Suspended Matter Concentration Research Articles

Three decades of change in the Skagerrak coastal ecosystem, shaped by eutrophication and coastal darkening

Global coastal ecosystems are under accelerating pressure from human activities and climate change. In this study we explore a long-term time series (mostly 1990–2016) from major Norwegian rivers, together with coastal time series from the Norwegian Skagerrak coast. The aims are to: 1) test long-term trends in riverine loadings to Skagerrak, changes in coastal water quality and pelagic and benthic species composition, and 2) to describe the relationships between human drivers (eutrophication and coastal darkening) and community structure of benthic communities. Riverine discharge and transport increased by 23–85% over the time period, corresponding to a 40–78% increase in concentrations of suspended particulate material in coastal waters and reduced surface salinity, connected to the reported coastal darkening of coastal waters. There was a worsening in ecological status for hard-bottom benthic communities (0–30 m) and a reduction in the lower growth depth limit of several macroalgae species. A structural shift in the community composition from macroalgae to increased abundance of animals was found to be related to increased coastal darkening and reduced eutrophication. The concentration of coastal inorganic nutrients (DIN, PO4) declined by 27–36%, in response to management efforts to reduce eutrophication in European regional seas. Results indicate that reduced eutrophication was related to increased ecological status of the deep soft-bottom community (350 m), with a reduction in opportunistic polychaetes and an increase in filter feeding bivalves. This work highlights how climate change and other human-induced changes in a boreal ecosystem intensifies land-ocean interactions, and calls for more adaptive monitoring, where traditional water quality programs and policies evolve iteratively as new information emerges and the major drivers of the systems change.

Effects of suspended particles in the Jinjiang River Estuary on the physiological and biochemical characteristics of Microcystis flos-aquae.

The effects of different concentrations (100, 150, 200, 250mg/L) and different particle sizes (0-75μm, 75-120μm, 120-150μm, 150-500μm) on the soluble protein content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, chlorophyll a (Chla) content, and photosynthetic parameters of Microcystis flos-aquae were studied, and the mechanism of the effect of suspended particulate matter on the physiology and biochemistry of Microcystis flos-aquae was discussed. The results showed that the soluble protein content of Microcystis flos-aquae did not change noticeably after being stressed by suspended particles of different concentrations/diameters. The SOD activity of Microcystis flos-aquae first increased and then decreased with increasing suspended particulate matter concentrations. The SOD activity of Microcystis flos-aquae reached 28.03 U/mL when the concentration of suspended particulate matter was 100mg/L. The CAT activity of Microcystis flos-aquae increased with increasing concentrations of suspended particles and reached a maximum value of 12.45 U/mg prot in the 250mg/L concentration group, showing a certain dose effect. Small particles had a more significant effect on SOD, CAT, and MDA in Microcystis flos-aquae than large particles. The larger the concentration was and the smaller the particle size was, the stronger the attenuation of light and the lower the content of Chla. Both the maximum quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm) and the potential photosynthetic activity of PSII (Fv/F0) of Microcystis flos-aquae increased at first and then decreased under different concentrations/sizes of suspended particles. The relative electron transfer rate gradually returned to a normal level over time. There was no significant difference in the initial slope (α) value between the treatment group and the control group, and the maximum photo synthetic rate (ETRmax) and the semilight saturation (Ik) decreased.

Preliminary examination of influence of Chlorophyll, Total Suspended Material, and Turbidity on Satellite Derived-Bathymetry estimation in coastal turbid water

The satellite-Derived Bathymetry (SDB) has been researched for almost the past five decades, but the application of SDB for operational use is still in its initial stages. The higher concentration of suspended material is a major barrier in assessing bathymetry accurately with remote sensing data. The influence of various optically active substances (OAS) needs to be quantified to develop a more robust SDB algorithm. The goal of the study is to improve the accuracy of SDB by understanding the spatial distribution of Chlorophyll (Chl), Total Suspended Material (TSM), and Turbidity in coastal water. A preliminary investigation using the numerical analysis between Landsat-7 & 8 spectral bands, OAS parameters, and bathymetry is presented in this paper. SDB has been derived using three machine learning algorithms; Linear, Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Machine (SVM) Regression. The resulting SDB residuals have been analyzed in relation to Chlorophyll, Turbidity, and TSM in coastal seawater. The study found that most of the erroneous SDB residuals and extreme values were distributed in high or medium concentrated OAS regions. The result of the study may further enhance SDB estimation accuracy by considering the influence of the above three OAS in coastal waters.

