Referee Report on: A parsimonious transport model of emerging contaminants at the river network scale by Elena Diamantini and Alberto Bellin

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anonymous
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Contaminants ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
River Network ◽  
Network Scale

scholarly journals A parsimonious transport model of emerging contaminants at the river network scale

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 573-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Diamantini ◽  
Stefano Mallucci ◽  
Alberto Bellin
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Emerging Contaminants ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
River Network ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystem ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Concentration Data ◽  
Advection Dispersion ◽  
Northeastern Italy

Abstract. Waters released from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) represent a relevant source of pharmaceuticals and personal care products to the aquatic environment, since many of them are not effectively removed by the treatment systems. The consumption of these products increased in the last decades and concerns have consequently risen about their possible adverse effects on the freshwater ecosystem. In this study, we present a simple, yet effective, analytical model of transport of contaminants released in surface waters by WWTPs. Transport of dissolved species is modeled by solving the advection dispersion reaction equation (ADRE) along the river network by using a Lagrangian approach. We applied this model to concentration data of five pharmaceuticals, diclofenac, ketoprofen, clarithromycin, sulfamethoxazole, and irbesartan, collected during two field campaigns, conducted in February and July 2015 in the Adige River, northeastern Italy. The model showed a good agreement with measurements and the successive application at the monthly timescale highlighted significant variations of the load due to the interplay between streamflow seasonality and variation of the anthropogenic pressure, chiefly due to the variability of touristic fluxes. Since the data required by the model are widely available, our model is suitable for large-scale applications.

scholarly journals A parsimonious transport model of emerging contaminants at the river network scale

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Diamantini ◽  
Alberto Bellin
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Emerging Contaminants ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
River Network ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystem ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Concentration Data ◽  
North East ◽  
Advection Dispersion

Abstract. Waters released from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are a relevant source of pharmaceuticals and personal care products to the aquatic environment, since many of them are not effectively removed by the treatment system. The consumption of these products increased in the last decades and concerns have consequently risen about their possible adverse effects on the freshwater ecosystem. In this study, we present a simple, yet effective, analytical model of transport of contaminants released in surface waters by WWTPs. Transport of dissolved species is modeled by solving the Advection-Dispersion-Reaction Equation (ADRE) along the river network by using a Lagrangian approach. We applied this model to concentration data of five pharmaceuticals: diclofenac, ketoprofen, clarithromycin, sulfamethoxazole and irbesartan collected in two field campaigns, conducted in February and July 2015, in the Adige river, North-East of Italy. The model showed a good agreement with measurements and the successive application at the monthly time scale highlighted significant variations of the load due to the interplay between streamflow seasonality and variation of the anthropogenic pressure, chiefly due to the variability of touristic fluxes. Since the data required by the model are widely available, our model is suitable to large-scale applications.

scholarly journals An Innovative Framework for Real Time Monitoring of Pollutant Point Sources in River Networks

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehdi Mazaheri ◽  
J. M. V. Samani ◽  
Fulvio Boano
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
River Network ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Release Time ◽  
River Networks ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Geostatistical Approach ◽  
Pollutant Sources ◽  
Simultaneous Identification

Abstract The simultaneous identification of location and source release history in complex river networks is a very complicated ill-posed problem, particularly in a case of multiple unknown pollutant sources with time-varying release pattern. This study presents an innovative method for simultaneous identification of the number, locations and release histories of multiple pollutant point sources in a river network using minimum observation data. Considering two different type of monitoring stations with an adaptive arrangement as well as real-time data collection at those stations and using a reliable numerical flow and transport model, at first the number and suspected reach of presence of pollutant sources are determined. Then the source location and its intensity function is calculated by solving inverse source problem using a geostatistical approach. A case study with three different scenarios in terms of the number, release time and location of pollutant sources are discussed, concerning a river network with unsteady and non-uniform flow. Results showed the capability of the proposed method in identifying of sought source characteristics even in complicated cases with simultaneous activity of multiple pollutant sources.

