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PubMed2006

How green is my river? A new paradigm of eutrophication in rivers.

Although the process of eutrophication is reasonably well understood in lakes, there is currently no conceptual understanding of how eutrophication develops in rivers. This issue is addressed here. A review of the main processes controlling the development of eutrophication in lakes has been carried out as a precursor to considering the effect in rivers. The importance of hydraulic flushing in controlling algal growth suggests that short-retention-time rivers will show different effects compared to long retention-time, impounded rivers. The latter are likely to operate like lakes, moving from macrophyte domination to phytoplankton domination whereas the former move to benthic and filamentous algal domination. Subsequently, a conceptual model of the development of eutrophic conditions in short-retention-time rivers is developed. Although there is general agreement in the literature that an increase in nutrients, particularly phosphorus, is a pre-requisite for the eutrophic conditions to develop, there is little evidence in short-retention-time rivers that the plant (macro and micro) biomass is limited by nutrients and a good case can be made that the interaction of hydraulic drag with light limitation is the main controlling factor. The light limitation is brought about by the development of epiphytic algal films on the macrophyte leaves. The implications of this conceptual model are discussed and a series of observable effects are predicted, which should result if the model is correct.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Assessment of metal and nutrient concentrations in river water and sediment collected from the cities in the Pearl River Delta, South China.

The effects of anthropogenic activities, industrialization and urbanization on the accumulation of heavy metals and nutrients in sediments and water of rivers in the Pearl River Delta region were examined. Most sediments were seriously contaminated with Cd, Pb, and Zn in accordance with the classification by Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department. Total phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) concentrations in sediments ranged from 0.02% to 0.12% and 0.06% to 0.64%, respectively. High carbon (C), N, P and sulphur (S) levels at Yuen Long Creek were related to the discharge of industrial effluents along the river. The enrichment of P and ammoniacal-nitrogen (NH4+-N) in water were obvious. For most sites, the P concentration exceeded 0.1 mg/l, which is the recommended concentration in flowing water to encourage excessive growth of aquatic plants. Nine out of the 16 sites studied had NH4+-N concentration over 2 mg/l. The rivers in the south of Deep Bay (Hong Kong) had high nutrient exports compared with the rivers in the east region and western oceanic water. The concentrations of nitrate-nitrogen NO3--N in surface water were under the maximum contaminant level in public drinking water supplies (10 mg/l) except for one site. Although the concentrations of heavy metals in overlying water were low, their accumulations were significant. High contents of nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn) in water were found at certain locations, suggesting the occurrence of some local contamination. These preliminary results indicated that river and sediment transported pollutants is likely one of the factors for the water quality degradation of Deep Bay water.

Carbon↗

PubMed2025

Microbial genomic database of the Yangtze River, the third-longest river on Earth.

Microbes play an important role in mediating the nutrient cycling in the river ecosystem as a hotspot for biogeochemical processes. Due to scattered sampling efforts, however, there is a lack of a systematic study of the diversity of prokaryotic genomes in the Yangtze River, the third longest river on Earth. Here, we collected 602 metagenomic datasets of water, sediment and riparian soil samples spanning the Upper, Middle, and Lower basins of the Yangtze River over a 6,300 km continuum. We reconstructed 8,110 qualified genomes represented by 927 species-level genomes at the 95% ANI threshold, spanning 31 bacterial and five archaeal phyla. We further showed that more than half of these species (61.3% ~ 82.4%) were novel according to the genomic comparison against the curated databases, greatly expanding the known diversity of river prokaryotes. This dataset depicts an overview of microbial genomic diversity in the Yangtze River and provides a resource for in-depth investigation of metabolic potential, ecology, and evolution of riverine microbiomes.

Rivers↗

PubMed2005

Investigation of some basic water quality parameters of the north Bengal Terai river Kaljani--a tributary of river Torsa, and comparison thereof with the mainstream.

