Showing papers on "Water quality published in 2009"
TL;DR: Improvements in the water quality of many freshwater and most coastal marine ecosystems requires reductions in both nitrogen and phosphorus inputs.
Abstract: Improvements in the water quality of many freshwater and most coastal marine ecosystems requires reductions in both nitrogen and phosphorus inputs.
2,773 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors compared current total nitrogen (TN) and phosphorus (TP) concentrations for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency nutrient ecoregions with estimated reference conditions.
Abstract: Human-induced eutrophication degrades freshwater systems worldwide by reducing water quality and altering ecosystem structure and function. We compared current total nitrogen (TN) and phosphorus (TP) concentrations for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency nutrient ecoregions with estimated reference conditions. In all nutrient ecoregions, current median TN and TP values for rivers and lakes exceeded reference median values. In 12 of 14 ecoregions, over 90% of rivers currently exceed reference median values. We calculated potential annual value losses in recreational water usage, waterfront real estate, spending on recovery of threatened and endangered species, and drinking water. The combined costs were approximately $2.2 billion annually as a result of eutrophication in U.S. freshwaters. The greatest economic losses were attributed to lakefront property values ($0.3-2.8 billion per year, although this number was poorly constrained) and recreational use ($0.37-1.16 billion per year). Our evaluation likely underestimates economic losses incurred from freshwater eutrophication. We document potential costs to identify where restoring natural nutrient regimes can have the greatest economic benefits. Our research exposes gaps in current records (e.g., accounting for frequency of algal bloomsandfishkills)andsuggestsfurtherresearchisnecessary to refine cost estimates.
1,236 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reviewed the impacts of climate change on UK surface water quality through the lens of UK surface waters and concluded that increased water temperatures will affect chemical reaction kinetics and, combined with degradation in quality, freshwater ecological status.
Abstract: It is now accepted that some human-induced climate change is unavoidable. Potential impacts on water supply have received much attention, but relatively little is known about the concomitant changes in water quality. Projected changes in air temperature and rainfall could affect river flows and, hence, the mobility and dilution of contaminants. Increased water temperatures will affect chemical reaction kinetics and, combined with deteriorations in quality, freshwater ecological status. With increased flows there will be changes in stream power and, hence, sediment loads with the potential to alter the morphology of rivers and the transfer of sediments to lakes, thereby impacting freshwater habitats in both lake and stream systems. This paper reviews such impacts through the lens of UK surface water quality. Widely accepted climate change scenarios suggest more frequent droughts in summer, as well as flash-flooding, leading to uncontrolled discharges from urban areas to receiving water courses and estuaries. Invasion by alien species is highly likely, as is migration of species within the UK adapting to changing temperatures and flow regimes. Lower flows, reduced velocities and, hence, higher water residence times in rivers and lakes will enhance the potential for toxic algal blooms and reduce dissolved oxygen levels. Upland streams could experience increased dissolved organic carbon and colour levels, requiring action at water treatment plants to prevent toxic by-products entering public water supplies. Storms that terminate drought periods will flush nutrients from urban and rural areas or generate acid pulses in acidified upland catchments. Policy responses to climate change, such as the growth of bio-fuels or emission controls, will further impact freshwater quality.
968 citations
TL;DR: Through this review, it appears that the pharmaceutical risk must be considered even in drinking water where concentrations are very low, and there is a lack of research for by-products characterization, occurrence and fate in all water types and especially in drinkingWater.
868 citations
TL;DR: The main conclusion can be drawn is that a degradation trend of drinking water quality in the context of climate change leads to an increase of at risk situations related to potential health impact.
777 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the environmental fate of active pharmaceutical ingredients in a major production area for the global bulk drug market, where water samples were taken from a common effluent treatment plant near Hyderabad, India, which receives process water from approximately 90 bulk drug manufacturers.
