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Shelton SA, Kaushal SS, Mayer PM, Shatkay RR, Rippy MA, Grant SB, Newcomer-Johnson TA. Salty chemical cocktails as water quality signatures: Longitudinal trends and breakpoints along different U.S. streams. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 930:172777. [PMID: 38670384 PMCID: PMC11371123 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Along urban streams and rivers, various processes, including road salt application, sewage leaks, and weathering of the built environment, contribute to novel chemical cocktails made up of metals, salts, nutrients, and organic matter. In order to track the impacts of urbanization and management strategies on water quality, we conducted longitudinal stream synoptic (LSS) monitoring in nine watersheds in five major metropolitan areas of the U.S. During each LSS monitoring survey, 10-53 sites were sampled along the flowpath of streams as they flowed along rural to urban gradients. Results demonstrated that major ions derived from salts (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and K+) and correlated elements (e.g. Sr2+, N, Cu) formed 'salty chemical cocktails' that increased along rural to urban flowpaths. Salty chemical cocktails explained 46.1% of the overall variability in geochemistry among streams and showed distinct typologies, trends, and transitions along flowpaths through metropolitan regions. Multiple linear regression predicted 62.9% of the variance in the salty chemical cocktails using the six following significant drivers (p < 0.05): percent urban land, wastewater treatment plant discharge, mean annual precipitation, percent silicic residual material, percent volcanic material, and percent carbonate residual material. Mean annual precipitation and percent urban area were the most important in the regression, explaining 29.6% and 13.0% of the variance. Different pollution sources (wastewater, road salt, urban runoff) in streams were tracked downstream based on salty chemical cocktails. Streams flowing through stream-floodplain restoration projects and conservation areas with extensive riparian forest buffers did not show longitudinal increases in salty chemical cocktails, suggesting that there could be attenuation via conservation and restoration. Salinization represents a common urban water quality signature and longitudinal patterns of distinct chemical cocktails and ionic mixtures have the potential to track the sources, fate, and transport of different point and nonpoint pollution sources along streams across different regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney A Shelton
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, Geology Building 237, College Park, MD 20742, USA; ORISE Fellow at Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA.
| | - Sujay S Kaushal
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, Geology Building 237, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| | - Paul M Mayer
- Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA.
| | - Ruth R Shatkay
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, Geology Building 237, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
| | - Megan A Rippy
- Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory, The Charles E. Via Jr Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 9408 Prince William St, Manassas, VA 20110, USA; Center for Coastal Studies, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
| | - Stanley B Grant
- Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory, The Charles E. Via Jr Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 9408 Prince William St, Manassas, VA 20110, USA; Center for Coastal Studies, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
| | - Tammy A Newcomer-Johnson
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Watershed and Ecosystem Characterization Division, 26 Martin Luther King Dr W, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA.
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Mayer PM, Moran KD, Miller EL, Brander SM, Harper S, Garcia-Jaramillo M, Carrasco-Navarro V, Ho KT, Burgess RM, Thornton Hampton LM, Granek EF, McCauley M, McIntyre JK, Kolodziej EP, Hu X, Williams AJ, Beckingham BA, Jackson ME, Sanders-Smith RD, Fender CL, King GA, Bollman M, Kaushal SS, Cunningham BE, Hutton SJ, Lang J, Goss HV, Siddiqui S, Sutton R, Lin D, Mendez M. Where the rubber meets the road: Emerging environmental impacts of tire wear particles and their chemical cocktails. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 927:171153. [PMID: 38460683 PMCID: PMC11214769 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
About 3 billion new tires are produced each year and about 800 million tires become waste annually. Global dependence upon tires produced from natural rubber and petroleum-based compounds represents a persistent and complex environmental problem with only partial and often-times, ineffective solutions. Tire emissions may be in the form of whole tires, tire particles, and chemical compounds, each of which is transported through various atmospheric, terrestrial, and aquatic routes in the natural and built environments. Production and use of tires generates multiple heavy metals, plastics, PAH's, and other compounds that can be toxic alone or as chemical cocktails. Used tires require storage space, are energy intensive to recycle, and generally have few post-wear uses that are not also potential sources of pollutants (e.g., crumb rubber, pavements, burning). Tire particles emitted during use are a major component of microplastics in urban runoff and a source of unique and highly potent toxic substances. Thus, tires represent a ubiquitous and complex pollutant that requires a comprehensive examination to develop effective management and remediation. We approach the issue of tire pollution holistically by examining the life cycle of tires across production, emissions, recycling, and disposal. In this paper, we synthesize recent research and data about the environmental and human health risks associated with the production, use, and disposal of tires and discuss gaps in our knowledge about fate and transport, as well as the toxicology of tire particles and chemical leachates. We examine potential management and remediation approaches for addressing exposure risks across the life cycle of tires. We consider tires as pollutants across three levels: tires in their whole state, as particulates, and as a mixture of chemical cocktails. Finally, we discuss information gaps in our understanding of tires as a pollutant and outline key questions to improve our knowledge and ability to manage and remediate tire pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M Mayer
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR 97333, United States of America.
| | - Kelly D Moran
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, 4911 Central Ave, Richmond, CA 94804, United States of America.
| | - Ezra L Miller
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, 4911 Central Ave, Richmond, CA 94804, United States of America.
| | - Susanne M Brander
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States of America.
| | - Stacey Harper
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97333, United States of America.
| | - Manuel Garcia-Jaramillo
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States of America.
| | - Victor Carrasco-Navarro
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Campus, Yliopistonranta 1 E, 70211 Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Kay T Ho
- US Environmental Protection Agency, ORD/CEMM Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI 02882, United States of America.
| | - Robert M Burgess
- US Environmental Protection Agency, ORD/CEMM Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI 02882, United States of America.
