Collected Water Quality Data Research Articles

CONTAMINATION OF Cd AND Pb ON MILKFISH Chanos chanos CULTURED IN SERIBU ISLANDS, JAKARTA

<p><em>Seribu Islands located in the north of Jakarta Bay; it is potentially polluted by heavy metal such as Cd and Pb. The aims of this study is to prove contamination presumption, by analyzing and determine correlation Cd and Pb concentration in the sediment, in the water and on milkfish <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Chanos</span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">chanos</span></em> <em>cultured in this area. On this study, we collected water quality data (pH, temperature, dissolve oxygen and salinity) and heavy metals contamination (Cd and Pb) in the sediment, in the water and on milkfish. We compare collected data with quality standar and correlate heavy metal concentration between in the water and in the sediment; in the water and on milkfish organ; and, in the sediment and on milkfish organ. In general, water quality is sufficient enough to support the life of farmed milkfish. Cd and Pb contamination level in the water lied below the quality standard of Ministry of Environment decree No. 51/2004 in the last April and July. However, the contamination exceeds the standard in the last October. The contamination in sediment lied below RNO (1981), EPA (1999) and IACD/CEDA (1997). Gills, viscera and the meat of the milkfish are contaminated with Cd and Pb, yet, still lied below the quality standard of Ministry of Environment Decree No. 51/2004. The results showed that farmed milkfish in Thousand Islands are safe to eat. We also found that the correlation of Cd and Pb contamination between water and sediment is positive. The correlation of Cd is much higher than Pb. The correlation of Cd between water and viscera as well as between sediment and viscera are the most closely related than any other organ. </em></p><p><strong><em> </em></strong></p><strong><em>Keywords: </em></strong><em>contamination, Cd, farming, milkfish, Pb, Seribu Islands</em>

Water quality and recreational use of public waterways

ABSTRACTThis study combines routinely collected water quality data from Ireland and an on-site survey of waterway users to evaluate whether trip duration is responsive to changes in water quality. Four categories of recreational users are considered: anglers, boaters, other water sports (e.g. rowing, swimming, canoeing, etc.) and land-based activities at water sites, specifically walking and cycling. Water quality measures included in the analysis include Water Framework Directive (WFD) status, biochemical oxygen demand, ammonia, phosphorus and faecal coliform. The analysis finds evidence that higher levels of recreational demand (i.e. trips of longer duration) occur at sites with better water quality. However, we also find no statistical association between the overall WFD status and the duration of the recreational trip, which indicates that WFD status is of limited practical use for recreational users.

Monitoring water quality in Toronto's urban stormwater ponds: Assessing participation rates and data quality of water sampling by citizen scientists in the FreshWater Watch

From 2013 to 2015, citizen scientist volunteers in Toronto, Canada were trained to collect and analyze water quality in urban stormwater ponds. This volunteer sampling was part of the research program, FreshWater Watch (FWW), which aimed to standardize urban water sampling efforts from around the globe. We held training sessions for new volunteers twice yearly and trained a total of 111 volunteers. Over the course of project, ~30% of volunteers participated by collecting water quality data after the training session with 124 individual sampling events at 29 unique locations in Toronto, Canada. A few highly engaged volunteers were most active, with 50% of the samples collected by 5% of trainees. Stormwater ponds generally have poor water quality demonstrated by elevated phosphate concentrations (~30μg/L), nitrate (~427μg/L), and turbidity relative to Canadian water quality standards. Compared to other urban waterbodies in the global program, nutrient concentrations in Toronto's urban stormwater ponds were lower, while turbidity was not markedly different. Toronto FWW (FWW-TO) data was comparable to that measured by standard lab analyses and matched results from previous studies of stormwater ponds in Toronto. Combining observational and chemical data acquired by citizen scientists, macrophyte dominated ponds had lower phosphate concentrations while phytoplankton dominated ponds had lower nitrate concentrations, which indicates a potentially important and unstudied role of internal biogeochemical processes on pond nutrient dynamics. This experience in the FWW demonstrates the capabilities and constraints of citizen science when applied to water quality sampling. While analytical limits on in-field analyses produce higher uncertainty in water quality measurements of individual sites, rapid data collection is possible but depends on the motivation and engagement of the group of volunteers. Ongoing efforts in citizen science will thus need to address sampling effort and analytical limits to fully realize the potential value of engaging citizen scientists in water quality sampling.

