Application of CCME Water Quality Index to Monitor Water Quality: A Case Study of the Mackenzie River Basin, Canada

All six ecosystem initiatives evolved from many years of federal, provincial, First Nation, local government and community attention to the stresses on sensitive habitats and species, air and water quality, and the consequent threats to community livability. This paper assesses water quality aspect for the ecosystem initiatives and employs newly developed Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME WQI) which provides a convenient mean of summarizing complex water quality data that can be easily understood by the public, water distributors, planners, managers and policy makers. The CCME WQI incorporates three elements: Scope – the number of water quality parameters (variables) not meeting water quality objectives (F ₁); Frequency – the number of times the objectives are not met (F ₂); and Amplitude. the extent to which the objectives are not met (F ₃). The index produces a number between 0 (worst) to 100 (best) to reflect the water quality. This study evaluates water quality of the Mackenzie – Great Bear sub-basin by employing two modes of objective functions (threshold values): one based on the CCME water quality guidelines and the other based on site-specific values that were determined by the statistical analysis of the historical data base. Results suggest that the water quality of the Mackenzie-Great Bear sub-basin is impacted by high turbidity and total (mostly particulate) trace metals due to high suspended sediment loads during the open water season. Comments are also provided on water quality and human health issues in the Mackenzie basin based on the findings and the usefulness of CCME water quality guidelines and site specific values.     

Performance of biotic indices in comparison to chemical-based Water Quality Index (WQI) in evaluating the water quality of urban river

In order to evaluate the water quality of one of the most polluted urban river in Malaysia, the Penchala River, performance of eight biotic indices, Biomonitoring Working Party (BMWP), BMWP^Thai, BMWP^Viet, Average Score Per Taxon (ASPT), ASPT^Thai, BMWP^Viet, Family Biotic Index (FBI), and Singapore Biotic Index (SingScore), was compared. The water quality categorization based on these biotic indices was then compared with the categorization of Malaysian Water Quality Index (WQI) derived from measurements of six water physicochemical parameters (pH, BOD, COD, NH₃-N, DO, and TSS). The river was divided into four sections: upstream section (recreational area), middle stream 1 (residential area), middle stream 2 (commercial area), and downstream. Abundance and diversity of the macroinvertebrates were the highest in the upstream section (407 individual and H′?=?1.56, respectively), followed by the middle stream 1 (356 individual and H′?=?0.82). The least abundance was recorded in the downstream section (214 individual). Among all biotic indices, BMWP was the most reliable in evaluating the water quality of this urban river as their classifications were comparable to the WQI. BMWPs in this study have strong relationships with dissolved oxygen (DO) content. Our results demonstrated that the biotic indices were more sensitive towards organic pollution than the WQI. BMWP indices especially BMWP^Viet were the most reliable and could be adopted along with the WQI for assessment of water quality in urban rivers.     

Evaluating a Canadian regional air quality model using ground-based observations in north-eastern Canada and United States

The simulated concentrations from a numerical 3-dimensional regional air quality model (MC2AQ) are compared to those of ground-based observations in north-eastern Canada and the United States. The model has oxidant chemistry for both inorganic and organic species and deposition routines driven online by a mesoscale compressible community meteorological model (MC2). A standard emission inventory of anthropogenic, natural and biogenic sources for the year 1990 for 21 atmospheric trace species was used in the simulation. The model was run for July 1999, because of the occurrence of a high ozone episode and the availability of the monitoring data for surface O3, SO2, NO, NO2 and NOx. The comparisons during the episode show that the model performs quite well for predicting concentrations and diurnal variations of the surface ozone. The predictions for other gaseous species show some discrepancies with observations, but they are consistent with the results from other models evaluated in the literature. The uncertainties in the emission inventory for these species might be the main causes of the discrepancies. Further studies are needed to improve the predictability of SO and NOx, especially as the model is developed to include particulate matter formation as a result of these gaseous precursors.     

