Showing papers on "Water quality published in 1982"

Water Quality Management for Pond Fish Culture

Abstract: A complete, up-to-date account of the theory and practice of water quality management for pond fish culture. The scope encompasses: a review of water quality and water quantity requirements of fish, pond fertilization, liming, dynamics of dissolved oxygen in ponds, feeding and water quality, aeration, aquatic plant control, chemical treatments and hydrology. The treatment is comprehensive, including discussions of both theoretical and practical aspects of each management procedure. As well as being useful to advanced undergraduate and graduate students in fisheries and fish culture, researchers in fisheries and fish culture, and practicing fisheries biologists and fish culturists, the book also includes valuable information for individuals in other fields who are responsible for managing aquatic resources.

Biology of freshwater pollution

Abstract: *Introduction *Aquatic Toxicology *Organic Pollution *Eutrophication *Acidification *Heavy Metals and Organochlorines *Thermal Pollution *Radioactivity *Oil *Biological Assessment of Water Quality in the Field *Intrusive Microorganisms and Bioassays *Management of Water Resources *References *Index

Prescribed Fire: Effects on Water Quality and Forest Nutrient Cycling

Abstract: Prescribed fire, a practice applied annually to about 10(6) hectares of forests in the southeastern United States, had limited effects on soils, nutrient cycling, and hydrologic systems of a coastal plain pine forest. Hydrologic fluxes of nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and basic cations, from burned pine litter to ground and stream waters, are not likely to have appreciable impacts on water quality in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain.

A simple field test for the detection of faecal pollution in drinking water.

Abstract: A comprehensive field investigation in several parts of India has revealed that the presence of coliforms in drinking water is associated with hydrogen sulfide-producing organisms. This paper describes a simple, rapid, and inexpensive field test for the screening of drinking water for faecal pollution, based on the detection of hydrogen sulfide. The new test showed good agreement with the standard most probable number (MPN) test. It proved highly successful in the field when it was used to detect faecal pollution and to monitor water quality during an outbreak of water-borne hepatitis A infection in the city of Gwalior. The test is reliable and simple to perform, and will be especially useful for screening rural water supplies and for large-scale screening of urban water supplies where resources, time, manpower, and laboratory facilities are limited.

Pesticides in agricultural runoff and their effects on downstream water quality

Abstract: Agricultural use of pesticides has remained high for economic reasons. Because aquatic species may bioaccumulate pesticides more readily than terrestrial organisms, there has been much concern about pesticides in agricultural runoff. Despite this concern, there presently is little relevant information for use in making accurate predictions of the impact of specific pesticide amounts in agricultural runoff on water quality at some point downstream. There is a compelling need for fundamental research on the physical, chemical, biological and hydrological processes that regulate pesticide behavior not only in agricultural and aquatic habitats, but also during transit between the two. Further, data are needed concerning pesticide toxicity potential as a function of the aquatic physical and chemical regime, and concerning population recovery dynamics as a function of pesticide concentration and species stress.

Air and Water Pollution Control: A Benefit-Cost Assessment

Abstract: Air and Water Pollution Control: A Benefit-Cost Assessment,by A. Myrick Freeman, Jr. New York: Wiley-Interscience, 1982, 186 pp. Price: $26.00. The book is an overview of the state of the art of environmental benefit measurement, based on a synthesis of the literature through 1981. This overview is combined with a clear, nontechnical explanation of the principles and methods of benefit measurement, and of the relevant characteristics of areas of application (air and water quality). Major empirical studies are summarized and responsibly critiqued. Freeman's synthesis includes several consensual, "best judgment" estimates of the actual benefits which air and water pollution control programs can produce. These estimates are compared with the annual costs of pollution control programs, illustrating the uses and limitations in these cases of benefit-cost analysis. The book is an accessible and authoritative summary of what is known of the benefits of environmental improvement.