Monitoring surface water quality using social media in the context of citizen science

Abstract. Surface water quality monitoring (SWQM) provides essential information for water environmental protection. However, SWQM is costly and limited in terms of equipment and sites. The global popularity of social media and intelligent mobile devices with GPS and photography functions allows citizens to monitor surface water quality. This study aims to propose a method for SWQM using social media platforms. Specifically, a WeChat-based application platform is built to collect water quality reports from volunteers, which have been proven valuable for water quality monitoring. The methods for data screening and volunteer recruitment are discussed based on the collected reports. The proposed methods provide a framework for collecting water quality data from citizens and offer a primary foundation for big data analysis in future research.

Use of horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands to treat reverse osmosis concentrate of rolling wastewater

ABSTRACTAccording to the characteristics of the reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) generated from iron and steel company, we used three sets of parallel horizontal subsurface flow (HSF) constructed wetlands (CWs) with different plants and substrate layouts to treat the high-salinity wastewater. The plant growth and removal efficiencies under saline condition were evaluated. The evaluation was based entirely on routinely collected water quality data and the physical and chemical characteristics of the plants (Phragmites australis, Typha latifolia, Iris wilsonii, and Scirpus planiculmis). The principal parameters of concern in the effluent were chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP). The results showed that the CWs were able to remove COD, TN, and TP from ROC. S. planiculmis was not suitable for the treatment of high-saline wastewater. The sequence of metals accumulated in CW plants was K>Ca>Na>Mg>Zn>Cu. More than 70% of metals were accumulated in the aboveground of P. australis. The CW filled with gravel and manganese ore and planted with P. australis and T. latifolia had the best performance of pollutant removal, with average removal of 49.96%, 39.45%, and 72.01% for COD, TN, and TP, respectively. The effluent water quality met the regulation in China. These results suggested that HSF CW planted with P. australis and T. latifolia can be applied for ROC pollutants removal.

Completed gas wells may not impact localized stream water quality.

Natural gas is a valuable resource for West Virginia’s economy and people. The requirements to build wells, however, may have impacts on West Virginia’s land and water resources, especially with over 1,900 completed wells and over 1,700 permitted wells in WV. The purpose of my study was to examine the water quality collected in the area of gas wells. I also determined the streams closest to each completed well. I wanted to focus on streams because the rivers and streams hold wildlife such as native trout that are required to have a healthy habitat to live. Environmental degradation to the soil can cause erosion, which can quickly ruin the stream’s insect and fish populations. I examined the relationship of dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, pH, alkalinity and conductivity in streams that were within 1 km of a well site. For each well site, we looked for effects on water quality within 100m, 250 m, 500m, and 1 km. None of the water quality parameters was correlated with the distance from the well site. Our results indicate that completed well sites do not appear to have an impact on local water quality. However, there could be localized effects on water quality during the placement of the wells that was not captured during water quality data collection. Hydraulic fracturing chemicals can also be leaked into the water source during drilling, which may create hazardous health issues for not only the wildlife, but for the humans who consume the water.

Spotlight on Sediments: How is the Chesapeake Bay affected by storm flows from the Conowingo Reservoir?

Spotlight on Sediments: How is the Chesapeake Bay affected by storm flows from the Conowingo Reservoir?

When Are Mobile Phones Useful for Water Quality Data Collection? An Analysis of Data Flows and ICT Applications among Regulated Monitoring Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Water quality monitoring is important for identifying public health risks and ensuring water safety. However, even when water sources are tested, many institutions struggle to access data for immediate action or long-term decision-making. We analyzed water testing structures among 26 regulated water suppliers and public health surveillance agencies across six African countries and identified four water quality data management typologies. Within each typology, we then analyzed the potential for information and communication technology (ICT) tools to facilitate water quality information flows. A consistent feature of all four typologies was that testing activities occurred in laboratories or offices, not at water sources; therefore, mobile phone-based data management may be most beneficial for institutions that collect data from multiple remote laboratories. We implemented a mobile phone application to facilitate water quality data collection within the national public health agency in Senegal, Service National de l’Hygiène. Our results indicate that using the phones to transmit more than just water quality data will likely improve the effectiveness and sustainability of this type of intervention. We conclude that an assessment of program structure, particularly its data flows, provides a sound starting point for understanding the extent to which ICTs might strengthen water quality monitoring efforts.