Evaluation of surface water quality by using Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME WQI) method and discriminant analysis method: a case study Coruh River Basin

In this study, the water quality of the Coruh River Basin, which is located in the Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey, was evaluated. The water quality data measurement results obtained by the State Hydraulic Works 26th Regional Directorate from four different sites over a course of 4 years between the years 2011 and 2014 in the Coruh River Basin were used as the data. In this study, the water quality was evaluated by using the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environmental Water Quality Index (CCME WQI) method and discriminant analysis (DA). The water quality of the Coruh River Basin was calculated as 30.4 and 71.35 by using the CCME WQI and classified as “poor,” “marginal,” and “fair”. These values show that the water of the Coruh River Basin is degraded and under threat and its overall quality is not close to natural or desired levels. The monitoring sites were divided into two groups by the cluster analysis (CA). DA is a multivariate analysis technique used to divide individuals or objects into different groups and assign them into predetermined groups. As a result of DA, calcium (Ca) and sulfate (SO₄) were determined to be significant parameters in the determination of the water quality of the Coruh River Basin. The success of DA depends on the percentage of correct classification. As a result of the analysis, 23% of the parameters in the first measurement point, 69.2% of the parameters in the second and third measurement points, and 76.9% of the parameters in the fourth measurement point were classified correctly. Since the second measurement point is the discharge point of a copper mine, it can be said that the water quality parameters measured may provide accurate results in detecting pollution at this point.     

Water quality analysis of surface water: a Web approach

The chemical, physical and biological characteristics of water with respect to its suitability describe its quality. Concentration of pesticides or fertilisers degrades the water quality and affects marine life. A comprehensive environmental data information system helps to perform and complete common tasks in less time with less effort for data verification, data calculations, graph generation, and proper monitoring, which helps in the further mitigation step. In this paper, focus is given to a web-based system developed to express the quality of water in the imprecise environment of monitoring data. Water samples were analyzed for eight different surface water parameters, in which four parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, and fecal coliform were used for the water quality index calculation following MPCB Water Quality Standards of class A-II for best designated use. The analysis showed that river points in a particular year were in very bad category with certainty level of 0–38 % which is unsuitable for drinking purposes; samples in bad category had certainty level that ranged from 38 to 50 %; samples in medium to good category had certainty levels from 50 to 100 %, and the remaining samples were in good to excellent category, suitable for drinking purposes, with certainty levels from 63 to 100 %.     

Detection of seasonal variations in surface water quality using discriminant analysis

In the study, discriminant analysis (DA) was applied to water quality data set monitored in winter and summer months along 3 years to investigate seasonal variations of Tahtali Reservoir water quality. The variables were divided into two categories as “parameters naturally found in surface waters—Al, Fe, Mn, F, Ba, Cl, and SO₄” and “pollutants—biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, and NO₃”. Linear discriminant functions were calculated to distinguish between winter and summer samples. Results revealed that water quality variables (naturally found in surface water and also pollutants) were distinctly different between two seasons. Seasonal changes of water quality caused by anthropogenic activities should be taken into consideration by the water managers especially in summer seasons in which higher concentrations were observed. The study showed that DA can be applied successfully to establish the seasonal variation in surface water quality and make it possible to design a future temporal sampling strategy in an optimal manner.     

水污染指数法在河流水质评价中的应用研究

为满足我国水质评价与管理的需要,针对单因子评价法和综合污染指数法在水质评价中存在的问题,提出了水污染指数法。采用该方法对湘江干流2009年的水质状况进行了试评价,并将评价结果与单因子评价法、综合污染指数法、模糊综合评判法以及主成分分析法的评价结果进行了对比。结果表明,水污染指数法在水质类别评价、水质定量评价、主要污染指标识别、劣Ⅴ类水体水质比较等方面均具有明显优势,同时,该方法计算过程简单、易掌握,具有较强的推广、应用价值。     

Application of Composite Water Quality Identification Index on the water quality evaluation in spatial and temporal variations: a case study in Honghu Lake,China