| | - Leah M Thornton Hampton
- Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, 3535 Harbor Blvd, Suite 110, Costa Mesa, CA 92626, United States of America.
| | - Elise F Granek
- Environmental Science & Management, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97201, United States of America.
| | - Margaret McCauley
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10, Seattle, WA 98101, United States of America.
| | - Jenifer K McIntyre
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, Puyallup Research & Extension Center, Washington Stormwater Center, 2606 W Pioneer Ave, Puyallup, WA 98371, United States of America.
| | - Edward P Kolodziej
- Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (UW Tacoma), Civil and Environmental Engineering (UW Seattle), Center for Urban Waters, University of Washington, Tacoma, WA 98402, United States of America.
| | - Ximin Hu
- Civil and Environmental Engineering (UW Seattle), University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States of America.
| | - Antony J Williams
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Chemical Characterization and Exposure Division, Computational Chemistry & Cheminformatics Branch, 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States of America.
| | - Barbara A Beckingham
- Department of Geology & Environmental Geosciences, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, 66 George Street Charleston, SC 29424, United States of America.
| | - Miranda E Jackson
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States of America.
| | - Rhea D Sanders-Smith
- Washington State Department of Ecology, 300 Desmond Drive SE, Lacey, WA 98503, United States of America.
| | - Chloe L Fender
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States of America.
| | - George A King
- CSS, Inc., 200 SW 35th St, Corvallis, OR 97333, United States of America.
| | - Michael Bollman
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR 97333, United States of America.
| | - Sujay S Kaushal
- Department of Geology and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20740, United States of America.
| | - Brittany E Cunningham
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97333, United States of America.
| | - Sara J Hutton
- GSI Environmental, Inc., Olympia, Washington 98502, USA.
| | - Jackelyn Lang
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Cell Biology, Department of Medicine and Epidemiology and the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA 95616, United States of America.
| | - Heather V Goss
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, Office of Wastewater Management, Washington, DC 20004, United States of America.
| | - Samreen Siddiqui
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States of America.
| | - Rebecca Sutton
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, 4911 Central Ave, Richmond, CA 94804, United States of America.
| | - Diana Lin
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, 4911 Central Ave, Richmond, CA 94804, United States of America.
| | - Miguel Mendez
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, 4911 Central Ave, Richmond, CA 94804, United States of America.
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Malin JT, Kaushal SS, Mayer PM, Maas CM, Hohman SP, Rippy MA. Longitudinal stream synoptic (LSS) monitoring to evaluate water quality in restored streams. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:437. [PMID: 38592553 PMCID: PMC11069387 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12570-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Impervious surface cover increases peak flows and degrades stream health, contributing to a variety of hydrologic, water quality, and ecological symptoms, collectively known as the urban stream syndrome. Strategies to combat the urban stream syndrome often employ engineering approaches to enhance stream-floodplain reconnection, dissipate erosive forces from urban runoff, and enhance contaminant retention, but it is not always clear how effective such practices are or how to monitor for their effectiveness. In this study, we explore applications of longitudinal stream synoptic (LSS) monitoring (an approach where multiple samples are collected along stream flowpaths across both space and time) to narrow this knowledge gap. Specifically, we investigate (1) whether LSS monitoring can be used to detect changes in water chemistry along longitudinal flowpaths in response to stream-floodplain reconnection and (2) what is the scale over which restoration efforts improve stream quality. We present results for four different classes of water quality constituents (carbon, nutrients, salt ions, and metals) across five watersheds with varying degrees of stream-floodplain reconnection. Our work suggests that LSS monitoring can be used to evaluate stream restoration strategies when implemented at meter to kilometer scales. As streams flow through restoration features, concentrations of nutrients, salts, and metals significantly decline (p < 0.05) or remain unchanged. This same pattern is not evident in unrestored streams, where salt ion concentrations (e.g., Na+, Ca2+, K+) significantly increase with increasing impervious cover. When used in concert with statistical approaches like principal component analysis, we find that LSS monitoring reveals changes in entire chemical mixtures (e.g., salts, metals, and nutrients), not just individual water quality constituents. These chemical mixtures are locally responsive to restoration projects, but can be obscured at the watershed scale and overwhelmed during storm events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph T Malin
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
- Environmental Quality Resources, L.L.C., 2391 Brandermill Blvd., Suite 301, Gambrills, MD, 21054, USA.
