Run Off Research Articles

Investigating the microbiological risks associated with urban flooding in the UK

Over the last 30 years, the frequency and occurrence of intense rainfall, and thus extreme hydrological events –flooding- has steadily increased. Drainage infrastructure in the UK was not designed for a changing climate, and many sewer systems in densely populated urban areas, are unable to cope. Sewage overflow and surface run off in urban areas can act as vectors for the dissemination of pathogens, known to cause disease among human populations. Most of the previous studies in this field have focused on using faecal indicators such as E.coli when assessing the public health risk of floodwater [1]. However, traditional indicators do not accurately reflect the true risk that urban flooding poses [2]. Little is understood in regards to the survivability and behaviour of pathogens in different urban settings, which are fundamental to determine potential risks to public health. Previous investigations in UK waterlogged soils have shown a clear response of microbial communities to water table variation, temperature, and nutrient availability in soil profiles [3]. This research aims to investigate, using advanced molecular methods, the dynamics of pathogens (i.e. movement through soil and survival rates), and microbial interactions at the soil/water interface- collecting information from field work studies and laboratory-controlled experiments. The outcomes from this research will inform future management strategies of flooded sites that will aid to protect public health.

Chemical composition and morphology of the Mediterranean mussel, Black Sea coast of Russia

Mussels, whose soft tissues are used in food and are rich in high-quality protein, are essential in marine fisheries. Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis Lam) used to assesses the pollution level of a coastal marine zone due to exposure to local technological processes populate the metal piles of a pier built for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi Olympic Park. The chemical composition of mussel soft tissues (61 elements analyzed by the ICP method) indicates anthropogenic pollution of the coastal zone ecosystem, most pronounced in the 50-m zone along the coast due to run off from the terrestrial ecosystem affected by the Olympic construction. Line measurements of annual rings of 6-year-old individuals of mussels showed stabilization of the ecological situation in the coastal-marine zone by 2019. This study can be used for comprehensive ecological monitoring of coastal-marine zones with similar conditions and anthropogenic load.

Analysis of Erosion Management Based on GeoWEPP Spatial Modeling on Bauxite Mining Activities PT. XYZ in West Borneo

Bauxite ore open-pit mining activities are conducted in spread areas and increase the potential for water pollution, implying a need for good management. GeoWEPP is a spatial model that predicts the erosion magnitude and the location of sedimentation. This helps in erosion management and control, including constructing a settling pond. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine GeoWEPP based on land use, topographic and soil maps, as well as rainfall and temperature data. The results showed that 30 hills with a total area of 13 602.48 Ha obtained sediment of 150 186 m3/month and the amount of run off of 4 202 267 m3/month. Furthermore, GeoWEPP analysis on the planned mining block area obtained 30 outlet points to be used as the location for the settling pond construction. The optimistic and pessimistic cost of constructing the entire settling pond is Rp. 222 047 640 944 and Rp. 222 773 049 768, respectively. Additionally, the cost of settling pond maintenance at all outlet points during operation is Rp. 3 139 414 818. Planting cover crops in ex-mining areas is very effective in reducing erosion.

DRAINAGE PLANNING BASED ON REMOTELY SENSED DATA OF OPEN PIT MINING AT PT. SDIC PAPUA CEMENT MANOKWARY REGENCY

Mining is an activity that is done to take materials that have economic value, mining activities are activities that change the land and change the shape of the topography. This change in shape can have a significant impact on surface runoff (Run Off) changes. The calculation of runoff coefficients uses The Hassing Method by utilizing remote sensing data and using rational methods to calculate surface runoff discharge. The purpose of this research is to know the good drainage design at mining sites PT. SDIC Papua Cement by using remote sensing data and Geographic Information System (SIG). The remote sensing data used is PlanetScope imagery and DEM data from AlosPalsar imagery. The accuracy test result obtained by PlanetScope imagery has an accuracy rate of 90.9%. Based on the data of the highest rainfall at the location of 189.6 mm. The result of runoff coefficient using The Hassing Method in the rain catchment area 1 (DTH 1) obtained a result of 0.51. With the discharge of surface runoff using Rational Method obtained the result of 0.3 m³/second. The result of the calculation of drainage design with the basic width of drainage (b) of 0.39 meters, the surface height of the channel base (y) of 0.47 meters, total drainage height (Tt) of 0.88 meters, the width of water surface (Ta) obtained results of 1.35 meters and width of drainage channels (Ts) is 1.72 meters.

