimize AMD impacts to surface water receptor(s), (iii) maintain a stable landform, and (iv) provide a sustainable vegetative canopy.

Application of multivariate statistical analysis and hydrochemical and isotopic investigations for evaluation of groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking and agriculture purposes: case of Oum Ali-Thelepte aquifer, central Tunisia.

PubMed

Hassen, Imen; Hamzaoui-Azaza, Fadoua; Bouhlila, Rachida

2016-03-01

Groundwater plays a dominant role in arid regions; it is among the most available water resources in Tunisia. Located in northwestern Tunisia, Oum Ali-Thelepte is a deep Miocene sedimentary aquifer, where groundwater is the most important source of water supply. The aim of the study is to investigate the hydrochemical processes leading to mineralization and to assess water quality with respect to agriculture and drinking for a better management of groundwater resources. To achieve such objectives, water analysis was carried out on 16 groundwater samples collected during January-February 2014. Stable isotopes and 26 hydrochemical parameters were examined. The interpretation of these analytical data showed that the concentrations of major and trace elements were within the permissible level for human use. The distribution of mineral processes in this aquifer was identified using conventional classification techniques, suggesting that the water facies gradually changes from Ca-HCO3 to Mg-SO4 type and are controlled by water-rock interaction. These results were endorsed using multivariate statistical methods such as principal component analysis and cluster analysis. The sustainability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation was assessed based on the water quality index (WQI) and on Wilcox and Richards's diagrams. This aquifer has been classified as "excellent water" serving good irrigation in the area. As for the stable isotope, the measurements showed that groundwater samples lay between global meteoric water line (GMWL) and LMWL; hence, this arrangement signifies that the recharge of the Oum Ali-Thelepte aquifer is ensured by rainwater infiltration through mountains in the border of the aquifer without evaporation effects.

Development of the MOOSY4 eNose IoT for Sulphur-Based VOC Water Pollution Detection

PubMed Central

Climent, Enric; Pelegri-Sebastia, Jose; Sogorb, Tomas; Talens, J. B.; Chilo, Jose

2017-01-01

In this paper, we describe a new low-cost and portable electronic nose instrument, the Multisensory Odor Olfactory System MOOSY4. This prototype is based on only four metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) gas sensors suitable for IoT technology. The system architecture consists of four stages: data acquisition, data storage, data processing, and user interfacing. The designed eNose was tested with experiment for detection of volatile components in water pollution, as a dimethyl disulphide or dimethyl diselenide or sulphur. Therefore, the results provide evidence that odor information can be recognized with around 86% efficiency, detecting smells unwanted in the water and improving the quality control in bottled water factories. PMID:28825645

Carcass characteristics and meat quality of broilers fed with different levels of Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product.

PubMed

Aristides, L G A; Venancio, E J; Alfieri, A A; Otonel, R A A; Frank, W J; Oba, A

2018-05-16

Fermented products and components of Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been widely used in animal nutrition to promote the development and quality of broilers. This study aims to evaluate different levels of inclusion (0, 250, 750, 1,500 g/t) of S. cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP) in broiler feed to gauge its effect on carcass characteristics and cuts beyond the quality of breast meat. For analyses of carcass yield, cuts, and meat quality, 16 broilers per treatment were slaughtered. The meat quality analyses were performed 24 h after slaughter and evaluated color, pH, water holding capacity, cooking loss, and shear force. Lipid oxidation was determined in frozen breast samples stored at -20°C for 45 d. The results indicate that different levels of inclusion of SCFP provided no changes in carcass yield, color, water holding capacity, cooking loss, and shear force; however, inclusion of 1,500 g/t of SCFP increased leg yield and reduced pH. The inclusion of 750 g/t of SCFP decreased the lipid oxidation of breast meat (P < 0.05). This study concluded that inclusion of SCFP may improve leg yield and the lipid oxidation of breast meat.

Terrestrially derived glomalin-related soil protein quality as a potential ecological indicator in a peri-urban watershed.