Some physico-chemical parameters of Kaljani River were studied in and around Alipurduar municipality. The principal characteristics of Kaljani River are high TSS, Mg-hardness, COD, and Phosphate 'P' Comparison of water quality parameters of the two rivers demonstrated higher range of alkalinity, ammonia 'N' content and chloride content in Torsa than Kaljani. River Kaljani showed higher COD range than Torsa. Mean BOD value of both these rivers ranged between 0.93-1.65 mg/l. Overall TDS content of Kaljani was found to be lower than Torsa. Maximum phosphate 'P' content was observed at the downstream of both the rivers.

Ammonia↗

PubMed1983

The blood sex hormone levels in sexually mature male atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the Westfield River (pH 4.7) and the Medway River (pH 5.6), Nova Scotia.

Blood samples were taken from fourteen sexually mature (ripe) male Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), eight from the acidic Westfield river (pH 4.7) and six from the less acidic (pH 5.6) Medway river to determine if there is any difference in sex hormone production in the fish in the two rivers. The plasma levels of the two principal male sex hormones, testosterone and 11-ketotestosterone, which normally peak at functional sexual maturity, were significantly lower in salmon from the more acidic Westfield river compared to those in salmon from the Medway river. Since these fish were of the same stock, and were in the same state of sexual maturation, it is suggested that the more acidic Westfield River has affected the production and/or utilization of sex hormones in this species.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Chemical contamination of the East River (Dongjiang) and its implication on sustainable development in the Pearl River Delta.

A recent survey reveals that water quality and river sediments of Dongjiang (the East River) have been mildly contaminated by heavy metals and organic chemicals, such as copper, lead, PCBs, PAHs and HCHs. According to photogrammertic surveys, the sources of contamination are closely related to human activities, such as domestic and industrial discharges, agricultural chemical applications and soil erosion due to deforestation. The level of water and sediment contamination is most serious at the mid-river section near the urban of Weizhou. Due to natural dilution and diffusion, the levels of contamination are slightly decreased at the medium low section of the River near Qiaotou and Matan. Nevertheless, the levels of contamination increase again in the lower river section near Shenzhen, which is a highly developed economic zone. Since Dongjiang is the major source of potable water supply for Hong Kong (nearly 80% of potable water of Hong Kong is abstracted from Dongjiang) and the other parts of the Pearl River Delta (PRD), such organic and inorganic pollution merit concern. Ironically, most of the industrial and commercial activities in the watershed of Dongjiang are business investments of Hong Kong citizens. Cross-border environmental efforts should be enhanced with collaboration of different jurisdictions to achieve targets of regional sustainability.

Agriculture↗

PubMed1993

Ecological studies on reovirus pollution of rivers in Toyama Prefecture. II. Molecular epidemiological study of reoviruses isolated from river water.

In order to clarify the source of reovirus pollution in river water, comparative surveys have been carried out between reovirus isolates from river water and those from sewage, human or animal, by making use of the analysis of genomic RNA-migration pattern of reovirus in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (electropherotype). The strains of reovirus serotype 1 and 2 isolated from river water were classified into 3 and 9 electropherotypes, respectively, and 8 out of these 12 types were also found among strains isolated from sewage or human. When the monthly distribution of the river isolates classified by electropherotypes was compared with that of the sewage isolates, there were cases in which strains of the same electropherotype were simultaneously isolated from both sources. The electropherotypes of 3 isolates from pig and field rodents were different from those of the other isolates. The electropherotype of an oyster isolate coincided with that of some of the isolates from humans and river water. These results indicate that the major source of reoviruses polluting river water may be the human excretion.

Child↗

PubMed1989

[Studies on motile-Aeromonas infection: incidence of motile-Aeromonas in river mud, river water and fresh-water fish].

