Large Volumes Of Water Research Articles

On the Spatio‐Temporal Scales of the Subtropical Mode Water Formation in the South Atlantic

AbstractWe examined the changes in the ocean’s upper layer structure involved in the formation of the subtropical mode water in the South Atlantic. Here we present the results from a survey done in the region of formation between 37°W and 32°W and 34°S and 37°S from July–October 2018, using high‐resolution measurements obtained from an underwater glider. From its records, the mode water development was observed for the first time in the South Atlantic as localized chimney‐like patterns in the temperature, salinity, and potential vorticity (PV) measurements with a horizontal scale of (7 ± 2) km, associated with wintertime oceanic convective processes. Over time, these submesoscale structures tend to expand and dominate the region as a large volume of mode water. These vertical structures present highly homogeneous temperature and salinity values. The observed PV was on the order of 5.0 × 10−11 m−1 s−1, which is one order of magnitude smaller than the pre‐existent mode water at the lower layers; negative values were observed, indicating active convection. A 1‐D vertical model was used to predict the depth of the mixed layer conditioned by the surface fluxes and triggered by its changes in winter to late spring. Comparisons of the sea surface temperature measured from satellite collocated with the glider’s measurements showed a very good agreement. From this analysis, we were able to establish the decorrelation scales that characterize mode water formation. Further inspection of the glider data yielded temporal decorrelation scales indicative of convection modified by planetary rotation.

Reverse osmosis-based water treatment for green hydrogen production

We analyze the use of excess natural gas (currently flared/vented) to instead treat oilfield-produced water via reverse osmosis (RO) to generate ultrapure electrolysis-grade water (Total Dissolved Solids (TDS): 0.028‐0.5 ppm) for green hydrogen production. We combine an analytical ε-MTU model and CPavg model to predict average permeate concentration, to obtain improved estimates of electrolysis-grade water production from RO systems. The theoretical upper limit of the recovery of a RO system (similar to Carnot efficiency of heat engines) is established. Analysis is conducted for conditions corresponding to Niobrara Shale field (TDS: 29.1 g/L), as well as for brackish water (TDS: 5-15 g/kg) and seawater (TDS: 35–45 g/kg) feeds. Results show that electrolysis-grade water production can be as high as 0.75 m3 per cubic meter of water treated, with 1.38 m3 of natural gas providing the required energy. This translates to hydrogen production of 74.6 kg per cubic meter of produced water treated. Relatively low volumes of gas can treat large water volumes (<4 % of excess gas in Niobrara Shale can treat the entire quantity of produced water). These numbers highlight the benefits of our approach of utilizing two waste streams to create a high-value commodity, critical for decarbonization.

Interannual-decadal variations in the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass in summer during 1958–2016 using an eddy-resolving hindcast simulation based on OFES2

In the Yellow Sea, a large volume of cold water with temperature below 10 °C exists in the bottom layer in summer and affects the regional circulation, climate and marine ecosystem. Here, we investigated in detail the interannual-decadal variations in the summer Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass (YSCWM) using six decades (1958–2016) of a quasi-global eddy-resolving hindcast simulation, which was validated with observations. Results indicated that volume and mean temperature of the YSCWM were 0.52 × 1012–4.10 × 1012 m3 (2.22 × 1012 m3 on average) and 8.53–9.32 °C (8.94 °C on average). The YSCWM was dominated by interannual-decadal variations with a weakly warming and shrinking trend. The YSCWM volume (mean temperature) had larger (smaller) average values and varied more significantly during the two periods of 1958–1988 and 2005–2016 than during 1989–2004. Interannual-decadal variations in the summer YSCWM agreed with those in February temperature in the Yellow Sea, which were primarily caused by net surface heat flux variations, with a minor but negative contribution from heat exchange with the East China Sea through the northward Yellow Sea warm current and southward coastal currents. Winter net surface heat flux variations were dominated by latent heat flux and sensible heat flux, both of which resulted from combined effects of the Siberia High, Western Pacific pattern and Arctic Oscillation through controlling sea surface wind speed and air temperature over the Yellow Sea. The current study provided a more complete picture and in-depth understanding of changes in the summer YSCWM responding to large-scale climate change and variabilities during the past six decades.

