scholarly journals Assessment of Anthropogenic Impact of Surface Water Quality, South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Dipitseng Manamela ◽  
Omotayo Awofolu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Water Quality ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Surface Water Quality ◽  
Total Coliform ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
The Impact

This article investigates the impact of anthropogenic activities on an important surface water from physico-chemical, chemical and microbial perspectives. The surface water, referred to as Blesbokspruit is in the West Rand District of South Africa. Potential impactors include wastewater treatment plant, mines, farmlands and informal settlements. Water samples were collected from nine purposively selected sampling points and analysed in 2014. The mean values of analysed variables across sampling sites and periods ranged from pH: 7.4-8.4; EC: 93.0 - 146.6 mS/m; TSS: 11.3 – 39.0 mg/L; TDS: 590.3 - 1020.3 mg/L; COD: 15.6- 34.8 mg/L. Those for anions varied from NO3-: 0.2- 2.1 (mg/L) N; PO43- : 0.4-0.9 mg/L and SO42-: 118.6 - 379.5 mg/L. The metallic variables ranged from As: 0.01-0.06 mg/L; Cd: 0.02-0.06 mg/L; Fe: 0.04-0.73 mg/L; Cu: 0.02 – 0.05 mg/L and Zn: 0.05 – 0.15 mg/L. The Faecal coliform varied from 15.9-16878.5 cfu/100 ml; Total coliform: 92.9-430294 cfu/100 ml and HPC from 4322.5-39776 cfu/1ml. Detection of toxic metals and pathogenic organisms above target safety limits indicate unsuitability of the water for domestic use with impact on the health of aquatic ecosystem. The study generally revealed the impact of anthropogenic activities on the surface water quality.

scholarly journals Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Surface Water Quality in Mokopane Area, Limpopo, South Africa

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 220
Author(s):  
Mmasabata Dolly Molekoa ◽  
Ram Avtar ◽  
Pankaj Kumar ◽  
Huynh Vuong Thu Minh ◽  
Rajarshi Dasgupta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Water Quality ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Surface Water Quality ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Chemical Parameters ◽  
Physico Chemical

Considering the well-documented impacts of land-use change on water resources and the rapid land-use conversions occurring throughout Africa, in this study, we conducted a spatiotemporal analysis of surface water quality and its relation with the land use and land cover (LULC) pattern in Mokopane, Limpopo province of South Africa. Various physico-chemical parameters were analyzed for surface water samples collected from five sampling locations from 2016 to 2020. Time-series analysis of key surface water quality parameters was performed to identify the essential hydrological processes governing water quality. The analyzed water quality data were also used to calculate the heavy metal pollution index (HPI), heavy metal evaluation index (HEI) and weighted water quality index (WQI). Also, the spatial trend of water quality is compared with LULC changes from 2015 to 2020. Results revealed that the concentration of most of the physico-chemical parameters in the water samples was beyond the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted permissible limit, except for a few parameters in some locations. Based on the calculated values of HPI and HEI, water quality samples were categorized as low to moderately polluted water bodies, whereas all water samples fell under the poor category (>100) and beyond based on the calculated WQI. Looking precisely at the water quality’s temporal trend, it is found that most of the sampling shows a deteriorating trend from 2016 to 2019. However, the year 2020 shows a slightly improving trend on water quality, which can be justified by lowering human activities during the lockdown period imposed by COVID-19. Land use has a significant relationship with surface water quality, and it was evident that built-up land had a more significant negative impact on water quality than the other land use classes. Both natural processes (rock weathering) and anthropogenic activities (wastewater discharge, industrial activities etc.) were found to be playing a vital role in water quality evolution. This study suggests that continuous assessment and monitoring of the spatial and temporal variability of water quality in Limpopo is important to control pollution and health safety in the future.

scholarly journals The influence of a high-density sludge acid mine drainage (AMD) chemical treatment plant on water quality along the Blesbokspruit Wetland, South Africa

Water SA ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (1 January) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Lourenco ◽  
Chris Curtis
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Water Quality ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Acid Mine Drainage ◽  
Mine Drainage ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Surface Water Quality ◽  
High Density ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Acid Mine