Bringing the Dead Sea to Life: Art and Nature at the Lowest Place on Earth

Bringing the Dead Sea to Life: Art and Nature at the Lowest Place on Earth

AHP and TOPSIS Based Sub-Watershed Prioritization and Tectonic Analysis of Ami River Basin, Uttar Pradesh

Abstract Soil erosion is a major consequence which usually reduces soil productivity. The identification of its susceptible zones is essential in order to apply preventive measures in any basin. A detailed morphometric evaluation of Ami river basin is done using Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data of 30m resolution. Technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) based prioritization and characterization of sub-watersheds is important to plan and manage the natural resources of a region. Total 18 sub-watersheds with an outlet having 4th order drainage were selected for the prioritization purpose for soil erosion susceptibility zones with the help of 10 morphometric parameters. The sub-watersheds were ordered from SW-I to SW-XVIII. In this regard, SW-XV has the highest priority (0.628) and higher soil erosion while SW-XVIII (0.317) has lowest conditions for soil erosion. Various tectonic and sinuosity related parameters are calculated and analyzed like hypsometric integral (0.49), asymmetric factor (50.1) and transverse topographic symmetric factor suggesting good symmetry of basin with no tectonic tilt. The value of standard sinuosity index (1.2) suggests that Ami river is naturally sinuous stream. Morphometric parameters suggest less structurally controlled and normal category of the basin. The basin has coarse texture of drainage with highly suspect to soil erosion and high run off.

GROUNDWATER POTENTIAL INVESTIGATION USING 1-D ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY TECHNIQUE AT NIGER STATE POLYTECHNIC ZUNGERU, ZUNGERU MAIN CAMPUS, NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Electrical resistivity method employing vertical electrical sounding was carried out with aim to investigate groundwater potential at Niger State Polytechnic, Zungeru, Niger State. Ten points were selected at different locations within the campus for vertical electrical sounding (VES), using Schlumberger protocol. Maximum current electrodes separation (AB) of 120m was used. The investigation was carried out using Terrameter PE 02 SAS 300 system. The survey was able to investigate groundwater potential of the area. The IPI2win software was used for data analysis. The geologic section derived from geoelectric parameters revealed three subsurface layers. The first layer is interpreted as topsoil, the second layer is inferred to be weathered rock, while the third layer probably could be fresh basement rock. The thickness of the superficial cover is averagely 2.49m, and the depth to the basement is between 5.2m to 22.9m, the aquifer thickness ranges between 1.67 to 21.1m. The laterite in the second layer shown in some locations is of great importance as it reduces surface run off and aids infiltration into the underlying aquifer. The thickness of the aquifer component in the north-southern half of the study area is large enough to harbour substantial quantity of water. Areas around ZUN 01 and ZUN 05 could be potential areas for groundwater exploration. In this research, the depth to bedrock and aquifer thickness were determined, lithological formations within the overburden were delineated and approximate depths

Resource use Efficiency of Agricultural Farms in Mid Hills of Indian North-Western Himalayas