High throughput application of ASTM D8332: Detailed prototype design and operating conditions for microplastic sampling of riverine systems

Microplastic sampling strategies for aquatic systems commonly employ small mesh nets to collect suspended microparticles. These methods work well for marine sampling campaigns; however, complex water systems such as freshwater rivers, effluent discharges, and stormwater ponds characterized by high total suspended solids and fast-moving water can cause the nets to clog, rip, or tear. Published in 2020, ASTM D8332 is an alternative approach to sampling complex water systems for microplastics involving pumping large volumes of water across a cascading stack of sieves to collect suspended particles. Here we show that ASTM D8332 can be applied to sample freshwater rivers for microplastic collection. A high throughput sampling prototype developed in this work is capable of pumping 1500 L of river water in 45 min to collect particles as small as 45 µm. The system is lightweight, modular, and easily transportable. It has a discrete power supply, allowing for the collection of microplastics anywhere along the river, including municipal discharges. The design minimizes the amount of plastic in the flow path and provides a practical way to measure field contamination. Finally, we outline lessons learned through extensive field trials and testing using this system sampling the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton, Alberta.•Existing small mesh nets face limitations in freshwater rivers, encountering clogging and tearing issues from high suspended solids and fast moving water.•Using a standardized method, ASTM D8332 - a pumping-based approach is efficient for microplastic collection in freshwater rivers.•Lightweight, modular, plastic free prototype system pumps 1500 L of river water in 45 min, collecting particles as small as 45 µm. Successfully tested in the North Saskatchewan River.

Drinking Large Volume of Hot Water May Cause Increased 18 F-FDG Uptake in Esophagus.

We present 2 cases of diffuse FDG accumulation in the esophagus due to drinking hot water before an 18 F-FDG PET/CT scan. Drinking large volume of hot water immediately before the FDG PET/CT study may lead to challenges in the interpretation of the hypermetabolic esophagus.

Using statistical and machine learning approaches to describe estuarine tidal dynamics

ABSTRACT Estuaries are ecologically valuable regions where tidal forces move large volumes of water. To understand the ongoing physical processes in such dynamic systems, a series of estuarine monitoring stations is required. Based on the measurements, estuarine dynamics can be described by key values, so-called tidal characteristics. The reconstruction and prediction of tidal characteristics by suitable approaches is essential to discover natural or anthropogenic changes. Therefore, it is of interest to inter- and extrapolate measured values in time and to investigate the spatial relationship between different stations. Normally, such system analyses are performed by deterministic numerical models. However, to facilitate long-term investigations also, statistical and machine learning approaches are good options. For a Weser estuary case study, we implemented three approaches (linear, non-linear, and artificial neural network regression) with the same database to enable the prediction of tidal extrema. Thereby we achieve an accuracy of 0.4–2.5% derivation (based on the RMSEs) while approximating measured values over 19 years. This proves that the approaches can be used for hindcast studies as well as for future analysis of system changes. Our work can be understood as a proof of concept for the practical potential of neural networks in estuarine system analysis.

Electroextraction of methylene blue from aqueous environmental samples using paper points coupled with hollow fiber membranes

This article introduces a novel approach by coupling paper points with hollow fiber membrane for electroextraction (PP–HF-EE). The method was innovatively applied to extract methylene blue (MB) from large water volumes (up to 580 mL). A comprehensive study of six key parameters – organic filter, acceptor and donor phase composition, extraction time, applied voltage, and sample volume – was conducted using conventional flatbed scanning and digital image analysis. Our results revealed that extraction performance was primarily influenced by time, with low voltages (50 V) and low-conductivity organic filters (1-decanol) yielding comparable results to higher settings (300 V or 1-pentanol). Under optimized conditions (50 V, 60 min, 1-decanol as the organic filter), analytical performance parameters were assessed, demonstrating acceptable precision (RSD <18% for intra- and inter-day measurements) within a linear range of 5–100 μg L−1 (r = 0.98). PP–HF–EE demonstrated reliability through stable and reproducible electric current measurements during all extraction studies. Utilizing an extremely cost-effective detection system, PP–HF–EE achieved detection limits in the low ppb range, highlighting its potential as a promising variation of electromembrane extraction for environmental sample analysis.