Application of D-SEM to a catchment in Central Amazonia: calibration and validation of the carbon and nitrogen cycles

We applied the D-SEM model for predicting carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics in a natural forest ecosystem in a Central Amazonian microcatchment. A continuous collection of hydrological and water quality data (2002–2010) was used for model calibration and validation. Comparisons between predicted and measured hydrologic variables showed that the model captured seasonal and interannual discharges and DOC concentrations in stream water. The model also reproduced the monthly dynamics of DOC in the soil pool and captured seasonal changes in nitrogen transformations following seasonal variations in rainfall, including increased mineralization, nitrification, lixiviation, and decreased denitrification. Model estimates of monthly DON and NH4 in stream water concentration were comparable to measured values (0.37±0.22; 0.065±0.06, respectively). Overall, this study demonstrated that the D-SEM model can predict water, C and N dynamics in drained forests under natural conditions in the Amazon. However, discrepancies between the magnitudes of the estimates suggest that the model requires refinement for further application in tropical forested catchments.

Making STEM REAL: Real, Experiential, Active Learning: An Authentic Interdisciplinary Connection Between the “Schoolshed” and the Watershed

AbstractK-12 educators from Maryland's Eastern Shore traveled from the Chester River headwaters to the Chesapeake Bay aboard a research vessel analyzing sediment samples and using sonar to image its bottom and, incidentally, an 18th century shipwreck. Educators engaged in 10 Professional Development Modules where they participated in activities such as building observation buoys that collect water quality data and designing, building, and operating underwater robots. Additional program components included issues investigation, agro-ecology, bird identification, weather, and hands-on instruction to integrate the material into impact classroom content. The program strength lies in the cumulative knowledge gained by completing all of the components to get a holistic view of watershed exploration from the headwaters to the Bay. Consequently, the thread for this program is that all educators are from schools within the Chester River Watershed, herein termed a schoolshed. Data were plotted on a school-available website and are further supported by <ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="http://www.crwo.org">http://www.crwo.org</ext-link>. Shared resources were available for all of the teachers and delivered on demand so that the lessons could be implemented with classes on their school grounds. Independently contracted program evaluations were positive. All of the program's components are easily adapted to other watersheds and are presently being repackaged as the Canyons to the Oceans program for the Oxnard California School District as the Coastal California Watershed Observatory. Since 2013, the program has been supported by the Maryland State Department of Education and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Chemical Fouling Reduction of a Submersible Steel Spectrophotometer in Estuarine Environments Using a Sacrificial Zinc Anode

The availability of in situ spectrophotometers, such as the S::CAN spectro::lyser, has expanded the possibilities for high-frequency water quality data collection. However, biological and chemical fouling can degrade the performance of in situ spectrophotometers, especially in saline environments with rapid flow rates. A complex freshwater washing system has been previously designed to reduce chemical fouling for the S::CAN spectro::lyser spectrophotometer. In the current study, we present a simpler, cheaper alternative: the attachment of a sacrificial zinc anode. Results are presented detailing the S::CAN spectro::lyser performance with and without the addition of the sacrificial anode. Attachment of the zinc anode provided efficient corrosion protection during 2-wk deployments in a highly dynamic (average tidal range, 2.5 m) saline tidal saltmarsh creek at Groves Creek, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, Savannah, GA.

유량변화와 지류유입에 따른 금강의 수질 변화

To study the influence of changes in river discharge on water quality of the main stem of the Geum River, we investigated variation of inflow load from tributaries with river discharge. We also studied the mixing behavior of pollutants during mixing of waters of the main stem and Gap Stream. For this study, we collected water quality data such as suspended solids (SS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) representing pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon events of 2013 from a website of Water Information System. Based on inflow load, the Gap and Miho streams may be ones of tributaries which may largely influence water quality of main stem in upper river region. The Suksung and Nonsan Streams seemed to further affect water quality downstream. Results of modified EMMA indicated SS and TP may have another source(besides Gap Stream) at pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon period. In contrast, TN and organic matter (BOD, COD, TOC) were conservative at pre-monsoon and post-monsoon. However, when river discharge increased, these pollutants may also came from unspecified non-point sources. Therefore, we need to attempt to find non-point sources for the pollutants in the main channel of upper Geum River region.

Long-term improvement in surface water quality after land consolidation in a drinking water reservoir catchment

The aim was to explore how soil and water conservation measures, applied in the process of land consolidation, affected nutrient concentrations in surface waters of the Hubenov drinking water reservoir in the Českomoravská vrchovina Upland. A significant part of the catchment serves as a protection zone for the reservoir. The protection measures, such as restrictions on the maximum amount of manure and N and P fertilizers, were applied in the case study area according to recommendations of a land consolidation project. The Hubenov reservoir water resources were monitored for twenty years (1990-2010) in order to collect water quality data on nitrate nitrogen (N-NO3-), total phosphorus (Ptot), and total suspended solids. The results of monitoring indicate a linear trend of decrease in N-NO3- and Ptot concentrations following the soil and water conservation measures applied.