During the period from October 1982 to July 1984, a total of 1,157 specimens that consisted of 132 river and lake water, 514 river and lake muds, and 511 fresh-water fish caught in both Tama River and Sagami River were examined the presence of the organisms. Of them, 132 (100%) river and lake waters, 304 (59.1%) river and lake muds, and 462 (90.4%) intestinal contents of fresh-water fish were found to have harbor a mean concentration of 1.3 x 10(3)/l, 1.6 x 10(6)/g, and 1.1 x 10(6)/g of motile-Aeromonas respectively. However, nonseasonal variation was observed in the incidence of the organisms throughout the period of investigation. When attempts were made to classify the isolates by the method described Popoff et al., 17 (14.2%) of 120 water-isolates were typed as A. hydrophila, 33 (27.5%) as A. sobria and 35 (29.2%) as A. caviae respectively. And the rest of the 35 (29.2%) remained untypable. As for the 176 mud-isolates, 38 (21.6%) were typed as A. hydrophila 23 (13.1%) as A. sobria and 41 (23.3%) as A. caviae respectively. And the rest of 74 (42.0%) remained untypable. Some efforts were made on the 1,056 strains obtained from fresh-water fish, and 182 (17.2%) were typed as A. hydrophila, 332 (31.4%) as A. sobria and 206 (19.5%) as A. caviae respectively. And the rest of the 336 (31.8%) remained untypable.

Aeromonas↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Precipitation and river water chemistry of the Piracicaba River basin, southeast Brazil.

Annual precipitation and river water volumes and chemistry were measured from 1995 to 1998 in a mesoscale agricultural area of southeast Brazil. Precipitation was mildly acidic and solute concentrations were higher in the west than in the east of the basin. Combustion products from biomass burning, automobile exhaust, and industry typically accumulate in the atmosphere from March until October and are responsible for seasonal differences observed in precipitation chemistry. In river waters, the volume-weighted mean (VWM) concentrations of major solutes at 10 sites across the basin were generally lower at upriver than at downriver sampling sites for most solutes. Mass balances for major solutes indicate that, as a regional entity, the Piracicaba River basin was a net sink of H+, PO4(3-), and NH4+, and a net source of other solutes. The main stem of the Piracicaba River had a general increase in solute concentrations from upriver to downriver sampling sites. In contrast, NO3- and NH4+ concentrations increased in the mid-reach sampling sites and decreased due to immobilization or utilization in the mid-reach reservoir, and there was denitrification immediately downriver of this reservoir. Compared with tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay estuary, the Piracicaba River is affected more by point-source inputs of raw sewage and industrial wastes than nonpoint agricultural runoff high in N and P. Inputs of N and C are responsible for a degradation of water quality at downriver sampling sites of the Piracicaba River drainage, and water quality could be considerably improved by augmenting sewage treatment.

Acid Rain↗

PubMed2001

[Genetic diversity evaluation of cultivars (G. hirsumtum L.) from the Changjiang river valley and Tellow river valley by RAPD markers].

Forty-one polymorphic decamer primers with clear and repeated band pattern, which were screened out from 300 randomly selected primers, were applied to assess genetic diversity of cultivars (G. hirsumtum L.) from the Changjiang river valley and the Yellow river valley by RAPD analysis. Eighty-four polymorphic loci were obtained from 84 cultivars from the Changjiang river valley and 96 polymorphic loci were obtained from 68 cultivars from the Yellow river valley. Jaccard's genetic similarity coefficients were calculated using the software of NTSYS-pc version 1.80, and two dendrograms were constructed by the unweighted pair group method of arithmetic average (UPGMA). Mean similarity coefficient among cultivars from the Changjiang river valley was up to 0.631. And cultivars from the Yellow river valley had an average similarity coefficient of 0.632. Compared similarity coefficient matrices and frequency distribution of pairwise similarity coefficients, a conclusion was drawn that cultivars from the two areas had nearly the same level of genetic diversity. Same base germplasm, breeding objectives, breeding methods and strategy could be attributed to similar genetic diversity between the two areas.

China↗

PubMed2006

A Water Quality Index applied to an international shared river basin: the case of the Douro River.