Control of Lake Phosphorus with Aluminum Sulfate: Dose Determination and Application Techniques

Abstract: Nutrient diversion does not always bring about prompt and sufficient reduction in lake phosphorus concentration due to recycling from nutrient rich sediments. Certain lakes and reservoirs may continue to experience nuisance algal blooms and require additional restorative steps. The phosphorus precipitation/inactivation technique is a procedure to remove phosphorus from the water column and to control its release from sediments in order to achieve P-limiting conditions to algal growth. Aluminum salts have been used in advanced waste water treatment to remove phosphorus and this technology was extended to lake rehabilitation. Guidelines for dose calculation and application are generally lacking, and are provided in this report. The dose determination suggested here allows maximum application of aluminum to bottom sediments and thus emphasizes long term control of phosphorus recycling. Dose can be calculated directly from the alkalinity of the water to be treated. Titration of lake water samples of Varying alkalinity allows the establishment of the relationship between residual dissolved aluminum, alkalinity, and dose which can then be employed for lake scale applications of alum to lakes and reservoirs. Application equipment and procedures are described. These depend on site characteristics and treatment objectives and include lakeside stores, a distribution pipe, and an application barge and manifold. Alum may also be used to meet other restoration objectives including the treatment of problem flows and the reduction of particulate concentrations.

Evaluation of coliphage detection as a rapid indicator of water quality.

Abstract: A rapid coliphage analysis technique for enumerating coliphages in natural waters has been evaluated by water quality laboratories located throughout the United States. Correlations were established between coliphages and coliforms in natural water systems. These correlations were highly significant. This relationship can thus be used to determine the number of fecal or total coliforms present in natural water samples based on an enumeration of coliphages. With this method, coliphages in natural water systems (containing greater than or equal to six coliphages per 100 ml) can be enumerated within 6 h.

Drinking water and cancer incidence in iowa ii. radioactivity in drinking water

Abstract: Iowa towns of 1000-10,000 population, whose water came solely from wells of over 500 feet (152 meters) in depth and was not treated by a process that would remove radioactivity, were identified. Age-adjusted, sex-specific, cancer incidence rates were determined for these towns for the years 1969-1978 (excluding 1972) and related to the mean level of radium-226 in the municipal water supply. Incidence rates of cancers of the lung and bladder among males and of cancers of the breast and lung among females were higher in towns with a radium-226 level in the water supply exceeding 5.0 pCi/l. A gradient of increasing cancer incidence associated with rising radioactivity level for three time periods was also seen for lung cancer among males. The associations between cancer incidence and radioactivity of water supply could not be explained by smoking patterns, water treatment factors, other water quality measurements, or known socio-demographic features.

High resolution analysis

Abstract: The possibilities for the use of high spectral resolution analysis in the field of hydrology and water resources are examined. Critical gaps in scientific knowledge that must be filled before technology can be evaluated involve the spectral response of water, substances dissolved and suspended in water, and substances floating on water. The most complete mapping of oil slicks can be done in the ultraviolet region. A mean of measuring the ultraviolet reflection at the surface from satellite altitudes needs to be determined. The use of high spectral resolution sensors in a reasonable number of narrow bands may be able to sense the reflectance or emission characteristics of water and its contained materials that can be correlated with commonly used water quality variables. Technological alternative available to experiment with problems of sensing water quality are to use existing remote sensing instrumentation in an empirical mode and to develop instruments for either testing hypoteses or conducting empirical experiments.

Water quality of streams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Abstract: Water samples from streams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park were analyzed for 16 physical, chemical, and bacteriological water quality parameters. Bacterial densities, pH, alkalinity, turbidity, and concentrations of Na, K, and Si were found to be higher in the low elevations than in the high. Nitrate concentrations increased with increasing elevation. Watersheds which had been logged prior to the establishment of the park had significantly lower stream water nitrate concentrations than unlogged watersheds at similar elevations. Bedrock geology was found to influence pH, alkalinity, conductivity, hardness, and concentrations of Na, K, Ca, Mg, and Si. The seasonal pattern for most water quality parameters was for higher concentrations or values in the summer and lower in the winter. Discharge was highest in the winter and spring and lowest in the summer and fall. Nitrate concentrations were highest in the late winter and early spring and lowest in the fall. Storm events often caused large changes in water quality.

Chemical Water Quality of Runoff From Grazing Land in Nebraska: I. Influence of Grazing Livestock

Abstract: The chemical quality of runoff water from a 32.5-ha cow-calf pasture area at the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center near Clay Center, Nebr., was determined over a 3-year period. Runoff events from the grazed pasture were separated into those occurring while livestock were grazing and those occurring when no livestock were present. Grazing livestock increased by 52% the total solids concentration, but only increased total organic carbon and chemical oxygen demand concentrations by 11 and 7%, respectively, and decreased by 19% the total Kjeldahl nitrogen concentration. Concentrations of NH4-N, NO3-N, total P, soluble P, and Cl- were 6, 45, 37, 48, and 78% greater, respectively, when livestock were grazing. Runoff from an ungrazed control area within the pasture contained chemical concentrations that ranged from 1.94 to 10.8 times greater than those from an adjacent pasture under ungrazed conditions. We attributed these elevated concentrations to wildlife activity and decomposition of plant material.