Water quality of small seasonal wetlands in the Piedmont ecoregion, South Carolina, USA: Effects of land use and hydrological connectivity

Small, shallow, seasonal wetlands with short hydroperiod (2–4 months) play an important role in the entrapment of organic matter and nutrients and, due to their wide distribution, in determining the water quality of watersheds. In order to explain the temporal, spatial and compositional variation of water quality of seasonal wetlands, we collected water quality data from forty seasonal wetlands in the lower Blue Ridge and upper Piedmont ecoregions of South Carolina, USA during the wet season of February to April 2011. Results indicated that the surficial hydrological connectivity and surrounding land-use were two key factors controlling variation in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) in these seasonal wetlands. In the sites without obvious land use changes (average developed area <0.1%), the DOC (p < 0.001, t-test) and TDN (p < 0.05, t-test) of isolated wetlands were significantly higher than that of connected wetlands. However, this phenomenon can be reversed as a result of land use changes. The connected wetlands in more urbanized areas (average developed area = 12.3%) showed higher concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) (DOC: 11.76 ± 6.09 mg L−1, TDN: 0.74 ± 0.22 mg L−1, mean ± standard error) compared to those in isolated wetlands (DOC: 7.20 ± 0.62 mg L−1, TDN: 0.20 ± 0.08 mg L−1). The optical parameters derived from UV and fluorescence also confirmed significant portions of protein-like fractions likely originating from land use changes such as wastewater treatment and livestock pastures. The average of C/N molar ratios of all the wetlands decreased from 77.82 ± 6.72 (mean ± standard error) in February to 15.14 ± 1.58 in April, indicating that the decomposition of organic matter increased with the temperature. Results of this study demonstrate that the water quality of small, seasonal wetlands has a direct and close association with the surrounding environment.

New York City Panel on Climate Change 2015 Report. Chapter 6: Indicators and monitoring.

William Solecki,1,a Cynthia Rosenzweig,2,a Reginald Blake,3,a Alex de Sherbinin,4 Tom Matte,5 Fred Moshary,6 Bernice Rosenzweig,7 Mark Arend,6 Stuart Gaffin,8 Elie Bou-Zeid,9 Keith Rule,10 Geraldine Sweeny,11 and Wendy Dessy11 1City University of New York, CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities, New York, NY. 2Climate Impacts Group, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Center for Climate Systems Research, Columbia University Earth Institute, New York, NY. 3Physics Department, New York City College of Technology, CUNY, Brooklyn, NY; Climate Impacts Group, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. 4 Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University, Palisades, NY. 5New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, NY. 6NOAA CREST, City College of New York, CUNY, New York, NY. 7CUNY Environmental Crossroads, City College of New York, CUNY, New York, NY. 8Center for Climate Systems Research, Columbia University Earth Institute, New York, NY. 9Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ. 10Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, NJ. 11New York City Mayor’s Office of Operation, New York, NY

A web tool for STORET/WQX water quality data retrieval and Best Management Practice scenario suggestion

Total Maximum Daily Load is a water quality standard to regulate water quality of streams, rivers and lakes. A wide range of approaches are used currently to develop TMDLs for impaired streams and rivers. Flow and load duration curves (FDC and LDC) have been used in many states to evaluate the relationship between flow and pollutant loading along with other models and approaches. A web-based LDC Tool was developed to facilitate development of FDC and LDC as well as to support other hydrologic analyses. In this study, the FDC and LDC tool was enhanced to allow collection of water quality data via the web and to assist in establishing cost-effective Best Management Practice (BMP) implementations. The enhanced web-based tool provides use of water quality data not only from the US Geological Survey but also from the Water Quality Portal for the U.S. via web access. Moreover, the web-based tool identifies required pollutant reductions to meet standard loads and suggests a BMP scenario based on ability of BMPs to reduce pollutant loads, BMP establishment and maintenance costs. In the study, flow and water quality data were collected via web access to develop LDC and to identify the required reduction. The suggested BMP scenario from the web-based tool was evaluated using the EPA Spreadsheet Tool for the Estimation of Pollutant Load model to attain the required pollutant reduction at least cost.

Upper washita river experimental watersheds: nutrient water quality data.