| | - Sujay S Kaushal
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Paul M Mayer
- Environmental Protection Agency, 805 SW Broadway #500, Portland, OR, 97205, USA
| | - Carly M Maas
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
- United States Geological Survey, 1730 E Parham Road, Richmond, VA, 23228, USA
| | - Steven P Hohman
- Environmental Protection Agency, 1650 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, USA
| | - Megan A Rippy
- Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory, The Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, 9408 Prince William Street, Manassas, VA, USA
- Center for Coastal Studies, Virginia Tech, 1068A Derring Hall (0420), Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Disaster Resilience and Risk Management (DRRM), 1068A Derring Hall, 405 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
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Galella JG, Kaushal SS, Mayer PM, Maas CM, Shatkay RR, Inamdar S, Belt KT. Freshwater Salinization Syndrome Alters Nitrogen Transport in Urban Watersheds. WATER 2023; 15:1-22. [PMID: 38313692 PMCID: PMC10831318 DOI: 10.3390/w15223956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Anthropogenic salt inputs have impacted many streams in the U.S. for over a century. Urban stream salinity is often chronically elevated and punctuated by episodic salinization events, which can last hours to days after snowstorms and the application of road salt. Here, we investigated the impacts of freshwater salinization on total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and NO 3 - / NO 2 - concentrations and fluxes across time in urban watersheds in the Baltimore-Washington D.C. metropolitan area of the Chesapeake Bay region. Episodic salinization from road salt applications and snowmelt quickly mobilized TDN in streams likely through soil ion exchange, hydrologic flushing, and other biogeochemical processes. Previous experimental work from other studies has shown that salinization can mobilize nitrogen from sediments, but less work has investigated this phenomenon with high-frequency sensors and targeted monitoring during road salt events. We found that urban streams exhibited elevated concentrations and fluxes of TDN, NO 3 - / NO 2 - , and specific conductance that rapidly peaked during and after winter road salt events, and then rapidly declined afterwards. We observed plateaus in TDN concentrations in the ranges of the highest specific conductance values (between 1000 and 2000 μS/cm) caused by road salt events. Plateaus in TDN concentrations beyond a certain threshold of specific conductance values suggested source limitation of TDN in watersheds (at the highest ranges in chloride concentrations and ranges); salts were likely extracting nitrogen from soils and streams through ion exchange in soils and sediments, ion pairing in soils and waters, and sodium dispersion of soils to a certain threshold level. When watershed transport was compared across land use, including a forested reference watershed, there was a positive relationship between Cl- loads and NO 3 - / NO 2 - loads. This relationship occurred across all sites regardless of land use, which suggests that the mass transport of Cl- and NO 3 - / NO 2 - are likely influenced by similar factors such as soil ion exchange, ion pairing, sodium dispersion of soils, hydrologic flushing, and biogeochemical processes. Freshwater salinization has the potential to alter the magnitude and timing of total dissolved nitrogen delivery to receiving waters during winter months following road salt applications, and further work should investigate the seasonal relationships of N transport with salinization in urban watersheds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph G. Galella
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20140, USA
| | - Sujay S. Kaushal
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20140, USA
| | - Paul M. Mayer
- US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
| | - Carly M. Maas
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20140, USA
| | - Ruth R. Shatkay
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20140, USA
| | - Shreeram Inamdar
- Water Science and Policy Graduate Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Kenneth T. Belt
- Department of Geography and Environmental Systems, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
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Maas CM, Kaushal SS, Rippy MA, Mayer PM, Grant SB, Shatkay RR, Malin JT, Bhide SV, Vikesland P, Krauss L, Reimer JE, Yaculak AM. Freshwater salinization syndrome limits management efforts to improve water quality. FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 2023; 11:1-20. [PMID: 37841559 PMCID: PMC10568995 DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2023.1106581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater Salinization Syndrome (FSS) refers to groups of biological, physical, and chemical impacts which commonly occur together in response to salinization. FSS can be assessed by the mobilization of chemical mixtures, termed "chemical cocktails", in watersheds. Currently, we do not know if salinization and mobilization of chemical cocktails along streams can be mitigated or reversed using restoration and conservation strategies. We investigated 1) the formation of chemical cocktails temporally and spatially along streams experiencing different levels of restoration and riparian forest conservation and 2) the potential for attenuation of chemical cocktails and salt ions along flowpaths through conservation and restoration areas. We monitored high-frequency temporal and longitudinal changes in streamwater chemistry in response to different pollution events (i.e., road salt, stormwater runoff, wastewater effluent, and baseflow conditions) and several types of watershed management or conservation efforts in six urban watersheds in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicates that chemical cocktails which formed along flowpaths (i.e., permanent reaches of a stream) varied due to pollution events. In response to winter road salt applications, the chemical cocktails were enriched in salts and metals (e.g., Na+, Mn, and Cu). During most baseflow and stormflow conditions, chemical cocktails were less enriched in salt ions and trace metals. Downstream attenuation of salt ions occurred during baseflow and stormflow conditions along flowpaths through regional parks, stream-floodplain restorations, and a national park. Conversely, chemical mixtures of salt ions and metals, which formed in response to multiple road salt applications or prolonged road salt exposure, did not show patterns of rapid attenuation downstream. Multiple linear regression was used to investigate variables that influence changes in chemical cocktails along flowpaths. Attenuation and dilution of salt ions and chemical cocktails along stream flowpaths was significantly related to riparian forest buffer width, types of salt pollution, and distance downstream. Although salt ions and chemical cocktails can be attenuated and diluted in response to conservation and restoration efforts at lower concentration ranges, there can be limitations in attenuation during road salt events, particularly if storm drains bypass riparian buffers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly M. Maas
- Department of Geology and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Sujay S. Kaushal
- Department of Geology and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Megan A. Rippy
- Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory, The Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Manassas, VA, United States
- Center for Coastal Studies, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Paul M. Mayer
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Stanley B. Grant
- Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory, The Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Manassas, VA, United States
- Center for Coastal Studies, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Ruth R. Shatkay
- Department of Geology and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Joseph T. Malin
- Department of Geology and Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Shantanu V. Bhide
- Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory, The Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Manassas, VA, United States
| | - Peter Vikesland
- The Charles E. Via Jr Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Lauren Krauss
- Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory, The Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Manassas, VA, United States
| | - Jenna E. Reimer
- Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Alexis M. Yaculak
- Water Sciences and Policy Graduate Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