Composite Water Quality Identification Index (CWQII) and multivariate statistical techniques were used to investigate the temporal and spatial variations of water quality in Honghu Lake. The aims are to explore the characteristics of water quality trends in annual, monthly, and site spatial distribution and to identify the main pollution factors. The results showed that the values of CWQII increased from 2.0 to 4.0 from the years 2001 to 2005, then decreased from 2006 and kept a balance between 2.0 and 3.0 from 2006 to 2011, indicating that the water quality of Honghu Lake deteriorated from 2001 to 2005 and has gradually improved since 2006, which were likely achieved after water protection measurements taken since 2004. The monthly change rules of water quality were influenced by a superposition of natural processes and human activities. In samples numbered 1–9 from upstream to downstream, the maximum values of CWQII often occurred in sample site 9 while the minimum ones often occurred in sample site 2, indicating that the water quality near the upstream tributary was the poorest and that in the core zone was the best. Incoming water from the trunk canal of the Sihu area upstream was the largest pollution source. The sensitive pollution nutrients were mainly caused by the total nitrogen, followed by the total phosphorus.     

Statistical analyses of regional surface water quality in southeastern Ontario

Historical records from Ontario's Provincial Water Quality Monitoring Network (PWQMN) for rivers and streams were analyzed to assess the feasibility of mapping regional water quality patterns in southeastern Ontario which spans two major geologic zones, the Precambrian Shield and the St. Lawrence Lowlands, thus serving as a paradigm for much of Ontario. Despite biases toward the populated Lowlands and associated pollution problems, general spatial trends are evident via the analysis of intervariable relations, individual parameter maps and multivariate analysis. Using a robust algorithm designed to identify outliers and abstract underlying bivariate relations, a linear regional hardness-alkalinity relation was derived, where most anomalies proved to be mine drainage impacted sites. Regionally, multivariate ordination reveals that central tendencies of common indicators of ionic strength and nutrient richness correlate positively and that site clusters broadly reflect the transition from oligotrophic Shield waters to eutrophic conditions of heavily agricultural Lowland streams. Results suggest that on the Shield more precisely delineated aquatic regions may be realized by applying GIS to integrate river and synoptic lake survey data. Further synthesis with bedrock and surficial geology, physiography, pedology and other temporally invariant spatial attributes should yield regional patterns of background quality from which locally attainable water objectives might be defined. Additional synoptic surveys of sedimentary Lowland streams may be required as most available sites relflect anthropogenic pollution.     

城市水质指数法在地表水环境质量评价中的应用

城市水质指数法能够量化、直观地反映不同流域、地区或城市的地表水环境质量,运用城市水质指数法测算了江苏省不同流域或地区的城市水质指数。结果表明,相应时段内苏南城市地表水水质略优于苏北城市;长江流域地表水水质优于淮河流域;城市水质指数变化程度(△CWQI)的统计结果基本为负值,表明江苏省地表水环境质量整体呈改善趋势;长江流域a市△CWQI为正值,表明该市2020年上半年水质较去年同期有所下降;淮河流域总磷水质指数波动范围最大,该流域总磷污染问题较突出,与水质监测结果总体相符。大量数据测算发现,城市水质指数法在应用到地表水环境质量排名时存在数据修约、方法检出限、断面统计基数及现状与变化程度排名倒挂等问题,针对不同问题提出相应的解决方法与对策建议,以期为相关主管部门提供参考与决策依据。     

A Generalized Water Quality Index for Taiwan

By exploring the behavior and limitations of conventional methods for quality evaluation, a better overall index for water quality in Taiwan and its application in Keya River are proposed. The thirteen variables are employed for the quality assessment. Numerical scales relating to the degree of quality are established for each variable to assess variations in quality and to convey findings in a comprehensive manner to others. The employed variables are categorized into three aspects referred to the principal components analysis, which are 'organics', 'particulates' and 'microorganisms'. The overall index consists of the geometric mean for the three defined aspects and multiplying by three coefficients, which reflect quality degrees of temperature, pH and toxicity, respectively. Besides, the arithmetic mean is addressed among the variables associated in the same aspect. Finally, a fresh, mixed aggregation function is developed for ensuring that the index score tells us something useful and does not hide important information. A case study of the Keya River is made to illustrate the application of this new index system. The new proposed index provides comprehensive information for water quality assessment, than the existing index used in Taiwan does.     

