scholarly journals Message in a bottle: Open source technology to track the movement of plastic pollution

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0242459
Author(s):  
Emily M. Duncan ◽  
Alasdair Davies ◽  
Amy Brooks ◽  
Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury ◽  
Brendan J. Godley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Bay Of Bengal ◽  
Animal Movement ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
River System ◽  
Educational Outreach ◽  
Source Tracking ◽  
Ganges River ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
The Ganges

Rivers worldwide are now acting as major transport pathways for plastic pollution and discharge large quantities of waste into the ocean. Previous oceanographic modelling and current drifter data have been used to predict the movement and accumulation of plastic pollution in the marine environment, but our understanding of the transport and fate through riparian systems is still largely unknown. Here we undertook a proof of concept study by applying open source tracking technology (both GPS (Global Positing System) cellular networks and satellite technology), which have been successfully used in many animal movement studies, to track the movements of individual plastic litter items (500 ml PET (polyethylene terephthalate) drinks bottles) through the Ganges River system (known as the Ganga in India and the Padma and Meghna in Bangladesh, hereafter known as the Ganges) and the Bay of Bengal. Deployed tags were successfully tracked through the Ganges river system and into the Bay of Bengal marine system. The “bottle tags” were designed and built (e.g. shape, size, buoyancy) to replicate true movement patterns of a plastic bottle. The maximum distance tracked to date is 2845 km over a period of 94 days. We discuss lessons learnt from the development of these plastic litter tags, and outline how the potential widespread use of this open source technology has the ability to significantly increase understanding of the location of accumulation areas and the timing of large inputs of plastic pollution into the aquatic system. Furthermore, “bottle tags” may act as a powerful tool for stimulating social behaviour change, informing science-based policy, and as valuable educational outreach tools for public awareness.

scholarly journals Riverine plastic pollution from fisheries: Insights from the Ganges River system

2021 ◽  
Vol 756 ◽  
pp. 143305
Author(s):  
Sarah E. Nelms ◽  
Emily M. Duncan ◽  
Surshti Patel ◽  
Ruchi Badola ◽  
Sunanda Bhola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River System ◽  
Ganges River ◽  
Plastic Pollution ◽  
The Ganges

scholarly journals Arsenic contamination of groundwater in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, as a consequence of rapid erosion

2010 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 49-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven H. Emerman ◽  
Tista Prasai ◽  
Ryan B. Anderson ◽  
Mallory A. Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Geometric Mean ◽  
Sulfide Oxidation ◽  
River System ◽  
Flood Plain ◽  
Kathmandu Valley ◽  
Ganges River ◽  
Transition Elements ◽  
Dug Wells ◽  
The Ganges ◽  
System Water

Elevated levels of arsenic (As) in groundwater in the flood plain of the Ganges River have been well-documented over the past decades. The objective of this study was to measure As and the transition elements normally associated with As in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, a heavily populated tectonic valley in the upper reaches of the Ganges River system. Water samples were collected from six shallow tubewells (depth < 50 m), eight deep tubewells and 13 dug wells and stone spouts. Electrical conductivity, temperature and pH were measured on-site and concentrations of As, Fe, Cu, Ni, Co, Mn, Zn and Cr were measured with a spectrophotometer. Five tubewells and four dug wells had As levels exceeding the Nepal Interim Standard (As = 0.05 mg/L). There was no statistically significant clustering of As levels either with depth or horizontal location. Arsenic was uncorrelated with either Fe (R2 = 0.096), Mn (R2 = 0.0004) or any combination of transition elements (R2 < 0.083), which is inconsistent with both the reduction-dissolution and the sulfide oxidation models for As release. The geometric mean As level of groundwater (As = 0.015 mg/L) was indistinguishable from the geometric mean As level of surface water (As = 0.013 mg/L) obtained from 48 river samples from the Kathmandu Valley in a previous study. We are suggesting that elevated groundwater As results not from subsurface redox conditions, but from losing streams with elevated As, which is a consequence of rapid erosion caused by a combination of monsoon climate, tectonic uplift and deforestation.