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Kaushal SS, Maas CM, Mayer PM, Newcomer-Johnson TA, Grant SB, Rippy MA, Shatkay RR, Leathers J, Gold AJ, Smith C, McMullen EC, Haq S, Smith R, Duan S, Malin J, Yaculak A, Reimer JE, Newcomb KD, Raley AS, Collison DC, Galella JG, Grese M, Sivirichi G, Doody TR, Vikesland P, Bhide SV, Krauss L, Daugherty M, Stavrou C, Etheredge M, Ziegler J, Kirschnick A, England W, Belt KT. Longitudinal stream synoptic monitoring tracks chemicals along watershed continuums: a typology of trends. FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 2023; 11:1-28. [PMID: 37475839 PMCID: PMC10355011 DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2023.1122485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
There are challenges in monitoring and managing water quality due to spatial and temporal heterogeneity in contaminant sources, transport, and transformations. We demonstrate the importance of longitudinal stream synoptic (LSS) monitoring, which can track combinations of water quality parameters along flowpaths across space and time. Specifically, we analyze longitudinal patterns of chemical mixtures of carbon, nutrients, greenhouse gasses, salts, and metals concentrations along 10 flowpaths draining 1,765 km2 of the Chesapeake Bay region. These 10 longitudinal stream flowpaths are drained by watersheds experiencing either urban degradation, forest and wetland conservation, or stream and floodplain restoration. Along the 10 longitudinal stream flowpaths, we monitored over 300 total sampling sites along a combined stream length of 337 km. Synoptic monitoring along longitudinal flowpaths revealed: (1) increasing, decreasing, piecewise, or no trends and transitions in water quality with increasing distance downstream, which provide insights into water quality processes along flowpaths; (2) longitudinal trends and transitions in water quality along flowpaths can be quantified and compared using simple linear and non-linear statistical relationships with distance downstream and/or land use/land cover attributes, (3) attenuation and transformation of chemical cocktails along flowpaths depend on: spatial scales, pollution sources, and transitions in land use and management, hydrology, and restoration. We compared our LSS patterns with others from the global literature to synthesize a typology of longitudinal water quality trends and transitions in streams and rivers based on hydrological, biological, and geochemical processes. Applications of LSS monitoring along flowpaths from our results and the literature reveal: (1) if there are shifts in pollution sources, trends, and transitions along flowpaths, (2) which pollution sources can spread further downstream to sensitive receiving waters such as drinking water supplies and coastal zones, and (3) if transitions in land use, conservation, management, or restoration can attenuate downstream transport of pollution sources. Our typology of longitudinal water quality responses along flowpaths combines many observations across suites of chemicals that can follow predictable patterns based on watershed characteristics. Our typology of longitudinal water quality responses also provides a foundation for future studies, watershed assessments, evaluating watershed management and stream restoration, and comparing watershed responses to non-point and point pollution sources along streams and rivers. LSS monitoring, which integrates both spatial and temporal dimensions and considers multiple contaminants together (a chemical cocktail approach), can be a comprehensive strategy for tracking sources, fate, and transport of pollutants along stream flowpaths and making comparisons of water quality patterns across different watersheds and regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujay S. Kaushal
- Department of Geology, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Carly M. Maas
- Department of Geology, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Paul M. Mayer
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Tammy A. Newcomer-Johnson
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Watershed and Ecosystem Characterization Division, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Stanley B. Grant
- Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory, The Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Manassas, VA, United States
- Center for Coastal Studies, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Megan A. Rippy
- Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory, The Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Manassas, VA, United States
- Center for Coastal Studies, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Ruth R. Shatkay
- Department of Geology, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | | | - Arthur J. Gold
- Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
| | - Cassandra Smith
- Department of Geology, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Evan C. McMullen
- Department of Geology, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Shahan Haq
- Department of Geology, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Rose Smith
- Department of Geology, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Shuiwang Duan
- Department of Geology, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Joseph Malin
- Department of Geology, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Alexis Yaculak
- Department of Geology, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Jenna E. Reimer
- Department of Geology, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Katie Delaney Newcomb
- Department of Geology, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Ashley Sides Raley
- Department of Geology, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Daniel C. Collison
- Department of Geology, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Joseph G. Galella
- Department of Geology, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | | | | | - Thomas R. Doody
- Department of Geology, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Peter Vikesland
- The Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Shantanu V. Bhide
- Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory, The Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Manassas, VA, United States
| | - Lauren Krauss
- Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory, The Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Manassas, VA, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Kenneth T. Belt
- Department of Geography and Environmental Systems, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, United States
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7
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Bogard MJ, Gunawardana PVSL, Soued C, Kalyn Bogard HJ, Smits KM, Flanagan LB. Heterotrophic aquatic metabolism and sustained carbon dioxide emissions in a mineral-soil wetland restored with treated effluent. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 884:163584. [PMID: 37116804 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Wetlands are economically valuable ecosystems, in part because they purify wastewater by retaining and processing nutrients, organic matter (OM), and other pollutants. While natural wetlands are highly productive and sequester large pools of carbon (C), it is unclear whether the C cycle of restored treatment wetlands is functionally consistent with natural systems. This knowledge gap limits our appreciation for the role that wetland restoration can play as a natural solution to climate change. Here, we quantified metabolic and C cycling patterns of a restored, multi-basin wetland (Frank Lake, Alberta, Canada) receiving municipal and beef processing plant effluents rich in nutrients and OM. We conducted metabolic measurements in all three basins using dissolved oxygen sensors deployed under ice and in open water. Extreme production and respiration indicated that effluent was largely mineralized and replaced with wetland OM in transit. The heterotrophic status of all basins aligned with a published mass budget demonstrating the aquatic habitat of the wetland was an OM sink under current drought conditions that lengthen effluent processing time. Floating chamber measurements in open water zones confirmed that the wetland was a source of CO2 to the atmosphere. From input to outflow, sustained emissions led to declining pCO2 and a decline in the ratio of dissolved inorganic to organic C. Over 30 years post-restoration, the open water habitats in Frank Lake remain heterotrophic and a net source of CO2, suggesting that the trajectory of aquatic C cycling may be distinct from wetlands restored with non-effluent water sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Bogard
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.