应用水质标识指数法评价太湖湖滨带水质

以2009年12月和2010年4、8月的全太湖湖滨带水质监测数据为基础,以TN、TP、NH₃-N、COD_Mn、DO为评价指标,采用水质标识指数评价法对太湖湖滨带水质进行评价。水质指标基本信息显示,NH₃-N冬季、春季空间变异较大,TP夏季空间变异较大;单因子标识指数评价结果显示,太湖湖滨带水体水质因子污染风险时空差异显著,TN冬季、春季全区域污染风险均较大,NH₃-N冬季和夏季在竺山湾、西部沿岸区域污染风险较大,TP三季在竺山湾、西部沿岸区域污染风险较大;综合标识指数评价结果显示,东太湖、东部沿岸、贡湖区域水质较好,为Ⅲ类水,竺山湾和西部沿岸水体水质最差,为Ⅴ类水,且竺山湾和西部沿岸水体三季均处于重度污染状态。该研究可为太湖湖滨带水环境的生态恢复和标识指数应用的推广提供一定的科学依据。     

伊犁地区部分河流的水质标识指数

通过2004 - 2006年对伊犁地区的特克斯河、伊犁河的水质调查及水质标识指数和综合指数(WQI)的计算发现,DO、COD、TN、NH3-N、TP 5项指标在10个断面的空间分布上伊宁市区的2个断面水质最差,在时间上属8月最差,水质主要污染指标的排序依次为TP、TN、COD和NH3-N.     

Monitoring water quality in Sydney Harbour using blue mussels during remediation of the Sydney Tar Ponds,Nova Scotia,Canada

Using mussels as monitoring tools we measured water quality in Sydney Harbour during a large scale, multi-year remediation project of the Sydney Tar Ponds (STPs); one of Canada's most contaminated sites. Chemical contaminants were measured in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) in Sydney Harbour, which were used as monitoring tools to assess the spatio-temporal distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); metals (As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn) and lipid content during baseline and 3 years of remediation. The overall spatio-temporal distribution of chemicals in mussels was also compared to contaminants in other marine indicators (e.g., sediment, water and crab tissue). Measured metal concentrations in mussels showed some minor temporal variability (4 years), but these did not appear to be directly related to remediation activities, with the highest concentrations of As, Hg and Zn measured at reference stations. Most measured contaminants showed stable or potentially decreasing concentrations during the study, except Pb and Zn. Individual PAH compounds were mostly undetected during baseline and remediation, except for fluoranthene and pyrene. Concentrations of fluoranthene in mussels and deep water samples were moderately related. Generally, PCBs were undetected (<0.05 μg g^?1), except during year 2 remediation at some near-field stations. Contaminants measured during this study were at much lower concentrations than previously reported in other studies of mussels in Sydney Harbour and eastern Canada. This is likely due to the ongoing natural recovery of Sydney Harbour and to a lesser extent because of the environmental mitigation protection measures implemented during remediation activities at the STPs. The lack of detection of most individual PAHs and PCBs, plus relatively low bio-accumulation of metals observed during baseline and remediation attest to the effectiveness of using mussels as monitoring tools for environmental quality.     

Assessment of water quality using cluster analysis in coastal region of Mumbai, India

The coastal water quality of Mumbai is deteriorating due to various point and non-point wastewater sources. Hence, it is desirable to monitor coastal water quality for various water-related activities like bathing, contact water sports, recreation, and commercial fishing. The objective of this paper is to assess the seasonal water quality on the basis of seawater standards. Based on water-quality analysis of 17 seafronts and beaches, most of the parameters were exceeding the standards. The statistical cluster analysis was carried out for evaluating impact of wastewater and sewage discharges. The hierarchical cluster analysis resulted into three clustered groups, namely less polluted, moderately polluted, and highly polluted sites with similar characteristics of water quality. Mahim was found to be worst-affected beach due to incoming organic load from the Mithi river in comparison to other seafronts and beaches. Unaccounted sources of sewage and wastewater should be identified and rerouted through sewerage system by improving collection efficiency, treatment, and proper disposal for achieving designated receiving water quality standards.     