Rapid, contamination-less, and efficient environmental DNA filtration system

Due to the sporadic distribution and trace amount of environmental DNA (eDNA) in deep-sea water, in the context of biodiversity monitoring, large volumes of filtration and multiple filtration replicates are required for eDNA metabarcoding. To address issues tied to the use of multiple filtration devices and large filtration volumes (e.g., contamination, time consumption, etc.), we have developed two systems for simple, rapid, and contamination-less filtration simultaneously that allow for the processing of multiple sample replicates from large volumes of water. First, the water from a Niskin bottle was filtered directly using a solenoid pump. Second, the pumped deep-sea water, using the siphon effect, was directly filtered by a filtration device driven by water pressure. This system can process 24 replicates simultaneously without the need for expensive equipment and active driving force. Compared with conventional filtering methods, e.g., peristaltic pumps, the proposed systems reduce filtration time, minimizing contamination, and enabling the simultaneous acquisition of multiple replicates. Overall, the systems presented here provide an effective approach for eDNA metabarcoding analysis, particularly for the filtration of large volumes of water containing small amounts of eDNA, such as deep-sea water.•The present systems reduce filtration time and contamination without water having to be transferred.•Simultaneous multiple replicates improve the efficiency and reliability of biodiversity assessments.

Irrigation water quality in the Tocantina region of the state of Maranhão, Brazil

The population of planet earth is growing every day and, with it, so is the demand for food, energy and fibre. Current FAO estimates suggest that there will be 9.7 billion people by 2050 and 10.9 billion by 2100. Every country in the world is looking internally and externally for solutions to meet this growing demand, and the solutions vary according to their productive, economic and environmental conditions. In Brazil, irrigated agriculture is one of the main strategies for guaranteeing the expansion of agriculture and increasing food production, requiring the consumption of large volumes of good quality water. In view of the above, this study aimed to determine the quality of irrigation water from the main supply sources used in irrigated agricultural crops located in the Tocantina Region of the state of Maranhão. To this end, the parameters pH, electrical conductivity, salinity, temperature and dissolved oxygen were assessed. Of the 10 collection points, only three were outside the pH standards, point P02, P03 and P04. With regard to electrical conductivity (EC), only point P04 showed EC outside the standards. Within the criteria mentioned in the results, only one collection point had a C3 classification (water with high salinity), point P04 had an average EC of 835 µcm-1, which restricts its use in irrigated agriculture.

Travertine records climate-induced transformations of the Yellowstone hydrothermal system from the late Pleistocene to the present

Chemical changes in hot springs, as recorded by thermal waters and their deposits, provide a window into the evolution of the postglacial hydrothermal system of the Yellowstone Plateau Volcanic Field. Today, most hydrothermal travertine forms to the north and south of the ca. 631 ka Yellowstone caldera where groundwater flow through subsurface sedimentary rocks leads to calcite saturation at hot springs. In contrast, low-Ca rhyolites dominate the subsurface within the Yellowstone caldera, resulting in thermal waters that rarely deposit travertine. We investigated the timing and origin of five small travertine deposits in the Upper and Lower Geyser Basins to understand the conditions that allowed for travertine deposition. New 230Th-U dating, oxygen (δ18O), carbon (δ13C), and strontium (87Sr/86Sr) isotopic ratios, and elemental concentrations indicate that travertine deposits within the Yellowstone caldera formed during three main episodes that correspond broadly with known periods of wet climate: 13.9−13.6 ka, 12.2−9.5 ka, and 5.2−2.9 ka. Travertine deposition occurred in response to the influx of large volumes of cold meteoric water, which increased the rate of chemical weathering of surficial sediments and recharge into the hydrothermal system. The small volume of intracaldera travertine does not support a massive postglacial surge of CO2 within the Yellowstone caldera, nor was magmatic CO2 the catalyst for postglacial travertine deposition.