| | | | - Cynthia Soued
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Holly J Kalyn Bogard
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Kristian M Smits
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Lawrence B Flanagan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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8
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Leibowitz SG, Hill RA, Creed IF, Compton JE, Golden HE, Weber MH, Rains MC, Jones CE, Lee EH, Christensen JR, Bellmore RA, Lane CR. National hydrologic connectivity classification links wetlands with stream water quality. NATURE WATER 2023; 1:370-380. [PMID: 37389401 PMCID: PMC10302404 DOI: 10.1038/s44221-023-00057-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Wetland hydrologic connections to downstream waters influence stream water quality. However, no systematic approach for characterizing this connectivity exists. Here using physical principles, we categorized conterminous US freshwater wetlands into four hydrologic connectivity classes based on stream contact and flowpath depth to the nearest stream: riparian, non-riparian shallow, non-riparian mid-depth and non-riparian deep. These classes were heterogeneously distributed over the conterminous United States; for example, riparian dominated the south-eastern and Gulf coasts, while non-riparian deep dominated the Upper Midwest and High Plains. Analysis of a national stream dataset indicated acidification and organic matter brownification increased with connectivity. Eutrophication and sedimentation decreased with wetland area but did not respond to connectivity. This classification advances our mechanistic understanding of wetland influences on water quality nationally and could be applied globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott G. Leibowitz
- US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), Pacific Ecological Systems Division (PESD), Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Ryan A. Hill
- US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), Pacific Ecological Systems Division (PESD), Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Irena F. Creed
- Department of Physical and Environmental Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jana E. Compton
- US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), Pacific Ecological Systems Division (PESD), Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Heather E. Golden
- US EPA, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling (CEMM), Watershed and Ecosystem Characterization Division, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Marc H. Weber
- US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), Pacific Ecological Systems Division (PESD), Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Mark C. Rains
- School of Geosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Chas E. Jones
- ORISE Post-doctoral Participant, c/o US EPA, CPHEA, PESD, Corvallis, OR, USA
- Present address: Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, Portland, OR, USA
| | - E. Henry Lee
- US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), Pacific Ecological Systems Division (PESD), Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Jay R. Christensen
- US EPA, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling (CEMM), Watershed and Ecosystem Characterization Division, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Rebecca A. Bellmore
- National Research Council, c/o US EPA, CPHEA, PESD, Corvallis, OR, USA
- Present address: Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition, Juneau, AK, USA
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9
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Galella JG, Kaushal SS, Mayer PM, Maas CM, Shatkay RR, Stutzke RA. Stormwater Best Management Practices: Experimental Evaluation of Chemical Cocktails Mobilized by Freshwater Salinization Syndrome. FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 2023; 11:1-20. [PMID: 37234950 PMCID: PMC10208307 DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2023.1020914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater Salinization Syndrome (FSS) refers to the suite of physical, biological, and chemical impacts of salt ions on the degradation of natural, engineered, and social systems. Impacts of FSS on mobilization of chemical cocktails has been documented in streams and groundwater, but little research has focused on the effects of FSS on stormwater best management practices (BMPs) such as: constructed wetlands, bioswales, ponds, and bioretention. However emerging research suggests that stormwater BMPs may be both sources and sinks of contaminants, shifting seasonally with road salt applications. We conducted lab experiments to investigate this premise; replicate water and soil samples were collected from four distinct stormwater feature types (bioretention, bioswale, constructed wetlands and retention ponds) and were used in salt incubation experiments conducted under six different salinities with three different salts (NaCl, CaCl2, and MgCl2). Increased salt concentrations had profound effects on major and trace element mobilization, with all three salts showing significant positive relationships across nearly all elements analyzed. Across all sites, mean salt retention was 34%, 28%, and 26% for Na+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ respectively, and there were significant differences among stormwater BMPs. Salt type showed preferential mobilization of certain elements. NaCl mobilized Cu, a potent toxicant to aquatic biota, at rates over an order of magnitude greater than both CaCl2 and MgCl2. Stormwater BMP type also had a significant effect on elemental mobilization, with ponds mobilizing significantly more Mn than other sites. However, salt concentration and salt type consistently had significant effects on mean concentrations of elements mobilized across all stormwater BMPs (p<0.05), suggesting that processes such as ion exchange mobilize metals mobilize metals and salt ions regardless of BMP type. Our results suggest that decisions regarding the amounts and types of salts used as deicers can have significant effects on reducing contaminant mobilization to freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph G Galella
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center University of Maryland College Park, MD 20140
| | - Sujay S Kaushal
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center University of Maryland College Park, MD 20140
| | - Paul M Mayer
- US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment Corvallis, OR 97333
| | - Carly M Maas
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center University of Maryland College Park, MD 20140
| | - Ruth R Shatkay
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center University of Maryland College Park, MD 20140
| | - Robert A Stutzke
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center University of Maryland College Park, MD 20140
