Status Of Water Bodies Research Articles

Towards a holistic and solution-oriented monitoring of chemical status of European water bodies: how to support the EU strategy for a non-toxic environment?

The definition of priority substances (PS) according to the Water Framework Directive (WFD) helped to remove many of these chemicals from the market and to reduce their concentrations in the European water bodies. However, it could not prevent that many of these chemicals have been replaced by others with similar risks. Today, monitoring of the PS-based chemical status according to WFD covers only a tiny fraction of toxic risks, extensively ignores mixture effects and lacks incentives and guidance for abatement. Thus, we suggest complement this purely status-related approach with more holistic and solution-oriented monitoring, which at the same time helps to provide links to the ecological status. Major elements include (1) advanced chemical screening techniques supporting mixture risk assessment and unraveling of source-related patterns in complex mixtures, (2) effect-based monitoring for the detection of groups of chemicals with similar effects and the establishment of toxicity fingerprints, (3) effect-directed analysis of drivers of toxicity and (4) to translate chemical and toxicological fingerprints into chemical footprints for prioritization of management measures. The requirement of more holistic and solution-oriented monitoring of chemical contamination is supported by the significant advancement of appropriate monitoring tools within the last years. Non-target screening technology, effect-based monitoring and basic understanding of mixture assessment are available conceptually and in research but also increasingly find their way into practical monitoring. Substantial progress in the development, evaluation and demonstration of these tools, for example, in the SOLUTIONS project enhanced their acceptability. Further advancement, integration and demonstration, extensive data exchange and closure of remaining knowledge gaps are suggested as high priority research needs for the next future to bridge the gap between insufficient ecological status and cost-efficient abatement measures.

Monte-Carlo methods to assess the uncertainty related to the use of predictive multimetric indices

The publication of the Water Framework Directive by the European commission in 2000 has promoted the development of many multimetric biological indices to assess the ecological status of European waterbodies. These ecological assessments are based on the measurement of deviations between a metric’s (characteristic of assemblages) observed values (obtained by sampling) and a metric’s expected values in the absence of anthropogenic stressors (reference conditions). In addition, the confidence in the ecological status evaluation provided by the different biological indices is required. Numerous sources of uncertainty due to sampling variability or operator bias, for example, are often considered on observed metric values, whereas uncertainty associated with expected metric values are seldom discussed. In this study, we developed a methodology based on Monte-Carlo methods to assess the uncertainty associated with the establishment of reference values for multimetric predictive indices. This was done by randomly generating reference values and propagating the uncertainty throughout the computation of the index. This methodology can be applied to a wide variety of indices as long as it is possible to make assumptions about the statistical distributions of some of the index’s numerical components (e.g. coefficients of the statistical models, metric values). The European Lake Fish Index was used to illustrate the methodology and show how this method can provide valuable information on the confidence in the ecological status defined by the index. These results also revealed that the degree of uncertainty varied between the ecological classes, which were highest for the “Moderate” class and lowest for the “Poor” and “High” classes for the ELFI.

AN ASSESSMENT OF SPATIAL VARIATION OF LAND SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS OF MINNA, NIGER STATE NIGERIA FOR SUSTAINABLE URBANIZATION USING GEOSPATIAL TECHNIQUES

AN ASSESSMENT OF SPATIAL VARIATION OF LAND SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS OF MINNA, NIGER STATE NIGERIA FOR SUSTAINABLE URBANIZATION USING GEOSPATIAL TECHNIQUES

Fish as diet component of Black Stork (Сiconia nigra) in places of its regular feeding

Fish species composition and state of fish populations in places of Black Stork regular feeding on the territory of Rivne Nature Reserve were studied. In total, 13 localities were studied and 8 species of fish belonging to 5 families were found (Scardinius erythrophthalmus, Leucaspius delineates, Gobio gobio, Cyprinus carpio, Misgurnus fossilis, Esox lucius, Perca fluviatilis, Perccottus glenii). The most common among them are Weatherfish and Northern Pike (found at 50% of locations). Also, European Perch and Chinese Sleeper (detected at 30% of locations). Hydrological conditions of water bodies in places of Black Stork foraging are very unstable because of big water level fluctuations, and because of periodical drying out in summer and total freezing in winter. The mentioned reasons cause changes of hydrochemical parameters and, therefore, fluctuations in fish species richness and numbers. Only the most insensitive species can survive – Weatherfish and Chinese Sleeper.