Climate variability, changing land use and management, and dynamic policy environments are the main reasons why long-term research is needed to understand and predict possible water quality outcomes to alternative future scenarios. Long-term water quality data sets are needed to address these water issues. Such data sets were acquired by the USDA-ARS in three watersheds in Oklahoma: the Southern Great Plains Research Watershed (SGPRW), the Little Washita River Experimental Watershed (LWREW), and the Fort Cobb Reservoir Experimental Watershed (FCREW). We provide: (i) a description of these water quality data sets, (ii) the sample collection and processing procedures used and an assessment of the data quality, (iii) summary analyses of the variability in each data set, and (iv) details about how to access these data sets. Water quality data collection in the SGPRW began in the 1960s and continued through 1978, while that in the LWREW covered the 1960s to 1990 period. Data collection began in the FCREW in 2004 and continues through the present. The data were collected from streams, unit source watersheds, groundwater wells, and reservoirs. The water quality data described for a given site are generally complete for a given period of record; however, not all sites were monitored continuously and were not necessarily analyzed for the same water quality parameters. These data sets are expected to improve modeling and assessments of conservation practices in relation to climate variability, land use changes, and other environmental factors and may be useful in developing strategies to mitigate these environmental impacts.

Too much data is never enough: A review of the mismatch between scales of water quality data collection and reporting from recent marine dredging programmes

Water quality monitoring programmes have become integral components of efforts to identify the impact(s) of anthropogenic activities. In many programmes, however, it appears records are being collected at finer temporal scales than required to produce the information needed by end-users (e.g. managers). Such mismatches are of concern given that the effort and expense invested in collection and processing of unexploited records is effectively wasted. Consequently, we were interested in reviewing the temporal scales over which water quality records have been collected, analysed and reported in monitoring programmes. Our case study focussed on turbidity (NTU) records collected from the monitoring of key dredging programmes (n=8) initiated on the northern Australian coastline between 2006 and 2012. The review of (primarily grey) literature revealed that (a) there has been an increase in the number of turbidity records collected per day over time, a pattern driven by fine scale temporal records being taken at an increasing number of sites, and, (b) although these records are typically acquired multiple times per day for all loggers, a daily summary measure is commonly reported (e.g. median, rolling or exponentially weighted moving average), with some programmes reporting a subset of the spatial detail acquired (e.g. averages of dual loggers, exclusion of records from ‘backup’ stations). This pattern of analysis and reporting removes fine scale detail from summaries provided to end-users, driving monitoring programmes to become relatively ‘data-rich but information-poor’. We suggest that iteratively designing monitoring programmes based on the outcomes of previous experiences could facilitate the collection of datasets with higher information content (i.e. fewer records that are not used to produce information), ultimately increasing the efficiency of future monitoring programmes.

Research Article: Rapid Environmental Assessment of a Drainage Canal System to Identify Bioreference Sites for Wetland Permitting

With budget and time constraints in environmental permitting, the collection of baseline water quality data relies on rapid environmental assessments (REAs). In south Texas, we investigated the usefulness of including physicochemical parameters and freshwater benthic macroinvertebrate and fish assemblage data to rapidly assess a drainage canal system. Data were converted to chemical averages and metrics, and sample sites meeting the greatest number of metric criteria for high water quality in south Texas were identified. The REA approach determined bioreference sites that could provide baseline data for wetland permitting, mitigation planning, and future comparisons. We demonstrate that the REA approach for drainage canals was useful and provided the necessary data for US Clean Water Act 401 and 404 environmental permitting and decision making for the Raymondville Drain Outfall Project.

Using in situ ultraviolet‐visual spectroscopy to measure nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus, and suspended solids concentrations at a high frequency in a brackish tidal marsh

The collection of high frequency water quality data are key to making the next leap in hydrological and biogeochemical sciences. Commercially available in situ ultraviolet‐visual (UV‐Vis) spectrometers make possible the long‐term collection of absorption spectra multiple times per hour. This technology has proven useful for measuring nitrate, dissolved organic carbon, and total suspended solids in many environments, but has not been tested in tidal marsh conditions where upstream freshwater mixes with estuarine waters, resulting in rapid changes in concentrations and salinity. These three parameters encompass only a portion of the nutrients that are of interest in these systems. To test the potential of spectroscopy to measure these and other nutrient concentrations, spectrometers were installed in a constructed brackish tidal marsh and absorbance spectra were compared to lab analyses for coinciding discrete samples. Variable selection techniques, including partial least squares regression, lasso regression, and stepwise regression, were used to develop models with which nitrate, total kjeldahl nitrogen, dissolved organic carbon, phosphate, total phosphorus, total suspended solids, and salinity in brackish marsh waters can be predicted from UV‐Vis spectrometer measurements. Significant relationships between the absorption spectra and the laboratory measured concentrations were observed for all of the parameters. Phosphate and total phosphorus were the only nutrients which had R2 values less than 0.86 for their best calibrations. This study shows the potential to collect multiple water quality parameters at a high frequency in brackish waters using in situ spectrometers and gives the tools to replicate this analysis in all environments.