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10
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Bieroza M, Acharya S, Benisch J, ter Borg RN, Hallberg L, Negri C, Pruitt A, Pucher M, Saavedra F, Staniszewska K, van’t Veen SGM, Vincent A, Winter C, Basu NB, Jarvie HP, Kirchner JW. Advances in Catchment Science, Hydrochemistry, and Aquatic Ecology Enabled by High-Frequency Water Quality Measurements. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:4701-4719. [PMID: 36912874 PMCID: PMC10061935 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
High-frequency water quality measurements in streams and rivers have expanded in scope and sophistication during the last two decades. Existing technology allows in situ automated measurements of water quality constituents, including both solutes and particulates, at unprecedented frequencies from seconds to subdaily sampling intervals. This detailed chemical information can be combined with measurements of hydrological and biogeochemical processes, bringing new insights into the sources, transport pathways, and transformation processes of solutes and particulates in complex catchments and along the aquatic continuum. Here, we summarize established and emerging high-frequency water quality technologies, outline key high-frequency hydrochemical data sets, and review scientific advances in key focus areas enabled by the rapid development of high-frequency water quality measurements in streams and rivers. Finally, we discuss future directions and challenges for using high-frequency water quality measurements to bridge scientific and management gaps by promoting a holistic understanding of freshwater systems and catchment status, health, and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Bieroza
- Department
of Soil and Environment, SLU, Box 7014, Uppsala 750
07 Sweden
| | - Suman Acharya
- Department
of Environment and Genetics, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and
Environment, La Trobe University, Albury/Wodonga Campus, Victoria 3690, Australia
| | - Jakob Benisch
- Institute
for Urban Water Management, TU Dresden, Bergstrasse 66, Dresden 01068, Germany
| | | | - Lukas Hallberg
- Department
of Soil and Environment, SLU, Box 7014, Uppsala 750
07 Sweden
| | - Camilla Negri
- Environment
Research Centre, Teagasc, Johnstown Castle, Wexford Y35 Y521, Ireland
- The
James
Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, United Kingdom
- School
of
Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading RG6 6AB, United Kingdom
| | - Abagael Pruitt
- Department
of Biological Sciences, University of Notre
Dame, Notre
Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Matthias Pucher
- Institute
of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management, Vienna University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Gregor Mendel Straße 33, Vienna 1180, Austria
| | - Felipe Saavedra
- Department
for Catchment Hydrology, Helmholtz Centre
for Environmental Research - UFZ, Theodor-Lieser-Straße 4, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany
| | - Kasia Staniszewska
- Department
of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University
of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Sofie G. M. van’t Veen
- Department
of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
- Envidan
A/S, Silkeborg 8600, Denmark
| | - Anna Vincent
- Department
of Biological Sciences, University of Notre
Dame, Notre
Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Carolin Winter
- Environmental
Hydrological Systems, University of Freiburg, Friedrichstraße 39, Freiburg 79098, Germany
- Department
of Hydrogeology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental
Research - UFZ, Permoserstr.
15, Leipzig 04318, Germany
| | - Nandita B. Basu
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Department of Earth and
Environmental Sciences, and Water Institute, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Helen P. Jarvie
- Water Institute
and Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - James W. Kirchner
- Department
of Environmental System Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich CH-8092, Switzerland
- Swiss
Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf CH-8903, Switzerland
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11
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Tian YQ, Yu Q, Carrick HJ, Becker BL, Confesor R, Francek M, Anderson OC. Analysis of spatiotemporal variation in dissolved organic carbon concentrations for streams with cropland-dominated watersheds. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 861:160744. [PMID: 36493833 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
It remains a challenge to understand how dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is cycled from farmlands to rivers due to the complex interaction between farming practices, the baseflow hydrology of predominantly flat lowlands, and seasonal environmental influences such as snowpack. To address this, field DOC concentrations were measured monthly throughout the year at sub-basin scales across the Chippewa River Watershed, which falls within the Corn Belt of the Midwestern United States. These DOC dynamics in stream water from croplands were benchmarked against the data sampled from hilly forested areas in the Connecticut River Watershed. The Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) simulation was applied to provide potential predictive variables associated with daily baseflow. Our study outlines a framework using the combination of primary field data, hydrological modeling, and knowledge-based reclassification of Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) data to analyze the viability of modeling the spatial and temporal variations of cropland stream DOC concentrations. Calibration of the SWAT model resulted in the overall daily Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient (NSE) of 0.67 and the corresponding R2 = 0.89. Our main results show: 1) baseflow DOC concentrations from croplands were substantially higher throughout the year relative to other landcover areas, especially for spring runoff/snowmelt scenarios, 2) an empirical analysis explained ~82 % of the spatial gradient of annual mean observed DOC concentrations, and 3) with the addition of hydrological simulated variables, a linear model explained ~81 % of monthly and 54 % of daily variations of observed DOC concentrations for cropland sub-basins. Our study identified key factors regulating the spatiotemporal DOC concentrations in cropland streamflow; the contribution here promotes to strengthen future analytical models that link watershed characteristics to carbon cycling processes in a large freshwater ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Q Tian
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies & Institute for Great Lakes Research, Central Michigan University, MI 48858, United States of America.