Assessment of trophic status of the northeastern Mediterranean coastal waters: eutrophication classification tools revisited.

The Eastern Mediterranean and its Cilician Basin offshore waters have oligotrophic features with low nutrient concentrations, low primary production, and high water transparency. However, the wide shelf area of the Cilician Basin is subject to contaminated river inflows with enhanced nutrient loads and direct discharges of urban wastewaters of southern Turkey, leading to develop local eutrophic/mesotrophic conditions in the inner sites of Mersin and Iskenderun Bays on the Cilician Basin. For the assessment of changing trophic status of the coastal and the bay water bodies under anthropogenic pressures since the 1980s, five extensive field studies were performed in summer and winter periods of 2014, 2015, and 2016. Physical and eutrophication-related biochemical parameters (salinity, temperature, Secchi Disk Depth, nutrients, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-a) were measured at 65 stations in different water bodies occupying the Northeastern (NE) Mediterranean coastal, offshore areas and bays. The collected data sets were used in scaling the trophic status of the visited water bodies of NE Mediterranean coastal, offshore areas and semi-enclosed bays, using novel classification tools of Trophic Index (TRIX), Eutrophication Index (E.I.), chl-a, and HELCOM Eutrophication Assessment Tool (HEAT), developed by different experts for highly productive seas. These tools, which can successfully classify highly productive coastal water masses under human pressures, and their sensitivities have been tested for scaling of the current trophic status of the NE Mediterranean coastal water bodies being subject to human pressures. The scaling results of classical TRIX, E.I., and chl-a indices in the NE Mediterranean water masses are not sensitive enough to differentiate mesotrophic and eutrophic water bodies because these indices principally assume to have higher concentrations of eutrophication-related parameters in the least effected (reference) water bodies. The HEAT tool, which uses a site-specific "reference value" for each eutrophication-indicator, has allowed us to produce more reliable and sensitive scaling of the current trophic status of the NE Mediterranean shelf areas, even though we used only the "reference values" derived from the composite data sets. The results of the indices were compared with the HEAT tool and the actual status was assessed from observations, indicating revision requirements of the multi-metric classification tools. For this goal, scales of natural (oligotrophic) and anthropogenic (eutrophic) levels of eutrophication indicators should be determined at a sub-basin scale using long-term site-specific observations in the NE Mediterranean. The revised scale ranges of TRIX for oligotrophic, mesotrophic, and eutrophic water bodies of Mersin Bay are in line with ranges of TRIX classification tool proposed for Aegean Sea waters, which can be used to assess trophic status of the entire Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean coastal seas (surface salinity > 37.5) having oligotrophic properties in the offshore waters.

Identifying technical synergy effects for organic micro-pollutants removal

Abstract Processes for the removal of organic micro-pollutants (OMPs) from wastewater treatment plant's (WWTPs) effluents have been tested over decades, and have recently found their way into practice. Operators of WWTPs are confronted with the question of efficiency and the choice of economical process (combination). So far, a systematic approach regarding the selection of the appropriate process (combinations) is missing. There is no information available which technology is best suited for removal of OMPs and other conventional pollutants for good conditions in waterbodies. This study evaluates 52 pilot and full-scale studies regarding their removal efficiencies of various OMPs by advanced processes (adsorption and ozonation) in combination with/without filtration. The results provide a comprehensive picture of the complex state of knowledge and show that technical synergy effects enable the reduction of a wide range of OMP in combination with other conventional parameters, e.g. solids and phosphorous.

Applicability of Earth Observation chlorophyll-a data in assessment of water status via MERIS — With implications for the use of OLCI sensors

