CHARACTERIZING DISSOLVED OXYGEN CONDITIONS IN ESTUARINE ENVIRONMENTS

Dissolved oxygen concentration, which is often measured inestuaries to quantify the results of and stresses associatedwith eutrophication, can be highly variable with time of dayand tidal stage. To assess how well dissolved oxygenconditions are characterized by typical monitoring programs,we conducted Monte Carlo sampling from 16 semi-continuous,31-day dissolved oxygen records collected from estuaries alongthe Atlantic and Gulf coasts to mimic three samplingstrategies: (1) systematic point-in-time sampling, (2) randompoint-in-time sampling, and (3) short-term continuous records.These strategies were evaluated for their accuracy inestimating mean oxygen concentration, minimum oxygenconcentration, and percent of time below a threshold value of2 ppm. Mean dissolved oxygen concentration was most accuratelyestimated in both estuarine regions by random point-in-timesampling, but this strategy required more than ten samplingsper month for the estimate to be within 0.5 ppm on 50% of thesimulations. Short-term continuous sampling (24–48 h)correctly identified estuaries in the Gulf of Mexico regionwhere dissolved oxygen concentrations of less than 2 ppm wereexperienced greater than 20% of the time. However, largetidal variations in Atlantic coast estuaries showed thismeasure to be inaccurate in these estuarine environments. Noneof the sampling strategies correctly identified month-longoxygen minima within 0.5 ppm for more than 50% of thesimulations. This inability to characterize correctlydissolved oxygen conditions could add significant uncertaintyto risk assessments, waste load allocation models, and otherwater quality evaluations that are the basis for developingwastewater treatment strategies and requirements. Perhaps moreimportantly, the inaccuracy with which conventional samplingprocedures characterize minimum dissolved oxygen valuessuggests that the extent of hypoxia in estuarine waters inbeing substantially underestimated.     

Dissolved Oxygen Conditions in Northern Gulf of Mexico Estuaries

Because deficient dissolved oxygen (DO) levels may have severe detrimental effects on estuarine and marine life, DO has been widely used as an indicator of ecological conditions by environmental monitoring programs. The U.S. EPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program for Estuaries (EMAP-E) monitored DO conditions in the estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico from 1991 to 1994. DO was measured in two ways: 1) instantaneous profiles from the surface to the bottom were taken during the day, and 2) continuous measurements were taken near the bottom at 15 min intervals for at least 12 h. This information was summarized to assess the spatial distribution and severity of DO conditions in these estuaries. Depending on the criteria used to define hypoxia (DO concentrations usually <2 mg L-1 or <5 mg L-1) and the method by which DO is measured, we estimate that between 5.2 and 29.3% of the total estuarine area in the Louisianian Province was affected by low DO conditions.     

Sub-hourly changes in biogeochemical properties in surface waters of Zuari estuary, Goa

Processes in natural waters are highly variable in time and space. Although changes are expected in short-time scales, how short one could get to measure reliably is subjective to sampling strategies and methodologies. Here, we show that sub-hourly changes in surface waters dissolved oxygen, nutrients, and pigments are measurable and significant in an estuarine system. Tidal circulation has been found to strongly influence the observed changes and has implications to material fluxes in and out of estuaries.     

An Assessment of the Ecological Condition of Long Island Sound, 1990–1993

Data from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) from 1990 to 1993 were used to assess the condition of the Long Island Sound (LIS) estuary. Ambient water, sediment and biota were collected during the summer months from 53 LIS stations using an unbiased sampling design. The design consists of two LIS subunits, LIS proper, and small estuaries (<2.6 km2) at the margins of the Sound. Selected indicators of condition included: benthic species composition, abundance and biomass; fish species composition and gross external pathology; sediment physical and chemical characterization and sediment toxicity; and water clarity and quality. Results of the four-year sampling indicated that 28(±11)% of the areal extent of LIS proper had a benthic index < zero (impacted) and 51(±12)% of the area of small estuaries was impacted. Analysis of the results of other indicators also shows that small estuaries were particularly affected. For example, 42(±10)% of the areal extent of small estuaries exhibited sediment toxicity, and significant chemical contamination was evident in 22% of the area of small estuaries. Low dissolved oxygen (D.O.) concentrations (<5 ppm), however, appeared to affect only the deeper open waters of western LIS. Approximately 48(±12)% of the areal extent of LIS proper documented exposure to at least moderate D.O. stress (<5 ppm). The overall results of this monitoring study indicate that significant anthropogenic impacts have occurred in LIS and that if remediation was to take place, specific localized sediment problems would need attention. Point source and non-point source nutrient inputs to the Sound, which are believed to be the primary causative factor for the observed hypoxic conditions, would also need attention.     

