Modeling the photoinactivation and transport of somatic and F-specific coliphages at a Great Lakes beach

A proficiency assessment of integrating machine learning (ML) schemes on Lahore water ensemble

A synthesis of statistical inference and machine learning (ML) tools has been employed to establish a comprehensive insight of a coarse data. Water components' data for 16 central distributing locations of Lahore, the capital of second most populated province of Pakistan, has been analyzed to gauge current water stature of the city. Moreover, a classification of surplus-response variables through tolerance manipulation was incorporated to debrief dimension aspect of the data. By the same token, the influence of supererogatory variables' renouncement through identification of clustering movement of constituents is inquired. The approach of building a spectrum of colluding results through application of comparable methods has been experimented. To test the propriety of each statistical method prior to its execution on a huge data, a faction of ML schemes have been proposed. The supervised learning tools pca, factoran and clusterdata were implemented to establish an elemental character of water at elected locations. A location 'LAH-13' was highlighted for containing an out of normal range Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) concentration in the water. The classification of lower and higher variability parameters carried out by Sample Mean (XBAR) control identified a set of least correlated variables pH, As, Total Coliforms and E. Coli. The analysis provided four locations LAH-06, LAH-10, LAH-13 and LAH-14 for extreme concentration propensity. An execution of factoran demonstrated that specific tolerance of independent variability '0.005' could be employed to reduce dimension of a system without loss of fundamental data information. A higher value of cophenetic coefficient, c = 0.9582 provided the validation for an accurate cluster division of similar characteristics' variables. The current approach of mutually validating ML and SA (statistical analysis) schemes will assist in preparing the groundwork for state of the art analysis (SOTA) analysis. The advantage of our approach can be examined through the fact that the related SOTA will further refine the predictive precision between two comparable methods, unlike the SOTA analysis between two random ML methods. Conclusively, this study featured the locations LAH-03, LAH-06, LAH-12, LAH-13, LAH-14 and LAH-15 with compromised water quality in the region.

Fate and transport in environmental quality

Changes in pollutant concentrations in environmental media occur both from pollutant transport in water or air and from local processes, such as adsorption, degradation, precipitation, straining, and so on. The terms "fate and transport" and "transport and fate" reflect the coupling of moving with the carrier media and biogeochemical processes describing local transformations or interactions. The Journal of Environmental Quality (JEQ) was one of the first to publish papers on fate and transport (F&T). This paper is a minireview written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of JEQ and show how the research interests, methodology, and public attention have been reflected in fate and transport publications in JEQ during the last 40 years. We report the statistics showing how the representation of different pollutant groups in papers changed with time. Major focus areas have included the effect of solution composition on F&T and concurrent F&T, the role of organic matter, and the relative role of different F&T pathways. The role of temporal and spatial heterogeneity has been studied at different scales. The value of long-term F&T studies and developments in modeling as the F&T research approach was amply demonstrated. Fate and transport studies have been an essential part of conservation measure evaluation and comparison and ecological risk assessment. For 50 years, JEQ has delivered new insights, methods, and applications related to F&T science. The importance of its service to society is recognized, and we look forward to new generations of F&T researchers presenting their contributions in JEQ.

Evaluating the impacts of foreshore sand and birds on microbiological contamination at a freshwater beach

Beaches along the Great Lakes shorelines are important recreational and economic resources. However, contamination at the beaches can threaten their usage during the swimming season, potentially resulting in beach closures and/or advisories. Thus, understanding the dynamics that control nearshore water quality is integral to effective beach management. There have been significant improvements in this effort, including incorporating modeling (empirical, mechanistic) in recent years. Mechanistic modeling frameworks can contribute to this understanding of dynamics by determining sources and interactions that substantially impact fecal indicator bacteria concentrations, an index routinely used in water quality monitoring programs. To simulate E. coli concentrations at Jeorse Park beaches in southwest Lake Michigan, a coupled hydrodynamic and wave-current interaction model was developed that progressively added contaminant sources from river inputs, avian presence, bacteria-sediment interactions, and bacteria-sand-sediment interactions. Results indicated that riverine inputs affected E. coli concentrations at Jeorse Park beaches only marginally, while avian, shoreline sand, and sediment sources were much more substantial drivers of E. coli contamination at the beach. By including avian and riverine inputs, as well as bacteria-sand-sediment interactions at the beach, models can reasonably capture the variability in observed E. coli concentrations in nearshore water and bed sediments at Jeorse Park beaches. Consequently, it will be crucial to consider avian contamination sources and water-sand-sediment interactions in effective management of the beach for public health and as a recreational resource and to extend these findings to similar beaches affected by shoreline embayment.

Environmental effects of stratospheric ozone depletion, UV radiation, and interactions with climate change: UNEP Environmental Effects Assessment Panel, Update 2020

This assessment by the Environmental Effects Assessment Panel (EEAP) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) provides the latest scientific update since our most recent comprehensive assessment (Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences, 2019, 18, 595-828). The interactive effects between the stratospheric ozone layer, solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and climate change are presented within the framework of the Montreal Protocol and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We address how these global environmental changes affect the atmosphere and air quality; human health; terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; biogeochemical cycles; and materials used in outdoor construction, solar energy technologies, and fabrics. In many cases, there is a growing influence from changes in seasonality and extreme events due to climate change. Additionally, we assess the transmission and environmental effects of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, in the context of linkages with solar UV radiation and the Montreal Protocol.