Earth Observation (EO) offers spatially and temporally unique data for generating information required under various environmental regulations for assessing the status of surface waters. These requirements, which are laid down in, for example, European Union directives and the Clean Water Act in the United States, share two core elements with respect to status assessments: 1) the status assessment is done using discrete classes, typically for water bodies, sub-areas or critical sites representative for certain area of interest, and 2) phytoplankton chlorophyll a (chl-a) is one of the main variables considered. We analysed the benefits of using chl-a concentrations derived from EO data for the status assessments specified in the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). Our study focused especially on EO observations' ability to capture extreme and transient events (such as instances of cyanobacteria blooms) more frequently than the monitoring-station data conventionally employs. The accuracy of EO-based chl-a assessment was studied for, in all, 129 Finnish water bodies in the area of the Baltic Sea, in Northern Europe. Natural conditions in this coastal area – particularly its multitude of small bays, numerous estuaries, and mosaic of islands – impose exceptionally strict requirements for an EO instrument's spatial resolution. The analysis revealed that an instrument with a 300 m resolution, such as the MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) or Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI), can be used to estimate the water quality in 62% of these water bodies. Processing of MERIS data into chl-a concentrations by means of a FUB inversion model demonstrated good accuracy relative to monitoring stations' measurements for the open-water season in 2003–2011. This extensive dataset showed a 23% difference in modal values between EO- and station-sampling-based chl-a concentrations. The bias in EO chl-a estimates was found to increase with low Secchi disk depth, elevated turbidity, and the presence of intensive phytoplankton blooms. The monitoring-station and EO data showed similar distributions of chl-a observations for a given day and location, a finding that supports the comprehensive use of EO-derived chl-a concentrations in assessment. For determination of a water body's status, the EO data required but also allowed for statistical analysis that differs from what has typically been utilised with sparse measurements from monitoring-station data. The geometric mean or the mode of the EO observations was found to represent the main bulk of the chl-a concentrations well statistically. In contrast, the arithmetic mean of EO observations yields chl-a concentrations that are roughly 1.1–1.6 μg/l higher and hence can lead to over-estimation in the associated status assessment. This paper also presents a new approach applicable for evaluating the validity of EO-based algorithms for any coastal water area requiring assessment. With this quality-grade (QG) method, the EO chl-a estimation accuracy is rated in terms of three grades, with water bodies taken as the evaluation units. For this, the method utilises statistical differences between EO and station-sampling chl-a concentrations and applies background information on optical properties obtained from measurements at routine-monitoring stations. The QG method showed the EO-based chl-a accuracy to suffice for assessing the status of 65% of the coastal water bodies examined. At concentrations representing the threshold for the target of “good status” under the WFD, the EO approach produced 0.6 μg/l higher chl-a values than the stations' sampling did. The MERIS results point to clear benefits of using OLCI-based status assessment throughout the Sentinel-3 era.

Long-term dynamics of flora of karst lakes: Changes and current state

Long-term observations of the rates and pattern of changes in flora and vegetation contribute to understanding of one of the most important contemporary global problems, the eutrophication of water bodies. In this study, using classical floristic methods, we attempt to determine (for a period of almost 80 years) the nature and possible causes of changes in the floristic composition of the lakes of karst origin, Velikoe and Parovoe (Pustinskaya lake-river system, the right bank of Nizhny Novgorod oblast). The paper shows that over a long period of observations a significant transformation of the vegetation cover has occurred in the lakes. The process was accompanied by the disappearance of a number of native species and appearance of others, including adventitious ones (for example, Elodea canadensis Michx., Zizania latifolia (Griseb.) Stapf, Bidens frondosa L. and Epilobium adenocaulon Hausskn.). The weak saturation of the flora with adventive species indicates that the reservoirs are subject to moderate anthropogenic transformation. This is also indicated by the presence of characteristic indicator species, for example, Najas minor All., Glyceria fluitans (L.) R. Br., Hydrocharis morsus-ranae L. and Stratiotes aloides L. in the plant communities. In addition, the studied water bodies are subject to a further increase in the degree of eutrophication. This can be judged by scattered records of Potamogeton trichoides Cham. et Schlecht., the disappearance of a number of species (such as Elatine alsinastrum L. and Callitriche hermaphroditica L.), as well as the presence of a significant number of macrophyte indicators of the eutrophic state of water bodies. We suggest that a gradual increase in the trophicity of the studied water bodies is due to a combination of anthropogenic impact (water withdrawal for economic needs, recreational load), natural and climatic features of the region (alternation of high and low water periods) and the natural succession processes associated with the current fundamental changes in the conditions of the runoff formation in the Volga River basin. As a result of studies conducted by authors in 2014–2015, it has been shown that in general the taxonomic and ecological structures of the flora of both lakes are quite diverse and traditional for the territory and the European part of Russia. Meanwhile, the flora of these two reservoirs insignificantly differs in taxonomic composition, which is due to their individual morphometric characteristics, the physical and chemical properties of the aquatic environment, and the nature of the anthropogenic load. At the same time, the equilibrium balance of coastal and aquatic plants in the flora of Lake Parovoe (in contrast to Lake Velikoe) indicates a degree of successional stability of its floristic complex.

