Abstract
This study was conducted to: (1) evaluate the water quality of Gans Creek (Missouri, United States), (2) assess the physical and chemical characteristics of two sewage lagoon overflows (confined animal lot lagoon overflow: CALLO, and domestic sewage lagoon overflow: DSLO) discharged into Gans Creek, and (3) understand the most significant analytical variables and major controlling processes influencing Gans Creek water quality using principal component analysis (PCA). Monthly (May 2009-February 2010) sampling was conducted along Gans Creek and at lagoon overflow points. Ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) in Gans Creek and the overflows was monitored for another year (March 2010-July 2011) because of its potential toxicity to stream health. Thirty-one variables including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), elemental and anionic species, total nitrogen (TN) and total organic carbon (TOC) were measured in samples. We observed that DSLO samples had the highest level of NH3-N, total phosphorus (TP), TN, TOC and B compared to the corresponding levels in both CALLO and Gans Creek samples. Major stressors for this stream system were dissolved materials and ammonia. PCA showed that the first four rotated components (RC1, RC2, RC3 and RC4) accounted for approximately 60% of the total variability of the dataset. Mineralization (RC1: 20%), sewage overflows (RC2: 19%), diffuse pollution (RC3: 12%), and runoffs from cattle grazing areas (RC4: 9%) were the major controlling processes at the study area. Over twenty water quality determinands were significant in the rotated components. Overflows from the lagoon systems need consistent treatment and management for adequate protection of Gans Creek ecosystem.
Highlights
The efficiency of animal agriculture in the United States has increased in over half a century, but environmental degradation is one of the major concerns of the populace [1]
The summary data of Gans Creek water quality and the lagoon overflows is presented in Table 2a and b
The pH of confined animal lot lagoon overflow (CALLO) and domestic sewage lagoon overflow (DSLO) ranged from 7.50-8.00 during the four seasons combined, and values within this range were below the Enviromental Protection Agency (EPA) stipulated guideline for drinking water [28]
Summary
The efficiency of animal agriculture in the United States has increased in over half a century, but environmental degradation is one of the major concerns of the populace [1]. In the State of Missouri, about 286 stream miles have been classified as impaired by point source wastewater discharges. There are currently 427 Class I concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) located in Missouri. These are operations containing at least 1,000 beef cattle, 2,500 large swine, or 100,000 broiler chickens [3]. Sewage can be a source of several pollutants into surface waters, and previous articles reported the presence of pharmaceutical compounds [5,6], Escherichia coli and micropollutants [7], hormones [8], polyfluorinated compounds [9], volatile organic compounds [10] and potentially toxic elements [11] in both sewage effluents and surface waters
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