Heavy Metals and Metalloids in Water and Bottom Sediments in the Rivers in the Can Gio Biospheric Reserve, Vietnam

Chemoecological studies were carried out in the water areas of the Kagau and Longtau rivers in the Can Gio Biosphere Reserve (Vietnam). Mass-spectrometry analysis was used to determine the concentrations of 15 microelements (heavy metals and metalloids) in water and bottom sediments. The overall pollution level in the Can Gio rivers was found to be moderate. However, the concentrations of some heavy metals in several cases exceeded the maximum permissible concentration at short-time exposure; also, the limits of safe concentrations at chronic exposure were exceeded for some elements. The concentrations of some heavy elements amount to 30 to 80% of the MPC for water bodies used for fishery. Primarily, these are copper, zinc, arsenic, vanadium, iron, and molybdenum. It was found that, according to the Regulations of Vietnam, the waters of the examined water areas showed concentrations of suspended matter in excess of the standards for category A1 sources, and the concentration of dissolved oxygen in water was below the standard. The obtained results suggest the need to monitor the chemical–ecological conditions of rivers in Can Gio as protected natural objects, which are also used to some extent for social and economic purposes.

Gas Flaring, and Its Environmental Impact in Ekpan Community, Delta State, Nigeria

In the Ekpan settlement of the Uvwie local government area, Delta state, Nigeria, a study on gas flaring and its effects on the environment was carried out. It was found that hazardous gases have been released into the environment because of air pollution caused by the combustion of methane and other hazardous flue gases during the manufacturing and processing of hydrocarbons. Industrial flue gas flare-ups cause several problems and are harmful to public health and the environment. This study investigated the pH of rainwater, as well as air pollutants (NO₂, SO₂, CO₂, CO, and suspended particle matter). During the dry and wet seasons, samples of air and rainwater were collected at different distances around exposure sites, and they were then examined using established techniques for the air contaminants. Descriptive statistical tools such as mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the variance and degree of effect of pollutants. The obtained results showed that the mean CO₂ concentrations in the dry and wet seasons were, respectively, 0.036 ppm and 0.26 ppm and that the pH of rainwater in the wet season was 6.82, both of which were within the safe limits, indicating that there were little to no negative effects on the environment. However, the average concentrations of suspended particulate matter in dry and wet seasons respectively were 7.92 mg/m₃ and 5.95 mg/m3, NO₂ was 0.15ppm and 0.10ppm, SO₂ was 0.72ppm and 0.10ppm, CO was 11.20ppm and 10.24ppm, and CO₂ 0.036ppm and 0.26ppm. The pH of rainwater was 6.02 for the dry season which exceeded the acceptable ambient air limits set by the DPR (2002) and FMENV (1991), while during the wet season, the pH was 6.82. This study suggested that the activity of continuous gas flaring is one of the main causes of high concentrations of these air pollutants within the examined community. The findings further suggested that the numerous environmental, socioeconomic, and political issues within Epkan were linked to the effects of gas flaring. This study suggests that the challenges caused by gas flares for the Ekpan community are good enough grounds to stop the practice of gas flaring in the area and the government needs to enact strict legislation with penalties for defaulters. The study finally recommended that flared gas could be refined and reused.

Simulation Study on the Optimisation of Replenishment of Landscape Water with Reclaimed Water Based on Transparency.

Water-scarce cities have fewer surface water (SW) resources available for ecological use, causing landscape water to deteriorate due to water shortage and fail to perform their intended landscape functions. As a result, many cities use reclaimed water (RW) to replenish them. However, this could cause concern among the people, as RW usually has higher nutrient concentrations, which may stimulate algae growth and deteriorate the aesthetic senses of the receiving water bodies. In order to assess the feasibility of using RW for this purpose, this study used Xingqing Lake in Northwest China as insight into the effect of RW replenishment on the visual landscape quality of urban landscape water. Water transparency (measured by SD) is used as an intuitive indicator to reflect the comprehensive influence of suspended solids and algae growth on the water's aesthetic quality. Scenario analyses were carried out after calibrating and validating one-year data in MIKE 3 software with both SD and algae growth calculations, and the results showed that the low concentration of suspended matter in RW could compensate for the decrease in SD due to algal blooms caused by high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, and the effect on SD is especially pronounced under conditions that are not conducive to algal growth, such as good flow conditions and low temperature. In addition, to meet a SD ≥ 70 mm, the total water inflow required can be significantly reduced with the optimal application of RW. It is also indicated that partial or complete utilization of RW to replace SW for replenishing the landscape water could be feasible from the viewpoint of landscape quality, at least for the landscape water investigated in this study. This can provide a method for the improvement to urban water management practices by using RW for replenishment in water-scarce cities.