North-west Himalayas of India has been facing the problems of food and feed shortages and nutritional scarcity during winter months, so watershed has been considered to be an effective approach to raise agricultural productivity, conserve natural resources and reduce poverty particularly in rainfed regions. HP Mid-Himalayan Watershed Development Project - an integrated multi-sectoral watershed development project has been operative in Mid Hills of Himachal Pradesh in 10 districts of the state since October 2005. This study has been carried out in order to determine resource utilization on beneficiary farms and to analyse the problems faced by beneficiaries. The project has helped the beneficiaries for sustainable utilization of land and labour through different land development programmes, workshops, trainings and exposure visits. Demand for labour required for irrigation increased due to increase in irrigation facility through construction of village ponds, makowal structures, masonry dams, water harvesting structures and earthen run off dams on 16.66, 10.00, 6.67, 25.00 and 2.78 percent of the total number of beneficiaries. Inputs such as seed, plant protection and irrigation man-days underutilised, so recommendations from the study have been made to increase their respective marginal value productivities. In spite, of above benefits of the project, the beneficiaries have encountered some major problems viz. stray/wild animal menace (72.38 %), lack of technical knowledge of input use (63.27 %) and ineffectiveness of working of gram panchayats (60.56 %) which in case solved may lead to enhancement of efficiency levels of different resources.

The Challenge of Setting “Climate Ready” Ecological Targets for Environmental Flow Planning

Implementing environmental flows has emerged as a major river management tool for addressing the impacts of hydrologic alteration in large river systems. The “natural flow paradigm” has been a central guiding principle for determining important ecohydrological relationships. Yet, climate change and associated changes in rainfall run off relationships, seasonality of flows, disruptions to food webs and species life cycle cues mean these existing relationships will, in many circumstances, become obsolete. Revised thinking around setting ecological objectives is required to ensure environmental management targets are achievable, particularly in regions where water scarcity is predicted to increase. Through this lens “climate ready” targets are those that are robust to changing water availability or incorporate future adaptation options. Future objective setting should be based around the inclusion of changing climate and water availability, and the associated species and ecosystem vulnerabilities, and expected outcomes under different policy and adaptation options. This paper uses south eastern Australia as a case study region to review the extent to which current water management plans include climate considerations and adaptation in objective setting. Results show untested climate adaptation inclusions, and a general lack of acknowledgement of changing hydrological and ecological conditions in existing management plans. In response this paper presents a process for setting objectives so they can be considered “climate ready.”

A Solution to Transportation Problem due to Surface Runoff or Storm Water in Panna City Madhya Pradesh

As urbanization is increasing day by day the runoff or storm water in a small city Panna is increasing due to which the transportation problem occurs in the city which leads to an improper flow of transportation in the city. Due to urbanization the proper groundwater recharge technique is not present which leads to increase of runoff in the city, as the soil surface is permeable in which groundwater recharge by infiltration can occur is reducing and resulting in increased surface run off in the Panna city. The effect of transportation flow can be reduced by use of runoff water for increase of water table of city. Infiltration system like infiltration trenches should be made for reducing surface runoff which also increases the infiltration rate of the city, by making of infiltration trenches an area below the footpath and providing filter media in it which has a different layer of gravel and sand due to which filtered water goes inside the earth surface. This helps in reducing the storm water or surface runoff in small city Panna.

Development and characterization of nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency responsive genic and miRNA derived SSR markers in wheat.

Among all the nutrients, nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) are the most limiting factors reducing wheat production and productivity world-wide. These macronutrients are directly applied to soil in the form of fertilizers. However, only 30-40% of these applied fertilizers are utilized by crop plants, while the rest is lost through volatilization, leaching, and surface run off. Therefore, to overcome the deficiency of N and P, it becomes necessary to improve their use efficiency. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) combined with traditional plant breeding approaches is considered best to improve the N and P use efficiency (N/PUE) of wheat varieties. In this study, we developed and evaluated a total of 98 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers including 66 microRNAs and 32 gene-specific SSRs on a panel of 10 (N and P efficient/deficient) wheat genotypes. Out of these, 35 SSRs were found polymorphic and have been used for the study of genetic diversity and population differentiation. A set of two SSRs, namely miR171a and miR167a were found candidate markers able to discriminate contrasting genotypes for N/PUE, respectively. Therefore, these two markers could be used as functional markers for characterization of wheat germplasm for N and P use efficiency. Target genes of these miRNAs were found to be highly associated with biological processes (24 GO terms) as compared to molecular function and cellular component and shows differential expression under various P starving conditions and abiotic stresses.