Evaluation of satellite methods for estimating supraglacial lake depth in southwest Greenland

Abstract. Supraglacial lakes form on the Greenland ice sheet in the melt season (May to October) when meltwater collects in surface depressions on the ice. Supraglacial lakes can act as a control on ice dynamics since, given a large enough volume of water and a favourable stress regime, hydrofracture of the lake can occur, which enables water transfer from the ice surface to the bedrock, where it can lubricate the base. The depth (and thus volume) of these lakes is typically estimated by applying a radiative transfer equation (RTE) to optical satellite imagery. This method can be used at scale across entire ice sheets but is poorly validated due to a paucity of in situ depth data. Here we intercompare supraglacial lake depth detection by means of ArcticDEM digital elevation models, ICESat-2 photon refraction, and the RTE applied to Sentinel-2 images across five lakes in southwest Greenland. We found good agreement between the ArcticDEM and ICESat-2 approaches (Pearson's r=0.98) but found that the RTE overestimates lake depth by up to 153 % using the green band (543–578 nm) and underestimates lake depth by up to 63 % using the red band (650–680 nm). Parametric uncertainty in the RTE estimates is substantial and is dominated by uncertainty in estimates of reflectance at the lakebed, which are derived empirically. Uncertainty in lake depth estimates translates into a poor understanding of total lake volume, which could mean that hydrofracture likelihood is poorly constrained, in turn affecting ice velocity predictions. Further laboratory studies to constrain spectral radiance loss in the water column and investigation of the potential effects of cryoconite on lakebed reflectance could improve the RTE in its current format. However, we also suggest that future work should explore multi-sensor approaches to deriving lake depth from optical satellite imagery, which may improve depth estimates and will certainly result in better-constrained uncertainties.

Economy of Scale of Energy Intensity in Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR)

More water utilities are adopting aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) to balance long-term water supply and demand. Due to large implementation and operation costs, ASR projects need to be optimized, particularly for energy use, which is a major operating expense. This study examines the relationships among energy use, recharge, and recovery at two ASR projects in the western United States. The major finding is an economy of scale for recovery processes, but not for gravity-fed recharge processes. The economy of scale found is as follows: the energy intensity recovered decreases with volume. This suggests it is more energy-efficient to recover large volumes of water in one interval instead of recovering smaller volumes at more frequent intervals. The H2Oaks recovery process experienced a 78% decrease in energy intensity from 0 to 50,000 m3 recovered, while the Sand Hollow site experienced a 43% decrease in energy intensity from 0 to 50,000 m3 recovered. Statistical analyses of the recovery process showed p values lower than 0.0001, R2 values between 0.43 and 0.57, and a RMSE value between 0.55 and 2.1, indicating the presence of a moderate correlation between energy and volume. This economy of scale has been observed in multiple instances in water and wastewater treatment. This finding not only has applications to ASR but also to all recovery or recharge wells, whether or not they are paired with each other. Furthermore, this study confirms the need for more reliable and accessible energy data to fully understand the implications of the energy–water nexus.

Irrigation of Sand-based Creeping Bentgrass Putting Greens with Nanobubble-oxygenated Water