The establishment of water quality gradients in reservoirs

Abstract: Significant interactions among morphometric, hydrologic chemical, and biological factors favor the establishment of water quality gradients in reservoirs. Results of three intensive water quality surveys conducted at West Point Lake (Georgia, USA) during 1979 document the existence of marked longitudinal gradients in the concentrations of total phosphorus, chlorophyll a and suspended solids (turbidity) from headwater to dam in this large reservoir. Comparisons of data from cove and main-pool stations also indicated the presence of significant lateral heterogeneities.The occurrence of such gradients must be recognized in the design, implementation, and interpretation of sampling programs if effective management strategies are to be developed for ameliorating reservoir water quality problems.

Contaminant inputs to the Hudson-Raritan estuary

Abstract: Source locations and an estimate of the magnitude of contaminant inputs to the Hudson-Raritan Estuary are presented. The relative contribution of the various sources is indicated and data gaps are identified. Six sources of contaminant inputs were evaluated: nontidal tributary, municipal and industrial wastewater, atmospheric, urban runoff, accidental spills, and landfill leachate. The latter five sources were evaluated downstream of the tributary water quality stations, since sources above these points are reflected in the tributary inputs. In addition to flow or volume for each source, data on concentrations of conventional pollutants (solids, organic matter, nutrients, and bacterial indicators), organic toxics, and heavy metals were sought. A large quantity of data was obtained from numerous federal, state, county, and municipal agencies, and private firms. The data were analyzed to obtain average mass loads of specific contaminants into the Hudson-Raritan Estuary.

Municipal Point Source and Agricultural Nonpoint Source Contributions to Coastal Eutrophication

Abstract: Tidally influenced reaches of several coastal rivers in eastern North Carolina are suffering from very serious water quality problems — massive surface blooms of noxious blue-green algae, major fish kills from anoxic water, epidemics of red sore disease among fish, fresh water intrusion into estuarine waters, and declining commercial and sports fisheries. An intensive investigation of point source and nonpoint source inputs of nutrients was conducted in one of the eutrophic rivers, the Chowan River. Nonpoint source loading dominated the estimated annual flu of nutrients from the river basin. Automated water quality samplers were utilized to record nutrient levels in stormflow and baseflow from several small agricultural watershed in the basin. Levels of nitrate nitrogen and total phosphorus were from five to 40 times greater in these agricultural watersheds than levels in mostly forested watersheds. Existing water quality data in these eutrophic river basins implicate agricultural activities – particularly animal operations and cropland in watersheds with extensive drainage improvements – as the major contributing factor to the water quality problems.

Soil loss, runoff, and water quality of seeded and unseeded steep watersheds following prescribed burning Edwards Plateau in Texas, range management.

Abstract: Seeding of steep slopes (37 to 6lg)after burning on the Edwards Plateau in central Texas reduced soil losses 78 to 93%. Moreover, the major impact of burning on soil losses was significantly reduced in 3 months on burned and seeded watersheds, but not for 15 to 18 months on unseeded watersheds. Stability (soil losses comparable to pretreatment levels) was reached in 6 months on burned and seeded watersheds. Soil loss rates stabilized when cover (live vegetation plus litter) reached 64 to 72% during normal to wet years or 53 to 60% during dry years. Thus, amount of precipitation and cover are closely tied to soil losses. Overland flow stabilized in 4 to 5 years on unseeded watershed and in 1 to 2 years on seeded watersheds. Water quality, lowered slightly by burning, returned to preburn levels within 2 years after seeding. Without seeding it took 4 years to reach preburn levels. Overall, water quality change following burning was not considered to be serious. Ashe juniper (Juniperusashei) has invaded extensive areas of the mixed prairie in central Texas and reduced grazing capacities from I animal unit/6 ha to 1 animal unit/20 ha. A recommended range management practice is to remove the tall green junipers by knocking the trees down individually with a tractor (dozing) or dragging an anchor chain over them that is attached between two tractors (chaining). This allows the native grasses to recover, but it leaves piles of debris over 22% of the land area (devoid of grass), enhances germination of Ashe juniper seed, and does not kill the young trees (Wink and Wright 1973). Prescribed burning removes the piles of debris, kills the young Ashe juniper trees, and creates an unfavorable environment forthe establishment of Ashe juniper seedlings (Wright 1978), but before recommendation to use by ranchers, we needed to know whether soil losses following burning were significant. In 197 1 we initiated a study to determine how long it would take for runoff, soil loss, vegetative cover (live vegetation plus litter), and water quality to return to preburn status on level (0 to 4%), moderate (8 to 20%), and steep (37 to 6 1%) slopes. The study revealed that soil losses and changes in water quality were not serious on level and moderate slopes (Wright et al. 1976). However, adverse effects lasted for 15 to 30 or more months on steep slopes. Soil losses are influenced by intensity of storms (Orr 1970), size and frequency of bare areas (Packer 1951), and soil, topography, and plant cover (Smith and Wischmeier 1962). Among these factors vegetative cover and slope are the most important (Meeuwig The authors are Chairperson and Horn professor, Department of Range and Wildlife Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock; and professors, Department of Biology, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas. This research was supported in part by the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Eisenhower Consortium for Western Environmental Forestry Research, and is published as Eisenhower Consortium Journal Series No. 36, and as Texas Tech University, College of Agricultural Sciences Publication No. T-9-212. The authors would like to thank S.C. Bunting, D.M. Engle, M. Baker, E. Miller, and T. Fulbright for their many hours of work on various phases of this study. We also wish to thank Mr. Bob Beckham, on whose ranch this study was conducted, and personnel of the Abilene Water Treatment Plant, who provided facilities todo the soil