| | - Qian Yu
- Department of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, United States of America
| | - Hunter J Carrick
- Department of Biology & Institute for Great Lakes Research, Central Michigan University, MI 48858, United States of America
| | - Brian L Becker
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies & Institute for Great Lakes Research, Central Michigan University, MI 48858, United States of America
| | - Remegio Confesor
- Environment and Natural Resources, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Norway
| | - Mark Francek
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies & Institute for Great Lakes Research, Central Michigan University, MI 48858, United States of America
| | - Olivia C Anderson
- Department of Biology & Institute for Great Lakes Research, Central Michigan University, MI 48858, United States of America
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12
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Kaushal SS, Mayer PM, Likens GE, Reimer JE, Maas CM, Rippy MA, Grant SB, Hart I, Utz RM, Shatkay RR, Wessel BM, Maietta CE, Pace ML, Duan S, Boger WL, Yaculak AM, Galella JG, Wood KL, Morel CJ, Nguyen W, Querubin SEC, Sukert RA, Lowien A, Houde AW, Roussel A, Houston AJ, Cacopardo A, Ho C, Talbot-Wendlandt H, Widmer JM, Slagle J, Bader JA, Chong JH, Wollney J, Kim J, Shepherd L, Wilfong MT, Houlihan M, Sedghi N, Butcher R, Chaudhary S, Becker WD. Five state factors control progressive stages of freshwater salinization syndrome. LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY LETTERS 2023; 8:190-211. [PMID: 37539375 PMCID: PMC10395323 DOI: 10.1002/lol2.10248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Factors driving freshwater salinization syndrome (FSS) influence the severity of impacts and chances for recovery. We hypothesize that spread of FSS across ecosystems is a function of interactions among five state factors: human activities, geology, flowpaths, climate, and time. (1) Human activities drive pulsed or chronic inputs of salt ions and mobilization of chemical contaminants. (2) Geology drives rates of erosion, weathering, ion exchange, and acidification-alkalinization. (3) Flowpaths drive salinization and contaminant mobilization along hydrologic cycles. (4) Climate drives rising water temperatures, salt stress, and evaporative concentration of ions and saltwater intrusion. (5) Time influences consequences, thresholds, and potentials for ecosystem recovery. We hypothesize that state factors advance FSS in distinct stages, which eventually contribute to failures in systems-level functions (supporting drinking water, crops, biodiversity, infrastructure, etc.). We present future research directions for protecting freshwaters at risk based on five state factors and stages from diagnosis to prognosis to cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujay S. Kaushal
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Paul M. Mayer
- Pacific Ecological Systems Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Corvallis, Oregon
| | - Gene E. Likens
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, New York
- University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
| | - Jenna E. Reimer
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Carly M. Maas
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Megan A. Rippy
- Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory, The Charles E. Via Jr Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Manassas, Virginia
- Center for Coastal Studies, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | - Stanley B. Grant
- Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory, The Charles E. Via Jr Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Manassas, Virginia
- Center for Coastal Studies, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | - Ian Hart
- Chatham University, Gibsonia, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Ruth R. Shatkay
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Barret M. Wessel
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Christine E. Maietta
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Michael L. Pace
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Shuiwang Duan
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Walter L. Boger
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Alexis M. Yaculak
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Joseph G. Galella
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Kelsey L. Wood
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Carol J. Morel
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - William Nguyen
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Shane Elizabeth C. Querubin
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Rebecca A. Sukert
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Anna Lowien
- Environmental Science & Policy Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Alyssa Wellman Houde
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Anaïs Roussel
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Andrew J. Houston
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Ari Cacopardo
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Cristy Ho
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | | | - Jacob M. Widmer
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Jairus Slagle
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - James A. Bader
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Jeng Hann Chong
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Jenna Wollney
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Jordan Kim
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Lauren Shepherd
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Matthew T. Wilfong
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Megan Houlihan
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Nathan Sedghi
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Rebecca Butcher
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - Sona Chaudhary
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
| | - William D. Becker
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
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13
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Balderas Guzman C, Wang R, Muellerklein O, Smith M, Eger CG. Comparing stormwater quality and watershed typologies across the United States: A machine learning approach. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 216:118283. [PMID: 35339052 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Watersheds continue to be urbanized across different regions of the United States, increasing the number of impaired waterbodies due to urban stormwater. Using machine learning techniques, this study examined how stormwater quality and watershed characteristics are related at a national scale and compared stormwater quality across watersheds in diverse climates. We analyzed a selection of data from the National Stormwater Quality Database (NSQD) comprising 1,881 stormwater samples taken from 182 watersheds in 26 metropolitan areas in the United States between 1992 and 2003. Using an ensemble clustering algorithm, the stormwater quality in these samples was classified into "stormwater signatures," defined as distinct combinations of 9 contaminants including metals (Pb, Zn, Cu), particulates (TSS, TDS), and nutrients (BOD, TP, TKN, NOx). Next, multinomial logistic regression was applied to the NSQD data now classified by signature and combined with climate, weather, land use, and imperviousness data obtained from multiple sources. The results yielded 5 stormwater signatures with distinct aquatic toxicity implications and relationships to climate, weather, land use, and imperviousness: Signature 1 ("Ecotoxic and Eutrophic"), defined by high median concentrations of contaminants, likely represents the first flush in moderate-to-high imperviousness watersheds; Signature 2 ("Reduced Nitrates") represents a wet season signature, particularly for dry climates; Signature 3 ("Potentially Eutrophic") represents the first flush in low imperviousness watersheds; Signature 4 ("Elevated Particulates and Metals") represents a wet season signature, particularly on warmer days; finally, Signature 5 ("Most Dilute") is primarily a regional signature associated with the warm, wet climate of the southeastern US. This study serves as a proof-of-concept demonstrating how machine learning techniques can be used to identify patterns in high-dimensional and highly variable data. Applied to stormwater quality, these techniques identify major patterns in stormwater quality across the United States using a stormwater signature approach, which examines how contaminants co-occur and under what climate, weather, land use, and impervious conditions. The findings point to dominant processes driving stormwater generation and inform watershed monitoring, green infrastructure planning, stormwater quality under climate change, and opportunities for public engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celina Balderas Guzman
- Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, University of California, Berkeley, 202 Bauer Wurster Hall #2000, Berkeley, CA 94720-2000
| | - Runzi Wang
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan 440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1041,.