Sample based water quality monitoring of coastal seas: How significant is the information loss in patchy time series compared to continuous ones?

The high temporal and spatial variability of tidal dominated coastal areas poses a challenge for characterising water quality. Water quality monitoring relies often on information collected by water sampling from a vessel or by satellites, and covers limited time periods and therefore limited tidal and meteorological conditions. To assess the loss of information from discrete sampling, continuous time series of one year (suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration, SPM flux and Chlorophyll a (Chl) concentration) were used. Eight different schemes of sampling into these time series were applied that are typical for many monitoring programs. They differ in the time between sampling events (synodic or half-synodic) and the duration of the sampling (tidal cycle, half a tidal cycle, one or more samples). The information loss was quantified by applying a bootstrap method to calculate the mean and standard deviation over the considered period. These were then compared with the true mean calculated from the continuous series. The probability to match the true mean within a certain margin depends on the sampling period and the season, but it is always low, especially if the allowed uncertainty is stringent (e.g., ±2.5 % about the true mean). For the SPM concentration this probability is lower than 10 % and for Chl concentration lower than 20 %. Similarly, conclusions arise for the detection of trends in a 20 year time series of SPM concentration with an artificial yearly increase of 0.5 %. None of the sampling schemes was able to assess statistical significant interannual trends with probabilities above 60 %. Further, the significant trends overestimated the increase by a factor 2 to 8. Here, present modus operandi is thus inadequate for basic trend detection, but may be acceptable for the more marine, lower turbid areas where higher probabilities were obtained in this study.

Spatiotemporal variations and the ecological risks of organophosphate esters in Laizhou Bay waters between 2019 and 2021: Implying the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are a group of synthetic chemicals used in numerous consumer products such as plastics and furniture. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic significantly slowed anthropogenic activities and reduced the emissions of pollutants. Meanwhile, the mismanagement of large quantities of disposable plastic facemasks intensified the problems of plastic pollution and leachable pollutants in coastal waters. In this study, the joint effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on the occurrence of 12 targeted OPEs in the waters of Laizhou Bay (LZB) were investigated. The results showed that the median total OPE concentrations were 725, 363, and 109 ng L−1 in the sewage treatment plant effluent, river water, and bay water in 2021, decreased significantly (p < 0.05) by 67%, 68%, and 70%, respectively, compared with those before the COVID-19 outbreak. The release potential of targeted OPEs from disposable surgical masks in the LZB area was ∼0.24 kg yr−1, which was insufficient to increase the OPE concentration in the LZB waters. The concentrations of most individual OPEs significantly decreased in LZB waters from 2019 to 2021, except for TBOEP and TNBP. Spatially, a lower concentration of OPEs was found in the Yellow River estuary area in 2021 compared with that before the COVID-19 pandemic due to the high content of suspended particulate matter in the YR. A higher total OPE concentration was observed along the northeastern coast of LZB, mainly owing to the construction of an artificial island since 2020. The ecological risks of the OPE mixture in LZB waters were lower than those before the COVID-19 outbreak. However, TCEP, TNBP, and BDP should receive continuous attention because of their potential ecological risks to aquatic organisms.

Lake stratification in the Brazilian Amazon: Types and the first description of permanent meromixia