The Eastern Basin chemical acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment plant is one of the world’s largest high-density sludge (HDS) plants, and came into operation in August 2016. The plant is situated near the inoperative Grootvlei Mine in Springs, South Africa, and upstream of the Blesbokspruit Wetland, a former Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, now on the Montreux Record. Since being in operation it has had a major influence on surface water quality along the wetland area. The plant was constructed to mitigate the anticipated decant of AMD water from the abandoned Grootvlei Mine into the Blesbokspruit Wetland. Making use of the BACI (Before-After-Control-Impact) design, this study compares surface water quality of the Blesbokspruit upstream (control site) and downstream (impact site) of the treatment plant for 3-year periods before and after it came into operation. Quarterly water quality data (aluminium, ammonia, chloride, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, fluoride, iron, magnesium, manganese, nitrate, pH, phosphate, sodium and sulphate) from 2013–2019 were used for 5 historical Rand Water monitoring sites along the Blesbokspruit. The current HDS treatment process has negatively influenced conductivity, chloride, magnesium, sodium and sulphate levels downstream. Since the commissioning of the treatment plant, the levels of these parameters have increased significantly.  Notably, conductivity and sulphate have reached the management range defined as ‘unacceptable’ within the framework set out by the Blesbokspruit Forum (which is less stringent than the national guidelines for aquatic ecosystems), with potential impacts on salinization of the Vaal Barrage downstream. However, the significant reduction of iron, ammonia and phosphate concentrations downstream of the plant may be a combined beneficial effect of dilution by increased discharge from the plant and the wetland removing these contaminants. These results highlight the need for further research into possible secondary treatment and desalinisation mechanisms and the potential ecological and downstream water supply implications of increasing salinity within the area.

scholarly journals Impact of Controlled Drainage and Subirrigation on Water Quality in the Red River Valley

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 308
Author(s):  
Kristen Almen ◽  
Xinhua Jia ◽  
Thomas DeSutter ◽  
Thomas Scherer ◽  
Minglian Lin
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Surface Water Quality ◽  
Drainage Water ◽  
River Valley ◽  
Red River ◽  
Nutrient Loss ◽  
Controlled Drainage ◽  
Red River Valley ◽  
The Impact

The potential impact of controlled drainage (CD), which limits drainage outflow, and subirrigation (SI), which provides supplemental water through drain tile, on surface water quality are not well known in the Red River Valley (RRV). In this study, water samples were collected and analyzed for chemical concentrations from a tile-drained field that also has controlled drainage and subirrigation modes in the RRV of southeastern North Dakota from 2012–2018. A decreasing trend in overall nutrient load loss was observed because of reduced drainage outflow, though some chemical concentrations were found to be above the recommended surface water quality standards in this region. For example, sulfate was recommended to be below 750 mg/L but was reported at a mean value of 1971 mg/L during spring free drainage. The chemical composition of the subirrigation water was shown to have an impact on drainage water and the soil, specifically on salinity-related parameters, and the impact varied between years. This variation largely depended on the amount of subirrigation applied, soil moisture, and soil properties. Overall, the results of this study show the benefits of controlled drainage on nutrient loss reduction from agricultural fields.

scholarly journals The Impact of Urbanization on Water Quality: Case Study on the Alto Atoyac Basin in Puebla, Mexico

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 667
Author(s):  
Andrés Estrada-Rivera ◽  
Alfonso Díaz Fonseca ◽  
Samuel Treviño Mora ◽  
Wendy Argelia García Suastegui ◽  
Edith Chávez Bravo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Pollution Index ◽  
Surface Water Quality ◽  
Environmental Implications ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
The Impact

