scholarly journals Preliminary results on microplastics in surface water from the downstream of the Day River

Author(s):  
Oanh Doan Thi ◽  
Thuy Duong Thi ◽  
Huong Nguyen Thi Nhu ◽  
Quynh Hoang Thi ◽  
Quynh Le Thi Phuong ◽  
...  

Microplastics (MPs), referring to plastic items ranging from 1 to 5000 µm long, are polluting the terrestrial and aquatic environments and are becoming a threat to the health of ecosystems, biota, and humans. Rivers are major carriers of these materials from the terrestrial environment to the oceans. In the present study, the occurrence of MPs in a peri-urban river was investigated. The Day river system is a good example of a peri-urban river strongly influenced by human activities in the whole basin. Water samples were collected from the downstream of the Day river, including Cau Que, Cau Do, and Do Thong, in the rainy and dry seasons using a plankton sampling net for identifying microplastic concentration, size, shape, color, and polymer composition. Microplastic abundance in the surface water ranged from 269,693±60,624 to 863,005±131,925 items/m3. The microplastic concentration in the rainy season was higher than that in the dry season. MPs abundance was increased at a site near urban areas with high human activity. The microplastic shape was collected in different seasons did not change significantly, with microplastic fibers as the major items, accounting for above 92% of the total items. Many fibers microplastics collected in this study were in small sizes of 300-1000 µm and 1000-2000 µm, occupying 78.5-85.7% of the total microplastic items. Purple was the most common color of microplastics. Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) were major polymer types of the selected items in the surface water samples downstream of the Day River.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Long Ho ◽  
Ruben Jerves-Cobo ◽  
Matti Barthel ◽  
Johan Six ◽  
Samuel Bode ◽  
...  

Abstract. Rivers act as a natural source of greenhouse gases (GHGs) that can be released from the metabolisms of aquatic organisms. Anthropogenic activities can largely alter the chemical composition and microbial communities of rivers, consequently affecting their GHG emissions. To investigate these impacts, we assessed the emissions of CO2, CH4, and N2O from Cuenca urban river system (Ecuador). High variation of the emissions was found among river tributaries that mainly depended on water quality and neighboring landscapes. By using Prati and Oregon Indexes, a clear pattern was observed between water quality and GHG emissions in which the more polluted the sites were, the higher were their emissions. When river water quality deteriorated from acceptable to very heavily polluted, their global warming potential (GWP) increased by ten times. Compared to the average estimated emissions from global streams, rivers with polluted water released almost double the estimated GWP while the proportion increased to ten times for very heavily polluted rivers. Conversely, the GWP of good-water-quality rivers was half of the estimated GWP. Furthermore, surrounding land-use types, i.e. urban, roads, and agriculture, significantly affected the river emissions. The GWP of the sites close to urban areas was four time higher than the GWP of the nature sites while this proportion for the sites close to roads or agricultural areas was triple and double, respectively. Lastly, by applying random forests, we identified dissolved oxygen, ammonium, and flow characteristics as the main important factors to the emissions. Conversely, low impact of organic matter and nitrate concentration suggested a higher role of nitrification than denitrification in producing N2O. These results highlighted the impacts of land-use types on the river emissions via water contamination by sewage discharges and surface runoff. Hence, to estimate of the emissions from global streams, both their quantity and water quality should be included.


Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Martínez Silva ◽  
Mark A. Nanny

Magdalena River surface water and shoreline sediments were sampled for microplastic particles at three locations in the city of Neiva, Colombia: upstream, city center, and downstream of the raw wastewater outflow. The absence of an industrial and manufacturing sector in Neiva provided an opportunity to assess the impact of upstream agricultural practices, as well as municipal activities such as wastewater outflow and laundry washing, on the quantity, polymer composition, and morphology of microplastic particles produced per capita and entering a river system. Microplastic particle concentrations increased with downstream distance, with microfiber concentrations ranging from 0.097 to 0.135 fibers/L in the river water and 25.5 to 102.4 fibers/kg in shoreline sediment. Microplastic fragment concentrations were 0.013–0.028 fragments/L in surface water and 10.4–12.7 fragments/kg of sediment. Raman microscope and scanning electron microscopy identified the relative composition of the polymers comprising the microplastic particles was similar regardless of sampling site or whether the sample was collected from the surface water or shoreline sediments, with polypropylene and polyethylene comprising at least 75% of the total polymers in all samples. Average fiber widths of < 20 µm in all but one sample, along with the lack of acrylic and polyester fibers used predominantly in woven synthetic textiles, indicated that the degradation of nonwoven synthetic textiles is the predominant origin of these microplastic fibers in the Magdalena River.


