scholarly journals Various Natural and Anthropogenic Factors Responsible for Water Quality Degradation: A Review

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 2660
Author(s):  
Naseem Akhtar ◽  
Muhammad Izzuddin Syakir Ishak ◽  
Showkat Ahmad Bhawani ◽  
Khalid Umar
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Hyporheic Exchange ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Soil Matrix ◽  
Natural Processes ◽  
Inorganic Substances

Recognition of sustainability issues around water resource consumption is gaining traction under global warming and land utilization complexities. These concerns increase the challenge of gaining an appropriate comprehension of the anthropogenic activities and natural processes, as well as how they influence the quality of surface water and groundwater systems. The characteristics of water resources cause difficulties in the comprehensive assessment regarding the source types, pathways, and pollutants behaviors. As the behavior and prediction of widely known contaminants in the water resources remain challenging, some new issues have developed regarding heavy metal pollutants. The main aim of this review is to focus on certain essential pollutants’ discharge from anthropogenic activities categorized based on land-use sectors such as industrial applications (solid/liquid wastes, chemical compounds, mining activities, spills, and leaks), urban development (municipal wastes, land use practices, and others), and agricultural practices (pesticides and fertilizers). Further, important pollutants released from natural processes classified based on climate change, natural disasters, geological factors, soil/matrix, and hyporheic exchange in the aquatic environment, are also discussed. Moreover, this study addresses the major inorganic substances (nitrogen, fluoride, and heavy metals concentrations). This study also emphasizes the necessity of transdisciplinary research and cross-border communication to achieve sustainable water quality using sound science, adaptable legislation, and management systems.

Influence of Anthropogenic Pressures on Groundwater Quality from a Rural Area

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (8) ◽  
pp. 1744-1748
Author(s):  
Catalina Stoica ◽  
Gabriela Geanina Vasile ◽  
Alina Banciu ◽  
Daniela Niculescu ◽  
Irina Lucaciu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Bacterial Load ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Contamination Level ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressures ◽  
Limit Values ◽  
Physico Chemical

During the past few decades, the anthropogenic activities induced worldwide changes in the ecological systems, including the aquatic systems. This work analysed the contamination level of groundwater resources from a rural agglomeration (Central-Western part of Prahova County) by biological and physico-chemical approaches. The study was performed during the autumn of 2016 on several sampling sites (four drilling wells, depth higher than 100 m supplying three villages; two wells lower than 10 m depth and one spring). The water quality was evaluated by comparison with the limit values of the drinking water quality legislation (Law no.458/2002) and the Order 621/2014 (applicable to all groundwater bodies of Romania). The results showed that phenols and metals (iron and manganese) exceeded the threshold values in all sampling sites. Moreover, the anthropogenic factors including agriculture, use of fertilizers, manures, animal husbandry led to an increase of the bacterial load, particularly at wells sites.

scholarly journals Estimating Soil Water Susceptibility to Salinization in the Mekong River Delta Using a Modified DRASTIC Model

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 1636
Author(s):  
Thanh N. Le ◽  
Duy X. Tran ◽  
Thuong V. Tran ◽  
Sangay Gyeltshen ◽  
Tan V. Lam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Drastic Model ◽  
River Catchment ◽  
Modified Drastic

Saltwater intrusion risk assessment is a foundational step for preventing and controlling salinization in coastal regions. The Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) is highly affected by drought and salinization threats, especially severe under the impacts of global climate change and the rapid development of an upstream hydropower dam system. This study aimed to apply a modified DRASTIC model, which combines the generic DRASTIC model with hydrological and anthropogenic factors (i.e., river catchment and land use), to examine seawater intrusion vulnerability in the soil-water-bearing layer in the Ben Tre province, located in the VMD. One hundred and fifty hand-auger samples for total dissolved solids (TDS) measurements, one of the reflected salinity parameters, were used to validate the results obtained with both the DRASTIC and modified DRASTIC models. The spatial analysis tools in the ArcGIS software (i.e., Kriging and data classification tools) were used to interpolate, classify, and map the input factors and salinization susceptibility in the study area. The results show that the vulnerability index values obtained from the DRASTIC and modified DRASTIC models were 36–128 and 55–163, respectively. The vulnerable indices increased from inland districts to coastal areas. The Ba Tri and Binh Dai districts were recorded as having very high vulnerability to salinization, while the Chau Thanh and Cho Lach districts were at a low vulnerability level. From the comparative analysis of the two models, it is obvious that the modified DRASTIC model with the inclusion of a river or canal network and agricultural practices factors enables better performance than the generic DRASTIC model. This enhancement is explained by the significant impact of anthropogenic activities on the salinization of soil water content. This study’s results can be used as scientific implications for planners and decision-makers in river catchment and land-use management practices.

scholarly journals Impact of Landuses on Air and Water Quality- A Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (Special issue 1) ◽  
pp. 11-21
Author(s):  
KALYANI SUPRIYA ◽  
R K AGGARWAL ◽  
S K BHARDWAJ
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Change ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Global Environmental Change ◽  
Quality Of Water ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Land Use Impact