Abstract: Low levels of pharmaceuticals are detected in surface, ground, and drinking water worldwide. Usage and incorrect disposal have been considered the major environmental sources of these microcontaminants. Recent publications, however, suggest that wastewater from drug production can potentially be a source of much higher concentrations in certain locations. The present study investigated the environmental fate of active pharmaceutical ingredients in a major production area for the global bulk drug market. Water samples were taken from a common effluent treatment plant near Hyderabad, India, which receives process water from approximately 90 bulk drug manufacturers. Surface water was analyzed from the recipient stream and from two lakes that are not contaminated by the treatment plant. Water samples were also taken from wells in six nearby villages. The samples were analyzed for the presence of 12 pharmaceuticals with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. All wells were determined to be contaminated with drugs. Ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, cetirizine, terbinafine, and citalopram were detected at more than 1 microg/L in several wells. Very high concentrations of ciprofloxacin (14 mg/L) and cetirizine (2.1 mg/L) were found in the effluent of the treatment plant, together with high concentrations of seven additional pharmaceuticals. Very high concentrations of ciprofloxacin (up to 6.5 mg/L), cetirizine (up to 1.2 mg/L), norfloxacin (up to 0.52 mg/L), and enoxacin (up to 0.16 mg/L) were also detected in the two lakes, which clearly shows that the investigated area has additional environmental sources of insufficiently treated industrial waste. Thus, insufficient wastewater management in one of the world's largest centers for bulk drug production leads to unprecedented drug contamination of surface, ground, and drinking water. This raises serious concerns regarding the development of antibiotic resistance, and it creates a major challenge for producers and regulatory agencies to improve the situation.
741 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the water quality index (WQI) for the groundwater of Tumkur taluk has been determined by collecting groundwater samples and subjecting the samples to a comprehensive physicochemical analysis.
Abstract: The present work is aimed at assessing the water quality index (WQI) for the groundwater of Tumkur taluk. This has been determined by collecting groundwater samples and subjecting the samples to a comprehensive physicochemical analysis. For calculating the WQI, the following 12 parameters have been considered: pH, total hardness, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, chloride, nitrate, sulphate, total dissolved solids, iron, manganese and fluorides. The WQI for these samples ranges from 89.21 to 660.56. The high value of WQI has been found to be mainly from the higher values of iron, nitrate, total dissolved solids, hardness, fluorides, bicarbonate and manganese in the groundwater. The results of analyses have been used to suggest models for predicting water quality. The analysis reveals that the groundwater of the area needs some degree of treatment before consumption, and it also needs to be protected from the perils of contamination
644 citations
TL;DR: The results revealed that the major causes of water quality deterioration were related to inflow of effluent from industrial, domestic, agricultural and saline seeps into the lake at site 1 and also resulting from people living in boats and fishing at sites 2 and 3.
587 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors studied the effects of interlayer communication through low-permeability seals. But they focused on the effects on shallow aquifers and evaluated the possible implications for shallow groundwater resources, rather than the CO2 plume itself, and concluded that large-scale pressure changes appear to be of more concern to groundwater resources than changes in water quality caused by the migration of displaced saline water.
480 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the spatial configuration of land uses within watersheds in South Korea and examined how spatial patterns of urban, agricultural, and forest land uses measured at both landscape and class levels, related to water quality in adjacent reservoirs from landscape ecological perspective.
433 citations
TL;DR: The impact of nutrient discharges from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to United States freshwater systems is reviewed and reuse programs provide an opportunity to reduce or eliminate direct nutrient discharging to receiving waters while allowing for the beneficial use of reclaimed water.
Abstract: Excessive nutrient loading (considering nitrogen and phosphorus) is a major ongoing threat to water quality and here we review the impact of nutrient discharges from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to United States (US) freshwater systems While urban and agricultural land uses are significant nonpoint nutrient contributors, effluent from point sources such as WWTPs can overwhelm receiving waters, effectively dominating hydrological characteristics and regulating instream nutrient processes Population growth, increased wastewater volumes, and sustainability of critical water resources have all been key factors influencing the extent of wastewater treatment Reducing nutrient concentrations in wastewater is an important aspect of water quality management because excessive nutrient concentrations often prevent water bodies from meeting designated uses WWTPs employ numerous physical, chemical, and biological methods to improve effluent water quality but nutrient removal requires advanced treatment and infrastructure that may be economically prohibitive Therefore, effluent nutrient concentrations vary depending on the particular processes used to treat influent wastewater Increasingly stringent regulations regarding nutrient concentrations in discharged effluent, along with greater freshwater demand in populous areas, have led to the development of extensive water recycling programs within many US regions Reuse programs provide an opportunity to reduce or eliminate direct nutrient discharges to receiving waters while allowing for the beneficial use of reclaimed water However, nutrients in reclaimed water can still be a concern for reuse applications, such as agricultural and landscape irrigation
TL;DR: A historical perspective of the linkage between forest soils and water quantity and quality over the past century, and also makes predictions about research directions in the area of forest soil and water quality linkages is provided in this paper.
TL;DR: The observed data are consistent with first-order elimination and a median serum PFOA half- life of 2.3 years, and ongoing follow-up will lead to improved half-life estimation.
Abstract: BackgroundDrinking water in multiple water districts in the Mid-Ohio Valley has been contaminated with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which was released by a nearby DuPont chemical plant. Two highl...