A Water Quality Index (WQI) is a numeric expression used to evaluate the quality of a given water body and to be easily understood by managers. In this study, a modified nine-parameter Scottish WQI was used to assess the monthly water quality of the Douro River during a 10-year period (1992-2001), scaled from zero (lowest) to 100% (highest). The 98,000 km(2) of the Douro River international watershed is the largest in the Iberian Peninsula, split between upstream Spain (80%) and downstream Portugal (20%). Three locations were surveyed: at the Portuguese-Spanish border, 350 km from the river mouth; 180 km from the mouth, where the river becomes exclusively Portuguese; and 21 km from the mouth. The water received by Portugal from Spain showed the poorest quality (WQI 47.3 +/- 0.7%); quality increased steadily downstream, up to 61.7 +/- 0.7%. In general, the water quality at all three sites was medium to poor. Seasonally, water quality decreased from winter to summer, but no statistical relationship between quality and discharge rate could be established. Depending on the location, different parameters were responsible for the episodic decline of quality: high conductivity and low oxygen content in the uppermost reservoir, and fecal coliform contamination downstream. This study shows the need to enforce the existing international bilateral agreements and to implement the European Water Quality Directive in order to improve the water quantity and quality received by the downstream country of a shared watershed, especially because two million inhabitants use the water from the last river location as their only source of drinking water.

Electric Conductivity↗

PubMed2006

Diffuse source apportionment of the Po river eutrophying load to the Adriatic sea: assessment of Lombardy contribution to Po river nutrient load apportionment by means of an integrated modelling approach.

The source apportionment of the annual nutrient load carried by the Po river to the Adriatic sea has been studied. An integrated modelling approach was applied to the Lombardy plain area, which covers about 34% of the Po river watershed area and accounts for about 50% of the point sources' loads carried by the river. To extract all the information available from direct instream measurements, two different modelling tools were alternatively used. The source apportionment was investigated considering both dry and wet weather scenarios. In order to quantify the apportionment in dry-weather conditions, the Lombardy portion of the Po river basin was modelled by using the US-EPA QUAL2E model. Such a simulation allowed to assess a significant contribution (about 50% of the total dry-weather load) of a not rain-driven diffuse pollution component (i.e. groundwater, springs, lake emissaries). Moreover, to estimate the rain-driven surface runoff contribution to the instream total load, the Lombardy plain area was also modelled by means of the US-DA SWAT model. SWAT results indicate a runoff contribution to the Po river instream total load of about 10000 t N yr(-1) and 1300 t P yr(-1) (i.e. approximately the 10-20% of the total annual Lombardy nutrient load). At the event scale (i.e. the single rainstorm event) the runoff contribution may rise up to 30-80% of the total instream load. Finally, the total annual nitrogen load at the Po basin closure was estimated for the period 1985-2001. Out of a total annual load of 140000 t N yr(-1), Lombardy accounts for 43% (point plus diffuse sources). The rain-driven diffuse sources constitute the 20% of the overall total load, the point sources account for 40%, whereas the remaining 40% is mainly constituted by "dry-weather diffuse sources" (i.e. groundwater, springs, lake emissaries).

Calibration↗

PubMed2006

Collaborative environmental planning in river management: an application of multicriteria decision analysis in the White River Watershed in Vermont.

Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) provides a well-established family of decision tools to aid stakeholder groups in arriving at collective decisions. MCDA can also function as a framework for the social learning process, serving as an educational aid in decision problems characterized by a high level of public participation. In this paper, the framework and results of a structured decision process using the outranking MCDA methodology preference ranking organization method of enrichment evaluation (PROMETHEE) are presented. PROMETHEE is used to frame multi-stakeholder discussions of river management alternatives for the Upper White River of Central Vermont, in the northeastern United States. Stakeholders met over 10 months to create a shared vision of an ideal river and its services to communities, develop a list of criteria by which to evaluate river management alternatives, and elicit preferences to rank and compare individual and group preferences. The MCDA procedure helped to frame a group process that made stakeholder preferences explicit and substantive discussions about long-term river management possible.

Community Participation↗

PubMed1984

Swan thyroid glands and river algae as indicators of iodine-125 and iodine-131 in the River Trent and its tributaries.

