Concentrations In River Water Research Articles

Assessment of trace element impacts on agricultural use of water from the Dan River following the Eden coal ash release.

Catastrophic events require rapid, scientifically sound decision making to mitigate impacts on human welfare and the environment. The objective of this study was to analyze potential impacts of coal ash-derived trace elements on agriculture following a 35,000-tonne release of coal ash into the Dan River at the Duke Energy Steam Station in Eden, North Carolina. We performed scenario calculations to assess the potential for excessive trace element loading to soils via irrigation and flooding with Dan River water, uptake of trace elements by crops, and livestock consumption of trace elements via drinking water. Concentrations of 13 trace elements measured in Dan River water samples within 4 km of the release site declined sharply after the release and were equivalent within 5 d to measurements taken upriver. Mass-balance calculations based on estimates of soil trace-element concentrations and the nominal river water concentrations indicated that irrigation or flooding with 25 cm of Dan River water would increase soil concentrations of all trace elements by less than 0.5%. Calculations of potential increases of trace elements in corn grain and silage, fescue, and tobacco leaves suggested that As, Cr, Se, Sr, and V were elements of most concern. Concentrations of trace elements measured in river water following the ash release never exceeded adopted standards for livestock drinking water. Based on our analyses, we present guidelines for safe usage of Dan River water to diminish negative impacts of trace elements on soils and crop production. In general, the approach we describe here may serve as a basis for rapid assessment of environmental and agricultural risks associated with any similar types of releases that arise in the future.

226Ra and 210Po concentration in drinking water of Cauvery river basin south interior Karnataka State, India

Naturally occurring radionuclide 210Po which is an element of 238U decay series, contribute to the radiation that normally people are exposed. Drinking water samples collected from Cauvery river basin of south interior Karnataka State, India were analysed for the activity of 210Po using radiochemical analysis technique. The estimated concentration of 210Po in river water ranges from 0.86 to 4.49 mBq l−1, and its mean value is 2.67 ± 1.09 mBq l−1. The concentration of 210Po in bore well water ranges from 1.89 to 4.18 mBq l−1 and its mean value is 3.22 ± 0.67 mBq l−1. The dissolved radium concentration in river water varies from 9.09 mBq l−1 to 55.07 mBq l−1 with an average of 32.33 ± 14.16 mBq l−1. Total ingestion dose rate due to 226Ra and 210Po varies from 2.61 to 15.00 μSv y−1 with a mean value of 8.95 ± 3.74 μSv y−1, which is less than the recommended value by ICRP (International commission on radiological protection).

Comparison of soluble reactive phosphorus and orthophosphate concentrations in river waters

The concentrations of phosphorus determined by spectrophotometric analysis (soluble reactive phosphorus; SRP) and ion chromatography (orthophosphate only) were compared in fresh water from inflowing rivers of Lake Biwa (Shiga, Japan) and its outflow (Seta River). The high-volume sample injection and high-capacity analytical column used for ion chromatography enabled detection of orthophosphate ions at levels below 10 nmol/l. In river waters sampled from inflows to Lake Biwa, the ratios of orthophosphate to SRP ranged from 0.06 to 0.79, and varied considerably between rivers. This result shows that the fractional determination of dissolved phosphorus in natural waters is important for understanding its bioavailability.

Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to determine sedative hypnotic drugs in river water and wastewater

A method for simultaneous determination of four benzodiazepines (bromazepam (BMZ), carbamazepine (CBZ), diazepam (DZP) and nordiazepam (NDZ)) and four barbiturates (barbital (BTL), pentobarbital (PTB), phenobarbital (PNB) and secobarbital (SCB)) in river water and wastewater using solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by liquid chromatography-(electrospray) tandem mass spectrometry (LC-(ESI)MS/MS) was developed. LC-(ESI)MS/MS analysis was performed in positive and negative modes for benzodiazepines and barbiturates, respectively, and in selected reaction monitoring (SRM). Limits of detection (LODs) were in the range of 0.2–5 ng/L for benzodiazepines and 2.5–50 ng/L for barbiturates. Precision (repeatability and reproducibility between days) expressed as %RSD (n = 5) was lower than 17% for low concentration (depending on the matrix between 50 and 250 ng/L for barbiturates, and between 5 and 25 ng/L for benzodiazepines), and lower than 15% for high concentration (between 200 and 1250 ng/L for barbiturates, and between 20 and 125 ng/L for benzodiazepines). Low matrix effect was observed for all compounds, except for BTL (75%) and PTB (–48%) in wastewater. The method was applied to water samples from two sewage treatment plants (STPs) and the rivers Ebre, Ter and Llobregat, located in Catalonia. CBZ was the target compound found at the highest concentration in river water (2.1–3.3 ng/L). In both influent and effluent wastewater samples, PNB, BMZ, CBZ, DZP and NDZ were determined at concentration levels ranging from 5.0 to 2337.3 ng/L.