PubMed

Sui, Xueyan; Wu, Zhipeng; Lin, Chen; Zhou, Shenglu

2017-07-01

Glomalin, which sequesters substantial amounts of carbon, plays a critical role in sustaining terrestrial biome functions and contributes to the fate of many pollutants from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems. Despite having focused on the amount of glomalin produced, very few attempts have been made to understand how landscapes and environmental conditions influence glomalin composition and characteristics. This study focused on glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) exported as storm runoff including eroded sediment and water that was collected before flowing to surface waters in a peri-urban watershed. GRSP characteristics were assessed by Bradford protein analysis, fluorescence spectroscopy combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), and the determination of aromaticity based on the specific ultraviolet absorption value (280 nm) and molecular weight. General linear models (GLMs) was established by integrating microbial activity, land cover, water temperature, precipitation, and other solution chemical properties to explain the variations in GRSP characteristics. Results showed that a higher GRSP concentration in agricultural reference sites was produced in the form of specific materials with low molecular weight and aromaticity, as well as high percentage of C1 and C5 components which indicate microbial-processed sources, relative to urbanized and forested sites. Compared with forested land, urbanized land clearly produced runoff GRSP with low molecular weight and aromaticity, as well as more degradation of humic-like materials (C3 component). The highest GLM explaining 89% of the variables, including significant variables (p < 0.05) such as microbial activity, water temperature, and water conductivity, was observed for GRSP characteristics. Therefore, changes in eroded soil GRSP quality can serve as an indicator for improving watershed management and thus protecting aquatic ecosystems.

USGS research on Florida's isolated freshwater wetlands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Torres, Arturo E.; Haag, Kim H.; Lee, Terrie M.; Metz, Patricia A.

2011-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has studied wetland hydrology and its effects on wetland health and ecology in Florida since the 1990s. USGS wetland studies in Florida and other parts of the Nation provide resource managers with tools to assess current conditions and regional trends in wetland resources. Wetland hydrologists in the USGS Florida Water Science Center (FLWSC) have completed a number of interdisciplinary studies assessing the hydrology, ecology, and water quality of wetlands. These studies have expanded the understanding of wetland hydrology, ecology, and related processes including: (1) the effects of cyclical changes in rainfall and the influence of evapotranspiration; (2) surface-water flow, infiltration, groundwater movement, and groundwater and surfacewater interactions; (3) the effects of water quality and soil type; (4) the unique biogeochemical components of wetlands required to maintain ecosystem functions; (5) the effects of land use and other human activities; (6) the influences of algae, plants, and invertebrates on environmental processes; and (7) the effects of seasonal variations in animal communities that inhabit or visit Florida wetlands and how wetland function responds to changes in the plant community.

Mercury and water-quality data from Rink Creek, Salmon River, and Good River, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska, November 2009-October 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nagorski, Sonia A.; Neal, Edward G.; Brabets, Timothy P.

2013-01-01

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (GBNPP), Alaska, like many pristine high latitude areas, is exposed to atmospherically deposited contaminants such as mercury (Hg). Although the harmful effects of Hg are well established, information on this contaminant in southeast Alaska is scarce. Here, we assess the level of this contaminant in several aquatic components (water, sediments, and biological tissue) in three adjacent, small streams in GBNPP that drain contrasting landscapes but receive similar atmospheric inputs: Rink Creek, Salmon River, and Good River. Twenty water samples were collected from 2009 to 2011 and processed and analyzed for total mercury and methylmercury (filtered and particulate), and dissolved organic carbon quantity and quality. Ancillary stream water parameters (discharge, pH, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, and temperature) were measured at the time of sampling. Major cations, anions, and nutrients were measured four times. In addition, total mercury was analyzed in streambed sediment in 2010 and in juvenile coho salmon and several taxa of benthic macroinvertebrates in the early summer of 2010 and 2011.

Water-quality parameters and benthic algal communities at selected streams in Minnesota, August 2000 - Study design, methods and data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, K.E.