Contaminant dilution measure for the solute transport in an estuary

Abstract The pollution pressures on coastal waters predominantly come from the river freshwater transport and loadings of contaminants into the estuary. This study presents the probabilistic model of the near field solute transport in an estuary based on the spatially integrated concentration statistics. A methodology is presented for quantifying the degree of dilution within the surface layer in terms of expected mass and volume fraction functions as a simple alternative to the point concentration probability density function. The theoretical prediction is experimentally validated using the salinity dilution as an inverse process in the field case of river Žrnovnica near the city of Split. A novel dilution measure is presented as combination of expected mass and volume fraction indicating the area of an estuary where dilution process will attenuate the concentration of a passive contaminant below any selected environmental limits. Introduced dilution measure directly corresponds to different catchment loadings through the river as a hydrological pathway of mass transport and can be used for assessing water quality status for transitional water bodies and to guide future efforts for monitoring potential eutrophication hot-spots in the coastal area.

State of Lake Water Resources in the Russian Arctic Zone

Regions of the Russian Federation classified among Arctic zone estimated to 22% of Russian territory. Arctic is characterized by the richest reserves of natural resources, and its phased, balanced development is the most important strategic task of Russia’s socioeconomic development. Production and household activities of the population of Russia living and working in the far North is associated with difficult climatic and geographical conditions. In this case, the constant cold and consumption of contaminated water can lead to aggravation of various human disease. The Arctic zone of the Russian Federation is characterized by the richness of water resources as rapidly renewable (river runoff and its underground component), and static one to which are assigned the waters of lakes, underground waters, waters (ice) of mountain and polar glaciers. A characteristic feature of water consumption in the Arctic regions is the active use of lake water, which in a number of settlements is the main source of drinking water supply. In this regard, the assessment of the lake’s fund of Arctic zone and its ecological status is extremely topical.According to the assessments, more than 2.5 million water bodies, that is a ~2/3 of all water bodies of the country, are decoded in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation on satellite images. Mainly, these are small water bodies, only about 975 thousand of them exceed 1 ha. The total area of the water surface of Arctic lakes is ~160 thousand km2 (slightly less than a half of the total water surface of all natural water bodies of the Russian Federation), and the total volume of water enclosed in them is ~760 km3.Even in the middle of the 20th century, the lakes of the Russian Arctic, with rare exceptions, were characterized by the highest quality of their waters, but by now the ecological status of many water bodies has deteriorated significantly. The vulnerability of Arctic lakes to pollution is enhanced both by virtue of the peculiarities of their orometry and by the simplicity of the biological communities of northern ecosystems characterized by a low degree of stability. The poor knowledge of Arctic water bodies does not allow taking the necessary preventive measures for their protection and rational use. In this connection, attention to the expansion of works on the integrated study of limnology of water bodies included in the lake fund of the Arctic zone should be paid.An estimation of water resources of lakes of the Arctic zone of Russia, their ecological status and the questions of etiology of diseases on the territories of the Far North are given in this article. The morbidity of the population of the Arctic regions of Russia today is much higher than the national average. Further development of the territory and the observed warming of the climate will lead to increasing pollution of freshwater resources with toxic substances, pathogenic microorganisms and viruses. This will exacerbate the issue of ensuring environmental safety and meeting the needs of the population in quality drinking water. The situation is further aggravated by the fact that the most affordable technologies for water treatment and wastewater treatment in conditions of low temperatures and high content of humic substances in the initial water cannot ensure the proper level of disinfection. In this regard, one of the topical issues is the creation of innovative technologies for water purification that are more adequate to the conditions of the Arctic zone of Russia.

Biological control of the invasive snail species Melanoides tuberculata and Tarebia granifera in Zaporizka Nuclear Power Plant cooling pond

Abundance and biomass of the invasive thiarid snails such as Melanoides tuberculata (Muller, 1774) and Tarebia granifera (Lamarck, 1822) were studied in conditions of the cooling pond of Zaporizka NPP (Nuclear Power Plant) in autumn, 2017. The total biomass of M. tuberculata and T. granifera averaged 12.39 g/m 2 in the cooling pond and 177.69 g/m 2 in the upstream channel. In order to resolve the problem of snail foulings, an attempt was undertaken by means of introduction of such snail-feeding predatory species as black carp, Mylopharyngodon piceus (Richardson, 1846) and Anentome helena (von dem Busch, 1847). As shown by the aquarium experiment, the level of thiarids consumption by the hostile snail declines in the presence of tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters, 1852) living in Zaporizka NPP’ сooling pond, as its fecal pellets are the additional food for A. helena . Taking into account the literature data, results of the model experiment and especial conditions of constructions and water bodies within the thermal structure of NPP, the introduction of the A. helena snail was proposed for biological control of the invasive species ( M. tuberculata and T. granifera ) primarily inside of pipes, and the fish predatory species was preferably provided for the cooling pond and upstream channel of Zaporizka Nuclear Power Plant.