An investigation into the physical and chemical stratification processes of the waters of 45 lakes in Central Amazonian was carried out, based on data from 1995 to 2022. Stratification profile and behavior; partial and total circulation trends; seasonality; classification and typology of the lakes of the Amazon plain were considered. The purpose of this study was to identify the limnological, hydrological and geomorphological factors most relevant to the stratification processes. Monitoring data were obtained from daily and seasonal samplings. Among the analyzed parameters are temperature; density; transparency; euphotic zone; attenuation coefficient; incident and refracted radiation profile; dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, salinity, suspended material and turbidity concentrations; climatic and hydrological factors; level of protection of the shores; topography of shore and bottom; shape and geometric pattern of lakes. PCA, Cluster and Pearson's analysis and numerical models were applied to the results. Lakes with total circulation patterns, multiple layered circulations, varying degrees of polymixy, and lakes with seasonal and permanent meromixy were identified. The concentration of total solids, depth, morphometry, intensity of the refracted radiation and the action of the winds were the factors considered preponderant for the identification of the stratification processes. Hydrological models were established based on the classification and typology of the lakes studied. The simulation results allowed the following conclusions: a) coefficients t1 and t2 < 0 suggest increase; b) 0< t1 and t2 < 1 is equivalent to a curve with linear trend; c) t1 and t2 > 1 is equivalent to a curve with a tendency to stratification; d) the higher the numerical value of t1,2, means resistant stratification (permanent meromixia).

Evaluation of Eutrophication in Jiaozhou Bay via Water Color Parameters Determination with UAV-Borne Hyperspectral Imagery

The continued increase in greenhouse gas emissions as a result of unprecedented eutrophication has resulted in a rising trend of red tides in the sea, which may be responsible for ecological degradation in the surrounding environment. Studies rarely investigate the accurate concentration of seawater eutrophication substances in offshore aquaculture areas, which may lead to the exacerbated pollution of inshore aquaculture. We examined whether offshore seawater quality monitoring can be effectively performed through unmanned aerial vehicles’ (UAVs) airborne hyperspectral remote sensing technique at Jiaozhou Bay, a water body associated with eutrophication. We used the UAV airborne hyperspectral imager to detect and measure typical marine aquaculture areas in Jiaozhou Bay and selected the key parameters of seawater quality, chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentrations, and total suspended matter (TSM) concentrations as indicators of seawater eutrophication. The hyperspectral inversion model of the Jiaozhou Bay seawater (JZBZ) was established with the optimal sensitive band of parameters. Results showed that in comparison with the traditional inversion model, the inversion R2 of the Chl-a was 0.712, the RPD was 3.72, and the inversion R2 of the TSM concentration was 0.756 while the RPD was 5.83. We found that this model is more suitable for the retrieval of water color parameters in Jiaozhou Bay. Additionally, by actual measurement, it can be seen that the concentration ranges of Chl-a in the observation area are 0.380–1.74 mg/m3, and the concentration range of TSM is 12.6–131 mg/L. The results of this study indicate that the Jiaozhou Bay Water Quality Translation Model (JZBM), based on the UAV airborne hyperspectral imager, performs well in the inversion of the concentration of chlorophyll and suspended particulate matter in offshore water, which advances our understanding with a new method to assess the degree of eutrophication in coastal waters.

The Impact of Public Policy Measures during the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Characteristics of Urban Wastewater in the Republic of Serbia

The change in the way of life caused by the introduction of social restriction measures (closures, the restriction of working hours, and restriction of movement) by governments and thus, the resulting changes in people’s behavior, have affected all aspects of life, i.e., social activities, business, the environment and the performance of the infrastructure of the water supply system. Social distancing policies around the world in response to the pandemic have led to spatio-temporal variations in water consumption and therefore, to changes in the flow of wastewater, creating potential problems in the infrastructure, operation and quality of services. The goal of this work was to examine how these changes and how the pandemic itself affected the characteristics of municipal wastewater. Data on the quantity and quality of municipal wastewater in four settlements of different sizes in the Republic of Serbia in the period from 2015 to 2022 were collected. The data indicated an increase in the amount of wastewater generated in 2020, which may be a consequence of excessive water use. An increase in the mean concentrations of most parameters in 2020 compared to the previous five-year average was also observed. The most significant changes were observed concerning the concentrations of organic matter (2–124%), nitrogen (6–80%), phosphorus (14–91%), suspended matter (8–308%), fats and oils (97–218%) and surfactants (12–110%). Changes in terms of increasing concentrations were also noticed after the peak of the pandemic, i.e., in the period from 2021 to 2022. In addition, an increase in the COD/BOD ratio from around 2 to around 4 in the year 2020 was also observed (COD—Chemical Oxygen Demand; BOD—Biological Oxygen Demand). This is very important and should be taken into account in wastewater treatment procedures in order to achieve high efficiency in the operation of the plant itself.

COVID-19 Lockdown Pandemic Period Effects in Highly Impacted Aquatic Ecosystems.

