Water Protection Areas Research Articles

Approaches to substantiating the placement of industrial facilities within the sanitary protection zones of surface watercourses

Introduction. The article considers an approach to be used to delineate the source water protection area for the surface water bodies without putting manufacturing plants within the delineated areas out of action. The approach is based on the assessment of the disposals produced by plants on the water quality at the surface water intake point during the plant’s accident-free operation and both accidents within and beyond the design basis. Materials and methods. The article used the water protection area laws and regulations, the data observed of the disposal dispersion in the large rivers, and the original articles presented in databases and information systems: RSCI, CyberLeninka, Scopus, Web of Science. The solute transport analytical solutions for the dilution of the linear source in the flow serve as the methodological framework. Results. The article results have shown the local disposal into the river to form dispersion halo. Due to the specific dispersion processes, an area of a strip-like shape on the opposite shore can be formed where an anthropogenic influence is not present or negligible. This can be considered the background for the safe cooperative operation of the water intake and a manufacturing plant located within the water protection area. Limitations. The present article outlines the analytical approach for estimating the dilution of wastewater in river waters. The methodologies proposed are subject to several constraints, including the assumption of a constant river channel width and profile, steady discharge of contaminated wastewater, absence of water inflow losses or replenishment, lack of interaction with suspended particulate matter, uniform mixing across all segments of the river, and neglect of wind-induced effects on pollutant dispersion near the water surface. Failure to meet any of these assumptions necessitates recourse to more sophisticated numerical modelling techniques for accurate calculation. Conclusion. The use of the approach presented in the paper allows justifying the manufacturing plant’s operation within the source water protection area for the surface water bodies.

Application of selected groundwater quality indices in anthropogenically transformed areas

Correctly assessing the impact of waste landfills on groundwater quality requires the development and use of comprehensive tools that consider the content of individual components in water, as well as those relating to the hydrochemical background. The article presents a comparative analysis of selected water quality indices used around the world to assess the environmental threat caused by sources of pollution. The paper includes the following indicators: Water Quality Index, Landfill Water Pollution Index, Nemerow Pollution Index, Backman Index, Canadian Water Quality Index, Horizontal Ratio, Enrichment Factor and Fuzzy Water Quality. Attention was paid to the values of individual indices, their applicability in municipal and industrial waste landfills, and limitations in their use. A literature review has proven that some indices, such as the Landfill Water Pollution Index and Nemerow Pollution Index, are used very often as they provide reliable results. Index methods help conduct rational water management, complement groundwater quality monitoring, and serve as a tool for making decisions in various water protection areas.

Roadkill risk model of black bear (Ursus americanus) in Mexico.

One of the most obvious impacts of roads is roadkill, a problem that is recently being addressed in Mexico. However, there are economic and human resource limitations to monitor the entire road network, assess its impacts, and propose mitigation measures. The black bear (Ursus americanus) is a top predator and the largest terrestrial mammal distributed in Mexico, currently the only of the Ursidae family. In recent years, its presence near human settlements and incidents on roads has increased. We generated a single MaxEnt model to identify characteristics of sites with high black bear roadkill risk and to identify these areas within protected natural areas. We obtained 83 bear roadkill records between 2008 and 2022, and we used a set of 16 variables that included landscape, road variables, and human variables. The model had an area under curve value of 0.96 indicating good performance and the Jacknife analysis identified influence on the roadkill risk of the distance to water bodies, protected areas, scrubland, drainages, and speed limit. We identified 3883.25 km of roads at high roadkill risk for black bears of which, 373.10 (9.6%) km were inside protected areas. We suggest placing speed bumps and effective signage on high-risk sections as a short-term, low-cost strategy. The results help to focus conservation efforts to specific sections of the road network, as roadkill is an increasing source of mortality that has not been evaluated for black bear in Mexico. This information is applicable for mitigating the impacts of existing roads and for planning new projects that have less impact on wild black bear populations and, at the same time, increase the safety of vehicle drivers.