Potensi Aliran Permukaan dan Sedimentasi pada Drainase Alami Permukiman Pengungsi Erupsi Gunung Sinabung di Siosar, Kabupaten Karo

Transformation from forest ecosystem to be residential and farming ecosystems generally causes changes and damages due to open land surface and groundwater run off which can decrease organic substances in that area. The research employs a survey method by comparing Watershed with forest, part of forest, and part of settlement as land covering and settlement with topographic boundaries in order to estimate the potency of groundwater run off surface. Primary data are collected by measuring discharge in field and measuring the parameter of water quality. Secondary data are collected from geographical position, history of Siosar forest, digital RBI map, meteorological data, and population statistic data. The result of research shows that deforestation for settlement increases water discharge of surface runoff and sedimentation especially in the rainy season. The quality of water in the forest area is relatively good whereas the quality of water in settlement is slightly polluted.

The impact of future climate change on water availability in Gusau, Zamfara State, Nigeria

Climate change has continued to pose challenging global environmental problems in the 21st century. For instance, studies have shown that water resources quantity and quality will be seriously degraded by the phenomenon. This paper examines the effect of climate change on future water availability in Gusau City, Zamfara State, Nigeria. The data obtained from three Regional Climate Models (RCMs) ensembles gridded at 0.5o x 0.5o spatial resolutions were used. The analysis was carried out using ArcGIS (ArcMap, version 10.5) software and comparison of the outcome of the three ensembles was made. The findings show future temperature increase as 1- 3oC by 2040, 3oC by 2070 and 2- 5oC by 2100. Furthermore, future rainfall will increase under rcp 4.5 and 8.5 by 6.7% - 20%, 10% - 20% and 10% - 30% by 2040, 2070v and 2100 respectively. It further shows an increase of +10% to + 60% in seasonal changes of rainfall in the months of April-May-June and July-August-September respectively. These will ultimately result in the increase in surface run off and aquifer recharge. Similarly, the quality of water will also be degraded through sedimentation and nitrogen loading from farms, transport and dissolution of heavy metals by flooding. Therefore, the study recommends for the involvement in storm water harvesting and storage processes by both Government and other large scale water users.

Event‐based run‐off and sediment yield dynamics and controls in the subhumid headwaters of the Blue Nile, Ethiopia

AbstractLand degradation due to soil erosion presents a major challenge for sustainable development. We investigated run‐off and sediment yield (SY) dynamics in the northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. The study area included 14 zero‐order catchments with a surface area ranging from 324 to 1715 m2. V‐notch weirs produced from plastic jars were introduced as measuring alternatives that met local constraints. Run‐off (RO) depth at the weir was registered manually at 5‐min intervals during two rainy seasons in 2018 and 2019, and a total of 618 events were monitored. Rainfall was measured using tipping‐bucket rain gauges. RO samples were collected in 1‐L bottles, and suspended sediment concentration was determined. The mean event RO coefficient ranged from 3% for forests to 56% for badlands. Similarly, the mean annual SY was lowest for forests (0.8 Mg ha−1 yr−1) and highest for badlands (43.4 Mg ha−1 yr−1), with significant differences among land‐use types (14.8 Mg ha−1 yr−1 in cropland, 5.7 Mg ha−1 yr−1 in grazing land, and 2.9 Mg ha−1 yr−1 in plantations). Soil organic matter (SOM) reduced RO and SY, necessitating the consideration of agronomic and land management practices that enhance SOM. Annual SY decreased exponentially with the rock fragment cover (RFC). In fields where RFC was less than 20%, collecting rock fragments for installing stone bunds resulted in a net increase in SY. Rehabilitating badlands and enhancing SOM content in croplands can substantially reduce catchment SY and hence contribute to the sustainability of land uses in the subhumid highlands.