Human activities severely affect aquatic ecosystems: the lockdown restrictions due to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) have proved that reducing anthropogenic activities can positively influence the environment and mitigate atmospheric pollution. In addition, studies on aquatic ecosystems have highlighted the decrease in suspended matter and pollutant concentrations associated with reduced marine transport and industrial activities. We evaluated the effects of the reduction of anthropogenic activities in highly impacted water ecosystems. Three of the sampling sites were on the Tiber River's lower stretch close to the urban area of Rome (Italy), and the other two were transitional waters located in the southern Latium region coastal area. These sampling sites have been studied by our research group for at least 20 years. The present study involved analysis of chemical and physicochemical parameters, biological communities, and land use. Microbiological fecal indicators and Salmonella spp. were also analyzed. There were two sampling campaigns, the first one in May 2020 (ID II) at the end of lockdown measures, and the second one a year later, in June 2021 (ID III). The data were compared with our old data, collected from 2002 to 2015 (ID I), to evaluate the potential effects of the restrictive measures. Biotic communities were dominated by pollution-tolerant taxa, indicating eutrophication and organic pollution. Furthermore, the high concentrations of microbiological indicators was mainly due to sewage from the urban area. The results of the research indicated no significant changes from past years (ID I) to 2020 (ID II) and 2021 (ID III). In conclusion, the restrictions adopted in Italy during the pandemic period were not sufficient to mitigate the heavy pressure of urbanization and agriculture that have long affected the studied aquatic ecosystems. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:966-977. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

SPATIO-TEMPORAL CHARACTERIZATION OF MANILA BAY USING OPTICAL WATER TYPE AND WATER QUALITY MAPPING USING SENTINEL-3 OLCI IMAGES

Abstract. Optical water type (OWT) classification provides a way to delineate surface waters according to spectral properties caused by optically active constituents. This classification is useful in mapping out spatial variability and describing changes in water quality over time as it uses inherent optical properties to discriminate areas of a water body. We used Sentinel-3 OLCI images from July 2017 to December 2020 to classify OWT in Manila Bay and to generate chlorophyll-a and total suspended matter (TSM) concentration layers using C2RCC algorithm. Nine coastal OWT classes for Manila Bay having consistent presence and spatial distribution seasonally were identified. The most dominant class, OWT 6, (3.50 µg/cm3 chlorophyll-a; 4.93 g/m3 TSM) was concentrated around the central area of the bay, covering as much as 79% of it. Chlorophyll-a and TSM concentrations were higher in the nearshore areas and were decreasing offshore. The class with the second highest concentrations, OWT 7, (9.11 µg/cm3 chlorophyll-a; 26.80 g/m3 TSM) were found near river outlets, where high nutrient and sediment loadings coming from the watershed enter the bay. Lowest concentrations (0.26–0.70 µg/cm3 chlorophyll-a; 0.64–1.10 g/m3 TSM) were found in OWT 1, OWT 2, and OWT 3, all located farthest from the shore, such as the mouth of the bay leading to the open sea. Validation using in situ observations showed that C2RCC produced relatively good estimates for chlorophyll-a concentrations of up to 12 µg/cm3 (RMSE=1.71 µg/cm3). No conclusion was drawn for TSM due to insufficient data.

Seasonal Variations of Mineralogical and Chemical Composition of Particulate Matter in a Large Boreal River and Its Tributaries