集中式饮用水水源地水质预警指标体系构建

饮用水水源地水质预警是建立健全饮用水安全保障体系的关键环节,构建水源地水质预警指标体系是水源地监控预警工作的重要基础。系统分析了常规水质在线、生物毒性在线、卫星遥感、人工巡视等水质预警监测技术手段,并分析比较了各方法的优缺点。以此为基础,遵循水源地预警指标体系构建原则与实际需求,统筹兼顾,提出了建立以常规理化-生物毒性在线监测相结合,遥感监测与人工巡查相统筹的一体化水源地水质预警指标体系,为水源地水质预警监控工作提供合理的、科学的技术支撑。     

Assessment of water quality along a recreational section of the Damour River in Lebanon using the water quality index

Considering that water is becoming progressively scarce, monitoring water quality of rivers is a subject of ongoing concern and research. It is very intricate to accurately express water quality as water quantity due to the various variables influencing it. A water quality index which integrates several variables in a specific value may be used as a management tool in water quality assessment. Moreover, this index may facilitate communication with the public and decision makers. The main objectives of this research project are to evaluate the water quality index along a recreational section of a relatively small Mediterranean river in Southern Lebanon and to characterize the spatial and temporal variability. Accordingly, an assessment was conducted at the end of the dry season for a period of 5 years from 2005 to 2009. The estimated water quality index classified the average water quality over a 5-year period at the various sites as good. Results revealed that water quality of the Damour River is generally affected by the anthropogenic activities taking place along its watershed. The best quality was found in the upper sites and the worst at the estuary. The presence of fecal coliform bacteria in very high levels may indicate potential health risks to swimmers. This study can be used to support the evaluation of management, regulatory, and monitoring decisions.     

Water Quality Evaluation and Trend Analysis in Selected Watersheds of the Atlantic Region of Canada

Water quality indices (WQIs) have been developed to assess the suitability of water for a variety of uses. These indices reflect the status of water quality in lakes, streams, rivers, and reservoirs. The concept of WQIs is based on a comparison of the concentration of contaminants with the respective environmental standards. The number, frequency, and magnitude by which the environmental standards for specific variables are not met in a given time period are reflected in WQIs. Further, the water quality trend analysis predicts the behavior of the water quality parameters and overall water quality in the time domain. In this paper, the concept of WQI was applied to three selected watersheds of Atlantic region: the Mersey River, the Point Wolfe River, and the Dunk River sites. To have robust study, two different water quality indices are used: Canadian Water Quality Index (CWQI), and British Columbia Water Quality Index (BWQI). The complete study was conducted in two steps. The first step was to organize and process the data into a format compatible with WQI analysis. After processing the input data, the WQI was calculated. The second step outlined in the paper discusses detailed trend analysis using linear and quadratic models for all the three sites. As per the 25 years trend analysis, overall water quality for agriculture use observed an improving trend at all the three sites studied. Water quality for raw water used for drinking (prior to treatment) and aquatic uses has shown improving trend at Point Wolfe River. It is further observed that pH, SO₄, and NO₃ concentrations are improving at Dunk River, Mersey River, and Point Wolfe River sites. To ascertain the reliability and significance of the trend analysis, a detailed error analysis and parametric significance tests were also conducted It was observed that for most of the sites and water uses quadratic trend models were a better fit than the linear models.     

石墨炉原子吸收法测定水中铅的质量控制指标研究

通过对全国9个省份82家实验室监测数据的分析,研究确定了石墨炉原子吸收法测定水中铅的质量控制指标。建议控制值为：标准样品室内相对标准偏差（RSD）≤5.0%,实际样品相对偏差（RD）≤30.0%,标准样品室间相对标准偏差（RSD’）≤10%,标准样品相对误差（RE）≤±8.0%,加标回收率范围为90%～115%,同时还对方法的重复性和再现性指标进行了验证性研究。