Pesticide Mixtures in Surface Waters of Two Protected Areas in Southwestern Germany

Pesticides enter non-target surface waters as a result of agricultural activities and may reach water bodies in protected areas. We measured in southwestern Germany pesticide concentrations after heavy rainfalls in streams of a drinking water protection area near Hausen (Freiburg) and in the catchment of the Queich (Landau), which originates from the biosphere reserve Palatinate Forest. On average, 32 (n = 21) and 21 (n = 10) pesticides were detected per sample and event in the area of Hausen (n = 56) and in the Queich catchment (n = 17), respectively. The majority of pesticides detected in > 50% of all samples were fungicides, with fluopyram being detected throughout all samples. Aquatic invertebrates exhibited highest risks with 16.1% of samples exceeding mixture toxicity thresholds, whereas risks were lower for aquatic plants (12.9%) and fish (6.5%). Mixture toxicity threshold exceedances indicate adverse ecological effects to occur at half of sites (50%). This study illustrates the presence of pesticide mixtures and highlights ecological risks for aquatic organisms in surface waters of protected areas in Germany.

Remote monitoring of the influx of military activities on forest landscapes of the Kharkiv region

Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine has significant consequences for forestry - 2.9 million hectares of forests have different levels of damage. Taking into account the territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, which were occupied until 2022, about 1 million hectares of forests are currently under occupation or are affected by active hostilities. Purpose. To record and visually analyze the manifestation of military actions within the forest landscapes of the Kharkiv region caused by a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Methods. Remote sensing methods, using Sentinel 2 L2A satellite images and Google Earth Pro software. Information on the dynamics of the occupation boundaries, including the forest landscapes of the Kharkiv region, was collected using QGIS software in the format of a vector layer. Results. The forest landscapes that were under occupation in 2022 at the maximum occupation of the territory of Kharkiv region covered 1177,082 km2. In the process of gradual liberation of the territory, the area of forests directly affected by hostilities decreased. The forest landscapes that were under occupation for different time periods (3, 4, 7, 8 months and more than 1 year) were identified. Since part of the region is still occupied, the last time category has no time limit. Based on the materials of the remote sensing of land cover, the authors identified the areas of destroyed forest as a result of logging and fires. Areas where fortifications were built and destroyed not only stands, but also the soil cover and made changes to the relief were identified. At the same time, forest landscapes were affected even without being occupied as a result of shelling, bombing and remote mining. The affected forest landscapes are part of the region's forestry enterprises, nature reserve fund objects, water protection and recreational areas. Conclusions. Monitoring the area of forest landscapes by means of remote sensing made it possible to identify the foci of the most affected areas, to periodize and establish the main components of the impact of military operations on forest landscapes: forest fires caused by explosions; damage to vegetation and soil due to bombing; felling of trees and destruction of soil cover for the construction of fortifications. The disadvantages of remote sensing include.

Long-term results of water protection measures to reduce nitrate leaching from vegetable cropping in water protection areas in Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Long-term results of water protection measures to reduce nitrate leaching from vegetable cropping in water protection areas in Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Application of spatial environmental indicators in the assessment of degradation potential of water resources in water basins.

Changes in land use have been occurring in a continuous and disorderly way in recent decades due to rapid population growth and the growing demand for food. These constant changes result in a series of harmful effects to the environment, especially to water resources, significantly changing their availability and quality. This study aims to evaluate the degradation potential of watersheds through an evaluation of some environmental indicators using arithmetic means to construct an index called in this research "index of potential environmental degradation" (IPED). To form the IPED, the hydrographic sub-basins of the Sorocabuçu River, located in the central west of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, comprised the study area. The results showed that most hydrographic sub-basins, that is, eight units, present degradation values ranging from moderate to very high, resulting mainly from low conservation values of forests plus a use destined to the planting of temporary cultures depending on good physical conditions. On the other hand, only one sub-basin showed a low degradation value. The methodology used for the development of the IPED is easy to apply and an effective tool for environmental analyses. It may contribute to studies and forms of planning and land use management aiming the conservation of water resources and protected areas and reduction of degradation.

Evaluating the impact of water protection policy on urban growth: A case study of Jiaxing

Source water protection can be a greater challenge in cities where the hydric resource is deeply embedded within a rapidly growing urban area. In these types of cities, the delimitation of protection areas along water resources, as one of the main mechanisms for water resource protection, has a direct impact on the way the urban form evolves. On the one hand, narrow protection areas may not be enough to guarantee that the built city does not affect water levels and quality. On the other hand, wide protection areas can result in a fragmented city, with low levels of accessibility and tendencies towards dispersed and disorderly growth. In this article we use the city of Jiaxing, China, as a case study to determine what the optimal size of water protection areas might be. For this, we use two urban growth models and simulate various urban growth scenarios between 2020 and 2040. The results indicate that a protection area of 400 m guarantees a good level of protection of the water resource and a sufficient availability of land that allows an efficient urban growth.

