Pollution Of Reservoirs Research Articles

Ubiquitous Net Volatilization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Soils and Parameters Influencing Their Soil−Air Partitioning

Soils are a major reservoir of organic pollutants, and soil-air partitioning and exchange are key processes controlling the regional fate of pollutants. Here, we report and discuss the soil concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), their soil fugacities, the soil-air partition coefficients (K(SA)) and soil-air gradients for rural and semirural soils, in background areas of N-NE Spain and N-NW England. Different sampling campaigns were carried out to assess seasonal variability and differences between sampling sites. K(SA) values were dependent on soil temperature and soil organic quantity and type. Soil fugacities of phenanthrene and its alkyl homologues were 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than their ambient air fugacities for all sampling sites and periods. The soil to air fugacity ratio was correlated with soil temperature and soil redox potential. Similar trends for other PAHs were found but with lower fugacity ratios. The ubiquitous source of PAHs from background soils to the atmosphere found in all temperate regions in different seasons provides an indirect evidence of potential in situ generation of two to four ring PAHs and their alkyl homologues in the surface soil. We discuss this hypothetical biogenic source and other potential processes that could drive the high soil to air fugacity ratios of some PAHs.

The impact of temperature changes on summer time ozone and its precursors in the Eastern Mediterranean

Abstract. Changes in temperature due to variability in meteorology and climate change are expected to significantly impact atmospheric composition. The Mediterranean is a climate sensitive region and includes megacities like Istanbul and large urban agglomerations such as Athens. The effect of temperature changes on gaseous air pollutant levels and the atmospheric processes that are controlling them in the Eastern Mediterranean are here investigated. The WRF/CMAQ mesoscale modeling system is used, coupled with the MEGAN model for the processing of biogenic volatile organic compound emissions. A set of temperature perturbations (spanning from 1 to 5 K) is applied on a base case simulation corresponding to July 2004. The results indicate that the Eastern Mediterranean basin acts as a reservoir of pollutants and their precursor emissions from large urban agglomerations. During summer, chemistry is a major sink at these urban areas near the surface, and a minor contributor at downwind areas. On average, the atmospheric processes are more effective within the first 1000 m above ground. Temperature increases lead to increases in biogenic emissions by 9±3% K−1. Ozone mixing ratios increase almost linearly with the increases in ambient temperatures by 1±0.1 ppb O3 K−1 for all studied urban and receptor stations except for Istanbul, where a 0.4±0.1 ppb O3 K−1 increase is calculated, which is about half of the domain-averaged increase of 0.9±0.1 ppb O3 K−1. The computed changes in atmospheric processes are also linearly related with temperature changes.

Investigation of the propagation of pollutants in water reservoirs

A mathematical model for investigating the problem of the propagation of pollutants in water reservoirs on salvoed (instantaneous) discharge is suggested. To calculate dilution, a method developed on the basis of the equation of turbulent diffusion in cylindrical coordinates is suggested. The method allows one to determine the concentration of pollutants at an arbitrary distance from the place of their discharge. The conditions for the formation of local pollution zones in a water reservoir are considered.

EUREKA: POTABLE WATER

The total pollution of surface reservoirs – the sources of potable water – by waste and storm water causes necessity to apply many different traditional and latest methods of water processing. Such every technology procedure distances the potable water quality from “the physiological optimum”. It is proposed to use the chemical, physical-chemical methods exclusively for the renewal of the quality of utilized waters before their return into the surface reservoirs. Physiologically full valued water must be prepared by means of passing water from pure surface sources through the slow filter with immobilized probiotic bacteria on the charge.