Perfluorinated carboxylic acids discharged from the Yodo River Basin, Japan

We investigated perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) with 7–14 carbon atoms (C7–C14) in the Yodo River system in 2013. C7–C11 were detected at most sampling sites. The range and median of total PFCAs (ΣPFCAs) concentrations were 1.0–89.7 and 11.2ngL−1, respectively. The dominant component was C8 (average for all samples=53.3±8.8%), followed by C7 (19.2±6.7%) and C9 (17.6±7.1%). The levels of C8 were confirmed to decrease greatly over the last 10years. We assessed the fluxes in C7–C11 discharged from the basin based on the concentrations in river water and river flow rate. The flux of discharged ΣPFCAs was 237.0gd−1 at the most downriver point of the assessment areas. Considering the variability in flow rate due to precipitation, the annual ΣPFCAs flux was estimated to be 86.5–173.4kgy−1. Identification and quantification of PFCAs sources is difficult because the strength of the sources changes with time, and available information is quite limited. Further monitoring and investigation are necessary to understand sources of PFCAs, as well as their potential for human exposure.

Seasonal variation of antibiotics concentration in the aquatic environment: a case study at Jianghan Plain, central China

25 antibiotics (macrolides, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones and sulfonamides) were detected in swine wastewater, river water, rivulet water and in groundwater samples from multi-level monitoring boreholes (with sampling ports, respectively, at 10, 25 and 50m below the land surface) at Jianghan Plain, central China. Except swine wastewater, the antibiotic concentrations in groundwater, river and rivulet water were higher in spring than those in winter. Nineteen antibiotics were detected at 100% frequencies in all kinds of water samples. In groundwater, fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines were the predominant antibiotics and the total concentrations of 25 antibiotics commonly decreased with the aquifer depth. Most groundwater samples collected in spring had high concentrations of norfloxacin, with average values of 65.27ng·L−1, 37.28ng·L−1 and 46.83ng·L−1, respectively, at 10, 25 and 50m deep boreholes. By contrast, the concentrations of sulfamethazine and erythromycin were rather low in groundwater, but high in surface water. Groundwater samples collected from sites close to rivers or rivulets had much higher contents of antibiotics than those from other sites, indicating that the dominant source of antibiotics in groundwater should be the contaminated rivers or rivulets, rather than the scattered pig and poultry farms in the study area.

Effect of water–sediment regulation of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir on the concentrations, bioavailability, and fluxes of PAHs in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River

The water–sediment regulation of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir is conducted to control the relationship between riverine runoff and sediment transport of the Yellow River; however, there is no research about the effect of water–sediment regulation on the bioavailability and fluxes of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs). In this study, water and suspended sediment (SPS) samples were collected downstream of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir before, during, and after the water–sediment regulation in 2013. The 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations of freely dissolved, total dissolved, and SPS-associated were determined. During water regulation, water discharged from the reservoir at a high flow rate led to the resuspension of downstream sediment. During sediment regulation, the sediment ejected from the reservoir resulted in higher SPS concentrations than that during water regulation. Both the freely and total dissolved PAH concentrations in river water during sediment regulation were the highest, followed by the concentrations during water regulation and before regulation. The freely dissolved PAH concentrations in river water during the water–sediment regulation were 2–11 times higher than those before water–sediment regulation. This was due to the fact that the resuspended sediment during water–sediment regulation could release PAHs into water phase, and more contaminants were released from the SPS during sediment regulation than during water regulation. The fluxes of sediment and the 16 priority PAHs (Σ16PAHs) during water–sediment regulation contributed to 32.4% and 35.7% of their annual fluxes, respectively, which were higher than the contribution (22.6%) of water discharge. This study suggested that the water–sediment regulation might reduce the long-term retention of sediment and PAHs in the reservoir. However, the environmental risk of PAHs as well as other contaminants downstream of the reservoir and in the estuary might increase during that period. Therefore, the effect of water–sediment regulation on the bioavailability and environmental risk of HOCs should be considered in the operation and management of the Xiaolangdi Reservoir in the future.