Landuse alteration is one of the primary causes of global environmental change. Changes in the landuse usually occurred regionally and globally over last few decades and will carry on in the future as well. These activities are highly influenced by anthropogenic activities and have more serious consequences on the quality of water and air. In the present study relationship between land use impact on water and air quality have been reviewed.

scholarly journals Effects of land use and water quality on greenhouse gas emissions from an urban river system

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Long Ho ◽  
Ruben Jerves-Cobo ◽  
Matti Barthel ◽  
Johan Six ◽  
Samuel Bode ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
River System ◽  
Urban River ◽  
Polluted Water ◽  
Land Use Types

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.

scholarly journals Impact of Land Use on Karst Water Resources—A Case Study of the Kupa (Kolpa) Transboundary River Catchment

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3226
Author(s):  
Ana Selak ◽  
Ivana Boljat ◽  
Jasmina Lukač Reberski ◽  
Josip Terzić ◽  
Barbara Čenčur Curk
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Transport Infrastructure ◽  
Karst Water ◽  
Quality Indices ◽  
Water Quality Indices ◽  
Surface Water And Groundwater ◽  
Hazard Levels

This paper presents a qualitative approach for assessing land-use pressures on the water resources of a transboundary Dinaric karst catchment of the Kupa River in Southeast Europe. Spatial analyses of the water quality indices for surface water and groundwater were carried out in a GIS environment, as well as a detailed assessment of man-made hazards based on recommendations of COST Action 620. The produced maps provide an insight into the qualitative status of water resources at a regional scale by indicating areas of potential negative impacts of land use through the identification of point and diffuse sources of pollution. Higher values of the water quality indices for surface water and groundwater are observed in lowland areas, karst plateaus and poljes, where the impacts of anthropogenic activities such as agriculture and quarries take place on karstified permeable carbonate rocks. Hazard assessment showed how transport infrastructure induces a low hazard level. Settlement areas without proper sewerage systems impose moderate hazard levels, while direct wastewater discharges into groundwater and waste illegally disposed in karst swallow holes and caves located near settlements were classified as having high hazard levels. The applied methods proved to be suitable even in challenging karst environments where the complex properties and structure make the exploration and monitoring of groundwater resources difficult and scarce.

scholarly journals Processing of Metals and Metalloids by Actinobacteria: Cell Resistance Mechanisms and Synthesis of Metal(loid)-Based Nanostructures

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 2027
Author(s):  
Alessandro Presentato ◽  
Elena Piacenza ◽  
Raymond J. Turner ◽  
Davide Zannoni ◽  
Martina Cappelletti
Keyword(s):  
Extracellular Polymeric Substances ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Biological Properties ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Economic Interests ◽  
Natural Processes ◽  
Technological Value ◽  
Inorganic Substances ◽  
Wide Range

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.

scholarly journals Integrated assessment of the impacts of climate variability and anthropogenic activities on river runoff: a case study in the Hutuo River Basin, China

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 416-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abubaker Omer ◽  
Weiguang Wang ◽  
Amir K. Basheer ◽  
Bin Yong
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Climate Variability ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Interactive Effect ◽  
River Basins ◽  
Runoff Reduction ◽  
Sustainable Water Resources Management

Understanding the linear and nonlinear responses of runoff to environmental change is crucial to optimally manage water resources in river basins. This study proposes a generic framework-based hydrological model (Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT)) and two approaches, to comprehensively assess the impacts of anthropogenic activities and climate variability on runoff over the representative Hutuo River Basin (HRB), China. Results showed that SWAT performed well in capturing the runoff trend in HRB; however, it exhibited better performance for the calibration period than for the validation. During 1961–2000, about 26.06% of the catchment area was changed, mainly from forest to farmland and urban, and the climate changed to warmer and drier. The integrated effects of the anthropogenic activities and climate variability decreased annual runoff in HRB by 96.6 mm. Direct human activities were responsible for 52.16% of runoff reduction. Climate (land use) decreased runoff by 45.30% (2.06%), whereas the combined (land use + climate) impact resulted in more runoff decrease, by 47.84%. Land use–climate interactive effect is inherent in HRB and decreased runoff by 1.02%. The proposed framework can be applied to improve the current understanding of runoff variation in river basins, for supporting sustainable water resources management strategies.

scholarly journals Qualitative Assessment of Effects of Encroachment on Water Resources of Agba Dam, Ilorin Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
O.S Oladeji ◽  
R.A Olaoye ◽  
I.B Abioye
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Aquatic Life ◽  
Iron Copper ◽  
High Population Growth ◽  
Physical And Chemical