scholarly journals Stable Strontium Isotopic Compositions of River Water, Groundwater and Sediments From the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna River System in Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshihiro Yoshimura ◽  
Shigeyuki Wakaki ◽  
Hodaka Kawahata ◽  
H. M. Zakir Hossain ◽  
Takuya Manaka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River Water ◽  
Chemical Weathering ◽  
Drainage Basin ◽  
Dissolution Kinetics ◽  
River System ◽  
Ganges River ◽  
Brahmaputra River ◽  
Terrestrial Water ◽  
Stable Strontium ◽  
The Ganges

The Sr isotopic composition of rivers and groundwaters in the Bengal Plain is a major contributor to the global oceanic Sr inventory. The stable strontium isotope ratios (δ88Sr) provide a new tool to identify chemical weathering reactions in terrestrial water. In this study, we investigated the spatiotemporal variations of δ88Sr in samples of river water, bedload sediment, and groundwater collected from the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna drainage basin in Bangladesh, which is known to strongly influence the 87Sr/86Sr ratio in seawater. The average δ88Sr values of waters of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers were 0.269, 0.316, and 0.278‰, respectively. Our data showed little difference between seasons of high and low discharge. The δ88Sr values measured in sequential leaching fractions of sediments varied from –0.258 to 0.516‰ and were highest in the silicate fraction, followed in turn by the carbonate fraction and the exchangeable fraction. Both 87Sr/86Sr and δ88Sr of these waters are primarily controlled by the inputs of Sr in weathering products from the Bengal Plain and Sr from the Himalayan rivers (Ganges and Brahmaputra). Values of δ88Sr and Sr/Ca were higher in the Brahmaputra River than in the Ganges River, a difference we attribute to greater input from silicate weathering. The variations of δ88Sr and 87Sr/86Sr were greater in groundwater than in river waters. Mineral sorting effects and dissolution kinetics can account for the large scatter in 87Sr/86Sr and δ88Sr values. The depth profile of δ88Sr showed wide variation at shallow depths and convergence to a narrow range of about 0.31‰ at depths greater than 70 m, which reflects more complete equilibration of chemical interactions between groundwater and ambient sediments owing to the longer residence time of deeper groundwater. We found that δ88Sr values in the groundwater of Bangladesh were almost identical to those of river water from the lower Meghna River downstream of its confluence with the Ganges–Brahmaputra river system, thus confirming that the δ88Sr composition of the groundwater discharge to the Bay of Bengal is very similar to that of the river discharge.

scholarly journals Status of the Ganges river dolphin or shushuk Platanista gangetica in Kaptai Lake and the southern rivers of Bangladesh

Oryx ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian D. Smith ◽  
Benazir Ahmed ◽  
Muhammad Edrise Ali ◽  
Gill Braulik
Keyword(s):  
Bay Of Bengal ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Encounter Rate ◽  
Ganges River ◽  
Marine Waters ◽  
Conservation Measure ◽  
Freshwater Plumes ◽  
River Mouths ◽  
The Ganges ◽  
Persistent Contaminants

AbstractSurveys for shushuks Platanista gangetica were conducted during January to April 1999 in Kaptai Lake and the southern rivers of Bangladesh. A population of at least 125 dolphins was recorded in the Karnaphuli and Sangu rivers and connecting canal. The overall encounter rate was 0.76 dolphins per km. Density was highest in the lower reaches of the Sangu, where we recorded 1.36 dolphins per km. These rates are fairly high when compared with other areas of shushuk distribution. Dolphin movements in the Sikalbaha–Chandkhali Canal were consistent with it being used as a corridor for migration and dispersal between the Karnaphuli and Sangu. Shushuks were also sighted in marine waters of the Karnaphuli and Sangu river mouths, adding credibility to the hypothesis that dolphins move along the coast between the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna and Karnaphuli–Sangu systems, perhaps during the monsoon when freshwater plumes extend into the Bay of Bengal. No dolphins were nobserved in Kaptai Lake, a dam-created reservoir of the upper Karnaphuli, despite reports of occasional sightings by local fishermen. No shushuks were observed in the Bagkhali and Matamuhuri rivers, possibly because of seasonal-closure dams present near the mouths of both rivers. The main threats to dolphin survival in the Karnaphuli-Sangu system are probably accidental entanglement in monofilament gillnets, bioaccumulation of persistent contaminants and possibly collisions with motorized vessels and a decline in prey as a result of over fishing. The most significant conservation measure that could be taken would be to establish a protected area for dolphins in the Sangu River below the Dohazari Bridge.

