Analysis of pollution status of River Illo,Ota, Nigeria

An assessment of the pollution status of River Illo, located within River Owo catchments area in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, was carried out. The River’s response to deoxygenation due to BOD loading from an abattoir and its dissolved oxygen (DO) level was predicted using the modified Streeter-Phelps model. The average concentrations of measured parameters at the sampling stations include: 2.24 mg/l of DO, 312.85 mg/l of BOD, 782.86 mg/l of chemical oxygen demand, and 620.76 g/l of total solids. The DO model for River Illo showed a positive correlation between measured and calculated DO, while the dissolved oxygen curve gave a double spoon shape of two major segments with distinct zones of degradation, decomposition, and recovery. The self-purification factor (f) for both segments ranged between 0.8 and 1.1 depicting River Illo as a slow moving or sluggish river. The above results revealed slow reaeration of the water body while full recovery from pollution was difficult. The treatment of River Illo before usage is very essential to ensure public health safety of users from waterborne diseases.     

Surface water pollution in three urban territories of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh

In South Asian countries such as Nepal, India, and Bangladesh, pollution of rivers is more severe and critical near urban stretches due to huge amounts of pollution load discharged by urban activities. The Bagmati River in the Kathmandu valley, the Yamuna River at Delhi, and peripheral rivers (mainly Buriganga River) of Dhaka suffer from severe pollution these days. The observed dry season average of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in all these rivers is in the range of 20–30 mg/liter and total coliform are as high as 10⁴–10⁵ MPN/100 ml. Per capita pollution load discharge of urban areas has been estimated to be about 31, 19, and 25 gBOD/capita/day in Bagmati, Yamuna, and the rivers of Dhaka, respectively. Regression analysis reveals pollution loads steadily increasing nearly in step with the trend in urbanization. The dissolved oxygen (DO) level of the Bagmati and Buriganga rivers is declining at an average annual rate of nearly 0.3 mg/liter/year. Unplanned urbanization and industrialization occurring in these cities may be largely responsible for this grave situation. Inadequate sewerage, on-site sanitation, and wastewater treatment facilities in one hand, and lack of effective pollution control measures and their strict enforcement on the other are the major causes of rampant discharge of pollutants in the aquatic systems.     

REGIONAL WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT BY THE GENERALIZED REDUCED GRADIENT METHOD1

ABSTRACT: A river basin-wide water quality management system is considered. The river receives thermal as well as organic wastes. At-source treatment of these pollutants is imposed to control the basin-wide water quality. The related water quality standards are: the minimum DO concentration, the maximum allowable BOD concentration, the maximum allowable stream temperature, and the allowable rise in stream temperature. The general dynamic mathematical model representing water quality in streams and the thermal effects on BOD and DO concentrations is presented. The model is highly nonlinear in nature. The optimal management problem involving the model is solved by a recently developed nonlinear propgramming technique - the generalized reduced gradient (GRG) method. Comparison of results obtained by the GRG method vs. dynamic programming, and of results using a more realistic mathematical model vs. a simple model are presented. The analysis procedure can be applied to designing new and examining existing water quality programs, and to study the influence of alternate policies and constraints.     

OXYGEN SAG EQUATION FOR THREE-HALVES ORDER BOD REACTION1

Several published BOD data sets are examined to show that approximately half of them are described best in the least squares sense by treating the BOD equation as being of the three-halves order instead of first order. A dissolved oxygen (DO) sag equation for a stream is developed in which the BOD is described as a three-halves order reaction. The time when the minimum DO concentration occurs is calculated numerically. The DO sag model applied to example problems shows that an increase in the BOD reaction rate constant results in a smaller minimum DO concentration and a decrease in the time to reach the minimum DO.     

SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL WATER QUALITY VARIABILITY IN THE PIRACICABA RIVER BASIN,BRAZIL1

ABSTRACT: The spatial and temporal variability of dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), nitrate concentration and total coliform (TC) were investigated at nine sampling stations distributed along the main rivers of the Piracicaba River Basin, a 12,400 km² catchment located in São Paulo State, one of the most developed regions of Brazil. Spatially, a downstream impoverishment of water quality conditions was observed, as seen by the decrease of DO, and increase of BOD, nitrate, and TC. These changes were probably caused by accumulating downstream discharge of domestic and industrial sewage. Temporal evaluation of 18 years of data showed that DO decreased with time for the majority of the sampling stations, while BOD, nitrate, and TC increased. A law, approved at the end of 1991, proposed a new water tax for river water extraction for industrial and agricultural use. The amount of this tax is determined according to the water quality of the extracted water. Therefore, the evaluation of the water quality status in this basin is a first step to help resources managers to determine the values for this tax.     

Comparative Evaluation of Three River Water Quality Models1

Abstract: Selection of a biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) reaction model to incorporate into dissolved oxygen (DO) water quality models is an overlooked choice available to river water quality modelers. Data from rivers can serve in screening methods to discriminate between competing water quality models. In this study, 15 published BOD and DO datasets based on a 7 year long study of the Bormida River in Italy are used to calibrate three‐multiorder BOD models: first‐order, three‐halves order, and second‐order, which are then included in three corresponding DO models which incorporate these BOD models. The adequacy of the first‐order, three‐halves order and second‐order BOD models was evaluated by calculating the root mean square error between a model and data. A similar procedure was followed to evaluate three DO models, each of which incorporated one of the three BOD models. The first‐order BOD model most frequently fit the river data best, followed by the three‐halves order and the second‐order BOD models. The DO model incorporating a first‐order BOD model most frequently fit the data best, followed by the DO order incorporating second‐order BOD and the DO model incorporating three‐halves order BOD.     

University of Benin water supply system: Microbiological and physico-chemical assessments

The microbiological and physico-chemical characteristics of the drinking water supplied by the Central Borehole at the University of Benin, Ugbowo Campus were investigated. The investigation entailed assessment of the pH, turbidity, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, conductivity, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, sulphate, chloride, N-nitroso compounds, cadmium, chromium, nickel, lead, zinc, manganese, iron, coliform count, BOD₅ and COD of the water at the Central Borehole and at ten residential quarters. The assessment indicated that the water was fit for drinking and other domestic applications. Results were also compared with WHO, EU and Nigeria FEPA standards. The results showed that the pH values of the water (5.01–5.86) and total coliform count (1–2/100 ml) expressed as MPN were outside the limits set by the WHO, EU and FEPA. The data also showed that the other water quality parameters assessed were within WHO, EU and FEPA permissible limits. The results of ANOVA showed that significant changes occurred during distribution.     

DISPERSION MODEL FOR A STREAM WITH SEVERAL WASTE INPUTS AND WATER INTAKES1

An analytical solution is developed to predict the BOD and DO profiles in a stream having several outfalls of waste and intakes of water. The model also incorporates continuous addition and removal of BOD and DO along the stream. A steady state one dimensional dispersion model is used to describe the transport of BOD and DO in a stream. Changes in stream properties along the length are considered by dividing the stream into several segments and changing the parameters of the BOD and DO equations as needed in each segment. By applying continuity equations at the boundaries of these segments and equilibrium conditions at either ends of the infinitely long stream, the arbitrary constants in the solutions to the differential equations for BOD and DO can be determined. Some applications of the results in studying water pollution problems are illustrated.     

RURAL WATER SUPPLIES FROM LATERITE RUNOFF1

ABSTRACT: Villagers living around Nsukka in Eastern Nigeria derive their water supplies during the dry season by subjecting the runoff from laterite soils to five months' sedimentation. This study found that by flocculatig the runoff with wood ash at a dose of 5 g/1, clear water with turbidity of less than 5 JTU, Fe of less than 1 mg/1, Coliform count of zero MPN and Plate count of less than 5 colonies was achieved after three days sedimentation.     

Water quality of the River Ganga (The Ganges) and some of its physico-chemical properties

Summary The water qualities of the River Ganga (The Ganges) over a short stretch from Swarupganj to Barrackpore (in West Bengal) have been determined and are compared with the values reported by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute of India for the periods 1972–74 and 1979–80. The water quality is generally bad, but not at such alarming levels as previously determined by other agencies. Biochemical and chemical oxygen demand (BOD and COD) levels are high but within tolerable limits. Dissolved oxygen (DO) levels are are fairly high, indicating a reasonable self-purifying capability for the River Ganga. However, nutrient loads containing N and P have increased enormously in recent years.     