Evaluation of the distribution of fecal indicator bacteria in a river system depending on different types of land use in the southern watershed of the Baltic Sea.

The aim of the study was to determine the effects of land use management on changes in the fecal contamination of water in the Łyna River, one of the main lowland watercourses in the southern watershed of the Baltic Sea (northern Poland). A total of 120 water samples were collected in different seasons of 2011 and 2012 at 15 sites where the river intersected forest (FA), agricultural (AA), and urbanized (UA) areas. Fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), the counts of Enterobacteriaceae and Escherichia coli, total bacterial counts (TBCs), and domain Bacteria (EUB338) were determined by culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. Temperature, pH, chemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, ammonia nitrogen, nitrite nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, orthophosphate, and total phosphorus were also determined. The lowest bacterial counts were noted in water samples collected in FA, and the highest in samples collected in UA. Statistically significant differences were determined between bacterial populations across the analyzed land use types and in different sampling seasons. Significant correlations were also observed between the populations of FIB and physicochemical parameters. The results indicate that land use type influenced FIB concentrations in river water. The combined use of conventional and molecular methods improves the accuracy of fecal contamination analyses in river ecosystems.

Effects of radiocesium inventory on 137Cs concentrations in river waters of Fukushima, Japan, under base-flow conditions

To investigate the behavior of nuclear accident-derived 137Cs in river water under base-flow conditions, concentrations of dissolved and particulate 137Cs were measured at 16 sampling points in seven rivers of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, in 2012 and 2013. The concentration of dissolved 137Cs was significantly correlated with the mean 137Cs inventory in the catchment area above each sampling point in both sampling years. These results suggest that the concentration of dissolved 137Cs under base-flow conditions is primarily determined by the 137Cs inventory of the catchment area above the sampling point. However, the concentration of particulate 137Cs did not show a clear relationship with either the mean 137Cs inventory or the dissolved 137Cs concentration, thus indicating that particulate and dissolved forms do not effectively interact in rivers. To evaluate the contribution of the 137Cs inventory within catchment areas, we analyzed relations between the 137Cs concentration and the mean 137Cs inventory over the area within certain flow path lengths that were traced along the river and slope above the sampling point. Coefficients of determination for dissolved 137Cs concentrations were highest for the longest flow path, i.e., the whole catchment area, and lower for shorter flow paths. Coefficients of determination for particulate 137Cs concentrations were only moderately high for the shortest flow path in 2012, whereas the values were quite low for all flow paths in 2013. These results suggest that dissolved 137Cs can originate from a larger area of the catchment even under base-flow conditions; however, particulate 137Cs did not show such behavior. The results also show that under base-flow conditions, dissolved and particulate 137Cs behave independently during their transport from river catchments to the ocean.

Investigation of the Nitrogen Concentration in Groundwater and River Water and Nitrogen Loads to the Environment in Yanbian, Jilin, China

Investigation of the Nitrogen Concentration in Groundwater and River Water and Nitrogen Loads to the Environment in Yanbian, Jilin, China