Multiple stressor effects on biological quality elements in the Ebro River: Present diagnosis and predicted responses

Multiple abiotic stressors affect the ecological status of water bodies. The status of waterbodies in the Ebro catchment (NE Spain) is evaluated using the biological quality elements (BQEs) of diatoms, invertebrates and macrophytes. The multi-stressor influence on the three BQEs was evaluated using the monitoring dataset available from the catchment water authority. Nutrient concentrations, especially total phosphorus (TP), affected most of the analyzed BQEs, while changes in mean discharge, water temperature, or river morphology did not show significant influences. Linear statistical models were used to evaluate the change of water bodies' ecological status under different combinations of future socioeconomic and climate scenarios. Changes in land use, rainfall, water temperature, mean discharge, TP and nitrate concentrations were modeled according to the future scenarios. These revealed an evolution of the abiotic stressors that could lead to a general decrease in the ecosystem quality of water bodies within the Ebro catchment. This deterioration was especially evidenced on the diatoms and invertebrate biological indices, mainly because of the foreseen increase in TP concentrations. Water bodies located in the headwaters were seen as the most sensitive to future changes.

An estimation of tropospheric corrections using GPS and synoptic data: Improving Urmia Lake water level time series from Jason-2 and SARAL/AltiKa satellite altimetry

Tropospheric correction is one of the most important corrections in satellite altimetry measurements. Tropospheric wet and dry path delays have strong dependence on temperature, pressure and humidity. Tropospheric layer has particularly high variability over coastal regions due to humidity, wind and temperature gradients. Depending on the extent of water body and wind conditions over an inland water, Wet Tropospheric Correction (WTC) is within the ranges from a few centimeters to tens of centimeters. Therefore, an extra care is needed to estimate tropospheric corrections on the altimetric measurements over inland waters. This study assesses the role of tropospheric correction on the altimetric measurements over the Urmia Lake in Iran. For this purpose, four types of tropospheric corrections have been used: (i) microwave radiometer (MWR) observations, (ii) tropospheric corrections computed from meteorological models, (iii) GPS observations and (iv) synoptic station data. They have been applied to Jason-2 track no. 133 and SARAL/AltiKa track no. 741 and 356 corresponding to 117–153 and the 23–34 cycles, respectively. In addition, the corresponding measurements of PISTACH and PEACHI, include new retracking method and an innovative wet tropospheric correction, have also been used. Our results show that GPS observation leads to the most accurate tropospheric correction. The results obtained from the PISTACH and PEACHI projects confirm those obtained with the standard SGDR, i.e., the role of GPS in improving the tropospheric corrections. It is inferred that the MWR data from Jason-2 mission is appropriate for the tropospheric corrections, however the SARAL/AltiKa one is not proper because Jason-2 possesses an enhanced WTC near the coast. Furthermore, virtual stations are defined for assessment of the results in terms of time series of Water Level Height (WLH). The results show that GPS tropospheric corrections lead to the most accurate WLH estimation for the selected virtual stations, which improves the accuracy of the obtained WLH time series by about 5%.

Dying Traditional Water Bodies in India Struggling to Survive against Unplanned Development