Risk factors for elevated Enterococcus concentrations in a rural tropical island watershed

Associations were examined between riparian canopy cover, presence of cattle near streams, and month of year with the concentration of Enterococcus (Most Probable Number (MPN)/100 ml) in surface water at Waipā watershed on the North Side of the Hawaiian island Kaua'i. Each one percent decrease in riparian canopy cover was associated with a 3.6 MPN/100 ml increase of waterborne Enterococcus. Presence of cattle near monitoring sites was associated with an increase of 99.3 MPN/100 ml of Enterococcus in individual grab samples. Lastly, summer samples (July) were substantially higher in concentration of Enterococcus than winter collected samples (February) in Enterococcus in sampled streams. These results suggest that reducing canopy cover and introduction of cattle into riparian zones may contribute to increases of Enterococcus concentrations in stream water.     

VIRGINIA USA WATER QUALITY, 1978 TO 1995: REGIONAL INTERPRETATION1

ABSTRACT: Nine surface water‐quality variables were analyzed for trend at 180 Virginia locations over the 1978 to 1995 period. Median values and seasonal Kendall's tau, a trend indicator statistic, were generated for dissolved oxygen saturation (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), pH (PH), total residue (TR), nonfilterable residue (NFR), nitrate‐nitrite nitrogen (NN), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total phosphorus (TP), and fecal coliform (FC) at each location. Each location was assigned to one of four physiographic regions, and mean state and regional medians and taus were calculated. Widespread BOD and NFR improvements were detected and FC improvements occurred in the state's western regions. TR and TKN exhibited predominantly increasing trends at locations throughout the state. BOD, TKN, NFR, and TR medians were higher at coastal locations than in other regions. NN, TKN, and TR exhibited predominantly increasing trends in regions with high median concentrations, while declining trends predominated in regions with relatively high BOD, FC, and NFR medians. Appalachian locations exhibited the greatest regional water‐quality improvements for BOD, FC, NFR, and TKN. Factors responsible for regional differences appear to include geology, land use, and landscape features; these factors vary regionally.     

WATER QUALITY CONTROL BY ARTIFICIAL AERATION OF STREAM RECEIVING THERMAL AND ORGANIC WASTE DISCHARGES1

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this work is to study the installation of artificial aerators for water quality control of a stream which receives thermal and organic waste discharges. The location and numer of diffuser type aerators to be installed along the stream are determined so as to maintain the stream DO content above a certain minimum requirement (4 mg/l or 5 mg/l) for normal aquatic life. Effects of the stream velocity, upstream BOD concentration and rates of thermal and organic waste discharges to the stream are examined.     

A Method and Rationale for Deriving Nutrient Criteria for Small Rivers and Streams in Ohio

A mechanistic understanding of the effects of nutrient enrichment in lotic systems has been advanced over the last two decades such that identification of management thresholds for the prevention of eutrophication is now possible. This study describes relationships among primary nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen), benthic chlorophyll a concentrations, daily dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations, and the condition of macroinvertebrate and fish communities in small rivers and streams in Ohio, USA. Clear associations between nutrients, secondary response indicators (i.e., benthic chlorophyll and DO), and biological condition were found, and change points between the various indicators were identified for use in water quality criteria for nutrients in small rivers and streams (<1300 km²). A change point in benthic chlorophyll a density was detected at an inorganic nitrogen concentration of 0.435 mg/l (±0.599 SD), and a total phosphorus (TP) concentration of 0.038 mg/l (±0.085 SD). Daily variation in DO concentration was significantly related to benthic chlorophyll concentration and canopy cover, and a change point in 24-h DO concentration range was detected at a benthic chlorophyll level of 182 mg/m². The condition of macroinvertebrate communities was related to benthic chlorophyll concentration and both minimum and 24-h range of DO concentration. The condition of fish communities was best explained by habitat quality. The thresholds found in relationships between the stressor and the response variables, when interpreted in light of the uncertainty surrounding individual change points, may now serve as a framework for nutrient criteria in water quality standards.     

