A Review of Public Domain Water Quality Models for Simulating Dissolved Oxygen in Rivers and Streams

The review discusses six major public domain water quality models currently available for rivers and streams. These major models, which differ greatly in terms of processes they represent, data inputs requirements, assumptions, modeling capability, their strengths and weaknesses, could yield useful results if appropriately selected for the desired purposes. The public domain models, which are most suitable for simulating dissolved oxygen along rivers and streams, chosen in this review are simulation catchment (SIMCAT), temporal overall model for catchments (TOMCAT), QUAL2Kw, QUAL2EU, water quality analysis simulation program (WASP7), and quality simulation along rivers (QUASAR). Each of these models is described based on a consistent set of criteria-conceptualization, processes, input data, model capability, limitations, model strengths, and its application. The results revealed that SIMCAT and TOMCAT are over-simplistic but useful to quickly assess impact of point sources. The QUAL2Kw has provision for conversion of algal death to carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand (CBOD) and thus more appropriate than QUAL2EU, where macrophytes play an important interaction. The extensive requirement of data in WASP7 and QUASAR is difficult to justify the time and costs required to set up these complex models. Thus, a single model could not serve all wide range of functionalities required. The choice of a model depends upon availability of time, financial cost and a specific application. This review may help to choose appropriate model for a particular water quality problem.     

Groundwater quality--assessment on Anekal Taluk, Bangalore Urban district, India

Water as a resource, basic amenity and universal solvent is shared by population. The physicochemical and biological quality study of Anekal Taluk has been taken up to evaluate its suitability for potable purposes. 1026 water samples were collected from bore well, hand pumps of 272 villages covering in Anekal Taluk. The quality of groundwater has been made through the analysis of pH, colour, electrical conductivity, turbidity, total dissolved solids, alkalinity, chlorides, total hardness, calcium, fluoride, nitrate, sulphate, iron and E. coli. The quality of groundwater assessed in the study area is discussed in detail.     

Fungal spore germination into yeast or mycelium: possible implications of dimorphism in evolution and human pathogenesis

 The ability of dimorphism in fungi is conventionally regarded as a reversible change between the two vegetative forms, yeast and mycelium, in response to environmental change. A zygomycetous isolate, Benjaminiella poitrasii, exhibited yeast-mycelium transition in response to the change in temperature (37–28  °C) and decrease in glucose concentration. For the first time the presence of dimorphic response during asexual and sexual spore germination is reported under the dimorphism-triggering conditions in B. poitrasii. The zygospores germinated into budding yeast when subjected to yeast-form supporting conditions. The mycelium-form favoring conditions gave rise to true mycelium. Similarly, the asexual spores displayed a dimorphic response during germination. Our observations suggest that dimorphism is an intrinsic ability present in the vegetative, asexual, and sexual forms of the fungus. As dimorphic fungi are intermediate to the unicellular yeast and the filamentous forms, understanding of the dimorphic character could be useful to trace the evolutionary relationships among taxonomically different fungi. Moreover, the implications of spore germination during the onset of pathogenesis and in drug development for human health care are discussed. Received: 4 November 1999 / Accepted in revised form: 28 February 2000     

Analyzing pedestrian crash injury severity under different weather conditions

Objective: Pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users due to the lack of mass, speed, and protection compared to other types of road users. Adverse weather conditions may reduce road friction and visibility and thus increase crash risk. There is limited evidence and considerable discrepancy with regard to impacts of weather conditions on injury severity in the literature. This article investigated factors affecting pedestrian injury severity level under different weather conditions based on a publicly available accident database in Great Britain.

Method: Accident data from Great Britain that are publicly available through the STATS19 database were analyzed. Factors associated with pedestrian, driver, and environment were investigated using a novel approach that combines a classification and regression tree with random forest approach.

Results: Significant severity predictors under fine weather conditions from the models included speed limits, pedestrian age, light conditions, and vehicle maneuver. Under adverse weather conditions, the significant predictors were pedestrian age, vehicle maneuver, and speed limit.

Conclusions: Elderly pedestrians are associated with higher pedestrian injury severities. Higher speed limits increase pedestrian injury severity. Based on the research findings, recommendations are provided to improve pedestrian safety.     

The duckweed Wolffia globosa as an indicator of heavy metal pollution: Sensitivity to Cr and Cd

The potential of Wolffia globosa, a profusely occurring rootless duckweed, was evaluated as an indicator of metal pollution in the water bodies. Plants of W. globosa were cultured in 3% Hoagland's nutrient medium which was supplemented with 0.05, 0.1, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/L of Cr and Cd. Plants showed substantial accumulation of both the metals at lowest concentrations. For example, at 0.05 ppm, the concentration factor (Cf) value for Cr was significantly higher (5616) than for Cd (1018). A high level of tolerance was shown by the plants to both Cr and Cd. The results show that the plants are sensitive to the variations in metal concentration and are capable of high metal enrichment at very low ambient concentration of the metals. This information may be useful for detecting metals in the water.NBRI Research Publication No. 401 (N.S.)     

Duckweed: an effective tool for phyto-remediation

Effective wastewater treatment through conventional methods that rely on heavy aeration are expensive to install and operate. Duckweed is capable of recovering or extracting nutrients or pollutants and is an excellent candidate for bio-remediation of wastewaters. Such plants grow very fast, utilizing wastewater nutrients and also yield cost effective protein-rich biomass as a by-product. Duckweeds being tiny surface-floating plants are easy to harvest and have an appreciable amount of protein (15%–45% dry mass basis) and a lower fiber (7%–14% dry mass basis) content. Besides nutrient extraction, duckweeds has been found to reduce total suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand in wastewater significantly. Depending on the initial concentrations of nutrients, duckweed-covered systems can remove nitrate (NO₃^?) at daily rates of 120–590 mg NO₃^? m^?2 (73%–97% of initial concentration) and phosphate (PO₄^?) at 14–74 mg PO₄^? m^?2 (63%–99% of initial concentration). Removal efficiencies within 3 days of 96% and 99% have been reported for BOD and ammonia (NH₃). Besides several genera of duckweeds (Spirodela, Lemna, Wolffia), other surface-floating aquatic plants like water hyacinth (Eichhornia) are well known for their phyto-remediation qualities.