India is endowed with diverse and distinctive traditional water bodies. They support large human population and biodiversity but are under continuous stress, caused primarily by demographic pressure and unplanned growth. There has been a decline in their water quality and quantity and several of them have vanished, thanks to improper monitoring of these water bodies. This research study was conducted in Meerut district to help government in identifying status of traditional water bodies and suggest steps necessary for protection of these water bodies. Similar research framework, with minor customization, could be applied to any other district in India. Meerut district, with a population of around 3.5 million people is in an abysmal state as the rivers and groundwater are highly polluted. The last resort—the traditional water bodies are also getting transformed into sewage ponds. A field based research was undertaken—which involved on-ground survey using GPS, GIS mapping & water quality testing of 120 ponds, distributed across 12 blocks of Meerut district to acquire a practical understanding of the status of these water bodies. The research team also did an informal discussion with around 500 residents, located nearby ponds, to understand the water situation of the locality. Results show that more than 50% of water bodies are severely polluted (with D.O below 5mg/l) and total dissolved solids (more than 100 NTU). Fecal contamination was observed in all the ponds that were analyzed. The major problems are excessive nutrient pollution, leading to eutrophication, and sewage contamination. The spatial analysis finds out that around half the ponds have reduced in area. With around 100 upcoming cities in India and most of the cities already experiencing water scarcity, it is essential to digitize, monitor, control & prevent pollution and most essentially make the people and grassroots institutions aware in order to protect these essential water bodies from getting extinct.

Loon Nest Viability Model: A Performance Indicator for Improving Water-Level Regulation of Large Water Bodies

Rule curves dictating target water levels for management have been implemented in several water bodies in North America over the last 70 years or more. Anthropogenic alterations of water levels are known to affect several components of wetland ecosystems. Evaluating the influence of rule curves on biological components with simple performance indicators could help harmonize water level management with wetland integrity. We assessed the potential of using the probability of common loon nest viability as a performance indicator of long-term impacts of rule curves on nesting wetland birds. We analyzed the outcome of rule curves on the probability of loon nest viability in Rainy Lake and Namakan Reservoir, 2 regulated water bodies located along the Ontario-Minnesota border. The analysis was focused on 4 hydrological time series between 1950 and 2013: 2 sets of time series simulating rule curves used to manage the water bodies in the past decades (referred to as the 1970RC and 2000RC), one of the historical measured water levels, and one of computed natural water levels. The probability of loon nest viability under the 1970RC was 2× higher than under natural conditions in both water bodies. The probability was also 2× higher under the 2000RC than under the 1970RC in the Namakan Reservoir but not in Rainy Lake. The rule curves generally improved conditions for nesting loons in both water bodies. The presented performance indicator can be used to evaluate future rule curves before they are implemented in the Rainy-Namakan or other similar systems.

Performance Evaluation of Two ANFIS Models for Predicting Water Quality Index of River Satluj (India)

Water quality index is the most convenient way of communicating water quality status of water bodies, but its evaluation requires subjectivity in terms of user involvement and dealing with uncertainty. Recently, artificial intelligence algorithms that are appropriate for nonlinear forecasting and also dealing with uncertainties have been applied to various domains of water quality forecasting. This paper focuses on development of a data-driven adaptive neurofuzzy system for the water quality index using a real data set obtained from eight different monitoring stations across River Satluj in northern India. Novelty in the paper lies in the estimation of water quality index using two different clustering techniques: fuzzy C-means and subtractive clustering-based ANFIS and assessing their predictive accuracy. Each model was used to train, validate, and test the index that was obtained from seven water quality parameters including pH, conductivity, chlorides, nitrates, ammonia, and fecal coliforms. The models were evaluated on the basis of statistical performance criteria. Based on the evaluations, it was found that the SC-ANFIS method gave more accurate result as compared to the FCM-ANFIS. The tested model, SC-ANFIS model, was further used to identify those sensitive parameters across various monitoring stations that were capable of causing change in the existing water quality index value.

The Influence of Tax Rates for the Groundwater Extraction to the Ecological Status of Water Bodies in the EU Countries

Purpose. To analyze the relationship between the ecological status of water bodies and the size of the tax rate for groundwater extraction. Methods. A complex of general scientific methods of research was used. In particular, a comparative analysis of the level of tax rates for the extraction of groundwater in the EU member states. Results. A comparative analysis of the level of tax rates for groundwater extraction in the EU member states has been made.The issue of allocating state income from rent payments for groundwater extraction has been investigated. It has been established that the cost of rent payments from groundwater extraction is usually attributed to: general taxation (Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany), water resources management (France), fund for the protection and restoration of groundwater (Belgium, Germany), expenditure on water resources (provinces in the Netherlands, Australia).The modern ecological status of water objects of EU countries has been studied. It has been established that rent payments for groundwater extraction in the EU member states vary considerably. The smallest are observed in the post-Soviet area (Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania). The highest tax, among the countries under study, in Denmark. Denmark is leading the quality indicators of underground and surface waters. 70-90% of water bodies in Denmark have a good ecological status.Conclusions.It has been practically proved that the high tax rate for the extraction of groundwater does not solve environmental problems. The experience of European countries shows that the improvement of the ecological status of water objects is possible by budget allocations from the extraction of groundwater to the management and protection of water resources.