Using Information on Spatial Variability of Small Estuaries in Designing Large-Scale Estuarine Monitoring Programs

In the early 1990s, EPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) documented the ecological condition of the overall population of small estuaries along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. However, the Program did not provide detailed information on the condition of individual estuaries less than 260 km² in surface area, a group of estuaries of concern to environmental managers. To address the needs of environmental managers, when EMAP returned to the region in summer 1997, it included a study of the spatial variability of ecological indicators within individual small estuaries. At 127 probability-based sites in 10 estuaries, EMAP measured a variety of parameters of water quality and sediments, including dissolved oxygen (DO), nutrients, grain size of sediments, contaminants in sediments, and community structures of benthic macroinvertebrates. From this information the ecological condition (e.g., percent area with DO concentrations below 5mg L^–1) for each estuary, along with 90% confidence interval, was determined. The width of the confidence interval was then recalculated for sample sizes ranging from two stations to the total number of stations sampled in that estuary. Confidence interval widths were then plotted against sample size. These plots can be useful in designing future regional monitoring programs with a goal of describing conditions in individual systems as well as broad geographic regions. Results illustrate that beyond five stations per estuary, the reduction in the width of the confidence interval with increasing sampling intensity is relatively small; however, individual program managers need to determine "how small is small enough."     

Assessment of water quality of Rawal Lake by long-time monitoring

Water quality of rivers, natural lakes, and reservoirs in developing countries is being degraded because of the contaminated inflows. There is a serious need for appropriate water quality monitoring for future planning and management of clean water resources. Quality of water in Rawal Lake Pakistan has been investigated in this paper. Flows from the upstream of Rawal Lake and its surrounding villages are highly polluted. Lake water quality parameters like pH, turbidity, alkalinity, calcium, nitrite, sulfate, biological oxygen dissolved, dissolved oxygen, chloride, total dissolved solids (TDS), and coliforms were investigated. Samples of water from different locations of Korang River were collected and tested. Most of the data was collected by field sampling and field visits. However, long-term information was taken from different departments. Statistical parameters (standard deviation, maximum, minimum, mean, mode, kurtosis, skew, and Euclidean distance) of variables were determined. A distinct parameter based on the difference of the maximum value the variable and maximum allowable value of that variable defined by World Health Organization was used for analysis. Grouping and clustering of elements was made on the basis of this parameter. Trend of increasing or decreasing of values of variables over a long time was also taken into account for grouping the variables. It was concluded that the concentration of seven contaminants was higher as compared to the permissible limits under environmental standards. These variables need immediate attention. The environmentally bad conditions of Rawal Lake can only be rectified by appropriate lake environmental supervision, watershed management, and implementation of environmental legislation.     

The Ecological Condition of Veracruz, Mexico Estuaries

During June and July, 2002, forty-seven stations were sampled within estuaries along the gulf coast of the state of Veracruz, MX, using a probabilistic survey design and a common set of response indicators. The objective of the study was to collect information to assess the condition of estuarine waters within the state of Veracruz, and to provide data that would strengthen future assessments of Gulf of Mexico estuaries. Samples for water quality, sediment contaminants, sediment toxicity, and benthic populations were collected in a manner consistent with EPA’s National Coastal Assessment (NCA). Data were evaluated by comparing indicator measurements to tropical waters threshold values cited in US EPA’s National Coastal Condition Report II, 2004, for tropical waters. In Veracruz, 75% of the area sampled rated poor for water quality, attributed primarily to high concentrations reported for chlorophyll a, and dissolved nutrients. One percent of the area exhibited poor sediment quality, based on PAH and metals concentrations. Compared to US estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico, water quality observed in Veracruz estuaries was more affected by nutrient over-enrichment. The probabilitistic nature of the survey design allowed for the comparison of the condition of Veracruz and the US GOM estuaries.     