Author(s):  
David Beale ◽  
Avinash Karpe ◽  
Warish Ahmed ◽  
Stephen Cook ◽  
Paul Morrison ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly Nel ◽  

&lt;p&gt;Twenty rivers have been estimated previously to account for almost 70% of global plastic emissions to the marine environment. Of these, the Ganges River was second only to the Yangtze River. Yet, scale and complexity of the Ganges River network make assessing microplastic contamination along the watercourse, including the attribution of suspected pollution sources challenging. Here we analyse post-monsoon spatial variation of microplastics along a 2500km length of the Ganges. River sediments and surface water were sampled during Nov/Dec 2019 at 81 locations that covered a variety of hydrological conditions, morphological attributes and land-use categories (e.g., downstream of large urban areas, rural areas with agriculture, major tributaries). Sediment samples were collected from the riverbank (waterline) and stored in glass jars while 100L water samples were filtered on-site through a 63&amp;#181;m sieve. Plastic particles between 63 and 5000&amp;#181;m were extracted by means of density separation followed by organic matter digestion with Fenton reagent. Extracts were subsequently stained with Nile red to improve detection of ambiguous particles. Physical and chemical properties such as shape, size, and polymer type where characterised using Fluorescence microscopy, Confocal Raman, and FT-IR imaging to understand differences along the river continuum. Our findings were analysed in relation to other key water quality parameters, various land-use descriptors and hydrogeomorphological characteristics, which allowed us to better understand the main drivers of microplastic transport and fate. Our survey results reveal an increasing downstream trend in sediment microplastic concentrations. The existence of distinct microplastic pollution hotspots in areas of high population density as well as areas of high cultural and spiritual relevance are detected. Interestingly, longitudinal concentration profiles in sediment and surface water samples do not match, hinting at differences in source attributions as well as transport, accumulation and long-term storage mechanisms, which is especially important in light of the variations seen in microplastic shape and size distribution patterns. Our results can be used as a springboard for future research assessing local microplastic contamination and aid in the refinement of medium and large-scale models estimating microplastic export.&lt;/p&gt;


Ring ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-92
Author(s):  
John Morgan

Wing lengths of Clamorous Reed Warblers Acrocephalus stentoreus in Israel Wing length measurements taken from first-year, pre- and post-moulting (annual, complete) Clamorous Reed Warblers were recorded at a site in northern Israel. The resulting data set was examined using a time-series of residuals (CUSUM). Results from this analysis can explain the reported heterogeneity found in a comparable data set by Merom et al. (1999). Further observations made in their paper are rebutted: (1) an implied assumption that Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) spring migration in Israel ends by 1 May is contrary to other publications; (2) the late autumn occurence in N Israel of longer-winged 1st cal. yr. Reed Warblers, unconvincingly explained as either delayed migration by larger individuals or post fledging feather growth, is most likely due to birds from different provenances origins moving at different seasons; (3) growth during adulthood in Reed Warbler is not a new discovery, though presented as such.


1992 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Ripl

Abstract Densely populated urban areas, which have developed over the last century, depend heavily on centralized water supply, sewage treatment plants, and hydroelectric or thermal power generation with vast demand of cooling water. Considerable areas have been drained or sealed, and the short-circuited water cycle has been distorted. Large rivers have been converted to shipping canals with the permanent risk of accidental pollution. Technical means such as sewage treatment, air filters, emission control and lake and soil restoration measures have contributed to correct the environmental damage. However, a balance sheet for irreversible matter losses (mainly base cation charges) from the urbanized areas and the surrounding landscape into the sea shows ever-increasing trends. These losses are destabilizing the ecosystems. In this paper, management of the water cycle in urban areas, together with the coupled matter cycles, is discussed. Particular reference is given to Metropolitan Berlin, with a network of shipping canals, which move biologically treated waste, containing base cations and nutrients to the surrounding rural areas. This could create manageable productive wetlands and re-establish soil fertility. At the same time, the natural cooling system close to the urban areas will be improved by providing more areas with permanent vegetation. In addition, reduction of the present large oscillations of the groundwater table, resulting from groundwater pumping and its recharge with less polluted surface water, is contemplated. The widely used shoreline infiltration of the Havel River should then be eliminated and the severe damage of the littoral vegetation in large sections of the Havel River system be avoided.