TL;DR: In this article, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to model the hydrology and impact of climate change in the highly agricultural San Joaquin watershed in California.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluated the potential for potable water savings by using rainwater in residential sectors of the 12 Jordanian governorates and provided some suggestions and recommendations regarding the improvement of both quality and quantity of harvested rainwater.
TL;DR: The necessity and usefulness of multivariate statistical techniques for evaluation and interpretation of the data with a view to get better information about the water quality and design some remedial techniques to prevent the pollution caused by hazardous toxic elements in future are indicated.
01 Jan 2009
TL;DR: Water safety plans (WSPs) as discussed by the authors are the most effective means of consistently ensuring the safety of a drinking-water supply is through the use of a comprehensive risk assessment and risk management approach that encompasses all steps in water supply from catchment to consumer.
Abstract: The most effective means of consistently ensuring the safety of a drinking-water supply is through the use of a comprehensive risk assessment and risk management approach that encompasses all steps in water supply from catchment to consumer. In these Guidelines such approaches are called water safety plans (WSPs). The aim of this Manual is to provide that practical guidance to facilitate WSP development focusing particularly on organized water supplies managed by a water utility or similar entity. (Excerpts)
01 Jan 2009
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present an approach to estimate nutrient availability and salinity status in greenhouse horticulture using tissue tests and chemical characteristics of the soil and substrate, as well as the chemical effects of disinfestations.
Abstract: 1. Greenhouse horticulture 2. Fertilizers and soil improvers 3. Soil solution 4. Soil and substrate testing to estimate nutrient availability and salinity status 5. Tissue tests 6. Water uptake and water supply 7. Salinity and water quality 8. Crop response to an unequal distribution of ions in space and time 9. Calcium nutrition and climatic conditions 10. Chemical effects of disinfestations 11. Substrates: chemical characteristics 12. Nutrient solutions for soilless cultures 13. Nutrient management in substrate systems 14. Fertigation management of potted plants 15. Fertigation in soil grown crops 16. Nutrient management in soil grown crops 17. Plant nutrition in future greenhouse production Definitions Appendices
TL;DR: Caffeine, cephalexin, atenolol, and ibuprofen had the highest influent concentrations, and as shown here, the residuals which escape WWTP processing emerge as the primary pollutants for downstream receiving water bodies.
TL;DR: Funders of water quality interventions in developing countries should put more effort into auditing whether interventions are sustainable and whether the health benefits are being achieved, as well as investigating what impact poor reliability may have on achieving health improvement targets.
TL;DR: Reclaimed water contained 1000-fold more virus-like particles than potable water, and contained a wealth of novel single-stranded DNA and RNA viruses related to plant, animal and insect viruses.
Abstract: Reclaimed water use is an important component of sustainable water resource management. However, there are concerns regarding pathogen transport through this alternative water supply. This study characterized the viral community found in reclaimed water and compared it with viruses in potable water. Reclaimed water contained 1000-fold more virus-like particles than potable water, having approximately 10(8) VLPs per millilitre. Metagenomic analyses revealed that most of the viruses in both reclaimed and potable water were novel. Bacteriophages dominated the DNA viral community in both reclaimed and potable water, but reclaimed water had a distinct phage community based on phage family distributions and host representation within each family. Eukaryotic viruses similar to plant pathogens and invertebrate picornaviruses dominated RNA metagenomic libraries. Established human pathogens were not detected in reclaimed water viral metagenomes, which contained a wealth of novel single-stranded DNA and RNA viruses related to plant, animal and insect viruses. Therefore, reclaimed water may play a role in the dissemination of highly stable viruses. Information regarding viruses present in reclaimed water but not in potable water can be used to identify new bioindicators of water quality. Future studies will need to investigate the infectivity and host range of these viruses to evaluate the impacts of reclaimed water use on human and ecosystem health.
TL;DR: Chlorophyll a (CHLA) was selected as an indicator of water quality in Florida Bay as mentioned in this paper, with concentrations reflecting the integrated effect of many of the water quality factors that may be altered by restoration activities.
TL;DR: It is suggested that perceptions of water quality and risk result from a complex interaction of diverse factors, including organoleptics, perceived water chemicals, external information, past health problems, and trust in water suppliers, among other factors.
TL;DR: Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is a technology where surface runoff is effectively collected during yielding rain periods as mentioned in this paper, which can then be used for rainfed agriculture or water supply for households.
TL;DR: Experimental work was developed to test the hypothesis that nutrient enrichment enhances metal tolerance of relative macrophyte and the potential of different aquatic plants (macrophytes) in purifying water and wastewater is discussed.