Determinants for antimicrobial resistance genes in farm dust on 333 poultry and pig farms in nine European countries

Livestock feces with antimicrobial resistant bacteria reaches the farm floor, manure pit, farm land and wider environment by run off and aerosolization. Little research has been done on the role of dust in the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in farms. Concentrations and potential determinants of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in farm dust are at present not known. Therefore in this study absolute ARG levels, representing the levels people and animals might be exposed to, and relative abundances of ARGs, representing the levels in the bacterial population, were quantified in airborne farm dust using qPCR. Four ARGs were determined in 947 freshly settled farm dust samples, captured with electrostatic dustfall collectors (EDCs), from 174 poultry (broiler) and 159 pig farms across nine European countries. By using linear mixed modeling, associations with fecal ARG levels, antimicrobial use (AMU) and farm and animal related parameters were determined. Results show similar relative abundances in farm dust as in feces and a significant positive association (ranging between 0.21 and 0.82) between the two reservoirs. AMU in pigs was positively associated with ARG abundances in dust from the same stable. Higher biosecurity standards were associated with lower relative ARG abundances in poultry and higher relative ARG abundances in pigs. Lower absolute ARG levels in dust were driven by, among others, summer season and certain bedding materials for poultry, and lower animal density and summer season for pigs. This study indicates different pathways that contribute to shaping the dust resistome in livestock farms, related to dust generation, or affecting the bacterial microbiome. Farm dust is a large reservoir of ARGs from which transmission to bacteria in other reservoirs can possibly occur. The identified determinants of ARG abundances in farm dust can guide future research and potentially farm management policy.

Provision and Scope of Rain Water Harvesting at the Elitte College of Engineering

As the population of world increases, the demand for quality drinking water is also increasing. Therefore, the saving of water became very essential. Many nations adopted rainwater harvesting which is an old practice as a viable decentralized water source. The definition of rainwater harvesting is the technique of collection and storage of rainwater at surface or in sub-surface aquifer before it is lost as surface run off. Due to depletion of groundwater resources, the only way to solve the water problem is rainwater harvesting. The rainwater will be not only useful, but also helps to improve the quantity and quality of water. Here our focus is to construct a underground water reservoir to store the rooftop rainwater and use the water for washroom purpose. The methodology includes collection of rainfall data, finding out the area on which rainwater can be harvested for storage, calculating the volume of storage tank, quality analysis of rainwater, treatment for rainwater, how to reuse the water for college purpose.

Assessment of the Potential Adoption of Liquified Petroleum Gas for Cooking in Urban Households and Institutions of Malawi

More than 96% of Malawians relied on wood fuels for cooking and heating in 2018. About 4 million people now use charcoal for cooking in urban areas; resulting in environmental degradation, loss of forests resulting in increased run off, siltation of rivers and depletion of water resources in lakes and rivers in Malawi. This study assessed the potential adoption of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as an alternative fuel to charcoal and firewood. A total of 1200 households in three cities were interviewed. Laboratory tests showed LPG as the most efficient cooking fuel tested among electricity, charcoal and firewood. Thermal efficiencies were recorded as LPG 68.1%, electricity 56.2%, Improved Firewood Stove 25.3%, and Improved Charcoal Stove 23.2%. Surveys conducted found that institutions used multiple cooking fuels depending on factors such as availability and cost. While electricity was the most preferred cooking fuel by institutions (54.5%), LPG was reported as back-up fuel for 100% of the institutions surveyed. LPG is perceived as an affordable fuel option by 26.3% of the institutions surveyed. At the household level, LPG-users reported benefits of efficiency (39%); reliability (37%) and cleanliness (27%). While the majority of high-income urban households use electricity for cooking, the majority of low- and medium-income urban households use charcoal for cooking. These results encourage increased investment in development of a nationwide LPG distribution network in Malawi.