2006 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Simazaki ◽  
M. Asami ◽  
T. Nishimura ◽  
S. Kunikane ◽  
T. Aizawa ◽  
...  

Nationwide surveys of 1,4-dioxane and methyl-t-butyl ether (MTBE) levels in raw water used for the drinking water supply were conducted at 91 water treatment plants in Japan in 2001 and 2002, prior to the revision of the drinking water quality standards. 1,4-dioxane was widely and continuously detected in raw water samples and its occurrence was more frequent and its concentrations higher in groundwater than in surface water. However, its maximum concentration in raw water was much lower than its new standard value (50 μg/L), which was determined as a level of 10−5 excessive cancer risk to humans. Trace levels of MTBE were also detected in several surface water samples.


2000 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 197-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Zanelli ◽  
B. Compagnon ◽  
J. C. Joret ◽  
M. R. de Roubin

The utilization of the ChemScan® RDI was tested for different types of water concentrates. Concentrates were prepared by cartridge filtration or flocculation, and analysed either without purification, or after Immunomagnetic separation (IMS) or flotation on percoll-sucrose gradients. Theenumeration of the oocysts was subsequently performed using the ChemScan® RDI Cryptosporidium application. Enumeration by direct microscopic observation of the entire surface of the membrane was carried out as a control, and recoveries were calculated as a ratio between the ChemScan® RDI result and the result obtained with direct microscopic enumeration. The Chemscan enumeration technique proved reliable, with recoveries yielding close to 100% in most cases (average 125%, range from 86 to 467%) for all the concentration/purification techniques tested. The quality of the antibodies was shown to be critical, with antibodies from some suppliers yielding recoveries a low as 10% in some cases. This difficulty could, however, be overcome by the utilization of the antibody provided by Chemunex. These data conclusively prove that laser scanning cytometry, which greatly facilitates the microscopic enumeration of Cryptosporidium oocysts from water samples and decreases the time of observation by four to six times, can be successfully applied to water concentrates prepared from a variety of concentration/purification techniques.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ananda Tiwari ◽  
Anna-Maria Hokajärvi ◽  
Jorge Santo Domingo ◽  
Michael Elk ◽  
Balamuralikrishna Jayaprakash ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Rivers and lakes are used for multiple purposes such as for drinking water (DW) production, recreation, and as recipients of wastewater from various sources. The deterioration of surface water quality with wastewater is well-known, but less is known about the bacterial community dynamics in the affected surface waters. Understanding the bacterial community characteristics —from the source of contamination, through the watershed to the DW production process—may help safeguard human health and the environment. Results The spatial and seasonal dynamics of bacterial communities, their predicted functions, and potential health-related bacterial (PHRB) reads within the Kokemäenjoki River watershed in southwest Finland were analyzed with the 16S rRNA-gene amplicon sequencing method. Water samples were collected from various sampling points of the watershed, from its major pollution sources (sewage influent and effluent, industrial effluent, mine runoff) and different stages of the DW treatment process (pre-treatment, groundwater observation well, DW production well) by using the river water as raw water with an artificial groundwater recharge (AGR). The beta-diversity analysis revealed that bacterial communities were highly varied among sample groups (R = 0.92, p <  0.001, ANOSIM). The species richness and evenness indices were highest in surface water (Chao1; 920 ± 10) among sample groups and gradually decreased during the DW treatment process (DW production well; Chao1: 320 ± 20). Although the phylum Proteobacteria was omnipresent, its relative abundance was higher in sewage and industrial effluents (66–80%) than in surface water (55%). Phyla Firmicutes and Fusobacteria were only detected in sewage samples. Actinobacteria was more abundant in the surface water (≥13%) than in other groups (≤3%). Acidobacteria was more abundant in the DW treatment process (≥13%) than in others (≤2%). In total, the share of PHRB reads was higher in sewage and surface water than in the DW treatment samples. The seasonal effect in bacterial communities was observed only on surface water samples, with the lowest diversity during summer. Conclusions The low bacterial diversity and absence of PHRB read in the DW samples indicate AGR can produce biologically stable and microbiologically safe drinking water. Furthermore, the significantly different bacterial communities at the pollution sources compared to surface water and DW samples highlight the importance of effective wastewater treatment for protecting the environment and human health.


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