Importance of vegetation for manganese cycling in temperate forested watersheds

AbstractMany surface soils are enriched in metals due to anthropogenic atmospheric inputs. To predict the persistence of these contaminants in soils, factors that impact rates of metal removal from soils into streams must be understood. Experiments at containerized seedling (mesocosm), pedon, and catchment scales were used to investigate the influence of vegetation on manganese (Mn) transport at the Susquehanna/Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory (SSHCZO) in Pennsylvania, USA, where past atmospheric inputs from industrial sources have enriched Mn in surface soils. Large quantities of Mn that were leached from soil components into solution were taken up by vegetation; as a result, only relatively small quantities of Mn were removed from soil into effluent and streams. Manganese uptake into vegetation exceeded Mn losses in soil leachate by 20–200X at all scales, and net Mn loss from soils decreased in the presence of vegetation due to uptake into plant tissues. The majority of Mn taken up by forest vegetation at SSHCZO each year was returned to the soil in leaf litter and consequently immobilized as Mn oxides that formed during litter decomposition. Thus, plant uptake of Mn combined with rapid oxidation of Mn during litter decomposition contribute to long‐term retention. Current release rates of soluble Mn from SSHCZO soils were similar to release rates from the larger Susquehanna River Basin, indicating that the processes observed at SSHCZO may be widespread across the region. Indeed, although atmospheric deposition of Mn has declined, surface soils at SSHCZO and throughout the eastern United States remain enriched in Mn. If recycling through vegetation can attenuate the removal of Mn from soils, as observed in this study, then Mn concentrations in soils and river waters will likely decrease slowly over time following watershed contamination. Understanding the role of vegetation in regulating metal transport is important for evaluating the long‐term effects of historical and ongoing metal loading to soils.

Assessing the concentrations and risks of toxicity from the antibiotics ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim and erythromycin in European rivers

This study evaluated the potential concentrations of four antibiotics: ciprofloxacin (CIP), sulfamethoxazole (SUF), trimethoprim (TRI) and erythromycin (ERY) throughout the rivers of Europe. This involved reviewing national consumption rates together with assessing excretion and sewage treatment removal rates. From this information, it was possible to construct best, expected and worst case scenarios for the discharge of these antibiotics into rivers. Consumption data showed surprising variations, up to 200-fold in the popularity of different antibiotics across different European nations. Using the water resources model GWAVA which has a spatial resolution of approximately 6×9km, river water concentrations throughout Europe were predicted based on 31-year climate data. The modelled antibiotic concentrations were within the range of measurements reported previously in European effluents and rivers. With the expected scenario, the predicted annual-average antibiotic concentrations ranged between 0 and 10ng/L for 90% by length of surface waters. In the worst case scenario concentrations could reach between 0.1 and 1μg/L at the most exposed locations. As both predicted and observed sewage effluent concentrations were below reported effect levels for the most sensitive aquatic wildlife, no direct toxicity in rivers is expected. Predicted river concentrations for CIP and ERY were closest to effect levels in wildlife, followed by SUF which was 2–3 orders of magnitude lower. TRI appeared to be of the least concern with around 6 orders of magnitude difference between predicted and effect levels. However, mixture toxicity may elevate this risk and antibiotic levels of 0.1–1μg/L in hotspots may contribute to local environmental antibiotic resistance in microorganisms.

Surface-Enhancement Raman Scattering Sensing Strategy for Discriminating Trace Mercuric Ion (II) from Real Water Samples in Sensitive, Specific, Recyclable, and Reproducible Manners

It is of essential importance to precisely probe mercury(II) (Hg(2+)) ions for environment-protection analysis and detection. To date, there still remain major challenges for accurate, specific, and reliable detection of Hg(2+) ions at subppt level. We herein employ gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) decorated silicon nanowire array (SiNWAr) as active surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates to construct a high-performance sensing platform assisted by DNA technology, enabling ultrasensitive detection of trace Hg(2+) in ∼64 min and with low sample consumption (∼30 μL). Typically, strong SERS signals could be detected when the single-stranded DNA structure converts to the hairpin structure in the presence of Hg(2+) ions, due to the formation of thymine (T)-Hg(2+)-T. As a result, Hg(2+) ions with a low concentration of 1 pM (0.2 ppt) can be readily discriminated, much lower than those (∼nM) reported for conventional analytical strategies. Water samples spiked with various Hg(2+) concentrations are further tested, exhibiting a good linear relationship between the normalized Raman intensities and the logarithmic concentrations of Hg(2+) ranging from 1 pM to 100 nM, with a correlation coefficient of R(2) = 0.998. In addition, such SERS sensor features excellent selectivity, facilely distinguishing Hg(2+) ions from various interfering substances. Moreover, this presented SERS sensor possesses good recyclability, preserving adaptable reproducibility during 5-time cyclic detection of Hg(2+). Furthermore, unknown Hg(2+) concentration in river water can be readily determined through our sensing strategy in accurate and reliable manners, with the RSD value of ∼9%.