Population growth, poorly planned industrial development and uncontrolled production processes have left a significant footprint of environmental deterioration in the Alto Atoyac watershed. In this study, we propose using the integrated pollution index (PI) to characterize the temporary variations in surface water quality during the rapid urbanization process in the municipalities of San Martín Texmelucán (SMT) and Tepetitla de Lardizabal (TL), in the states of Puebla and Tlaxcala, between 1985 and 2020. We assessed the correlation between the population growth rate and the water quality parameters according to the Water Quality Index (ICA). The contribution of each polluting substance to the PI was determined. The industry database was created and the increase in population and industry, and their densities, were estimated. The results indicated that the temporal pattern of surface water quality is determined by the level of urbanization. The water integrated pollution index (WPI) increased with the passage of time in all the localities: SLG 0.0 to 25.0; SMTL 25.0 to 29.0; SRT 4.0 to 29.0; VA 6.0 to 30.0; T 3.5 to 24.0 and SMA 4.0 to 27.0 from 2010 to 2020, respectively. The correlation coefficients between the five parameters (BOD5, COD, CF, TU and TSS) in the six localities were positive with the population. The values that showed a higher correlation with the population were: SLG (FC 0.86), SMTL (BOD5 0.61, COD 0.89, TSS 0.64) and SRT (TU 0.83), corresponding to highly polluted localities, which generates complex and severe environmental implications due to the unsustainable management of water resources. Achieving the sustainability of water in the watershed is a challenge that should be shared between society and state. This type of research can be a useful tool in making environmental management decisions.

scholarly journals Modelling Impacts of a Municipal Spatial Plan of Land-Use Changes on Surface Water Quality—Example from Goriška Brda in Slovenia

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matjaž Glavan ◽  
Sara Bele ◽  
Miha Curk ◽  
Marina Pintar
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Surface Water Quality ◽  
Erosion Processes ◽  
Phosphorus Loads ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Spatial Plan

Intensive agriculture causes nutrient leaching and accelerates erosion processes, which threatens the good quality status of surface waters, as proposed by the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive. The purpose of this study was to define the impact of two alternative agricultural land-use change scenarios defined in a Municipal Spatial Plan on surface water quality by using the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model. As experimental area, we chose a small Kožbanjšček stream catchment (1464 ha) situated in the Goriška Brda region in Slovenia. The area, due to favorable conditions for vineyards, is facing increasing deforestation. The change of 66.3 ha of forests to vineyards would increase the sediment, nitrate, and phosphorus loads in the stream by 24.8%, 17.1%, and 10.7%, respectively. With the implementation of vegetative buffer strips as a mitigation measure of the current situation, we could reduce the sediment, nitrate, and phosphorus loads by 17.9%, 11.1%, and 3.1%, respectively, while a combination of the two land-use change scenarios would result in a slight increase of the above-mentioned loads, corresponding to 0.61%, 2.1%, and 6.6%, respectively, compared to the baseline situation. The results confirm that, as we can increase pollution levels with deforestation, we can also reduce water pollution by choosing proper types of land management measures.

scholarly journals Multivariate Monitoring of Surface Water Quality: Physico-Chemical, Microbiological and 3D Fluorescence Characterization

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1673
Author(s):  
Claude Daou ◽  
Mervat El Hoz ◽  
Amine Kassouf ◽  
Bernard Legube
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Surface Water Quality ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Specific Weight ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Fluorescence Excitation ◽  
Fluorescence Characteristics

The primary objective of this study is to explore a water quality database on two Mediterranean rivers (the Kadisha-Abou Ali and El Jaouz rivers—located in north Lebanon), considering their physicochemical, microbiological and fluorescence characteristics. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to the matrix gathering physicochemical and microbiological data while the Common Components and Specific Weight Analysis (CCSWA) or ComDim was used for fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEMs). This approach provided complementary and valuable information regarding water quality in such complex ecosystem. As highlighted by the PCA and ComDim scores, the Kadisha-Abou Ali River is highly influenced by anthropogenic activities because its watershed districts are intensively populated. This influence reveals the implication of organic and bacteriological parameters. To the contrary, the El Jaouz watershed is less inhabited and is characterized by mineral parameters, which determines its water quality. This work highlighted the relationship between fluorescence EEMs and major water quality parameters, enabling the selection of reliable water quality indicators for the studied rivers. The proposed methodology can surely be generalized to the monitoring of surface water quality in other rivers. Each customized water quality fingerprint should constantly be inspected in order to account for any emerging pollution.

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