Reservoir recultivation versus forms of heavy metals in sediments: the case of the Kielce City Lake

Abstract The Kielce Lake is a water reservoir located in the Kielce city zone. Areas around the reservoir are used for recreational, residential and industrial purposes. Additionally, the nearby state road to the city of Łódź, is a source of transportation pollution, including heavy metals. The reservoir is fed by a watercourse which receives municipal wastewater from the town of Masłów near Kielce. The amount and diversity of organic and inorganic compounds which flow into the reservoir causes heavy pollution of the Lake waters. To reduce the degree of reservoir pollution, a pulverizing aerator was installed in the middle of the Kielce Lake in May 2008. Sediment samples were collected at a depth of 0–20 cm between July 2008 and May 2010 at five sites in the littoral zone of the recultivation area. These environmental samples underwent a five-stage sequential extraction procedure, assisted by microwave radiation. The concentrations of trace metals Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, Pb, Mn, Fe and Cd in various extracts were determined by means of F-AAS and GF-AAS. The results have shown a high concentration of analytes in reservoir sediments.

137Cs water profiles in the South Indian Ocean – An evidence for accumulation of pollutants in the subtropical gyre

The 137Cs seawater transect along the 20°S latitude in the Indian Ocean, sampled during the round the globe BEAGLE2003 (Blue Ocean Global Expedition) clearly shows a presence of two cores of higher 137Cs concentrations at 100°E and 55°E in water column depths between 100 and 200 m. The subsurface maximum of 137Cs activity concentration (2.1 mBq/L) observed near 100°E is the highest level found in southern hemisphere seawater, which is comparable to the maximum 137Cs concentration observed in North Pacific surface water. This transect represents the first high density sight of 137Cs distribution in South Indian Ocean waters. The estimated 137Cs water column inventories (up to 1240 Bq/m 2), normalized for the 1000 m water depth along the 20°S latitude are by a factor of three higher than would be expected from global fallout in the South Indian Ocean. The estimated residence time of 137Cs in surface waters of the South Indian Ocean (∼30 years) is by about a factor of two higher than for the North Pacific. The 137Cs data confirm a transport of surface waters from the North Pacific via Indonesian seas to the South Indian Ocean, and to the subtropical gyre. The subtropical gyre is an important reservoir of anthropogenic pollutants that have been transported from the North Pacific and Indian Oceans to the south on a time-scale of several decades.

DON’T BLAME THE PILL

BIRTH CONTROL PILLS often take the blame for estrogen pollution in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. A new metastudy by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, however, finds that oral contraceptives are not the source of most of the estrogens found in U.S. and European waterways ( Environ. Sci. Technol., DOI: 10.1021/es1014482). Nearly 11 million women in the U.S. use oral contraceptives, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a non-profit organization that researches sexual and reproductive issues. The synthetic estrogens and progestin in these pills flow into wastewater treatment systems via urine and feces. But estrogen-like chemicals also enter waterways from other sources, such as large-scale animal farms, landfills, and non-birth-control pharmaceuticals. To better understand the sources of estrogens in drinking water, UC San Francisco postdoctoral fellow Amber Wise and her colleagues reviewed 82 studies. Using the data they gathered, the researchers estimated that ethinylestradiol,...

Study of mass transfer and biocatalyst stability for the enzymatic degradation of anthracene in a two-phase partitioning bioreactor

In this study the optimal experimental conditions for the degradation of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in an enzymatic two-phase partitioning bioreactor (TPPB) were investigated. The immiscible organic phase was comprised of silicone oil, acting as a pollutant reservoir for anthracene. This compound underwent degradation by the enzyme versatile peroxidase (VP) produced by the white-rot fungus Bjerkandera adusta. Mass transfer coefficients ( k L a) and enzymatic deactivation constants ( k D) were determined in the TPPB system. The effects of operational parameters such as solvent viscosity (10, 20 and 50 cSt), agitation rate (200, 250 and 300 rpm) and addition of the non-ionic surfactant Triton X-100 (below its critical micelle concentration, CMC) on the mass transfer and enzymatic decay were investigated. It was ascertained that there was superior enzymatic stability at high values of viscosity. The addition of surfactant below CMC displayed the dual benefit of increasing mass transfer of the substrate fivefold from the organic to aqueous phase whilst also creating a protecting effect upon VP. Optimized conditions led to an 88% oxidation of anthracene after 38 h.