Las causas de los incendios de principios del año 2022 en la provincia de Corrientes

Fire is a natural grassland management tool, often used to eliminate the standing dead biomass and promote growth before the growing season. However, while there is a lack of data on the seasonal use of fire in the province of Corrientes, natural and induced fires in early 2022 affected over 10000 km2 at the peak of the growing season. This paper quantifies the extent of the fire-affected area in Corrientes during January and February 2022 and analyzes the contribution of natural and anthropogenic factors to the extent of the fire-affected area. We used the Google Earth Engine platform to identify and classify burnt areas using Sentinel satellite images, and applied simple and multiple regression analysis to investigate the contribution of natural and anthropogenic factors to the extent of the fire-affected area. Results show that 12% of Corrientes was affected by fire during the study period, with wetlands being the most affected land cover type. This study provides evidence of the relationship between natural and anthropogenic factors and the fires that affected Corrientes at the beginning of 2022. The results show that the reduction of water area and protected areas was positively and directly related to the extent of burnt areas, while the road network and livestock density were inversely and negatively related to the burned area size. Predicting fire patterns is essential to develop management policies to prevent or reduce the impact of future catastrophic events.

Are floating treatment wetlands more suitable for retrofitting highway runoff basins than vertical-flow treatment wetlands?

Highway runoffs introduce numerous traffic-related pollutants – such as heavy metals, suspended solids and different kinds of hydrocarbons – into surface waters, thus endangering environmental health. In Germany, sedimentation basins with oil retention baffles are mandatory for the treatment of highway runoff in water protection areas. If the distance to the groundwater table is too low, further treatment with event-loaded vertical-flow treatment wetlands (VFWs) is required. In this study, we evaluated if retrofitting of stormwater retention basins to floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) can serve as an alternative to post-treatment VFWs and if native plant species could adapt to the oxygen-deprived salt-enriched environment. Two such basins with two hydraulically separated parallel chambers each near the municipality of Cologne were equipped with floating mats on one chamber, while the other one served as control. One location additionally had hydraulically separated post-treatment VFWs, allowing for a comparison with the treatment efficiency of the FTW. The removal of chloride, sulfate, suspended solids (total and < 63 μm), nutrients, metals, petroleum derived hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PDH and PAH) was examined in 54 events over a period of two years. As a result, it was found that plants can create an intense root network despite hostile conditions in the basins. For the target parameters (TSS63, PAH and PDH), the removal efficiency of the stormwater retention basin was already sufficient. For metals and ammonium nitrogen, the VFWs proved to be more efficient, whereas for nitrate nitrogen, this was the case for FTWs. None of the treatment systems proved effective against reducing chloride concentration from deicing salts.

Assessing the water quality of the Seine land-to-sea continuum for three agro-food system scenarios

Three scenarios for the future of the French agro-food system were specified for the territory draining into the Seine Bight, comprising Paris megacity and the Seine watershed. The first scenario assumes the pursuit of the current trend of opening and specialization of agriculture, as well as of concentration of population within the Paris agglomeration. The second scenario assesses the generalization of agro-ecological practices and a healthier human diet. A third, hybrid, scenario was elaborated assuming that agro-ecological practices were implemented in some protected areas (namely Regional Natural Parks and drinking water protection areas, making up about one-third of the total watershed area), while the rest of the territory will follow the trends of the first scenario. We use a unique modelling chain (GRAFS-Riverstrahler-ECOMARS3D) that couples the biogeochemical functioning of the river basin, the estuary and the adjacent bay. It allows exploring the implications of changes in terrestrial activities throughout the aquatic continuum in a consistent way and assessing to what extent changes in population, agricultural practices, food consumption, and sanitation may sustain the current trend of recovery in the Seine River or either increase stress on the system. Results show that only the full agro-ecological scenario would be able to restore good water quality everywhere in the river network, as well as decrease significantly the risks of toxic algal blooms in the coastal zone. Intermediate situations, such as the protection of specific areas, however attractive as a solution, are not enough to offset the impacts of intensive human activities unless the protected areas dedicated to compensating for damage are sufficiently large.