Abstract: Increasing urbanization, industrialization and over population is leading to the degradation of the environment. The main hazardous contents of the water pollution are heavy metals etc. Water bodies are the main targets for disposing the pollutants directly or indirectly. They are again at the receiving end as the storm water, residential and commercial waste is disposed into it. The prevailing purification technologies used to remove the contaminants are too costly and sometimes non-eco friendly also. Therefore, the research is oriented towards low cost and eco friendly technology for water purification, which will be beneficial for community. The present paper is a comprehensive review of approximately 38 literature sources. The paper discusses the potential of different aquatic plants (macrophytes) in purifying water and wastewater. Experimental work was developed to test the hypothesis that nutrient enrichment enhances metal tolerance of relative macrophyte.
TL;DR: Analysis of heavy metals in water, sediments and littoral flora in the stretch of river Yamuna is first study of itself and interrelationship of metal concentration and other important characteristics make the study significant and interesting in analysing the pollution load at different points of the river body.
TL;DR: The proposed water environmental monitoring system based on a wireless sensor network has successfully accomplished the online auto-monitoring of the water temperature and pH value environment of an artificial lake and promises broad applicability prospects.
Abstract: A water environmental monitoring system based on a wireless sensor network is proposed. It consists of three parts: data monitoring nodes, data base station and remote monitoring center. This system is suitable for the complex and large-scale water environment monitoring, such as for reservoirs, lakes, rivers, swamps, and shallow or deep groundwaters. This paper is devoted to the explanation and illustration for our new water environment monitoring system design. The system had successfully accomplished the online auto-monitoring of the water temperature and pH value environment of an artificial lake. The system's measurement capacity ranges from 0 to 80 °C for water temperature, with an accuracy of ±0.5 °C; from 0 to 14 on pH value, with an accuracy of ±0.05 pH units. Sensors applicable to different water quality scenarios should be installed at the nodes to meet the monitoring demands for a variety of water environments and to obtain different parameters. The monitoring system thus promises broad applicability prospects.
TL;DR: In this paper, the universal water quality index (UWQI) has been developed by studying the supranational standard, i.e. the European Community Standard.
Abstract: This study comprised the development of a new index called the 'universal water quality index (UWQI)'. This index has advantages over pre-existing indices by reflecting the appropriateness of water for specific use, e.g. drinking water supply rather than general supply, and has been developed by studying the supranational standard, i.e. the European Community Standard. Three classification schemes for water quality are proposed for surface water quality assessment. Water quality determinants of the new index are cadmium, cyanide, mercury, selenium, arsenic, fluoride, nitrate-nitrogen, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, total phosphorus, pH and total coliform. The mathematical equations to transform the actual concentration values into quality indices have been formulated. The weighted sum method was proposed to obtain overall index scores based on individual index (sub-index) values. The application of the new index was demonstrated at a sampling station on Tahtali Reservoir in Turkey based on observed water quality data. Results revealed that the overall quality of the surface water falls under the 'excellent' class. On the other hand water quality was strongly affected by agricultural and domestic uses. This technique is believed to assist decision makers in reporting the state of the water quality, as well as investigating spatial and temporal changes. It is also useful to determine the level of acceptability for the individual parameter by referring to the concentration ranges defined in the proposed classification scheme.
TL;DR: In this paper, the spatial and seasonal variations of water quality in Haraz River Basin were evaluated using multivariate statistical techniques, such as cluster analysis, principal component analysis and factor analysis.
Abstract: In this study, spatial and seasonal variations of water quality in Haraz River Basin were evaluated using multivariate statistical techniques, such as cluster analysis, principal component analysis and factor analysis. Water quality data collected from 8 sampling stations in river during 4 seasons (Summer and Autumn of 2007, Winter and Spring of 2008) were analyzed for 10 parameters (dissolved oxygen, Fecal Coliform, pH, water temperature, biochemical oxygen demand, nitrate, total phosphate, turbidity, total solid and discharge). Cluster analysis grouped eight sampling stations into three clusters of similar water quality features and thereupon the whole river basin may be categorized into three zones, i.e. low, moderate and high pollution. The principle component analysis/factor analysis assisted to extract and recognize the factors or origins responsible for water quality variations in four seasons of the year. The natural parameters (temperature and discharge), the inorganic parameter (total solid) and the organic nutrients (nitrate) were the most significant parameters contributing to water quality variations for all seasons. Result of principal component analysis and factor analysis evinced that, a parameter that can be significant in contribution to water quality variations in river for one season, may less or not be significant for another one.
TL;DR: The research could provide help develop sustainable land use practice of the riparian zone for water conservation in the basin and explain most of the water quality variability in T, pH, turbidity, SPM and COD(Mn).