An assessment of macroinvertebrate functional feeding groups as water quality indicators in the Buffalo River, eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Hydrobiologia ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 318 (3) ◽  
pp. 153-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn G. Palmer ◽  
Brenton Maart ◽  
Anthony R. Palmer ◽  
Jay H. O'Keeffe
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Water Quality ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Functional Feeding Groups ◽  
Eastern Cape Province ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Water Quality Indicators ◽  
Feeding Groups ◽  
Buffalo River

scholarly journals Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyl along the course of the Buffalo River, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, and possible health risks

Water SA ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (4 October) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Yahaya ◽  
OA Adeniji ◽  
OO Okoh ◽  
SP Songca ◽  
AI Okoh
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Polychlorinated Biphenyl ◽  
River Estuary ◽  
The United States ◽  
World Health ◽  
Electron Capture Detection ◽  
Eastern Cape Province ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Buffalo River

Humans and wildlife are vulnerable to the toxicity of semi-volatile and persistent organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Neither the distribution of these pollutants nor their seasonal variation has ever been determined in the Buffalo River. Thus, the occurrence and concentration of 19 PCBs was assessed in King William’s Town (KWT), Izele (IZ), Zwelitsha (ZW), Maden (MD), Mdantsane (MSN) and Buffalo River estuary (BRE), all on the Buffalo River in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Water samples were subjected to liquid-liquid extraction for PCBs, after which the compounds were separated and quantified on gas chromatography with electron capture detection. The PCBs differ in concentration from below detection limit (BDL) to 482 ng·L−1 in summer and BDL to 2 383 ng·L−1 in autumn. While the order of congeners increases during the summer from KWT > IZ > ZW > MD > MSN > BRE, the distribution in autumn followed the order BRE > IZ > ZW > KWT > MSN > MD. The total levels of PCBs at all the sites during summer were below the World Health Organization (WHO) permissible level of 500 ng·L−1 recommended for humans, but were exceeded at all the sampling sites in autumn except at MD. The evaluated risk with respect to cancer was lower than the acceptable threshold (10-6), whereas hazard quotients were slightly higher than the maximum threshold (of 1) stated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The compounds are known to be toxic to humans and animals. The results appear to show that the exposure levels of the compounds were safe for humans and animals. Further studies are recommended in order to make a definitive conclusion.

Application of a Pilot-Scale Pulsed Electrocoagulation system to OCC-Based Paper Mill Effluent

TAPPI Journal ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 14-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
YUAN-SHING PERNG ◽  
EUGENE I-CHEN WANG ◽  
SHIH-TSUNG YU ◽  
AN-YI CHANG
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Paper Mill ◽  
Pilot Scale ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Optimal Dosage ◽  
Water Quality Indicators ◽  
Paper Mill Effluent ◽  
Treated Effluent ◽  
True Color

Trends toward closure of white water recirculation loops in papermaking often lead to a need for system modifications. We conducted a pilot-scale study using pulsed electrocoagulation technology to treat the effluent of an old corrugated containerboard (OCC)-based paper mill in order to evaluate its treatment performance. The operating variables were a current density of 0–240 A/m2, a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 8–16 min, and a coagulant (anionic polyacrylamide) dosage of 0–22 mg/L. Water quality indicators investigated were electrical con-ductivity, suspended solids (SS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and true color. The results were encouraging. Under the operating conditions without coagulant addition, the highest removals for conductivity, SS, COD, and true color were 39.8%, 85.7%, 70.5%, and 97.1%, respectively (with an HRT of 16 min). The use of a coagulant enhanced the removal of both conductivity and COD. With an optimal dosage of 20 mg/L and a shortened HRT of 10 min, the highest removal achieved for the four water quality indicators were 37.7%, 88.7%, 74.2%, and 91.7%, respectively. The water qualities thus attained should be adequate to allow reuse of a substantial portion of the treated effluent as process water makeup in papermaking.

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