Diversity and abundance of antibiotic resistance genes and their relationship with nutrients and land use of the inflow rivers of Taihu Lake.

Taihu Lake is the third largest freshwater lake in China and an important source for drinking water, flood protection, aquaculture, agriculture, and other activities. This lake is connected to many principal and small rivers with inflow from west and outflow on the eastern side of the lake and these inflow rivers are believed to significantly contribute to the water pollution of the lake. This study was aimed at assessing the diversity and abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and their relationship with water quality parameters and land use patterns. Water samples were collected from 10 major inflow rivers and the source water protection area of the Taihu Lake in spring and summer 2019. High-throughput profiling was used to detect and quantify 384 ARGs and MGEs and in addition, 11 water quality parameters were analyzed. The results showed that the number of ARGs/MGEs detected in each inflow river ranged from 105 to 185 in spring and 107 to 180 in summer. The aminoglycoside resistance genes were the most dominant types ARGs detected followed by beta-lactam resistance, multidrug resistance, macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLSB) resistance genes, which contributed to 65% of the ARGs. The water quality parameters showed significant correlation with absolute abundance of ARGs. Furthermore, significant correlation between ARGs and MGEs were also observed which demonstrates potential gene transfer among organisms through horizontal gene transfer via MGEs. ARGs showed strong positive correlation with cultivated and industrial lands whereas, negative correlation was observed with river, lake, forest, land for green buffer, and land for port and harbor. The overall results indicate that the inflow rivers of Taihu Lake are polluted by various sources including multiple nutrients and high abundance of ARGs, which needs attention for better management of the inflow rivers of this lake.

Design guide for geosynthetic barrier systems as groundwater protection in road construction

Geosynthetic clay liners (GCL) are used for groundwater protection in road constructions in water protection areas, RiStWag [1]. Geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) are listed as an approved barrier and a long-term permittivity of ≤ 1⋅10−7 [1/s] is required as an essential characteristic value. In order to ensure the effectiveness of the sealing system during the entire service life, however, further characteristic values should be described. In the following, the protection concept of RiStWag is explained and the effectiveness, reliability, cost-effectiveness and control as well as the maintenance of the road systems are described in more detail.

Implications of large‐scale miscanthus cultivation in water protection areas: A Life Cycle Assessment with model coupling for improved policy support

AbstractTwo major global challenges related to agriculture are climate change and the unbalanced nitrogen cycle. For both, national and international reduction targets have been defined to catalyse policy support for more sustainable farming systems. Miscanthus cultivation in water protection areas has been proposed as a contribution to achieving these targets. However, a thorough understanding of the underlying system dynamics at various spatial levels is required before recommendations for policy development can be provided. In this study, a model framework was established to provide economic and environmental indicator results at regional and sub‐regional levels. It presents a consequential Life Cycle Assessment coupled with an agro‐economic supply model (Economic Farm Emission Model) that simulates crop and livestock production, and an agricultural hydrology model (DAISY) that assesses effects on the nitrogen cycle. The framework is applied to Baden‐Württemberg, a federal state in southwest Germany with eight agro‐ecological regions. Scenarios investigating the differences between mandatory and voluntary miscanthus cultivation were also explored. While the results show the high potential of miscanthus cultivation for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (−16% to −724%), the potential to reduce nitrate leaching (−4% to −44%) is compromised in some sub‐regions and scenarios (+4% to +13%) by substantial effects on the crop rotation. Furthermore, the cultivation of miscanthus reduces gross margins in most sub‐regions (−0.1% to −9.6%) and decreases domestic food production (−1% to −50%). However, in regions with low livestock density and high yields, miscanthus cultivation can maintain or increase farmers' income (0.1%–5.8%) and improve environmental protection. The study shows that the heterogeneity of arable land requires a flexible promotion programme for miscanthus. Voluntary cultivation schemes were identified as most suitable to capture sub‐regional differences. Policies should address the demand for miscanthus, for example, support the development of regional value chains, including farmers, water suppliers and the biobased industry.