2002-01-01

This report describes the study design, sampling methods, and summarizes the physical, chemical, and benthic algal data for a component of the multiagency study that was designed to document diurnal water-quality measurements (specific conductance, pH, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen), benthic algal community composition and chlorophyll-a content, and primary productivity at 12 stream sites on 6 streams in Minnesota during August 2000. Specific conductance, pH, water temperature, dissolved oxygen concentrations and percent dissolved oxygen saturation measurements were made with submersible data recorders at 30 minute intervals for a period of 3-6 days during August 2000. Benthic algae collected from wood and rock substrate were identified and enumerated. Biovolume (volume of algal cells per unit area), density (number of cells per unit area), and chlorophyll-a content from benthic algae were determined. These data can be used as part of the multiagency study to develop an understanding of the relations among nutrient concentrations, algal abundance, algal community composition, and primary production and respiration processes in rivers of differing ecoregions in Minnesota.

Effect of NTP Pretreatment on Thermal Resistance and Fouling Components of Oilfield Wastewater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Jie; Li, Wenli; Zou, Longsheng; Fu, Honghun

2018-01-01

In order to prevent scaling in the process of oilfield wastewater evaporation, low temperature plasma is used for pretreatment of heavy oil wastewater. It reacts with the ions and radicals produced by the low-temperature plasma and then is send into the evaporator. The changes of various indexes of the distilled water and the distribution of fouling in the evaporation process of heavy oil wastewater after plasma pretreatment were studied. The results showed that the content and hardness of silica in wastewater were decreased after plasma pretreatment, which was more suitable for evaporation treatment. At the same time, the content of salt and oil in distilled water is reduced, and the quality is improved. In addition, when the steam concentration was 30∼40 times, the suspended solids in the concentrated solution of the wastewater increased significantly after the plasma treatment. Correspondingly, the fouling at the bottom of evaporator is greatly reduced. Comparing the various indexes of distilled water and the feed water index of gas injection boiler, it can be seen that the excessive oil content in distilled water is the biggest obstacle to the recovery of distilled water to boiler feed water. Low temperature plasma pretreatment can provide a quick and new way to solve the scaling problems and water quality problems in the recovery of distilled water from a large number of heavy oil wastewater.

ArgoEcoSystem-watershed (AgES-W) model evaluation for streamflow and nitrogen/sediment dynamics on a midwest agricultural watershed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

AgroEcoSystem-Watershed (AgES-W) is a modular, Java-based spatially distributed model which implements hydrologic/water quality simulation components under the Object Modeling System Version 3 (OMS3). The AgES-W model was previously evaluated for streamflow and recently has been enhanced with the ad...

Wildlife habitats in managed rangelands—the Great Basin of southeastern Oregon: pronghorns.

Treesearch

Robert R. Kindschy; Charles S. Undstrom; James D. Yoakum

1982-01-01

The sagebrush steppe of the Great Basin in southeastern Oregon is peripheral habitat for pronghorns, but the quality of the habitat can be improved through rangeland management. The relationship between pronghorns and their habitat components—the availability of water, type of forage, barriers that restrict the movement of herds, and the effect of grazing by livestock-...

Response and recovery of water yield and timing, stream sediment, abiotic parameters, and stream chemistry following logging

Treesearch

Wayne Swank; Jennifer Knoepp; James Vose; Stephanie Laseter; Jackson Webster

2014-01-01

Watershed ecosystem analysis provides a scientific approach to quantify and integrate resource responses to management (Hornbeck and Swank 1992) and also to address issues of resource sustainability (Christensen et. al. 1996). Philosophical components of the research approach at Coweeta are 1) the quantity, timing, and quality of streamflow provides an integrated...