Colonies of Cliff Swallows on Highway Bridges: A Source of Escherichia coli in Surface Waters1

Sejkora, Patrick, Mary Jo Kirisits, and Michael Barrett, 2011. Colonies of Cliff Swallows on Highway Bridges: A Source of Escherichia coli in Surface Waters. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(6):1275–1284. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00566.x Abstract: Animals, such as birds, are a source of fecal indicator bacteria and pathogens in the environment. Our objective was to determine whether a colony of cliff swallows nesting underneath a bridge would yield a measurable increase in fecal indicator bacteria (specifically Escherichia coli) in the underlying creek. When the swallows were absent, dry‐weather concentrations of E. coli upstream and downstream of the bridge (in Austin, Texas) were below the Texas contact recreation criteria. When the swallows were present, dry‐weather geometric‐mean E. coli concentrations increased significantly from upstream (43 most probable number [MPN]/100 ml) to downstream (106 MPN/100 ml) of the bridge. One exceedance and one near‐exceedance of the Texas single‐sample contact recreation criterion were observed during the swallows’ nesting phase. When the swallows were present, the downstream E. coli geometric‐mean concentration in storm events (875 MPN/100 ml) was significantly higher than the upstream concentration (356 MPN/100 ml), suggesting that runoff flushes swallow feces from the ground into the creek. Although the loading of E. coli from cliff swallows nesting under bridges can be significant (e.g., dry‐weather loading of 3.1 × 10⁸ MPN/day/nest), the zoonotic potential of the cliff swallow must be examined to determine the risk to human health from contact recreation in waters contaminated with cliff swallow feces.     

PROBABILISTIC METHODS IN STREAM QUALITY MANAGEMENT1

ABSTRACT. Recent advances in water quality modelling have pointed out the need for stochastic models to simulate the probabilistic nature of water quality. However, often all that is needed is an estimate of the uncertainty in predicting water quality variables. First order analysis is a simple method of providing an estimate in the uncertainty in a deterministic model due to uncertain parameters. The method is applied to the simplified Streeter-Phelps equations for DO and BOD; a more complete Monte Carlo simulation is used to check the accuracy of the results. The first order analysis is found to give accurate estimates of means and variances of DO and BOD up to travel times exceeding the critical time. Uncertainty in travel time and the BOD decay constant are found to be most important for small travel times; uncertainty in the reaeration coefficient dominates near the critical time. Uncertainty in temperature was found to be a negligible source of uncertainty in DO for all travel times.     

Physico-chemical characteristics of well waters in four urban centers in Southern Nigeria

An ensemble of thirty physico-chemical characteristics was used to assess the quality of well waters in four urban centers in southern Nigeria: Lagos, Benin City, Warri, and Ekpoma. The characteristics investigated include pH; color; turbidity; salinity; electrical conductivity, EC; total dissolved solids, TDS; total suspended solids, TSS; dissolved oxygen, DO; total hydrocarbon, THC; biochemical oxygen demand, BOD; chemical oxygen demand, COD; and nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, sulfate, and phosphate concentrations. Also monitored were the concentrations of sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, chloride, bicarbonate, iron, lead, copper, manganese, zinc, chromium, nickel, and cadmium. The results obtained were compared with World Health Organization, WHO, and Nigerian Federal Ministry of Environment, FME, drinking water standards. The results show that with the well water obtained from Lagos, turbidity, 11.80 NTU; pH, 5.68; EC, 1065.55 μS/cm; TDS, 539.00 mg/L; concentrations of iron, 1.83 mg/L; manganese, 0.14 mg/L; and lead, 1.35 mg/L did not meet the WHO standards. In Warri, pH, 5.19; concentrations of lead, 1.35 mg/L; and chromium, 0.10 mg/L in the well water were above the WHO desirable limits. The results also indicated that the well water from Benin City contained concentrations of chromium, 0.18 mg/L; and lead, 0.20 mg/L that exceeded the recommended WHO limits. In Ekpoma, the pH, 6.00; concentrations of chromium, 0.15 mg/L; and lead, 0.44 mg/L were higher than the desirable limits of WHO. Generally, the assessments revealed that the waters were good and fit for drinking and other domestic application without serious threat to public health.     