Cultural and environmental factors can place creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) under extreme stress during the summer months. This stress, coupled with the growth adaptation of creeping bentgrass, can result in shallow, poorly rooted stands of turf. To enhance root zone oxygen and rooting of creeping bentgrass, golf courses use methods such as core and solid-tine aerification, and sand topdressing. An additional method of delivering oxygen to the soil could be irrigation with nanobubble-oxygenated water. The properties of nanobubbles (NBs) allow for high gas dissolution rates in water. Irrigating with NB-oxygenated water sources may promote increased rooting of creeping bentgrass putting greens during high-temperature periods and lead to a more resilient playing surface. The objectives of this study include comparing the effects of irrigation with NB-oxygenated water sources with untreated water sources on creeping bentgrass putting green root zone and plant health characteristics using field and controlled environment experiments. Treatments included NB-oxygenated potable water and irrigation pond water, and untreated potable and irrigation pond water. In the field, NB-oxygenated water did not enhance plant health characteristics of creeping bentgrass. In 1 year, NB-oxygenated water increased the daily mean partial pressure of soil oxygen from 17.48 kPa to 18.21 kPa but soil oxygen was unaffected in the other 2 years of the trial. Subsurface irrigation with NB-oxygenated water did not affect measured plant health characteristics in the greenhouse. NB-oxygenation of irrigation water remains an excellent means of efficiently oxygenating large volumes of water. However, plant health benefits from NB-oxygenated irrigation water were not observed in this research.

Morfometría de una cuenca de los Andes Centrales, San Juan, Argentina: evaluación de los factores condicionantes del terreno a la ocurrencia de aluviones

The present work aims to determine flash flood occurrence prone areas, in the Jáchal river basin, San Juan Province, Argentina. The Jáchal river basin covers ~29,000 km2 and has a perimeter of ~2,400 km, while the eponymous river extends for nearly 570 km. It is a 7th order basin according to Strahler’s classification, subdivided into four 6th order sub-basins. Various morphometric basin characteristics are analysed and some basic and derived parameters are calculated. These calculations allow predicting the basin behaviour due to heavy rainfall, which translates into large volumes of water with peak flows capable of generating significant flash floods. The basin has a torrential character, so in case of intense rainfall the terrain conditions would contribute to increasing the flow of the main rivers. An inventory of alluvial deposits was carried out and their relationship with the conditioning variables of the terrain was evaluated. At the confluence zones, the river tributaries show more intense overflows than the main collector. This promotes the generation of flash floods. The areas most likely to be affected by flash flood events correspond to low-humidity, east-facing slightly rough terrains, with slopes of up to 15° as well as low-lying flood plain sectors, and at the confluence of tributaries with the main rivers. Populated centres and provincial and national routes are prone to be affected by alluvial events in the study area.

Novel approach to roof rainwater harvesting and aquifer recharge in an urban environment: Dry and wet infiltration wells comparison

In urban environments there is a severe reduction of infiltration and groundwater recharge due to the existence of large impervious areas. During rain events, large volumes of water that could have recharged groundwater and surface water bodies are diverted into the municipal drainage system and lost from the freshwater storage. Moreover, extreme rain events impose high peak flows and large runoff volumes, which increase the risk of urban floods. Recent studies have suggested the use of rainwater harvesting for groundwater recharge, as a plausible solution for these challenges in dense urban environments. While the benefits of this approach are well understood, research on its practical, engineering, and hydrological aspects is relatively limited. The objective of the present study was to examine the use of infiltration wells for groundwater recharge with harvested rainwater collected from building rooftops under Mediterranean climate conditions. Two types of wells with similar hydraulic and technical properties were examined: a well that reaches the groundwater (wet well); and a well that discharges the harvested water into the unsaturated zone (dry well). Infiltration capacities of the wells were compared in controlled experiments conducted during summer months, and in operational recharge of harvested rainwater, during winter. Both dry and wet wells were found to be suitable for purposes of groundwater recharge with rooftop-harvested rainwater. Infiltration capacity of the wet well was about seven times greater than the infiltration capacity of the dry well. While the infiltration capacity of the wet well was constant throughout the entire length of the study (∼10 m3/h/m), the dry well infiltration capacity improved during winter (from 0.5 m3/h/m to 1.5 m3/h/m), a result of development of the dry well with time. Considering Tel-Aviv, Israel, as a case study for a dense modern city in a Mediterranean climate, it is demonstrated herein that the use of infiltration wells may reduce urban drainage by ∼40 %.