Subfossil chironomid head capsules reveal assemblage differences in permanent and temporary wetlands of south-eastern Australia

Subfossil chironomid head capsules have been used extensively as proxies to characterise past environmental conditions of waterbodies. To date, their potential to distinguish between temporary and permanent waterbodies has not been determined. This study set out to assess if subfossil chironomid head capsules could be used to distinguish between temporary and permanent floodplain wetlands from the Ovens River, south-eastern Australia. Twenty-six taxa were collected in both wetland types: one taxon (Paracladopelma spp.) was found exclusively in permanent wetlands; and five taxa (Cladopelma spp., Cryptochironomus spp., Microchironomus spp., Microtendipes spp. and Cricotopus spp.) were found exclusively in temporary wetlands. The overall concentrations of chironomid head capsules were greater in permanent than temporary wetlands. Furthermore, eight taxa were found in significantly higher concentrations in permanent than temporary wetlands but, apart from the unique taxa, the concentrations of no other taxa were significantly greater in the temporary than permanent wetlands. The temporary and permanent wetlands had distinct chironomid assemblages, as evidenced by the abundance and presence/absence data. This study highlights the importance of heterogeneity in the environment to maintain chironomid diversity and suggests that chironomid subfossils have the potential to be useful in palaeoecological studies aiming to reconstruct past changes in hydrology.

Ecological condition of the small rivers Ik and Syun in the Sharansky District of the Republic of Bashkortostan

Currently the negative impact of man on aquatic ecosystems is very noticeable. This, in the final analysis, was reflected in the change in the hydrological regime of rivers and lakes. Environmental conditions in many water bodies deteriorated sharply. There are also acute exacerbations of water management situations, deterioration of water use conditions due to the lack of scientifically based principles of nature management in the catchment area, and quantitative and qualitative depletion of water resources due to the combined impact of various sectors of the national economy The ecological state of water bodies largely depends on external influences, the magnitude of which should not exceed the permissible limits. In this case, the ecosystem maintains its stability. The paper deals with the assessment of the ecological state of rivers and their resistance to polluting effects, in particular, an assessment of the quality of the water of the Ik and Syun rivers in the Sharansky District of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Physico-chemical and organoleptic analyses of the rivers have been carried out. The research was conducted in September-May 2016-2017. The analysis of the water was carried out in the analytical laboratories of the Tuimazy inter-district branch of the FBU Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Republic of Bashkortostan. The water quality in the river was estimated using the Mayer index.

Pesticides in agricultural headwater streams in southwestern Germany and effects on macroinvertebrate populations

Pesticides are a major burden for stream ecosystems in the central European cultivated landscape. The objective of the present study was to investigate the applicability of ecological indicator methods in relation to toxicity of pesticides under the specific hydro-morphological conditions in small water bodies. Thus, an association of toxicity evaluating methods with different ecological indicators was to be attempted. Based on three random samples taken within the 2016 vegetation period, 23 headwater areas in the Saarland were investigated to test for pesticides and their metabolites. The macroinvertebrate population was also surveyed in 16 of these streams. Evidence was found of 41 substances in total. Most dominant substances include atrazine, isoproturone, quinmerac and tebuconazol as well as metabolites of dimethenamid, chloridazon and metazachlor. At 9 of the 23 sampling points, over 10 plant protection products and metabolites were found. Only 17% of the water bodies investigated contained fewer than 5 substances. Around half of the bodies of water investigated show noticeably high concentrations of metabolites of plant protection products. Maximum concentrations exceeding environmental quality standards or the Health-oriented Guideline Values were measured for 13 substances at individual sampling points.Analysis of the biological data for only 4 of the water bodies investigated resulted in the Ecological Status Class (ESC) “good”. All others fell short of the quality target, although they were classified as “good” or “very good” according to the Saprobic index. SPEARpesticides as a measurement of the sensitivity of the biocoenosis to pesticides shows their influence in a few water bodies. Likewise, high toxic unit values have also been calculated, indicating the presence of toxic substances at relevant concentrations. However, an actual correlation between SPEARpesticides and toxic unit could not be derived. Clearly in these very headwater streams other habitat-determining hydromorphological factors overlay the toxic impact of pesticides.