Supporting Information - Weik et al. 2022 - Implications of large-scale miscanthus cultivation in water protection areas – A life cycle assessment with model coupling for improved policy support

Supporting Information - Weik et al. 2022 - Implications of large-scale miscanthus cultivation in water protection areas – A life cycle assessment with model coupling for improved policy support

Design Strategy of Emergency Pools at Source Water Protection Areas

The pollution problem arising from the flushing of initial rainwater and wastewater from accidents while transporting dangerous goods to source water protection areas needs to be solved as soon as possible. Therefore, the design of corresponding environmental protection measures should be considered in the engineering design stage. It is necessary to analyze the specific work in combination with engineering examples. Under this background, this paper first briefly expounds the precautions in accident risk analysis and the design of tank capacity and tank body. Finally, by analyzing actual cases, this paper systematically studies the design strategy of emergency pool in source water protection area, hoping to provide new development ideas for the upgrading of relevant work.

Problems of Allocation of Borders of Water Protection Areas of Vychegda River from Syktyvkar City to the Mouth

Problems of Allocation of Borders of Water Protection Areas of Vychegda River from Syktyvkar City to the Mouth

Comparison of Landfill Site Suitability Assessment Using Ahp and Fuzzy Ahp Methods

Landfill site selection is a multi-criteria decision problem and has strategic value for various countries. The conventional method for landfill site selection is not enough to address the vague nature of linguistic assessment. An integrated Fuzzy AHP method was used to resolve this issue. Suitability maps produced by conventional Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and integrated Fuzzy AHP methods were compared and validated, which adds a new dimension in the waste management field. Various environmental, socio-economic, and infrastructure factors were used as predictors, which included groundwater level, soil type, slope, land cover, distance to settlements, railways, roads, surface water sources, airport, power lines, wells, and protected areas. Relative Operation Characteristic (ROC) analyses gave results of 0.77 and 0.86 for the suitability maps of AHP and Fuzzy AHP, respectively. The landfill site suitability maps produced from this study could help urban planners, engineers, decision-makers, and land-use developers to make suitable decisions. Furthermore, the resulted integrated model showed the best suitability that could be implemented to resolve the fundamental landfill siting problems in other cities of Pakistan.

Quantifying residence times of bank filtrate: A novel framework using radon as a natural tracer

Bank filtration is a cost-effective and sustainable method of improving surface water quality for drinking water production. During aquifer transit, natural biodegradation and physiochemical filtration improve the quality of the raw water by removing sediments, pollutants, and pathogens. Strict regulations prohibit the use of substances that can be used to estimate aquifer residence times to define water protection areas for bank filtration. In this study, we present a novel measurement and modeling framework for deriving mean aquifer residence times for bank filtrate using the natural tracer radon-222. The method is intended for application in the drinking water sector, where extraction wells are screened over the entire aquifer and pumps are operated at high production rates. Mean aquifer residence times are estimated using composite residence time distributions that account for flow path mixing and non-uniform residence times with multiple components including bank filtrate, shallow groundwater, and deep groundwater. The mathematical framework is demonstrated for a drinking water production facility. Radon activities for the six monitored extraction wells ranged between 4,400 and 8,400 Bq/m³. Estimated mean aquifer residence times for the wells range from < 5 days to 110 days and strongly depend on i) the type of residence time distribution model (exponential, gamma or piston flow), ii) the mixing ratio between bank filtrate and local groundwater, and iii) the heterogeneity in the groundwater endmember. By accounting for mixing processes, we can show that radon can be used beyond the "5-fold half-life" (~20 days) commonly described in the literature as the upper limit for age dating purposes for radon. This method provides a simple and cost-efficient way to quantify residence times of bank filtrate on a regular basis without any addition of external substances to the aquifer.

IMPROVEMENT OF METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES, TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS AND ENSURING ACCESSIBILITY OF INFORMATION WHEN ESTABLISHING WATER PROTECTION ZONES OF WATER BODY

In order to increase attention and develop civil responsibility for the environment protection in the RUE "CRICUWR" a catalog of water protection zones of water bodies is being created. The catalog allows you to receive information about the boundaries of water protection areas for the required area, makes it possible to promptly correct and even determine the direction of economic activity in order to minimize the negative impact on surface water bodies. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;