The city of Ilorin in Nigeria has experienced high population growth and rapid urbanization. Agba Dam is one of the major sources of potable water in Ilorin, and currently being threatened by anthropogenic induced encroachment activities, with potential for significant derogatory effects on its quality. Therefore, this paper assesses the qualitative impact of encroachment on the water resources regime of Agba Dam, Ilorin, Nigeria. Field survey was carried out to scope proximal anthropogenic activities and to delineate historical as well as current extent of the encroachment area of the dam. Representative water samples were collected from locations within the dam catchment, and subsequently analyzed for alkalinity, dissolved carbondioxide, chloride, total iron, copper, sulphate, colour, calcium, dissolved oxygen and turbidity. In addition, historical physical and chemical data of water samples obtained from the dam were also acquired, and analyzed to determine temporal variation in the quality. The results show a reduction of 0.89 km2 or 63% in the historical buffer boundary of the dam. The values of the measured physico-chemical parameters were generally similar to that obtained for the historical values and therefore suggest limited impact of the anthropogenic activities on the water quality. However, slight increases were observed in the measured concentrations of the alkalinity, dissolved carbondioxide, chloride, iron, copper and sulphate, and this indicates possibilities of water quality alteration, with potential consequences for ecosystem and aquatic life if the trend is unabated.

scholarly journals Anthropogenic and catchment characteristic signatures in the water quality of Swiss rivers: a quantitative assessment

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Botter ◽  
Paolo Burlando ◽  
Simone Fatichi
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Stream Water ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Water Quality Data ◽  
Natural And Anthropogenic Factors

Abstract. The hydrological and biogeochemical response of rivers carries information about solute sources, pathways, and transformations in the catchment. We investigate long-term water quality data of eleven Swiss catchments with the objective to discern the influence of catchment characteristics and anthropogenic activities on delivery of solutes in stream water. Magnitude, trends and seasonality of water quality samplings of different solutes are evaluated and compared across catchments. Subsequently, the empirical dependence between concentration and discharge is used to classify different solute behaviors. Although the influence of catchment geology, morphology and size is sometime visible on in-stream solute concentrations, anthropogenic impacts are much more evident. Solute variability is generally smaller than discharge variability. The majority of solutes shows dilution with increasing discharge, especially geogenic species, while sediment-related solutes (e.g. Total Phosphorous and Organic Carbon species) show higher concentrations with increasing discharge. Both natural and anthropogenic factors impact the biogeochemical response of streams and, while the majority of solutes show identifiable behaviors in individual catchments, only a minority of behaviors can be generalized across catchments that exhibit different natural, climatic and anthropogenic features.

scholarly journals An Assessment of Land Use and Land Cover Changes and Its Impact on the Surface Water Quality of the Crocodile River Catchment, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nde Samuel Che ◽  
Sammy Bett ◽  
Enyioma Chimaijem Okpara ◽  
Peter Oluwadamilare Olagbaju ◽  
Omolola Esther Fayemi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Land Cover Change ◽  
Physicochemical Parameters ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Land Cover Changes ◽  
River Catchment

The degradation of surface water by anthropogenic activities is a global phenomenon. Surface water in the upper Crocodile River has been deteriorating over the past few decades by increased anthropogenic land use and land cover changes as areas of non-point sources of contamination. This study aimed to assess the spatial variation of physicochemical parameters and potentially toxic elements (PTEs) contamination in the Crocodile River influenced by land use and land cover change. 12 surface water samplings were collected every quarter from April 2017 to July 2018 and were analyzed by inductive coupled plasma spectrometry-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Landsat and Spot images for the period of 1999–2009 - 2018 were used for land use and land cover change detection for the upper Crocodile River catchment. Supervised approach with maximum likelihood classifier was used for the classification and generation of LULC maps for the selected periods. The results of the surface water concentrations of PTEs in the river are presented in order of abundance from Mn in October 2017 (0.34 mg/L), followed by Cu in July 2017 (0,21 mg/L), Fe in April 2017 (0,07 mg/L), Al in July 2017 (0.07 mg/L), while Zn in April 2017, October 2017 and April 2018 (0.05 mg/L). The concentrations of PTEs from water analysis reveal that Al, (0.04 mg/L), Mn (0.19 mg/L) and Fe (0.14 mg/L) exceeded the stipulated permissible threshold limit of DWAF (< 0.005 mg/L, 0.18 mg/L and 0.1 mg/L) respectively for aquatic environments. The values for Mn (0.19 mg/L) exceeded the permissible threshold limit of the US-EPA of 0.05 compromising the water quality trait expected to be good. Seasonal analysis of the PTEs concentrations in the river was significant (p > 0.05) between the wet season and the dry season. The spatial distribution of physicochemical parameters and PTEs were strongly correlated (p > 0.05) being influenced by different land use type along the river. Analysis of change detection suggests that; grassland, cropland and water bodies exhibited an increase of 26 612, 17 578 and 1 411 ha respectively, with land cover change of 23.42%, 15.05% and 1.18% respectively spanning from 1999 to 2018. Bare land and built-up declined from 1999 to 2018, with a net change of - 42 938 and − 2 663 ha respectively witnessing a land cover change of −36.81% and − 2.29% respectively from 1999 to 2018. In terms of the area under each land use and land cover change category observed within the chosen period, most significant annual change was observed in cropland (2.2%) between 1999 to 2009. Water bodies also increased by 0.1% between 1999 to 2009 and 2009 to 2018 respectively. Built-up and grassland witness an annual change rate in land use and land cover change category only between 2009 to 2018 of 0.1% and 2.7% respectively. This underscores a massive transformation driven by anthropogenic activities given rise to environmental issues in the Crocodile River catchment.

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