Identifying global hotspots of plastic waste accumulation along river networks

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesus Gomez-Velez ◽  
Stefan Krause
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
River Network ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Trapping Efficiency ◽  
River Networks ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Relative Location ◽  
Plastic Pollution

<p>Global plastic pollution is affecting ecosystems and human health globally. Proposing solutions and coping strategies for this threat requires a clear understanding of the processes controlling the fate and transport of mismanaged plastics at multiple scales, going from watersheds to regions and even continents. River corridors are the primary conveyor and trap for mismanaged plastic produced within the landscape and eventually released to the ocean. New approaches that apply technological sensing innovations for monitoring plastic waste in aquatic environments can improve observations and plastic waste datasets globally. However, our understanding of when, where, and how to target monitoring is limited, reducing the benefit gained. There is therefore a critical demand for predictions of hotspots (as well as hot moments) of plastic accumulation along river networks globally, in order to optimize observational capacity.     </p><p>Here, we present a new global flow and transport model for plastic waste in riverine environments. Our model predicts that only a small fraction (roughly 2.5%) of the global mismanaged plastic that entered rivers since the 1950s has been delivered to the ocean by 2020, with an overwhelming majority sequestered in freshwater ecosystems. Furthermore, we predict the patterns of mismanaged plastic accumulation and its residence time depend on (i) the topology and geometry of the river network, (ii) the relative location of plastic sources, and (ii) the relative location and trapping efficiency of flow regulation structures, primarily large dams. Our results highlight the role of rivers as major sinks for plastic waste and the need for targeted remedial strategies that consider the structure of the river network and anthropogenic regulation when proposing intervention measures and sampling efforts.</p>

Controls of Chloride Loading and Impairment at the River Network Scale in New England

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 839-847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shan Zuidema ◽  
Wilfred M. Wollheim ◽  
Madeleine M. Mineau ◽  
Mark B. Green ◽  
Robert J. Stewart
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
River Network ◽  
Network Scale

scholarly journals How to design optimal eDNA sampling strategies for biomonitoring in river networks

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Carraro ◽  
Julian B. Stauffer ◽  
Florian Altermatt
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Errors ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Sampling Site ◽  
River Network ◽  
Decay Rates ◽  
River Networks ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Biodiversity Crisis ◽  
Model Predictions

AbstractThe current biodiversity crisis calls for appropriate and timely methods to assess state and change of bio-diversity. In this respect, environmental DNA (eDNA) is a highly promising tool, especially for aquatic ecosystems. While initial eDNA studies assessed biodiversity at a few sites, technology now allows analyses of samples from many points at a time. However, the selection of these sites has been mostly motivated on an ad-hoc basis, and it is unclear where to position sampling sites in a river network to most effectively sample biodiversity. To this end, hydrology-based models might offer a unique guidance on where to sample eDNA to reconstruct the spatial patterns of taxon density based on eDNA data collected across a watershed.Here, we performed computer simulations to identify best-practice criteria for the choice of positioning of eDNA sampling sites in river networks. To do so, we combined a hydrology-based eDNA transport model with a virtual river network reproducing the scaling features of real rivers. In particular, we conducted simulations investigating scenarios of different number and location of eDNA sampling sites in a riverine network, different spatial taxon distributions, and different eDNA measurement errors.We identified best practices for sampling site selection for taxa that have a scattered versus an even distribution across the network. We observed that, due to hydrological controls, non-uniform patterns of eDNA concentration arise even if the taxon distribution is uniform and decay is neglected. We also found that uncertainties in eDNA concentration estimates do not necessarily hamper model predictions. Knowledge of eDNA decay rates improves model predictions, highlighting the need for empirical estimates of these rates under relevant environmental conditions. Our simulations help define strategies for the design of eDNA sampling campaigns in river networks, and can guide the sampling effort of field ecologists and environmental authorities.

scholarly journals Hydrological controls on river network connectivity

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 181428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Garbin ◽  
Elisa Alessi Celegon ◽  
Pietro Fanton ◽  
Gianluca Botter
Keyword(s):  
River Flow ◽  
Probabilistic Approach ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Quantitative Description ◽  
Spatial Dynamics ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
River Network ◽  
Time Variability ◽  
Hydrological Connectivity ◽  
Network Scale

This study proposes a probabilistic approach for the quantitative assessment of reach- and network-scale hydrological connectivity as dictated by river flow space–time variability. Spatial dynamics of daily streamflows are estimated based on climatic and morphological features of the contributing catchment, integrating a physically based approach that accounts for the stochasticity of rainfall with a water balance framework and a geomorphic recession flow analysis. Ecologically meaningful minimum stage thresholds are used to evaluate the connectivity of individual stream reaches, and other relevant network-scale connectivity metrics. The framework allows a quantitative description of the main hydrological causes and the ecological consequences of water depth dynamics experienced by river networks. The analysis shows that the spatial variability of local-scale hydrological connectivity is strongly affected by the spatial and temporal distribution of climatic variables. Depending on the underlying climatic settings and the critical stage threshold, loss of connectivity can be observed in the headwaters or along the main channel, thereby originating a fragmented river network. The proposed approach provides important clues for understanding the effect of climate on the ecological function of river corridors.

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