Hydrogeochemical and nitrate isotopic evolution of a semiarid mountainous basin aquifer of glacial-fluvial and paleolacustrine origin (Lake Titicaca, Bolivia): the effects of natural processes and anthropogenic activities

Author(s):  
Gabriela Patricia Flores Avilés ◽  
Lorenzo Spadini ◽  
Elisa Sacchi ◽  
Yvan Rossier ◽  
Joel Savarino ◽  
...  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 2027
Author(s):  
Alessandro Presentato ◽  
Elena Piacenza ◽  
Raymond J. Turner ◽  
Davide Zannoni ◽  
Martina Cappelletti

Metal(loid)s have a dual biological role as micronutrients and stress agents. A few geochemical and natural processes can cause their release in the environment, although most metal-contaminated sites derive from anthropogenic activities. Actinobacteria include high GC bacteria that inhabit a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic ecological niches, where they play essential roles in recycling or transforming organic and inorganic substances. The metal(loid) tolerance and/or resistance of several members of this phylum rely on mechanisms such as biosorption and extracellular sequestration by siderophores and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), bioaccumulation, biotransformation, and metal efflux processes, which overall contribute to maintaining metal homeostasis. Considering the bioprocessing potential of metal(loid)s by Actinobacteria, the development of bioremediation strategies to reclaim metal-contaminated environments has gained scientific and economic interests. Moreover, the ability of Actinobacteria to produce nanoscale materials with intriguing physical-chemical and biological properties emphasizes the technological value of these biotic approaches. Given these premises, this review summarizes the strategies used by Actinobacteria to cope with metal(loid) toxicity and their undoubted role in bioremediation and bionanotechnology fields.


2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henghua Zhu ◽  
Jianwei Zhou ◽  
Tingting Song ◽  
Haibo Feng ◽  
Zhizheng Liu ◽  
...  

Abstract Groundwater plays an important role in water supply and economic development for Yantai city, China. However, the groundwater quality has degraded due to the increase and expansion of agricultural and industrial development. It is urgent to acquire groundwater characteristics and distinguish impacts of natural factors and anthropogenic activities on the groundwater quality. Forty-six groundwater samples collected from different wells showed a great variation of chemical components across the study area. Most wells with higher total dissolved solids, total hardness, K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl− and SO42− concentrations were located relatively close to the coastal zone. The factor analysis (FA) and hierarchical cluster analysis results displayed that seawater intrusion was the primary mechanism controlling the groundwater quality in the coastal areas. A three-factor model was proposed based on the FA and explained over 85% of the total groundwater quality variation: Factor 1, the seawater intrusion; Factor 2, the water–rock interaction and Factor 3 (NO3−), the human activities. Furthermore, the geographical maps of the factor scores clearly described the spatial distributions of wells affected by natural processes or human activities. The study indicated that both natural processes and human activities are the major factors affecting the chemical compositions of groundwater.


2021 ◽  
Vol 906 (1) ◽  
pp. 012101
Author(s):  
Veronika Bacová Mitková

Abstract The territory of the Danube River Basin is one of the most flood-endangered regions in Europe. The flow regime conditions of the Danube River are continually changing. These changes are the result of natural processes and anthropogenic activities. In the present study, we focused on the statistical analysis and trend detection of the hydrological extremes of the Danube River at Bratislava. This paper firstly analyses the changes in correlation between water levels of the Danube River at Bratislava and Kienstock. Studied period of 1991-2013 included one or three hour measured water levels of the Danube River at Bratislava and Kienstock and shorter periods (1991–1995, 1999–2002, and 2004—2013) were selected for identification of the water level changes at Bratislava. One of the factors that recall the necessity to establish empirical - regression relationships was increasing of water levels of the Danube River at Bratislava (due to sediments accumulation at Bratislava). The results of the analysis indicated an increasing of water levels corresponding to the same flood discharges observed in the past. We also can say that travel time of the Danube floods between Kienstock and Bratislava did not change significantly during the analysed period. In the second part of the paper, we have identified changes in commonly used hydrological characteristics of annual maximum discharges, annual discharges and daily discharges of the Danube River at Bratislava during the period of 1876–2019. We examined whether there is a significant trend in discharges of the Danube River at Bratislava.


2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 2373 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Papastergios ◽  
A. Filippidis ◽  
J.L Fernandez–Turiel ◽  
D. Gimeno ◽  
C. Sikalidis

A total of 65 surface soils and 8 rock samples from the area surrounding the city of Kavala, Northern Greece, was collected and analyzed for their contents in 10 major and 32 trace elements. The extraction of the elements from the < 200μm soil fraction was based on the digestion of 0.1g of each sample with 2ml HNO3. The analytical methods used were ICP-OES and ICP-MS and the elements determined were Al, Ca, Cl, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P, S, Si, Ag, As, B, Ba, Cd, Ce, Co, nCr, Cs, Cu, Ga, Ge, Hg, La, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Se, Sn, Sr, Th, Ti, U, V, W, Y, Zn and Zr. Comparisons between the concentrations of the surface soil samples and the surrounding rock samples indicate that the majority of major, as well as, of trace elements are found in the surface soils of Kavala with such concentrations that are considered as the product of natural processes such as the weathering of parent rocks and pedogenesis. However, there are some nmajor elements (Cl, Na, S) and trace elements (Ag, As, Pb, V, Zn) that are present in the surface soils of the study area with elevated concentrations that cannot be regarded as the sole product of natural processes, but as the result of both, natural and anthropogenic activities, especially for the samples that are situated inside the industrial area of Kavala.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Narin Printarakul ◽  
Weeradej Meeinkuirt