Assessing the influence of nutrient reduction on water quality using a three-dimensional model: case study in a tidal estuarine system

A coupled three-dimensional hydrodynamic and water quality model has been developed and applied to the Danshuei River estuarine system and adjacent coastal sea. The water quality model considers various species of nitrogen, phosphorus, organic carbon, and phytoplankton as well as dissolved oxygen and is driven by a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model. The hydrodynamic and water quality models were validated with observations of water surface elevation, velocity, salinity distribution, and water quality parameters. Statistical error analysis shows that predictions of hydrodynamics, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and nutrients from the model simulation quantitatively agreed with the observed data. The validated model was then applied to predict water quality conditions as a result of a reduction in nutrient loadings based on different engineering strategies. The simulated results revealed that the dissolved oxygen concentration would increase significantly and would be higher than 2 mg/L in the main stream and in three tributaries to meet the minimum statutory requirement for dissolved oxygen. Active estuarine management focused on the reduction of anthropogenic nutrient loads is needed for improvement in water quality.     

Water quality monitoring and assessment of an urban Mediterranean lake facilitated by remote sensing applications

Degradation of water quality is a major problem worldwide and often leads to serious environmental impacts and concerns about public health. In this study, the water quality monitoring and assessment of the Koumoundourou Lake, a brackish urban shallow lake located in the northeastern part of Elefsis Bay (Greece), were evaluated. A number of water quality parameters (pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration, electrical conductivity, turbidity, nutrients, and chlorophyll-a concentration) were analyzed in water samples collected bimonthly over a 1-year period from five stations throughout the lake. Moreover, biological quality elements were analysed seasonally over the 1-year period (benthic fauna). Statistical analysis was performed in order to evaluate the water quality of the lake and distinguish sources of variation measured in the samples. Furthermore, the chemical and trophic status of the lake was evaluated according to the most widely applicable classification schemes. Satellite images of Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper were used in order for algorithms to be developed and calculate the concentration of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a). The trophic status of the lake was characterized as oligotrophic based on phosphorus and as mesotrophic–eutrophic based on Chl-a concentrations. The results of the remote sensing application indicated a relatively high coefficient of determination (R ²) among point sampling results and the remotely sensed data, which implies that the selected algorithm is reliable and could be used for the monitoring of Chl-a concentration in the particular water body when no field data are available.     

Assessment of chlorophyll-a variations in high- and low-flow seasons in Apalachicola Bay by MODIS 250-m remote sensing

Chlorophyll-a (chl-a) is considered as a primary indicator for water quality and foods for oyster growth in Apalachicola estuarine ecosystem. Assessment of chl-a concentration variation in response to river inflow is important for estuarine environmental research and management. In this study, remote sensing analysis has been conducted to evaluate the effects of river inflow on chlorophyll concentrations in Apalachicola Bay of Florida in the northeast Gulf of Mexico. A remote sensing model for chl-a was improved and applied to map spatial distributions of chl-a by using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) 250-m resolution imageries in high-flow and low-flow seasons in 2001 and 2008. Chl-a values approximately ranged from the minimum 6 μg/l to the maximum 29 μg/l in the study period. Maximum chl-a concentration in high-flow season was almost twice above that in low-flow season. The averaged mean and minimum chl-a level in the high-flow season were approximately 42 and 28 % higher than those in low-flow season, respectively. The remote sensing mapping of chl-a was able to show spatial variations of chl-a in the entire bay under different flow conditions, which indicated its advantage over the traditional field data sampling for monitoring water quality over a large area of estuary. The MODIS 250-m remote sensing regression model presented from this study can be used to support monitoring and assessment of the spatial chl-a distribution in the bay for environmental research and management in Apalachicola Bay.     