scholarly journals The Influence of Weathering, Water Sources, and Hydrological Cycles on Lithium Isotopic Compositions in River Water and Groundwater of the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna River System in Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshihiro Yoshimura ◽  
Daisuke Araoka ◽  
Hodaka Kawahata ◽  
H. M. Zakir Hossain ◽  
Naohiko Ohkouchi
Keyword(s):  
River Water ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
River System ◽  
Mineral Formation ◽  
Ganges River ◽  
Secondary Mineral ◽  
Li Isotope ◽  
Secondary Mineral Formation ◽  
The Ganges

The silicate weathering of continental rocks plays a vital role in determining ocean chemistry and global climate. Spatiotemporal variations in the Li isotope ratio (δ7Li) of terrestrial waters can be used to identify regimes of current and past weathering processes. Here we examine: 1) monthly dissolved δ7Li variation in the Ganges River’s lower reaches; and 2) the spatiotemporal variation of river water of the Brahmaputra, Meghna rivers, and groundwater in Bangladesh. From the beginning to maximum flood discharges of the rainy season (i.e., from June to September), Li concentrations and δ7Li in the Ganges River show remarkable changes, with a large influence from Himalayan sources. However, most Li discharge across the rainy season is at steady-state and strongly influenced by the secondary mineral formation in the low-altitude floodplain. Secondary mineral formation strongly influences the Meghna River’s Li isotopic composition along with fractionation lines similar to the Ganges River. A geothermal input is an additional Li source for the Brahmaputra River. For groundwater samples shallower than ∼60 m depth, both δ7Li and Li/Na are highly scattered regardless of the sampling region, suggesting the variable extent of fractionation. For deep groundwater (70–310 m) with a longer residence time (3,000 to 20,000 years), the lower δ7Li values indicate more congruent weathering. These results suggest that Li isotope fractionation in rivers and groundwater depends on the timescale of water-mineral interaction, which plays an essential role in determining the isotopic signature of terrestrial Li inputs to the ocean.

scholarly journals Benchmarking wide swath altimetry-based river discharge estimation algorithms for the Ganges river system

2016 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 2439-2461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew G. Bonnema ◽  
Safat Sikder ◽  
Faisal Hossain ◽  
Michael Durand ◽  
Colin J. Gleason ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River Discharge ◽  
River System ◽  
Ganges River ◽  
Estimation Algorithms ◽  
Discharge Estimation ◽  
The Ganges ◽  
Wide Swath

scholarly journals Metal Distribution and Short-Time Variability in Recent Sediments from the Ganges River towards the Bay of Bengal (India)

Geosciences ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Estefanía Bonnail ◽  
Rocío Antón-Martín ◽  
Inmaculada Riba ◽  
T. Ángel DelValls
Keyword(s):  
Bay Of Bengal ◽  
Drainage Basin ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Industrial Effluents ◽  
Vertical Gradient ◽  
Element Distribution ◽  
Time Variability ◽  
Ganges River ◽  
Monsoon Period ◽  
The Ganges

The Ganges River receives inputs from highly populated cities of India (New Delhi, Calcutta, among others) and a strong influence of anthropogenic activities until reaching the Bay of Bengal. It is a seasonal river with 80% of discharges occurring between July and October during monsoon. The land-based activities next to the shore lead to discharges of untreated domestic and industrial effluents, inputs of agricultural chemicals, discharges of organic matter (cremations), and discharges of chemicals from aquaculture farms. In spite of the UNESCO declaring Human Patrimony the National Park Sundarbans, located in the delta, contamination has increased over time and it dramatically intensifies during the monsoon period due to the flooding of the drainage basin. Vertical element distribution (Cd, Co, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) was studied in sediments collected in different stations towards the Hügli Estuary. Results determined no vertical gradient associated with the analyzed sediment samples, which informs about severe sediment dynamic in the area that probably relates to tidal hydrodynamics and seasonal variation floods. The multivariate analysis results showed different associations among metals and in some cases between some of them (Co, Zn, Pb, and Cu) and the organic carbon. These allow the identification of different geochemical processes in the area and their relationship with the sources of contamination such as discharge of domestic and industrial effluents and diffuse sources enhanced by the monsoons. Also, an environmental risk value was given to the studied area by comparing the analyzed concentrations to quality guidelines adopted in other countries. It showed an estimated risk associated with the concentration of the metal Cu measured in the area of Kadwip.

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