Modelagem da intrusão da água de um rio com diferentes concentrações de sais

Para considerações de intrusão de água em meio subterrâneo a capilaridade, também entendida como força de sucção, é uma grandeza física que influencia a dinâmica do processo. Neste trabalho é apresentada uma investigação do comportamento do escoamento subterrâneo e as interações entre água doce e água salinizada na área de descarga de um rio. Objetivou-se realizar uma modelagem preditiva para identificar e representar o processo de intrusão das águas de um rio meio ao lençol freático comparando diferentes concentrações de sais nas águas do rio e águas subterrâneas. Como modelo conceitual foi definido um rio em região de descarga. A modelagem foi realizada no software SUTRA sendo o método de solução por elementos finitos. Observou-se a formação de uma camada de água doce sobre o lençol freático salinizado quando considerada intrusão de água doce. Para as considerações com intrusão de água salinizada foi identificada a formação de fingers. Os resultados do modelo possibilitaram identificar que a intrusão de água doce no lençol freático salinizado é dificultada pela presença de sais. A intrusão é mais difícil quanto maior a concentração de sais nas águas subterrâneas.

Occurrence of perfluoroalkyl acids in environmental waters in Vietnam

This is the first nationwide study of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in environmental waters in Vietnam. Twenty-eight river water and 22 groundwater samples collected in four major cities and 14 river water samples from the Red River were screened to investigate the occurrence and sources of 16 PFAAs. Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) were the most prevalent of 11 detected PFAAs with maximum concentrations in urban river water of 5.3, 18 and 0.93ngL−1, respectively, and in groundwater of 8.2, 4.5 and 0.45ngL−1, respectively. PFAAs in the Red River water were detected at low levels. PFAA concentrations in river water were higher in the rainy season than in the dry season, possibly due to storm water runoff, a common phenomenon in Southeast Asian countries. The highest concentrations of PFAAs in river water were observed in samples from highly populated and industrialized areas, perhaps sourced from sewage. The PFAA concentrations observed were similar to those in other Southeast Asian countries, but lower than in developed nations. From the composition profiles of PFAAs, industrial products containing PFAAs imported from China and Japan might be one of the major sources of PFAAs in the Vietnamese aquatic environment. According to the health-based values and advisory issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the concentrations of detected PFAAs in this study do not pose an immediate health risk to humans and aquatic organisms.

Migration of dissolved matter at Serebryanka R. Mouth, the basin of the Sea of Japan (Sikhote Alin Reserve)

Ions of major salt composition and dissolved forms of some microelements (F, B, Sr, Rb, Cs, V, As, Mo, U) at the mouth of the Serebryanka R. (Sikhote Alin Reserve) are shown to feature conservative behavior in July 2009. The distribution of dissolved mineral phosphorus is shown to be controlled mostly by chemical processes (desorption from river suspension), even during vegetation period, while the role of biological consumption is secondary. The behavior of dissolved organic phosphorus and silicon is nearly conservative. A considerable amount of barium (up to 46% of its concentration in river water) is shown to be removed from solution, maybe because of its sorption on particulate matter of continental runoff. Ittrium and rare-earth elements (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Dy, Ho) show an abrupt decrease in the concentrations of their dissolved forms at the initial stages of river water penetration into the sea. This decrease is supposedly due to coagulation and flocculation of organic and organic-mineral colloids.

An ultra-sensitive colorimetric Hg2+-sensing assay based on DNAzyme-modified Au NP aggregation, MNPs and an endonuclease

This paper reports the development of an ultra-sensitive colorimetric method for the detection of trace mercury ions involving DNAzymes, Au nanoparticle aggregation, magnetic nanoparticles and an endonuclease. DNAzyme-sensing elements are conjugated to the surface of Au nanoparticle-2, which can crosslink with the T-rich strands coated on Au nanoparticle-1 to form Au nanoparticle aggregation. Other T-rich stands are immobilized on the surface of MNPs. The specific hybridization of these two T-rich strands depends on the presence of Hg2+, resulting in the formation of a T-Hg2+-T structure. Added endonuclease then digests the hybridized strands, and DNAzyme-modified Au NP aggregation is released, catalysing the conversion of the colourless ABTS into a blue-green product by H2O2-mediated oxidation. The increase in the adsorption spectrum of ABTS+ at 421nm is related to the concentration of Hg2+. This assay was validated by detecting mercury ion concentrations in river water. The colorimetric responses were not significantly altered in the presence of 100-fold excesses of other metal ions such as Zn2+, Pb2+, Cd2+, Mn2+, Ca2+ and Ni2+. The inclusion of both Au NP aggregation and an endonuclease enables the assay to eliminate interference from the magnetic nanoparticles with colorimetric detection, decrease the background and improve the detection sensitivity. The calibration curve of the assay was linear over the range of Hg2+ concentrations from 1 to 30nM, and the detection limit was 0.8nM, which is far lower than the 10nM US EPA limit for drinking water.