Topographic and climatic controls on decadal-scale catchment-basin erosion rates in the northern Chinese Tian Shan

Surface erosion shapes the topography of an active orogenic belt with a rate depending on the time and space scales. Quantifying erosion rates over various temporal and spatial scales is thus crucial for understanding the topographic evolution in active orogenic belts. This work focused on the decadal catchment-basin erosion rate and its controlling factors in the northern Chinese Tian Shan. Nine mountainous catchment basins were selected to quantify the decadal-scale erosion rates from hydrological data measured during the years 1964–2011. The contributions of the suspended load, bed load, and solute load in the river sediment load were first determined. The erosion rate was then calculated for each analyzed catchment basin. The results show that the average rate of catchment-basin erosion is ∼ 0.15 mm yr−1, whereas the rate varies from one catchment basin to the next (the minimum rate of 0.05 mm yr−1 in the Urumqi and the maximum rate of 0.30 mm yr−1 in the Manas). In order to explore the possible effects of climate, topography, lithology, vegetation, and tectonics on catchment-basin erosion, correlation analyses were conducted between these factors and the erosion rate. The results indicate that the catchment-basin erosion rate is more closely correlated with topographic factors (basin area and basin relief) and climatic variables (discharge, run off, run off depth, and mean temperature), indicative of the main controlling of topography and climate on catchment-basin erosion. The erosion rates reported in this work are approximately consistent with the paleo-erosion rate of < 0.5 mm yr−1 over the last 1.5 Myr derived from in situ produced cosmogenic 10Be concentrations in the Kuitun catchment basin in the west part of the range. Such a consistency is likely to imply relatively stable erosion during the late Quaternary in the northern Chinese Tian Shan.

Designing Open Channel Dimension for Imkasu Area West Papua

Gag Nikel Ltd belongs to a Contract of Work located in Gag Island, West Waigeo Islands District, Raja Ampat Regency, West Papua Province. The open pit mining system employed at this company will enter the mining location and therefore, requires a design of open channel for diversing water coming from rainfall, run off, and ground. The rainfall intensity calculated by Mononobe formula obtained 5,994 mm / hour, whereas the catchment area got 0.59 km 2. The total discharge of run off calculated by Rational Formula gained 1867,956 m 3 / hour. Meanwhile, the design of open channel calculated by Manning Formula yielded wet section (A) = 0.668 m 2, base width (b) = 0.714 m, and depth (h) = 0.714 m, surface width (B) = 1.542 m. Box control having the volume 1 m3, length = 1 m, width = 1 m, and height 1 m must be made every 1 kilometer of open channel length. Around the area of open channel, the used tire must be given to reduce the erosion rate flowing into settling pond. All of these are necessary because the open channel is located near the natural channel and we must also consider several regulations such as Presidential Decree and IPPKH adjusted to the technical study that has been designed.

DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND EVALUATION OF RUNOFF WATER HARVESTING POND FOR SMALLHOLDER FARMING

Rainfall shortage and variability constrain crop production of smallholder farmers in Ethiopia is the main problem. For this supplementary irrigation by run off harvesting is strategic pathway to reduce poverty in rural drought prone areas for enhancing agricultural productivity and boosting farm income. For this, this study is conducted to Design, construction and evaluation of runoff water harvesting Pond for supplementary irrigation to addressing inherent crop failures under the rain fed agriculture due to mainly erratic rainfall. For this design climatic and soil data were input to determine seasonal crop water requirement (CWR) of onion and evaporation loss of water from water surface. Then the performances of water harvested verses area irrigate were evaluated. To make this study more economical the water harvester capacity decreed by two fold and water harvesting made at two times. Seasonal volume crop water requirement (CWR) of onion for farm area 2500 m2 and evaporation loss of water from water surface of 121 m2 and total volume of seasonal water need were 382.05,53.38 and 435.43 m3 respectively. The geo-membrane laminated water harvester that has capacity of 223 m3 was designed and constructed. From on field performance shows, this volume of water harvested twice can irrigate 0.25ha by supplementary irrigation using water saving irrigation technology (treadle pump) by over showering and was produced 4.2 tone/ha. The investment, operation and production costs were 63116, 1125 and 6675 ETH birr respectively. The total cost was 70,916 birr and The growth return of 0.25ha was 15,750 birr/year (1050kg*15 birr/kg). This show the farmer can return 22.21% of their investment cost. So it is recommended to the government and non-government to initiate the farmers at lower stream of the catchment to harvest run off water and use for supplementary irrigation to increase their income.