Despite the importance of river suspended matter (RSM) for carbon, nutrient, and trace metal transfer from the land to the ocean, the mineralogical control on major and trace element speciation in the RSM remains poorly constrained. To gain a better understanding of environmental and seasonal factors controlling the mineral and chemical composition of riverine suspended load, we studied, over several hydrological seasons, including winter baseflow, the RSM of a large boreal river in Western Siberia (Ob in its middle course) and its two small tributaries. The concentration of RSM increased from 2–18 mg/L in winter to 15–105 mg L−1 during the spring flood. Among the dominant mineral phases of the RSM in the Ob River, quartz (20–40%), albite (4–18%), smectite (2–14%), and chlorite (6–16%) increased their relative proportions with an increase in discharge in the order “winter ≤ summer &lt; spring flood”; illite (5–15%) was not affected by seasons or discharge, whereas the abundance of calcite (0–30%) decreased with discharge, from winter to summer and spring. Seasonal variation of elemental composition of the Ob River’s RSM allowed distinguishing three main groups of elements. Sodium, K, Si, Al, trivalent, and tetravalent hydrolysates increased their concentrations in the RSM with an increase in discharge, reflecting enhanced contribution of lithogenic material during high flow, whereas the concentration of alkaline-earth metals (Ca, Sr, Ba), P, Mn, and As decreased with discharge, reflecting accumulation of these elements in the suspended matter under ice. At the same time, a number of nutrients and trace elements demonstrated progressive accumulation in the RSM during winter (Ca, P, Cu, Zn, Mo, As, Cd, Sb). Micronutrients (V, Co), Fe, and Cr exhibited a minimum during summer, which could reflect both the uptake of these elements by the biota during baseflow (micronutrients) and their enhanced export during winter and spring compared to summer (Fe). The RSM of small tributaries demonstrated quite a different pattern compared to the Ob River main stem. Maximal concentration of suspended matter was observed at low discharges during the winter. During this period, the RSM was dominated by amorphous Fe hydroxides. Overall, the obtained results confirm the overwhelming impact of peatlands on element export in suspended form in small rivers of Western Siberia, and strong seasonal variations of both mineralogy and chemistry of the RSM in the Ob River main stem. Elemental yields (watershed-normalized export), assessed for the first time for the middle course of the Ob River and tributaries, were shifted towards the more important role of particulate vs. dissolved export for a number of trace elements, compared to that of the small and medium-sized rivers of Western Siberia, draining the taiga forest and peatlands of the boreal zone. The contrasting pattern of RSM chemical composition across the year demonstrated the importance of seasonal approach for sampling river suspended matter and calls a need for addressing strongly understudied RSM sources during winter baseflow, under ice.

Development of resource treatment technology for fracturing backflow fluids of tight sandstone

Abstract Fracturing is an important means to realize the development value of tight sandstone unconventional reservoirs, which consumes serious water resources and generates high viscosity of backflow fluid with petroleum and suspended matter pollutants. Therefore, it is of great significance to recycle fracturing fluid from tight sandstone with low-carbon and environmental protection. In this study, the fracturing fluid of tight sandstone in a block of a certain oilfield was collected as the research object, and a comprehensive water quality analysis was carried out. The combined process technology for resource treatment of fracturing flowback fluid in tight sandstone were formed by studying on the influence factors of oxidation gel breaking, flocculation sedimentation, ion removal, filtration and process optimization. After treatment, the mass concentration of iron ion in fracturing flowback fluid was less than 5 mg/L, the mass concentration of suspended matter was less than 10 mg/L, and the mass concentration of oil was less than 5 mg/L, which could meet the water quality requirements of fluid distribution and reuse, and avoid the environmental pollution risk of flowback fluid effectively, while the consumption level of water resources in fracturing construction also was greatly reduced. This paper will have positive significance for the resource treatment technology and development of tight sandstone fracturing fluid.

Toxicity risks associated with trace metals call for conservation of threatened fish species in heavily sediment-laden Yellow River

Trace metals and metalloids in aquatic ecosystems may lead to adverse effects on the survival of fish, especially in the sensitive life stages of vulnerable species. It is still unknown whether threatened fish species in the heavily sediment-laden Yellow River are exposed to toxicity risks associated with multiple trace metals. Herein, we analyzed the concentrations of trace metals in aquatic environmental media and fish tissues across the Yellow River mainstream and assessed the level of metal toxicity to threatened fish. Significantly different concentrations of trace metals in fish tissues were measured between at least two categories among near-threatened, vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered fish. No metal showed a higher concentration in demersal fish than in pelagic fish. Substantially low metal toxicity was observed for the gill of Rhinogobio nasutus (near-threatened) in the upper reaches, as well as for the gill and liver of Silurus lanzhouensis (endangered) in the middle reaches. High contents of suspended sediment in water and high metal concentrations in sediment and suspended matter could influence the survival and reproduction of fish, especially those already with threatened status.