Template for Conceptual Model Construction: Model Components and Application of the Template

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

stressors, focused through EECs, result in endpoints (Lubinski and Barko 2003). Endpoints are quantifiable, ecologically significant, and important to...Monitoring Plan (Thomas et al. 2001) Lake Okeechobee (Havens 1999) EPA Ecological Risk Assessment on Terrestrial Ecosystem (Suter 1996) Grassland...endpoints (Havens 1999) are examples of Hydrologic Resources: Water Quality, and Terrestrial Resources: Biota. The EPA Ecological Risk Assessment (Suter

Growing the urban forest: tree performance in response to biotic and abiotic land management

Treesearch

Emily E. Oldfield; Alexander J. Felson; D. S. Novem Auyeung; Thomas W. Crowther; Nancy F. Sonti; Yoshiki Harada; Daniel S. Maynard; Noah W. Sokol; Mark S. Ashton; Robert J. Warren; Richard A. Hallett; Mark A. Bradford

2015-01-01

Forests are vital components of the urban landscape because they provide ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, storm-water mitigation, and air-quality improvement. To enhance these services, cities are investing in programs to create urban forests. A major unknown, however, is whether planted trees will grow into the mature, closed-canopied forest on which...

Phase correction for ALMA. Investigating water vapour radiometer scaling: The long-baseline science verification data case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maud, L. T.; Tilanus, R. P. J.; van Kempen, T. A.; Hogerheijde, M. R.; Schmalzl, M.; Yoon, I.; Contreras, Y.; Toribio, M. C.; Asaki, Y.; Dent, W. R. F.; Fomalont, E.; Matsushita, S.

2017-09-01

The Atacama Large millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) makes use of water vapour radiometers (WVR), which monitor the atmospheric water vapour line at 183 GHz along the line of sight above each antenna to correct for phase delays introduced by the wet component of the troposphere. The application of WVR derived phase corrections improve the image quality and facilitate successful observations in weather conditions that were classically marginal or poor. We present work to indicate that a scaling factor applied to the WVR solutions can act to further improve the phase stability and image quality of ALMA data. We find reduced phase noise statistics for 62 out of 75 datasets from the long-baseline science verification campaign after a WVR scaling factor is applied. The improvement of phase noise translates to an expected coherence improvement in 39 datasets. When imaging the bandpass source, we find 33 of the 39 datasets show an improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) between a few to 30 percent. There are 23 datasets where the S/N of the science image is improved: 6 by <1%, 11 between 1 and 5%, and 6 above 5%. The higher frequencies studied (band 6 and band 7) are those most improved, specifically datasets with low precipitable water vapour (PWV), <1 mm, where the dominance of the wet component is reduced. Although these improvements are not profound, phase stability improvements via the WVR scaling factor come into play for the higher frequency (>450 GHz) and long-baseline (>5 km) observations. These inherently have poorer phase stability and are taken in low PWV (<1 mm) conditions for which we find the scaling to be most effective. A promising explanation for the scaling factor is the mixing of dry and wet air components, although other origins are discussed. We have produced a python code to allow ALMA users to undertake WVR scaling tests and make improvements to their data.

Experimental testing of centrifugal pump: small and medium sized enterprise product

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ismail, R.; Paddiyatu, F.; Khafidh, M.; Nugroho, S.; Sugiyanto, S.; Jamari, J.

2014-06-01

This paper reports the experimental testing for centrifugal pump for fisherman ship, manufactured by small and medium sized enterprises in Central Java Province, Indonesia. The research covers material analysis, component observation, endurance and vibration test. Six centrifugal pumps are tested and three main pump components are discussed: shaft, bearings and seals. The results show that the material of the shaft is predicted to support and transmit the load from the engine to impeller. The problem found in the tolerance and geometry accuracy of the shaft which causes difficulties during assembling process, excessive wear and leakage during testing. From the endurance and vibration test, the ball bearings fail and lock the shaft due to the fatigue on the rolling elements and raceways. The oil seal and water seal also fail in maintaining the oil and water in the chamber and induce the unlubricated system for the ball bearings. Some suggestions are delivered to improve the product quality of the centrifugal pump. A good quality of the centrifugal pump for fishermen ship and long life span is expected to be produced by local SMEs to win the free trade competition in the Indonesian market.