Abstract Huay Pah Lahd stream in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, Thailand, is potentially vulnerable to nearby anthropogenic activities. In this study, we determined heavy metal accumulation in bryophyte tissue and their growth substrates. Enrichment factors (EFs) of heavy metals were employed to monitor concentrations in bryophyte tissue. Of eight bryophyte taxa investigated, Scopelophila cataractae showed the highest capacity to accumulate metals in tissue, particularly Fe, Zn, Cd and Cu in protonemata (8,026.7, 1,187.2, 16.9 and 530.1 mg kg-1, respectively). Furthermore, the endangered and rare bryophyte taxa S. cataractae and Porella acutifolia were found intermingled with other urban and common aquatic bryophytes. These taxa might be considered sensitive warning organisms for heavy metal stress in stream ecosystems induced by environmental pollution. Because EFs of all heavy metals were < 2, this suggests that natural processes are the key source of heavy metals; furthermore, the environment of this National Park was identified as being heathy, and an important ecosystem buffer and biodiversity haven.


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandhana Pradhanang Kayastha

Water samples of Karra river from Hetauda industrial area were collected during pre monsoon (May 2012) to assess water chemistry (Ca2+, Na+, K+, HCO3-, NO3-, SO42-, Cl-, F- and H4SiO4) and evaluate influence of natural processes and anthropogenic activities viz. industrial and agricultural inputs. The pollution was more severe near the industrial stretches due to direct discharge of the treated and untreated effluents from industries. Carbonate contribution was noted ~36.2 % from carbonate weathering and ~ 63.8 % from silicate weathering.Journal of Institute of Science and Technology, 2015, 20(2): 31-36


2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-13

<p>The Amvrakikos Bay is one of the most important ecosystems in the Mediterranean with great environmental, ecological and biological value. However, over the years, water quality has suffered severe degradation and is now one of the most polluted environmental areas in Greece. In the present study, using the analytical data of concentrations of precipitated metal deposits at the bottom of Amvrakikos Gulf, at its three largest lagoons: Logaros, Tsoukalio and Rodia, and by applying the indicators PLI, Igeo and EF, an assessment of the level of pollution of the area was made. The use of these indicators may show the degree of pollution of the area with heavy metals, and reveal the source of pollution i,e. whether the heavy metals are of anthropogenic or of natural processes, assessing simultaneously the degree of anthropogenic effect. Based on the PLI indicator, the marine zone in Menidi and Paliovarka as well as the Rodia and Tsoukalio lagoons are considered to be polluted. According to the Igeo Index, the sampling areas are unchanged to slightly burden by heavy metals. The largest charge is caused by Ni, followed by Mn and Pb. Based on EF, the concentrations of Cr, Mn, Co, Pb and Ni are significantly influenced by the various anthropogenic activities.</p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-46
Author(s):  
Megersa Olumana Dinka

Abstract Wonji Shoa Sugar Estate (WSSE), located in the flood plain of the Awash River (Ethiopia), has been under long-term (>60 years) irrigation, industrial activities and agro-chemical usage. In this study, the hydrochemical properties of groundwater bodies available at WSSE have been characterized for quality compositions. Water samples were collected from groundwater monitoring piezometers distributed in the sugarcane plantation and then analysed for physico-chemical quality parameters (pH, EC, major cations and anions) following standard procedures. Other chemical indices (e.g., total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), magnesium absorption ratio (MAR), base exchange (r1), meteoric genesis (r2)) were derived from the measured water quality parameters. The compositional variability and groundwater classification has been presented using the Box and Piper plots. The potential sources of minerals were suggested for each of the considered water sources based on their quality characteristics. Both trilinear Piper plot and meteoric genesis index revealed that groundwater of the area is shallow meteoric water percolation type with a changing of hydrochemical facies and mixing trend. Groundwater of the area, is group 1 (Ca-Mg-HCO3) type, with no dominant cations and HCO3 are the dominant anions. Overall, the study result elucidates that the chemical composition of GW of the area showed spatial variability depending upon the variations in hydrochemical inputs from natural processes and/or anthropogenic activities within the region. The local anthropogenic processes could be discharges from sugar factory, domestic sewage and agricultural activities.


2001 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 307 ◽  
Author(s):  
LYLIAN COLTRINARI

Global changes are modifications in the Earth System natural environment (physical, chemical, biological) as a consequence of interactions between atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere, and solid Earth, with the biota including humankind. These changes happen on a wide range of time scales, from years to hundreds of millions of years and they are significant features of Earth history. Geoindicators are measures of surface or near – surface geological processes and phenomena that vary significantly over periods of less than 100 years and that provide information meaningful for environmental assessment. They measure geological (mainly abiotic) variations that are important for understanding the terrestrial environment. There has been much interest on the subject of environmental monitoring of ecosystem dynamics and integrity but on the other hand it seems to be forgotten the search for indicators of natural processes and change in soils, landforms, surface, and groundwater that determine the character of the physical environment in general. Natural environmental changes in landscape features result from internal variations in geological and climatic parameters which lead to adjustments in surface processes and materials, and in vegetation. Anthropogenic activities act as external stresses that modify thresholds of stability and hamper understanding geoindicators changes. Procedures to quantify natural and man-made changes and to determine modifications in the recent past are proposed, with special reference to the Brazilian tropics.


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