Effects of Coarse and Fine Atmospheric Particulate Matter on a Mast Cell Line

We investigated the cytotoxicity on a mast cell line (C57 cells) of water-soluble extracts of coarse (>3 µm, PM>3) and fine (0.05-3 µm, PM0.05-3) atmospheric particulates collected from April 2016 to March 2019 in Fukuoka, Japan. We examined the direct cytotoxicity with punched-out membrane filter fragments of PM>3 and PM0.05-3 collected from April 2019 to March 2021, without extraction of the components. Also, cell proliferation and degranulation assays were conducted under conditions which caused no cytotoxicity with water-soluble extracts of PM>3 from FY2016 and PM>3 direct samples from FY2019. The findings revealed the significant direct cytotoxicity of many PM>3 and all PM0.05-3 samples, with higher cytotoxicity for PM0.05-3 (FY2019-2020). These results were different from the cytotoxicity effects of water-soluble extracts of PM>3 and PM0.05-3 samples (FY2016) in previous studies. In addition, inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of degranulation were significantly induced in a few PM>3 samples, showing a correlation with the suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentrations. This method using punched-out membrane filters is convenient and useful for assessing the direct effects of atmospheric particles on a small scale.

Remote Estimation of Suspended Matter Concentration in Hongze Lake, China Using the Experimental Tiangong-II Moderate-resolution Wide-wavelength Imager

Remote Estimation of Suspended Matter Concentration in Hongze Lake, China Using the Experimental Tiangong-II Moderate-resolution Wide-wavelength Imager

ECOLOGICAL WATER QUALITY

Water quality – is a description of water’s chemical and biological composition and physical properties, which characterize it as an abiotic component of aquatic ecosystem and determine its suitability for specific consumption purposes.&#x0D; Ecological water quality (environmental water quality) – refers to the ecological well-being of an aquatic ecosystem, with the main focus on protection of the aquatic environment and human life and health. It comprises a complex of physical, chemical, biological and other parameters reflecting specific features of abiotic and biotic components of aquatic ecosystems.&#x0D; The requirements for physical, chemical and biological properties of water are set in the water quality standards, which may be developed by particular countries or introduced by international organizations.&#x0D; Ecological water quality depends upon natural and human factors. Natural factors are in their turn divided into abiotic (for example, geological, meteorological, hydrological) and biotic (for example, the ratio of primary production and organic matter destruction). The main human factors affecting water quality include artificial modification of aquatic ecosystems’ hydrological conditions and their pollution with diverse chemical compounds.&#x0D; There are a lot of approaches to ecological water quality assessment according to both abiotic (physical and chemical) and biological parameters. Physical and chemical methods take into account such parameters as water transparency, suspended particulate matter concentration (turbidity), ion composition, water hardness, total dissolved salts content, nutrients and organic matter content, dissolved gases concentration, pH. Biological methods are based upon assessing the living organisms’ (biological indicators’) response to mineral and organic substances, present in water. Various living organisms can be used as biological indicators: algae, in particular – diatoms, higher aquatic plants, different species of aquatic invertebrates and fishes. While physical and chemical methods characterize water quality at the moment of sampling, biological methods provide an integral picture of water quality for a certain time period. Besides, biological methods are more informative, because they reflect the aquatic ecosystem’s response to pollution.&#x0D; On the whole, the most reliable data on ecological water quality can be obtained by combining physical, chemical and biological methods.

Water surface albedo and its driving factors on the turbid lakes of Northeast China

Lake water surface albedo (LWSA) is a critical parameter for describing energy flux balance at the air–water interface. It is used to measure the capacity of lake water surface reflectance in the shortwave radiation band, which controls the energy partitioning between atmosphere and lake. LWSA and its driving factors, including solar radiation angle, water quality and meteorology, in lakes of Northeast China was analyzed in this research. Solar altitude angle emerged as the most important controlling factor of LWSA. The results showed a strong reduction in LWSA values with increase in solar altitude angle. The study also documented a strong effect of suspended matter on the radiative properties of lakes surface, leading to increased LWSA with increased in suspended matter concentration, especially at high solar altitude angles (R2: 0.76). While no significant association (R2: 0.11) was found between LWSA and chlorophyll-a concentration, LWSA was positively correlated with wind speed (R2 of 0.62 and 0.50 at high and low solar altitude angles, respectively), likely a consequence of wind-driven sediment resuspension in lake waters. Although chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and organic particulate matter can affect energy partitioning and spectral distribution of incident solar radiation in lake waters, there was insufficient evidence of measurable effects on LWSA. Variations in LWSA recorded in this study were primarily dependent on similar solar altitude angles and backscattering properties of inorganic particulate matter suspended in the water column. Higher surface albedo was found in the turbid lakes.