Characterization of Lake Michigan coastal lakes using zooplankton assemblages

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whitman, Richard L.; Nevers, Meredith B.; Goodrich, Maria L.; Murphy, Paul C.; Davis, Bruce M.

2004-01-01

Zooplankton assemblages and water quality were examined bi-weekly from 17 April to 19 October 1998 in 11 northeastern Lake Michigan coastal lakes of similar origin but varied in trophic status and limnological condition. All lakes were within or adjacent to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan. Zooplankton (principally microcrustaceans and rotifers) from triplicate Wisconsin net (80 I?m) vertical tows taken at each lake's deepest location were analyzed. Oxygen-temperature-pH-specific conductivity profiles and surface water quality were concurrently measured. Bray-Curtis similarity analysis showed small variations among sample replicates but large temporal differences. The potential use of zooplankton communities for environmental lake comparisons was evaluated by means of BIOENV (Primer 5.1) and principal component analyses. Zooplankton analyzed at the lowest identified taxonomic level yielded greatest sensitivity to limnological variation. Taxonomic and ecological aggregations of zooplankton data performed comparably, but less well than the finest taxonomic analysis. Secchi depth, chlorophyll a, and sulfate concentrations combined to give the best correlation with patterns of variation in the zooplankton data set. Principal component analysis of these variables revealed trophic status as the most influential major limnological gradient among the study lakes. Overall, zooplankton abundance was an excellent indicator of variation in trophic status.

GEE-WIS Anchored Problem Solving Using Real-Time Authentic Water Quality Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, M.; Wlodarczyk, M. S.; Branco, B.; Torgersen, T.

2002-05-01

GEE-WIS scientific problem solving consists of observing, hypothesizing, synthesis, argument building and reasoning, in the context of analysis, representation, modeling and sense-making of real-time authentic water quality data. Geoscience Environmental Education - Web-accessible Instrumented Systems, or GEE-WIS, an NSF Geoscience Education grant, has established a set of companion websites that stream real-time data from two campus retention ponds for research and use in secondary and undergraduate water quality lessons. We have targeted scientific problem solving skills because of the nature of the GEE-WIS environment, but further because they are central to state and federal efforts to establish science education curriculum standards and are at the core of performance-based testing. We have used a design experiment process to create and test two Anchored Instruction scenario problems. Customization such as that done through a design process, is acknowledged to be a fundamental component of educational research from an ecological psychology perspective. Our efforts have shared core design elements with other NSF water quality projects. Our method involves the analysis of student written scenario responses for level of scientific problem solving using a qualitative scoring rubric designed from participation in a related NSF project, SCALE (Synergy Communities: Aggregating Learning about Education). Student solutions of GEE-WIS anchor problems from Fall 2001 and Spring 2002 will be summarized. Implications are drawn for those interested in making secondary and high education geoscience more realistic and more motivating for students through the use of real-time authentic data via Internet.

Biofilm composition in the Olt River (Romania) reservoirs impacted by a chlor-alkali production plant.

PubMed

Dranguet, P; Cosio, C; Le Faucheur, S; Hug Peter, D; Loizeau, J-L; Ungureanu, V-Gh; Slaveykova, V I

2017-05-24

Freshwater biofilms can be useful indicators of water quality and offer the possibility to assess contaminant effects at the community level. The present field study examines the effects of chlor-alkali plant effluents on the community composition of biofilms grown in the Olt River (Romania) reservoirs. The relationship between ambient water quality variables and community composition alterations was explored. Amplicon sequencing revealed a significant modification of the composition of microalgal, bacterial and fungal communities in the biofilms collected in the impacted reservoirs in comparison with those living in the uncontaminated control reservoir. The abundance corrected Simpson index showed lower richness and diversity in biofilms collected in the impacted reservoirs than in the control reservoir. The biofilm bacterial communities of the impacted reservoirs were characterized by the contaminant-tolerant Cyanobacteria and Bacteroidetes, whereas microalgal communities were predominantly composed of Bacillariophyta and fungal communities of Lecanoromycetes and Paraglomycetes. A principal component analysis revealed that major contaminants present in the waste water of the chlor-alkali production plant, i.e. Na + , Ca 2+ , Cl - and Hg, were correlated with the alteration of biofilm community composition in the impacted reservoirs. However, the biofilm composition was also influenced by water quality variables such as NO 3 - , SO 4 2- , DOC and Zn from unknown sources. The results of the present study imply that, even when below the environmental quality standards, typical contaminants of chlor-alkali plant releases may affect biofilm composition and that their impacts on the microbial biodiversity might be currently overlooked.