The impact of land use on microbial surface water pollution.

Our knowledge relating to water contamination from point and diffuse sources has increased in recent years and there have been many studies undertaken focusing on effluent from sewage plants or combined sewer overflows. However, there is still only a limited amount of microbial data on non-point sources leading to diffuse pollution of surface waters. In this study, the concentrations of several indicator micro-organisms and pathogens in the upper reaches of a river system were examined over a period of 16 months. In addition to bacteria, diffuse pollution caused by Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium spp. was analysed. A single land use type predestined to cause high concentrations of all microbial parameters could not be identified. The influence of different land use types varies between microbial species. The microbial concentration in river water cannot be explained by stable non-point effluent concentrations from different land use types. There is variation in the ranking of the potential of different land use types resulting in surface water contamination with regard to minimum, median and maximum effects. These differences between median and maximum impact indicate that small-scale events like spreading manure substantially influence the general contamination potential of a land use type and may cause increasing micro-organism concentrations in the river water by mobilisation during the next rainfall event.

Evaluation of ecological risk of metal contamination in river Gomti, India: A biomonitoring approach

The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent of heavy metal pollution in river Gomti and associated ecological risk. River water, sediments and locally abundant mollusk (Viviparus (V.) bengalensis) were sampled from six different sites and analyzed for seven metals: Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb) and Zinc (Zn). Mean metal concentrations (mg/l) in river water were 0.024 for Cd, 0.063 for Cr, 0.022 for Cr, 0.029 for Mn, 0.044 for Ni, 0.018 for Pb and 0.067 for Zn. In river sediments, the concentrations (mg/kg dry wt) were 5.0 for Cd, 16.2 for Cr, 23.2 for Cr, 203.2 for Mn, 23.9 for Ni, 46.2 for Pb and 76.3 for Zn, while in V. bengalensis mean metal concentrations (mg/kg, dry wt) were 0.57 for Cd, 12.0 for Cr, 30.7 for Cu, 29.9 for Mn, 8.8 for Ni, 3.6 for Pb and 48.3 for Zn. Results indicated elevated concentrations of Cu, Zn and Mn in V. bengalensis as compared to other non-essential elements. Potential ecological risk (RI) in sediments showed high to very high metal contamination. Cluster analysis indicated that Pb, Zn, Cd and Ni in sediments may have anthropogenic sources. The findings thus suggest heavy metal contamination of river water and sediments have reached alarming levels, which is well corroborated by elevated level of metal accumulation in V. bengalensis.

Evaluation of River Water Quality: A Case Study of the Lea Navigation (NE London)

The Lea Navigation in the north-east of London, a canalized reach of the River Lea, is affected by episodes of very low levels of dissolved oxygen. The problem was detected by the Environment Agency from the confluence with Pymmes Brook (which receives the final effluent of Deephams sewage treatment works) to the Olympic site (Marshgate Lane, Stratford). In this study, possible causes and sources of the poor water quality in the Lea Navigation were investigated using algal bioassays and detailed spatial seasonal mapping of the physico-chemical parameters collected in situ. Results showed chronic pollution and identified polar compounds in the river water and high bacterial concentrations as possible causes of low dissolved oxygen levels. This study confirmed the negative impact of Deephams sewage treatment works (via Pymmes Brook) on the water quality of the Lea. However, whilst the Environment Agency had previously focused on the pollution created by the sewage treatment works, results showed evidence of other sources of pollution; in particular, Stonebridge Brook was identified as an uncontrolled source of pollution and untreated wastewater. This study demonstrates the value of conducting combined methodologies and detailed monitoring. Other possible sources include Old Moselle Brook, diffuse pollution from surface run-off, boat discharges and other undetected drainage misconnections.