Non-target Screening of Organic Contaminants in Sediments from the Industrial Coastal Area of Kavala City (NE Greece)

Lipophilic anthropogenic contaminants enter the environment from different kinds of human activities and corresponding emission sources. In the hydrosphere, they accumulate frequently in specific sedimentary zones, among others, and at coastal areas, forming reservoirs of pollutants. Marine and freshwater sediment samples as well as soil samples from a highly industrialized coastal area in Northern Greece have been analyzed in order to have a detailed view on the state of the particle-associated pollution. Noteworthy, based on extended GC/MS non-target screening analyses, interesting, so far unknown, or rarely documented contaminants have been identified and quantified comprising, e.g., mono- and dichlorocarbazoles, bromocarbazole, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-nitrophenol, etc. However, all relevant contaminants are discussed with respect to their spatial concentration profiles, their emission sources, and their pathway. In addition, numerous pollutants are suggested to become selected for environmental monitoring programs. Hence, this study can act as an example for adapting individual monitoring programs to the individual contamination in coastal areas.

Heavy metal contamination of waters in reservoirs in an urban agglomeration

Heavy metal contamination of waters in reservoirs in an urban agglomeration The aim of the study was to estimate the degree of heavy metal pollution in water reservoirs in the city of Poznań as well as that in supply and outlet waters. The experimental data were compared with the results of mathematical analyses based on mathematical equations of linear regression that were derived. No considerable discrepancies were noted for zinc, cadmium, or copper in the 2004-2005 period. The metal concentrations in the analyzed water reservoirs were affected by the neighboring agglomeration and land development in the catchment area. The lowest concentrations of analyzed metals in inflowing waters ranged from 0.013 μg dm-3 for cadmium to 454 μg dm-3 for zinc. The application of simple mathematical models may considerably facilitate forecasting adverse changes that occur in aquatic ecosystems.

Chlorophyll-A concentrations in relation to water quality and trophic status in the Weija reservoir from 2005 – 2008

The Weija Reservoir has a high algal content which has posed water quality problems in the reservoir for a long time. Chlorophyll-a has been determined in water samples from the surface (0–10 cm) of the Weija Reservoir, collected at 3 different sites in the Reservoir from 2005 to 2008 at bi-monthly intervals. Chlorophyll-a concentrations were measured to determine its impact on the water quality of the reservoir, assess levels of eutrophication in the reservoir, and suggest ways of mitigating pollution in the reservoir. Chlorophyll-a concentrations in the reservoir were found to be high, ranging from 1.00 – 7.46 mg/m3 in 2005, 8.75 – 114 mg/m3 in 2006, 2.69 – 60.7 mg/m3 in 2007, and 18.4 – 106 mg/m3 in 2008, respectively. The values indicate high algal biomass in the reservoir since water bodies with low levels of nutrients (e.g. oligotrophic lakes) have low levels of chlorophyll-a (< 2.5 mg/m3) whereas waters with high nutrient contents (especially those classed as eutrophic) have high levels of chlorophyll-a (5-140 mg/m3). These levels of chlorophyll-a were then used to determine the trophic status of the Weija Reservoir. Indications are that the Weija Reservoir is a hypereutrophic lake. Chlorophyll-a concentrations showed positive correlation with Total Phosphate (r = 0.21), but negative correlation with ammonium concentrations (r = -0.24). Chlorophyll-A concentrations also showed moderately high correlations with DO (r = 0.54), TSS (r = 0.60), and COD (r = 0.60), at the 95 % level. The high chlorophyll-a concentrations could impair the aesthetic values as well as contaminate the reservoir waters, and this may be one of the reasons why water from the Weija Reservoir has unpalatable taste, consequently, compounding the high cost of potable water production at Weija.