Characterization and spacial distribution variability of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the Yangtze Estuary.

PubMed

Wang, Ying; Zhang, Di; Shen, Zhenyao; Chen, Jing; Feng, Chenghong

2014-01-01

The spatial characteristics and the quantity and quality of the chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the Yangtze Estuary, based on the abundance, degree of humification and sources, were studied using 3D fluorescence excitation emission matrix spectra (F-EEMs) with parallel factor and principal component analysis (PARAFAC-PCA). The results indicated that the CDOM abundance decreased and the aromaticity increased from the upstream to the downstream areas of the estuary. Higher CDOM abundance and degrees of humification were observed in the pore water than that in the surface and bottom waters. Two humic-like components (C1 and C3) and one tryptophan-like component (C2) were identified using the PARAFAC model. The separation of the samples by PCA highlighted the differences in the DOM properties. Components C1 and C3 concurrently displayed positive factor 1 loadings with nearly zero factor 2 loadings, while C2 showed highly positive factor 2 loadings. The C1 and C3 were very similar and exhibited a direct relationship with A355 and DOC. The CDOM in the pore water increased along the river to the coastal area, which was mainly influenced by C1 and C3 and was significantly derived from sediment remineralization and deposition from the inflow of the Yangtze River. The CDOM in the surface and bottom waters was dominated by C2, especially in the inflows of multiple tributaries that were affected by intensive anthropogenic activities. The microbial degradation of exogenous wastes from the tributary inputs and shoreside discharges were dominant sources of the CDOM in the surface and bottom waters. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impacts of land use and population density on seasonal surface water quality using a modified geographically weighted regression.

PubMed

Chen, Qiang; Mei, Kun; Dahlgren, Randy A; Wang, Ting; Gong, Jian; Zhang, Minghua

2016-12-01

As an important regulator of pollutants in overland flow and interflow, land use has become an essential research component for determining the relationships between surface water quality and pollution sources. This study investigated the use of ordinary least squares (OLS) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) models to identify the impact of land use and population density on surface water quality in the Wen-Rui Tang River watershed of eastern China. A manual variable excluding-selecting method was explored to resolve multicollinearity issues. Standard regression coefficient analysis coupled with cluster analysis was introduced to determine which variable had the greatest influence on water quality. Results showed that: (1) Impact of land use on water quality varied with spatial and seasonal scales. Both positive and negative effects for certain land-use indicators were found in different subcatchments. (2) Urban land was the dominant factor influencing N, P and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in highly urbanized regions, but the relationship was weak as the pollutants were mainly from point sources. Agricultural land was the primary factor influencing N and P in suburban and rural areas; the relationship was strong as the pollutants were mainly from agricultural surface runoff. Subcatchments located in suburban areas were identified with urban land as the primary influencing factor during the wet season while agricultural land was identified as a more prevalent influencing factor during the dry season. (3) Adjusted R 2 values in OLS models using the manual variable excluding-selecting method averaged 14.3% higher than using stepwise multiple linear regressions. However, the corresponding GWR models had adjusted R 2 ~59.2% higher than the optimal OLS models, confirming that GWR models demonstrated better prediction accuracy. Based on our findings, water resource protection policies should consider site-specific land-use conditions within each watershed to optimize mitigation strategies for contrasting land-use characteristics and seasonal variations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.