Estimation of required monitoring time for obtaining validation data in enclosed spaces

Methods for estimating airborne contaminant concentrations at specific locations within enclosed spaces, such as mathematical models and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), often are validated against directly measured concentrations. However, concentration variation with time introduces uncertainty into the measured concentration. Failure to determine monitoring time requirements can lead to errors in quantifying representative concentrations, which are likely to be attributed to errors in the method being validated. In the current study, to obtain the representative concentrations at multiple locations with a direct reading instrument, we used the standard deviation ratio (SDR) method to determine the required minimum monitoring time within a specified precision limit. To demonstrate the use of the SDR approach in constructing precision confidence intervals, tracer gas concentrations at nine sampling locations in an experimental room were measured to obtain population parameters. Three flow rates of 0.9, 3.3 and 5.5 m(3) min(-1) were employed and contaminant concentrations were measured using a photoionization analyser. Monitoring time requirements varied substantially with location within the room and were strongly dependent upon the flow rate of air through the room. The proposed method would be very useful for industrial hygienists and indoor air researchers who sometimes need to obtain several hundred measured concentrations for validation purposes or to perform tests under repeatable conditions in enclosed spaces. This study also showed that the proposed method can be used to devise efficient indoor monitoring strategies.     

Identification of spatiotemporal nutrient patterns in a coastal bay via an integrated k-means clustering and gravity model

This study presents an integrated k-means clustering and gravity model (IKCGM) for investigating the spatiotemporal patterns of nutrient and associated dissolved oxygen levels in Tampa Bay, Florida. By using a k-means clustering analysis to first partition the nutrient data into a user-specified number of subsets, it is possible to discover the spatiotemporal patterns of nutrient distribution in the bay and capture the inherent linkages of hydrodynamic and biogeochemical features. Such patterns may then be combined with a gravity model to link the nutrient source contribution from each coastal watershed to the generated clusters in the bay to aid in the source proportion analysis for environmental management. The clustering analysis was carried out based on 1 year (2008) water quality data composed of 55 sample stations throughout Tampa Bay collected by the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County. In addition, hydrological and river water quality data of the same year were acquired from the United States Geological Survey's National Water Information System to support the gravity modeling analysis. The results show that the k-means model with 8 clusters is the optimal choice, in which cluster 2 at Lower Tampa Bay had the minimum values of total nitrogen (TN) concentrations, chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentrations, and ocean color values in every season as well as the minimum concentration of total phosphorus (TP) in three consecutive seasons in 2008. The datasets indicate that Lower Tampa Bay is an area with limited nutrient input throughout the year. Cluster 5, located in Middle Tampa Bay, displayed elevated TN concentrations, ocean color values, and Chl-a concentrations, suggesting that high values of colored dissolved organic matter are linked with some nutrient sources. The data presented by the gravity modeling analysis indicate that the Alafia River Basin is the major contributor of nutrients in terms of both TP and TN values in all seasons. With this new integration, improvements for environmental monitoring and assessment were achieved to advance our understanding of sea-land interactions and nutrient cycling in a critical coastal bay, the Gulf of Mexico.     

基于自动监测网络的湘江流域衡阳段铊污染原因分析

运用自动监测网络与实验室验证相结合的手段,通过测定湘江流域衡阳段干流与支流铊浓度,分析铊浓度与溶解氧含量、氨氮浓度及叶绿素a浓度等水质指标的关系,进而对湘江流域衡阳段铊污染进行原因分析。结果表明,2021年8月上旬,湘江流域衡阳段干流铊污染的来源主要为多支流污染汇入。其中,松木下游断面铊污染极有可能来源于支流上游企业排放,江东水厂断面铊浓度异常的原因主要为溶解氧降低、死藻富集。该案例可为我国铊污染应急监测及污染原因分析提供借鉴。     

Biodiversity of brackish water amphipods (crustacean) in two estuaries, southeast coast of India