Assessment of the Uvod Reservoir pollution with heavy metals

Concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Cd, Pb, Cr, and Zn) in bottom sediments, water, snow, and biota of the Uvod Reservoir, as well as of rare-earth elements (Ce, Dy, Er, Eu, Gd, Ho, La, Lu, Nd, Pr, Sm, Tb, Y, and Yb) in its water are assessed. Geochemical studies of concentrations of Cu, Ni, Cd, Pb, Cr, and Zn in soils, water, and snow allow us to state that the metals enter the reservoir mostly from natural sources; however, some part of them are of anthropogenic origin. The sum of concentrations of light rare-earth elements (La, Ce, and Nd) make almost the total of all rare-earth elements in the reservoir—from 70 to 97%, depending on the sampling site. The highest concentrations of metals (and the highest percentage of their labile forms) are recorded in the Priplotinnyi and Kolbaskinskii (in macrophite deposits) pools and at the site of water inflow from the Volga-Uvod canal. There is also reason to suppose a secondary entry of the elements under study into the water mass. The largest variations in metals’ concentrations are observed during the periods of spring and autumn floods, when a great quantity of terrigenous suspended matter enters the water body. The distribution of the above metals and rare-earth elements in water is uneven; their highest concentrations are observed in the site of water inflow from the canal and in the Uvod River (the latter is likely to be due to the effect of the settlement of Pistsovo). The analysis of biota (fennel-leaved pondweed and zooplankton) has shown that the Uvod Reservoir is polluted with heavy metals.

Risks of pollution in water resources: PFC in the Möhne reservoir – what about public opinion?

Sewage sludge polluted with high concentrations of PFC (perfluorated organic compounds) was spread as fertiliser on a cornfield in Brilon, Germany. During rainfall PFC are flushed out of the soil and flow into the Möhne and Ruhr River, where drinking water is extracted. PFC in elevated concentrations has been detected in the drinking water in this area. PFCs, used as industrial coating materials, are found ubiquitously, and in high concentrations are believed to be carcinogenic. The drinking-water problem has been mitigated by decontamination of the primary polluted field, a systematic and specific reservoir operation, and more extensive purification of drinking water. In this region persons predominantly concerned are the population being supplied with drinking-water and some parts of the tourism industry in the Möhne reservoir area. People in this area ask for a drinking water that is free from dangerous trace elements and residues of pharmaceuticals. Water management actors are called upon to realise consumers' wishes, to implement what is economically and technically possible and to show consumers the possibilities and the limits of drinking-water supply.

EVALUATION OF BIOMONITORING APPROACH TO STUDY LAKE CONTAMINATION BY ACCUMULATION OF TRACE ELEMENTS IN SELECTED AQUATIC MACROPHYTES: A CASE STUDY OF KANEWAL COMMUNITY RESERVE, GUJARAT, INDIA

A biomonitoring study was carried out at Kanewal reservoir, an internationally important wetland listed in Asian Directory of Wetlands, designated as a “Wetland of National Importance” and a proposed community reserve of Gujarat State, India, to ascertain the degree of trace element contamination. The study focused on assessment of trace element contamination in certain aquatic macrophytes to be used as biomonitors, in comparison with water and sediments (abiotic monitor) for heavy metal pollution. Good information was provided by analyzing the roots, stems and leaves of native aquatic plants (biomonitors) represented by seven species: Eichhornia crassipes, Echinochloa colonum, Hydrilla verticillata, Ipomoea aquatica, Nelumbo nucifera, Typha angustata and Vallisneria spiralis, along with surface sediments and water, were analyzed for Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn contamination. The highest concentrations of the trace elements were measured in Eichhornia crassipes and the lowest in Nelumbo nucifera. Based on the concentration and toxicity status observed in the lake's vegetation, the six metals are arranged in the following decreasing order: Zn > Cu > Ni > Cd > Co > Pb. Compared with the standard, normal and critical toxicity range in plants, the detected value of Pb falls within normal range, while that of other elements were within the critical range. However, Zn and Cu showed the highest concentration and alarming toxicity levels, which are considered as one of the most hazardous pollutants in Kanewal reservoir. Certain species of aquatic macrophytes are also proposed as biomonitors (and/or biofilters) such as Eichhornia crassipes and Typha angustata, which are the two most useful species in biomonitoring studies due to their ability to accumulate elements in high concentration in the roots and its availability throughout the year. The results showed the significant difference in accumulation of metals like Zn, Cu and Ni in different plant organs, which showed more accumulation in roots than that of stems and leaves. High positive correlation between combinations of different metal pairs in plant’s root, stem or leaf system was established.