The Hidden Hydrogeosphere: The Contribution of Deep Groundwater to the Planetary Water Cycle

The canonical water cycle assumes that all water entering the subsurface to form groundwater eventually reenters the surface water cycle by discharge to lakes, streams, and oceans. Recent discoveries in groundwater dating have challenged that understanding. Here we introduce a new conceptual framework that includes the large volume of water that is estimated to account for 30–46% of the planet's groundwater but that is not yet incorporated in the traditional water cycle. This immense hidden hydrogeosphere has been overlooked to date largely because it is stored deeper in the crust, on long timescales ranging from tens of thousands to more than one billion years. Here we demonstrate why understanding of this deep, old groundwater is critical to society's energy, resource, and climate challenges as the deep hydrogeosphere is an important target for exploration for new resources of helium, hydrogen, and other elements critical to the green energy transition; is under investigation for geologic repositories for nuclear waste and for carbon sequestration; and is the biome for a deep subsurface biosphere estimated to account for a significant proportion of Earth's biomass. ▪We provide a new conceptual framework for the hidden hydrogeosphere, the 30–46% of groundwater previously unrecognized in canonical water cycles.▪Geochemico-statistical modeling groundwater age distributions allows deconvolution of timing, rates, and magnitudes of key crustal processes.▪Understanding and modeling this deep, old groundwater are critical to addressing society's energy, resource, and climate challenges.

Effect of Alternate Wetting and Drying on the Emission of Greenhouse Gases from Rice Fields on the Northern Coast of Peru

The cultivation of rice is one of the main sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to continuously flooded irrigation (CF), which demands large volumes of water. As an alternative solution, alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation has been developed as a water-saving strategy. This study was conducted at the Experimental Agricultural Station (EEA) in Vista, Florida, in the Lambayeque region located on the northern coast of Peru. Thus, it was analyzed the effect of AWD irrigation at different depths (5, 10, and less than 20 cm below the surface) compared to CF control on methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and rice grain yield. AWD treatments reduced CH4 emissions by 84% to 99% but increased N2O emissions by 66% to 273%. In terms of Global Warming Potential (GWP), the AWD10 treatment demonstrated a 77% reduction and a Water Use Efficiency (WUE) of 0.96, affecting only a 2% decrease in rice grain yield, which ranged between 11.85 and 14.01 t ha−1. Likewise, this study provides sufficient evidence for the adoption of AWD irrigation as a strategy for the efficient use of water resources and the mitigation of GHG emissions in rice cultivation in the study area, compared to continuous flooded irrigation.

Application of electro oxidation process for treating wastewater from petrochemical with mixed metal oxide electrode

Petrochemicals require a large volume of water for their operation, which results in the production of a large volume of wastewater. Treatment of petrochemical wastewater is an important process before discharging it into the environment. This research examines the treatment of real petrochemical wastewater using the electrochemical oxidation process. Direct anodic oxidation is an effective advanced electrochemical oxidation process (AEOP), with different electrodes using a parallel plate electrochemical reactor. Four types of real wastewater were received from different petrochemical units were treated by AEOP. Real wastewater samples with chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations ranging from 20,450 to 52,300 mg/l. The main goal of this research is to make electrodes of Mixed Metal Oxide (MMO), which can reduce the treatment time and electricity consumption for oxidation, greater stability of the surface of the electrodes. Investigation of the rate constant kinetics shows that high COD removal efficiency can be achieved following the pseudo-second order reaction rate (R2 > 98%). When the wastewater pH is less than 5, COD removal efficiency is higher and the treatment process will be successful, which succeeded in removing 79% COD, but in alkaline wastewater, COD reduction efficiency was not satisfactory. The electricity consumption for 79% removal during 6 min was 117 kWh/m3. As a result, due to the very short time of the process (6 min), it can be used as one of the pre-treatment steps of petrochemical wastewater with acidic pH.

On-site filtration of large sample volumes improves the detection of opportunistic pathogens in drinking water distribution systems.