The present study about the gammarid amphipods of Vellar and Uppanar estuaries was performed during two seasons (pre-monsoon and post-monsoon, 2005–2006), respectively, in nine habitats: five in the Vellar estuary and four in the Uppanar estuary. Amphipod samples were collected from sediments, oyster beds, seaweeds, sea grass, and mangroves. A total of 29 species of gammarid amphipods were collected in each area. The surface water temperature ranged from 16°C to 26°C, the salinity from 20 to 32 psu, and the pH between 7.5 and 8.3. Dissolved oxygen ranged from 5.3 to 7.8 ml/l. The maximum abundance of amphipods was observed during the pre-monsoon (July to September) in Vellar mangrove, and it was minimum during the pre-monsoon in Uppanar sea grass. It was found that several physicochemical factors, such as salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and the substrate have a marked effect on the distribution and the relative abundance of amphipods. The ranges of species diversity, richness, dominance, and evenness in the Vellar and Uppanar estuaries were 1.58–4.15, 1.82–5.29, 0–0.11, and 0.96–1, respectively. Using multivariate analyses, in each estuary, it was possible to identify different communities of amphipod species according to their habitats.     

Application of statistical modeling to optimize a coastal water quality monitoring program

The long-term water quality monitoring program implemented by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority in 1992 is extensive and has provide substantial understanding of the seasonality of the waters in both Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay and the response to improvements in effluent quality and offshore transfer of the effluent in September 2000. The monitoring program was designed with limited knowledge of spatial and temporal variability and long-term trends within the system. This led to an extensive spatial and temporal sampling program. The data through 2003 showed high correlation within physical parameters measured (e.g., salinity, dissolved oxygen) and in biological measures such as chlorophyll fluorescence. To address the potential sampling redundancies in the measurement program, an assessment of the impact of reduced levels of monitoring on the ability to make water quality decisions was completed. The optimization was conducted by applying statistical models that took into account whether there was evidence of a seasonal pattern in the data. The optimization used model survey average readings to identify temporal fixed effects, model survey-average-corrected individual station readings to identify spatial fixed effects, corrected the individual station readings for temporal and spatial fixed effects and derived a correlation model for the corrected data, and applied the correlation model to characterize the correlation of annual average readings from reduced monitoring programs with true parameter levels. Reductions in the number of sampling stations were found less detrimental to the quality of the data for annual decision-making than reductions in the number of surveys per year, although there is less of a difference in this regard for dissolved oxygen than there is for chlorophyll. The analysis led to recommendations for a substantially lower monitoring effort with minimal loss of information. The recommendation supported an annual budget savings of approximately $183,000. Most of the savings was from fewer surveys as approximately $21,000 came from the reduction in the number of stations monitored from 21 to 7 and associated laboratory analytical costs.     

Water quality assessment using integrated modeling and monitoring in Narva Bay, Gulf of Finland

A coupled three-dimensional hydrodynamic–ecological model was used for the assessment of water quality in Narva Bay during one biologically active season. Narva Bay is located in the south-eastern Gulf of Finland. Narva River with a catchment’s area covering part of Russia and Estonia discharges water and nutrients to Narva Bay. The ecological model includes phytoplankton carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, chlorophyll a, zooplankton, detritus carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, inorganic nitrogen, inorganic phosphorus and dissolved oxygen as state variables. Both the hydrodynamic and ecosystem models were validated using a limited number of measurements. The hydrodynamic model validation included comparison of time series of currents and temperature and salinity profiles. The ecological model results were compared with the monitoring data of phytoplankton biomass, total nitrogen and phosphorus and dissolved oxygen. The comparison of hydrodynamic parameters, phytoplankton biomass, surface layer total phosphorus and dissolved oxygen and near-bottom layer total nitrogen was reasonable. Time series of spatially mean values and standard deviations of selected parameters were calculated for the whole Narva Bay. Combining model results and monitoring data, the characteristic concentrations of phytoplankton biomass, total nitrogen and phosphorus and near-bottom dissolved oxygen were estimated. Phytoplankton biomass and total phosphorus showed seasonal variations, of 0.6–1.1 and 0.022–0.032 mg/l, respectively, during spring bloom, 0.1–0.3 and 0.015–0.025 mg/l in summer and 0.2–0.6 and 0.017–0.035 mg/l during autumn bloom. Total nitrogen and near-bottom oxygen concentrations were rather steady, being 0.25–0.35 and 2–6 mg/l, respectively. The total nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations show that according to the classification of Estonian coastal waters, Narva Bay water belongs to a good water quality class.     