Comparative study of bile acid composition of bile of the European vendace Coregonus albula L. and the European whitefish Coregonus lavaretus L. under conditions of technogenic water reservoir pollution

Changes of the bile acid composition were studied in bile of the vendace Coregonus albula L. and the sea whitefish Coregonus lavaretus L. under effect of sewers of an ore mining and processing plant, the main polluting agents of the sewers being heavy metals. The revealed variability of the bile acid composition indicates different species-related sensitivity to the studied pollutants as well as a lower resistance of males as compared with females to this type of pollution. Mechanisms of effects of industrial sewers on the bile formation processes and a possibility of using parameters of the steroid lipid metabolism at evaluation of the state of aquatic ecosystems are discussed.

Seasonal variations and annual fluxes of arsenic in the Garonne, Dordogne and Isle Rivers, France

Daily measurements of water discharges and suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentrations and monthly analyses for arsenic were conducted from 1999 to 2005 on the Garonne, Dordogne and Isle Rivers, the three main tributaries of the Gironde Estuary, France. Despite the known historical polymetallic pollution affecting the Lot-Garonne River system, the highest As concentration level was observed in the Isle River. This was explained by the geological context and various Au/As deposits in this watershed. In the three studied rivers, dissolved As concentrations showed important seasonal variations with maximum values in summer. The dissolved As concentrations were closely related to water temperature and their increase in spring/summer appeared to be induced by water temperatures above approximately 15 degrees C, independently from discharge. The reduction of As(V) to more soluble As(III) and/or destruction of solid As carrier phases by micro-organisms could explain this observation, suggesting that temperature-dependent biogeochemical processes play an important role in controlling As partition and speciation in fluvial systems. Water and SPM fluxes in the Garonne River mainly control arsenic inputs into the Gironde Estuary and the downstream coastal zones. Based on the present data, we propose an empirical model to roughly estimate the annual dissolved and particulate As fluxes in the Garonne, Dordogne and Isle Rivers from annual water and SPM fluxes. The comparison of observed As fluxes and those estimated from the empirical model suggests that resuspension of historical, polluted reservoir sediments during a major flood accounted for approximately 50% of the annual As fluxes in 2003.

Colophon, Contents, Review of Survey activities

Review of Survey activities 2005&#x0D; Adam A. GardeChief editor&#x0D; The present volume is the third issue of Review of Survey activities (RoSa). It contains 15 four-page contributions that cover a wide range of the current activities at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS). Thirteen of these are short scientific papers dealing with ongoing research by the Survey and its external partners. For the first time the research-based papers in the Review are now externally peer reviewed. A new standing panel of reviewers for RoSa has been established to ensure that the contributions are of general interest to a wide readership and that, within the limitations of space, they maintain the normal scientific standards of the Survey's publications. All articles are planned to be easily readable by non-specialists, and since this is a Review of Survey activities, it should be borne in mind that many papers are first accounts of ongoing research.&#x0D; The fact that almost all contributions in the current volume are scientific in nature implies that while providing a timely panorama of current research at the Survey, they are far from embracing all projects undertaken by the Survey in Denmark, Greenland and other countries in 2005. A factual overview of the activities of GEUS as a whole can be obtained at GEUS' website.&#x0D; In the present volume three papers deal with Cretaceous–Holocene onshore and offshore stratigraphy, sedimentology and palaeoceanography in Denmark, in part related to hydrocarbon exploration. A fourth paper from Denmark, that illustrates just one of the broad spectrum of the Survey's routine responsibilities undertaken on behalf of the state, addresses construction of 3D geological models to characterise the migration of point-source pollution in groundwater reservoirs.&#x0D; Projects related to Greenland and the Arctic in general are represented in this volume by a group of ten papers. The first is a methodology paper describing advanced in situ geochronological and trace element microanalysis by laser ablation techniques, a now routine analytical tool at the Survey that has provided data for several of the subsequent articles, including a study of sediment provenance in the East Greenland – Faroe Islands – Shetland region, and an account of zircon geochronology applied to Archaean geological studies in southern West Greenland. Within the same region, a new method of integrative and quantitative assessment of the gold potential is presented, and two papers deal with newly discovered kimberlites and carbonatites and their potential economic significance. One paper describes five profiles through basalts and sedimentary rocks in the Nuussuaq Basin in West Greenland, constructed using geological photogrammetrical techniques along coastal cliffs and steep valley sides. Another paper presents new evidence for the presence of continental crust in the Davis Strait obtained from seabed sampling; this is an important new contribution to the long-standing debate of the nature of the crust under the Labrador Sea and Davis Strait and its stratigraphy. A report on ongoing studies of the deep crustal structure of Greenland using earthquake seismology is presented, and a last paper concerning the Arctic region describes radical former climatic changes in the Arctic Ocean and the geophysical signature of the Lomonosov Ridge north of Greenland, and discusses the sensitivity of the sea-ice cover to global warming.&#x0D; The final paper in the present volume describes the development of an environmental sensitivity atlas for coastal areas of Kenya. This project is just one of several current GEUS projects where the Survey's broad technical and managing expertise is put to use in developing countries.