In this study, we compared conventional vacuum filtration of small volumes through disc membranes (effective sample volumes for potable water: 0.3-1.0 L) with filtration of high volumes using ultrafiltration (UF) modules (effective sample volumes for potable water: 10.6-84.5 L) for collecting bacterial biomass from raw, finished, and tap water at seven drinking water systems. Total bacteria, Legionella spp., Legionella pneumophila, Mycobacterium spp., and Mycobacterium avium complex in these samples were enumerated using both conventional quantitative PCR (qPCR) and viability qPCR (using propidium monoazide). In addition, PCR-amplified gene fragments were sequenced for microbial community analysis. The frequency of detection (FOD) of Legionella spp. in finished and tap water samples was much greater using UF modules (83% and 77%, respectively) than disc filters (24% and 33%, respectively). The FODs for Mycobacterium spp. in raw, finished, and tap water samples were also consistently greater using UF modules than disc filters. Furthermore, the number of observed operational taxonomic units and diversity index values for finished and tap water samples were often substantially greater when using UF modules as compared to disc filters. Conventional and viability qPCR yielded similar results, suggesting that membrane-compromised cells represented a minor fraction of total bacterial biomass. In conclusion, our research demonstrates that large-volume filtration using UF modules improved the detection of opportunistic pathogens at the low concentrations typically found in public drinking water systems and that the majority of bacteria in these systems appear to be viable in spite of disinfection with free chlorine and/or chloramine.IMPORTANCEOpportunistic pathogens, such as Legionella pneumophila, are a growing public health concern. In this study, we compared sample collection and enumeration methods on raw, finished, and tap water at seven water systems throughout the State of Minnesota, USA. The results showed that on-site filtration of large water volumes (i.e., 500-1,000 L) using ultrafiltration membrane modules improved the frequency of detection of relatively rare organisms, including opportunistic pathogens, compared to the common approach of filtering about 1 L using disc membranes. Furthermore, results from viability quantitative PCR (qPCR) with propidium monoazide were similar to conventional qPCR, suggesting that membrane-compromised cells represent an insignificant fraction of microorganisms. Results from these ultrafiltration membrane modules should lead to a better understanding of the microbial ecology of drinking water distribution systems and their potential to inoculate premise plumbing systems with opportunistic pathogens where conditions are more favorable for their growth.

Microplastic pollution in waters of the Antarctic coastal environment of Potter Cove (25 de Mayo Island/King George Island, South Shetlands)

Plastic pollution in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica is a growing concern, but many areas in this vast region remain unexplored. This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of marine microplastic (MPs) concentrations in Potter Cove, located near the Argentinian Carlini research station on 25 de Mayo/King George Island, Antarctica. Water samples were collected at 14 sites within the cove, representing various influences from the station's activities. Two sampling methods were used: a 5 L Niskin bottle and an in-situ filtering device called Microfilter, allowing for large water volumes to be filtered. MPs were found in 100 % of the samples. Microfilter samples ranged from 0.02 to 2.14 MPs/L, with a mean concentration of 0.44 ± 0.44 MPs/L. Niskin bottle samples showed concentrations from 0.40 to 55.67 MPs/L, with a mean concentration of 19.03 ± 18.21 MPs/L. The dominant types of MPs were anthropogenic black, transparent, and pink microfibers (MFs) measuring between 0.11 and 3.6 mm (Microfilter) and 0.06 to 7.96 mm (Niskin bottle), with a median length of 0.01 mm for both methods. Transparent and black irregular microfragments (MFRs) with diameters from 0.10 to 5.08 mm and a median diameter of 0.49 mm were also prevalent. FTIR-spectroscopy revealed the presence of 14 types of polymers. Cellulose-based materials and polyethylene terephthalate were the most abundant in MFs, while polyurethanes and styrene-based copolymers dominated in MFRs. MPs were more abundant near the Carlini station. Compared to other coastal Antarctic areas, the MPs in the cove were relatively abundant and mostly smaller than 1 mm. Local activities on the island were identified as the primary source of MPs in the cove, and the cyclonic water circulation likely affects the distribution of small-sized particles. To protect the ecosystem, reducing plastic usage, improving waste management, regulating MPs debris, and enhancing wastewater practices are essential.