Study of the effect of pH, salinity and DOC on fluorescence of synthetic mixtures of freshwater and marine salts

In order to provide support for the discussion of the fate of organic matter in estuaries, a laboratory simulation was performed by changing freshwater ionic strength, pH and organic matter content. The change in spectroscopic characteristics caused by variations in salinity, pH and organic matter concentration in the filtered samples was observed by UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. The increase in emission fluorescence intensity of dissolved organic matter (DOM) due to increasing salinity (in the range 0 to 5 g l-1) is affected by the pH of the samples. The emission fluorescence intensity at the three maxima observed in the fluorescence spectra, is linearly correlated with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration at several salinity values in the same sample. The increase in organic matter concentration caused a shift in the emission peak wavelength at 410 nm for several salinity values. We concluded that it is necessary to take into account the influence of salinity and pH on emission fluorescence of dissolved organic matter if it is to be used as a tracer in estuarine or near shore areas.     

Water pollution of Sabarmati River—a Harbinger to potential disaster

River Sabarmati is one of the biggest and major river of Gujarat that runs through two major cities of Gujarat, Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad and finally meets the Gulf of Khambhat (GoK) in the Arabian Sea. A study was conducted to evaluate the water quality of this river, as it could possibly be one of the major sources for filling up Kalpasar, the proposed man-made freshwater reservoir supposed to be the biggest one in the world. A total of nine sampling stations were established covering 163 km stretch of the river from upstream of Gandhinagar city to Vataman near Sabarmati estuary. Physicochemical (temprature, pH, salinity, chloride, total dissolved solids, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, phenol, and petroleum hydrocarbons), biological (phytoplankton), and microbiological (total and selective bacterial count) analyses indicated that the river stretch from Ahmedabad-Vasana barriage to Vataman was highly polluted due to perennial waste discharges mainly from municipal drainage and industries. An implementation of sustainable management plan with proper treatment of both municipal and industrial effluents is essential to prevent further deterioration of the water quality of this river.     

Near-field loading dynamics of total phosphorus and short-term water quality variations at a rainbow trout cage farm in Lake Huron

Aquatic total phosphorus (Tot-P) is measured at fish-cages in Lake Huron for environmental regulatory compliance. An improved understanding of how Tot-P is manifested in the near-field (相似文献   

Assessing organic contaminant fluxes from contaminated sediments following dam removal in an urbanized river

In this study, methods and approaches were developed and tested to assess changes in contaminant fluxes resulting from dam removal in a riverine system. Sediment traps and passive samplers were deployed to measure particulate and dissolved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the water column prior to and following removal of a small, low-head dam in the Pawtuxet River, an urbanized river located in Cranston, RI, USA. During the study, concentrations of particulate and dissolved PAHs ranged from 21.5 to 103 μg/g and from 68 to 164 ng/L, respectively. Overall, temporal trends of PAHs showed no increases in either dissolved or particulate phases following removal of the dam. Dissolved concentrations of PCBs were very low, remaining below 1.72 ng/L at all sites. Particulate PCB concentrations across sites and time showed slightly greater variability, ranging from 80 to 469 ng/g, but with no indication that dam removal influenced any increases. Particulate PAHs and PCBs were sampled continuously at the site located below the dam and did not show sustained increases in concentration resulting from dam removal. The employment of passive sampling technology and sediment traps was highly effective in monitoring the concentrations and flux of contaminants moving through the river system. Variations in river flow had no effect on the concentration of contaminants in the dissolved or particulate phases, but did influence the flux rate of contaminants exiting the river. Overall, dam removal did not cause measurable sediment disturbance or increase the concentration or fluxes of dissolved or particulate PAHs and PCBs. This is due in large part to low volumes of impounded sediment residing above the dam and highly armored sediments in the river channel, which limited erosion. Results from this study will be used to improve methods and approaches that assess the short- and long-term impacts ecological restoration activities such as dam removal have on the release and transport of sediment-bound contaminants.