Application of back-propagation networks in debris flow prediction

Debris flows have caused serious loss of human lives and a lot of damage to properties in Taiwan over the past decades. Moreover, debris flows have brought massive mud causing water pollution in reservoirs and resulted in water shortage for daily life locally and affected agricultural irrigation and industrial usages seriously. A number of methods for prediction of debris flows have been studied. However, the successful prediction ratio of debris flows cannot always maintain a stable and reliable level. The objective of this study is to present a stable and reliable analytical model for occurrence predictions of debris flows. This study proposes an Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) model that was constructed by seven significant factors using back-propagation (BP) algorithm. These seven factors include (1) length of creek, (2) average slope, (3) effective watershed area, (4) shape coefficient, (5) median size of soil grain, (6) effective cumulative rainfall, and (7) effective rainfall intensity. A total of 178 potential cases of debris flows collected in eastern Taiwan were fed into the ANN model for training and testing. The average ratio of successful prediction reaching 93.82% demonstrates that the presented ANN model with seven significant factors can provide a stable and reliable result for the prediction of debris flows in hazard mitigation and guarding systems.

Effects of warm water inflows on the dispersion of pollutants in small reservoirs

The effects of the warm water discharged by a nuclear power plant (NPP) into a small reservoir are studied. A case study is presented (José Cabrera NPP—Zorita Hidráulica Reservoir) with experimental data of the reservoir stratification and predicted data of the dispersion of radioactive pollutants from operative or accidental releases. The vertical and longitudinal temperature profiles, electrical conductivity and transparency of the reservoir water were measured for an annual cycle. The results indicate that the continuous warm water discharge from the NPP causes permanent and artificial reservoir stratification. The stratification is significant within 1500 m upstream and 1000 m downstream from the warm water outfall. The pollutant dispersion has been predicted by using a flow model based on N T perfect-mixing compartments in series with feedback. The model parameter, N T , is calculated from the longitudinal diffusion coefficient. The prediction of pollutant dispersion by means of this model shows that the stratification slows down the vertical mixing in the whole water body, and reduces the reservoir volume that is effective for the dilution and dispersion of pollutants. This means that, in the case of a radioactive pollutant release, the reservoir radioactivity level could increase significantly.

Biomonitoring of mercury pollution: A case study from the Dniester River

Abstract Biomonitoring of mercury pollution of Dubasari reservoir of the Dniester River has been carried out using macrophytes, epiphytosuspensions and lichens. Macrophytes uptake mercury from water column and bottom sediments in the succession Potamogeton pectinatus L. > Myriophyllum verticillatum L. > Potamogeton perfoliatus L. > Butomus umbellatus L. These species possess the properties of bio-indicators. The mercury content in their biomass is in good positive correlation ( r = 0.908–0.990) with the mercury content both in water and bottom sediments. It has been shown that the maximum mercury content in these bio-indicators is found in the area of the Rezina–Rybnitsa industrial complex that consists of two cement plants and a metallurgical one. The use of lichens as bio-indicators for the ecological state of the air in the vicinity of the investigated aquatic ecosystem and of the epiphytosuspensions precipitated on submerged macrophytes, denote the active state of the source for mercury pollution of the Dubasari reservoir.