Effects of Flushing Spencer Hydro on Water Quality, Fish, and Insect Fauna in the Niobrara River, Nebraska

Abstract: Hydroelectric facilities with a low generating capacity (approximately one megawatt) such as Spencer Hydro on the Niobrara River in Nebraska are important, as referenced by the renewed interest in the revival of many that were deactivated with the advent of large fossil fuel and nuclear generating stations. The water reservoir impounded by the Spencer Dam is shallow and entrapped sediment quickly fills the pond, reducing power generating potential and threatening the internal components of the hydro station. This action requires periodic flushings to allow settled sediment to move past the station, resulting in adverse impacts on water quality, fish, and fish-food organisms in the 63.3 km of Niobrara River downstream from the dam. Investigations in 1979 revealed unacceptable low levels of DO (3.5-4.0 mg/liter), pronounced increases in turbidity (>400%) and suspended solids (4-fold), and a doubling of dissolved solids. Thirty species of fish were affected, with a conservative count of 22,471 dead ...

Lake Trehörningen restoration project. Changes in water quality after sediment dredging

Abstract: An increased load of domestic wastewater to Lake Trehorningen induced oxygen-poor water conditions and the development of a reduced sulphide-rich sediment layer. Severely polluted, the lake did not recover, even after advanced wastewater treatment and sewage diversion. Restoration measures with suction dredging and macrophyte elimination were applied in 1975 and 1976. The loose topmost sediment was pumped into an embanked and overgrown bay which was used as a settling pond. The activities also included a restoration of the shorelines. This project is the largest restoration programme carried out in Sweden on a single lake, corresponding to a cost of about US $2 000 000.

Water treatment by aquatic ecosystem: Nutrient removal by reservoirs and flooded fields

Abstract: Potential use of reservoirs and flooded fields stocked with aquatic plants for reduction of the nutrient levels of organic soil drainage water was evaluated. The treatment systems include 1) a large single reservoir (R1) stocked with waterhyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), elodea (Egeria densa), and cattails (Typha sp.) in series; 2) three small reservoirs in series with waterhyacinth (R2), elodea (R3), and cattails (R4), grown in independent reservoirs; 3) a control reservoir (R5) with no cultivated plants; 4) a large single flooded field planted to cattails; 5) three small flooded fields in a series planted to cattails; and 6) a flooded field with no cultivated plants. Drainage water was pumped daily (6 hours a day, and 6 days a week) into these systems for a period of 27 months at predetermined constant flow rates. Water samples were collected at the inlet and outlet of each treatment system and analyzed for N and P forms. The series of reservoirs stocked with aquatic plants functioned effectively in the removal of N and P from agricultural drainage water, compared to a single large reservoir. Allowing the water to flow through the reservoir stocked with waterhyacinth plants with a residence time of 3.6 days was adequate to remove about 50% of the incoming inorganic N. Allowing the water to flow through a series of two small reservoirs, R2 and R3, with a residence time of 7.3 days was necessary to remove about 60% of the incoming ortho-P. Flooded fields were effective in the removal of inorganic N, but showed poor efficiency in the removal of ortho-P.