Some mute swans have been found to have higher levels of radio-iodine in their thyroids than farm and wildlife animals. In the East Midlands of the U.K., elevated levels were confined to swans inhabiting major rivers like the Trent and Soar where the highest values occurred in thyroids collected downstream from sewage and water reclamation works. Comparing the concentrations of 125I and 131I in blanket weed, which is a food source of the swan, and river water samples collected from above, below and in such effluents, showed that radio-iodine enters the river via these routes. The environmental pathway is sewage effluent--(water reclamation)--river water--river weed--swan. The radioactivity originates from the widespread use of radio-iodine in hospitals and analytical laboratories where much of the liquid and soluble waste is discarded into the sewage drain system. With a simple counting assembly consisting of a heavily shielded thin NaI(Tl) crystal detector attached to a 2-channel scaler-timer it was possible to check large numbers of swan thyroid glands. Although relatively high count rates were frequently obtained the levels of radio-iodine in thyroids were too low to affect the health and well-being of the swan.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

A summary of river water quality data collected within the Land-Ocean Interaction Study: core data for eastern UK rivers draining to the North Sea

A numerical summary of the water quality of rivers draining into the North Sea from the eastern UK is presented using core information collected within the Land-Ocean Interaction Study (LOIS) and a companion study by the Institute of Hydrology. The analysis is based on weekly monitoring for periods from 1993 to 1999 for major, minor, nutrient, trace and other water quality determinand chemistry. The data cover rivers ranging from the rural Tweed in southeastern Scotland, to the urban and industrially impacted Wear and Humber rivers in the north and central England and two agriculturally impacted rivers in the south of England (Great Ouse and Thames). Within the analysis, monthly averaged concentrations are plotted to show the seasonality. The summary provides specific information on the water quality of UK rivers which is of use in developing European and global initiatives for assessing pollutant inputs to estuarine, coastal and open-sea environments.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2003

Part I: Integrated water quality management: river basin approach. Geochemical techniques on contaminated sediments--river basin view.

The big flood in the upper Elbe River catchment area has revealed a wide spectrum of problems with contaminated sediments. So far, an effective strategy for managing contaminated sediments on a river basin scale is still missing and it seems that not much has been learned from the lessons received during the last decade. In the following overview, special emphasis is given to the utilization of geochemically-based techniques for sediment remediation, which can be applied in different parts of a river basin. The examples presented here are mostly from the Elbe River catchment area. In general, new technical problem solutions need a set of practical process knowledge that uses a wide range of simulation techniques, as well as models in different spatial and temporal scales. The evaluation of recent flood events clearly demonstrates the importance of chemical expertise in the decision-making process for the sustainable development in river basins.

Decision Making↗

PubMed2006

Differences in Ichthyophonus prevalence and infection severity between upper Yukon River and Tanana River chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum), stocks.

Two genetically distinct populations of chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum), were simultaneously sampled at the confluence of the Yukon and Tanana rivers in 2003. Upper Yukon-Canadian fish had significantly higher infection prevalence as well as more severe infections (higher parasite density in heart tissue) than the lower Yukon-Tanana River fish. Both populations had migrated the same distance from the mouth of the Yukon River at the time of sampling but had significantly different distances remaining to swim before reaching their respective spawning grounds. Multiple working hypotheses are proposed to explain the differences between the two stocks: (1) the two genetically distinct populations have different inherent resistance to infection, (2) genetically influenced differences in feeding behaviour resulted in temporal and/or spatial differences in exposure, (3) physiological differences resulting from different degrees of sexual maturity influenced the course of disease, and (4) the most severely infected Tanana River fish either died en route or fatigued and were unable to complete their migration to the Tanana River, thus leaving a population of apparently healthier fish.

Alaska↗

PubMed1979

PCB removal from the Duwamish River estuary: implications to the management alternative for the Hudson River PCB cleanup.

The results of the Duwamish River PCB cleanup and recovery project are discussed as a basis for comparison in selecting potential management alternatives for removing PCB residues in the Hudson River. Application of the Pneuma dredge system at the Duwamish River spill site removed approximately 92% of the PCBs spilled. No significant changes in the PCB load of suspended matter and water column were observed. These results suggest that a carefully planned dredge/disposal operation can be effective in minimizing environmental impacts in the Hudson River. On the basis of observations of the Duwamish case, the existing baseline data on the distribution of PCBs in the Hudson River, and the removal alternatives and associated environmental tradeoffs, hot spot dredging is recommended as the best practical alternative.

Accidents↗