Sequencing batch reactor biofilm system for treatment of milk industry wastewater

A sequencing batch reactor biofilm (MSBR) system was modified from the conventional sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system by installing 2.7 m2 surface area of plastic media on the bottom of the reactor to increase the system efficiency and bio-sludge quality by increasing the bio-sludge in the system. The COD, BOD5, total kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) and oil & grease removal efficiencies of the MSBR system, under a high organic loading of 1340 g BOD5/m3 d, were 89.3+/-0.1, 83.0+/-0.2, 59.4+/-0.8, and 82.4+/-0.4%, respectively, while they were only 87.0+/-0.2, 79.9+/-0.3, 48.7+/-1.7 and 79.3+/-10%, respectively, in the conventional SBR system. The amount of excess bio-sludge in the MSBR system was about 3 times lower than that in the conventional SBR system. The sludge volume index (SVI) of the MSBR system was lower than 100 ml/g under an organic loading of up to 1340 g BOD5/m3 d. However, the MSBR under an organic loading of 680 g BOD5/m3 d gave the highest COD, BOD5, TKN and oil & grease removal efficiencies of 97.9+/-0.0, 97.9+/-0.1, 79.3+/-1.0 and 94.8+/-0.5%, respectively, without any excess bio-sludge waste. The SVI of suspended bio-sludge in the MSBR system was only 44+/-3.4 ml/g under an organic loading of 680 g BOD5/m3 d.     

Performance and modeling studies of rotating biological contactor for treatment of vegetable oil wastewater

This study focuses on a lab-scale rotating biological contactor (RBC) treating vegetable oil wastewater with high BOD and COD. The fabricated RBC was checked for efficiency in degrading polluted wastewater under different operating conditions. The maximum removal efficiencies for BOD and COD were 95.75% and 89%, respectively. This high removal percentage was obtained with 30% submergence of 10 discs rotating at 8 rpm. For the first time, bio-kinetic models were applied to the experimental results for vegetable oil wastewater. The best fit was obtained with the modified Stover-Kincannon and Grau model. The saturation constant (K_s) values were 1.872 and 3.024 g/L/d for BOD and COD, respectively, for the modified Stover-Kincannon and Grau model. For the Grau second-order model, the saturation constant was 1.416 and 3.744 g/L/d for BOD and COD, respectively. The predicted effluent BOD and COD values of the modified Stover–Kincannon model fitted almost exactly with the experimental values. This clearly predicts that this model can be best used to predict effluent BOD and COD concentration in a Rotating Biological contactor treating vegetable oil wastewater. The kinetic parameters determined in this study can be used to improve the design and operation of continuous mode RBC systems.     

Aquatic Plant and Dissolved Oxygen Changes in a Reference‐Condition Prairie Stream Subjected to Experimental Nutrient Enrichments

Effects of controlled nutrient additions on a prairie stream were studied using a before‐after‐control‐impact paired design. The site is in a reference condition with low soluble nitrate (NO₃) and phosphate (soluble reactive phosphorus [SRP]) in summer (3 μg NO₃‐N/L, 4 μg SRP/L). Nutrients were added to two reaches over the growing season at two levels (Low Dose — 39 μg NO₃‐N/L and 4.4 SRP/L; High Dose — 119 μg NO₃‐N/L and 15.6 μg SRP/L). Continuously measured dissolved oxygen (DO) and changes in aquatic flora were compared to an upstream Control. Enrichment led microalgae and filamentous algae to increase in density, areal coverage, and thickness, and the magnitude of the changes were largely concordant with dosing (more in the High Dose); algal growth also suppressed macrophytes in the High Dose. Enrichment caused significant increases in diel DO swings whose magnitudes were consistent with dosing level. In the High Dose, benthic algae flourished in the growing season and then senesced en masse in fall. The decomposing algae led DO to crash (ca. 0 mg/L on the bottom), but DO impacts were out‐of‐sync with peak algal growth and photosynthesis, which occurred weeks earlier. This finding provides a plausible explanation as to why high DO delta in streams impacts aquatic life even when concurrently measured DO is not low. When DO crashed, DO was longitudinally patchy, some areas having low DO near the bottom, others near saturation. Geomorphology and exposure to wind may have caused this pattern.