| | - Oliver Muellerklein
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114
| | - Matthew Smith
- Institute of Environment, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St, OE-148, Miami, FL 33199
| | - Caitlin G Eger
- Syracuse University College of Engineering and Computer Science, Civil and Environmental Engineering, 151 Link Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244
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14
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Modeling Water Quantity and Quality Nonlinearities for Watershed Adaptability to Hydroclimate Extremes in Agricultural Landscapes. HYDROLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/hydrology9050080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Changing water supplies and demands, inherent to climate fluctuations and human activities, are pushing for a paradigm shift in water management worldwide. The occurrence of extreme hydrometeorological and climate events such as extended wet periods and droughts, compounded with contaminants, impair the access to water resources, demanding novel designs, construction, and management across multiple hydrologic scales and biogeochemical processes. A constraint to studying hydrologic and biogeochemical disturbances and improving best management practices for water quantity and quality at the watershed scale resides in the suitable monitoring, data availability, and the creation of frameworks. We hypothesize that streamflow and contaminants, simulated by the hydrologic model Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and evaluated during drought and extended wet periods, capture the nonlinearities of contaminants of multiple biogeochemical complexities, indicating the adaptive abilities of watersheds. Our objectives are to (1) use rain gauge and radar data and linear regression to consolidate long-term precipitation data to simulate streamflow and water quality using the SWAT model in the Shell Creek (SC) watershed, Nebraska, U.S.; (2) use drought and extended wet events analytics on observed and simulated hydroclimate and water quality variables to identify SWAT’s performance; and (3) identify the temporal attributions of streamflow and water quality to complex biogeochemical patterns of variability. We implement a watershed modeling approach using the SWAT model forced with rain gauge and radar to simulate the intraseasonal and interannual variability streamflow, sediments, nutrients, and atrazine loads in the SC watershed. SWAT performance uses a calibration period between 2000 and 2005 and a validation period between 2005 and 2007. We examine the model’s ability to simulate hydrologic and biogeochemical variables in response to dry and extended wet flow regimes. The hydrologic model forced by either radar or rain gages performs similarly in the calibration (NSE = 0.6) and validation (NSE = 0.92) periods. It reproduces medium flows closer to the observations, although it overestimates low–flows up to 0.1 m3/s while underestimates high flows by 1 m3/s. The water quality model shows higher NSE for streamflow and sediments followed by nutrients, whereas it poorly reproduces atrazine. We conclude that seasonal changes and hydroclimate conditions led to the emergence of patterns of variability associated to the nonlinearities and coupling between processes of natural and human-origin sources. As climate change propels the occurrence of hydroclimate extremes, the simulation of water quantity and quality nonlinearities—as properties of complex adaptive hydrologic systems—can contribute to improve the predictability of climate-resilient water resources.
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15
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Looking beyond leaves: variation in nutrient leaching potential of seasonal litterfall among different species within an urban forest. Urban Ecosyst 2022; 25:1097-1109. [PMID: 35233162 PMCID: PMC8872876 DOI: 10.1007/s11252-022-01217-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Urban litterfall that is deposited on impervious surface leaches nutrients into stormwater, contributing to downstream eutrophication. Previous studies have focused on the leaching potential of deciduous leaf litter, while other smaller-volume litterfall types—such as blossoms and fruit—may leach significant amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon. These additional litterfall types represent an unaccounted-for source of nutrients to urban stormwater. We explored variation in leaching potential of dissolved nutrients and organic carbon across litter types and species by collecting litterfall (blossoms, fruit, leaves) from ten common urban tree species. After 24 h of leaching, we measured total phosphorus (TP), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) contributions and compared differences across litter types and species. Litter basket estimates then allowed us to quantify annual litterfall inputs. We found that blossoms leached 3–20 times more TDN and 1.5–7 times more TP than leaves of the same species. Furthermore, considering litterfall mass, several species had greater springtime nutrient-leaching potential compared to fall due to high leaching potential in blossoms and lower potential in leaves. We found mixed effects of leaf crushing and leachate solution (stormwater, salinity) on leaching rates. This study highlights the need to consider all litterfall types as well as variation in urban forest communities and conditions when seeking to budget, control, and maintain for potential nutrient sources from the urban forest.
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Coble AA, Wymore AS, Potter JD, McDowell WH. Land Use Overrides Stream Order and Season in Driving Dissolved Organic Matter Dynamics Throughout the Year in a River Network. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:2009-2020. [PMID: 35007420 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c06305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic land use has increased nutrient concentrations and altered dissolved organic matter (DOM) character and its bioavailability. Despite widespread recognition that DOM character and its reactivity can vary temporally, the relative influence of land use and stream order on DOM characteristics is poorly understood across seasons and the entire flow regime. We examined DOM character and 28-day bioavailable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) across a river network to determine the relative roles of land use and stream order in driving variability in DOM character and bioavailability throughout the year. DOM in 1st-order streams was distinct from higher stream orders with lower DOC concentrations, less aromatic (specific ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (SUVA254)), more autochthonous (fluorescence index), and more recently produced (β/α) DOM. Across all months, variability in DOM character was primarily explained by land use, rather than stream order or season. Land use and stream order explained the most DOM variation in transitional and winter months and the least during dry months. BDOC was greater in watersheds with less aromatic (SUVA254) and more recent allochthonous DOM (β/α) and more development and impervious surface. With continued development, the bioavailability of DOM in the smallest and most impacted watersheds is expected to increase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley A Coble
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, United States
| | - Adam S Wymore
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, United States
| | - Jody D Potter
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, United States
| | - William H McDowell
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, United States
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17
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Tree trade-offs in stream restoration: impacts on riparian groundwater quality. Urban Ecosyst 2022; 25:773-795. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-021-01182-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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18
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Chen S, Du Y, Das P, Lamore AF, Dimova NT, Elliott M, Broadbent EN, Roebuck JA, Jaffé R, Lu Y. Agricultural land use changes stream dissolved organic matter via altering soil inputs to streams. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 796:148968. [PMID: 34280634 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural land use leads to significant changes in both the quality (e.g., sources and compositions) and quantity of dissolved organic matter (DOM) exported from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems. However, the effect of agricultural activities often interacts with those of hydroclimatic drivers, making it difficult to delineate agriculture-induced changes and identify associated mechanisms. Using partial least square path modeling (PLS-PM), we examined the relative importance of agricultural land use, stream order, precipitation, and temperature in mediating allochthonous versus autochthonous sources and pathways that influenced stream DOM quality and quantity. We analyzed stream water DOM from 15 small streams draining watersheds across a gradient of agricultural land use in Southeast USA for about one year. For DOM quantity, agricultural land use increased the export of DOC and various DOM pools (terrestrial humic, microbial humic, and protein-like DOM) from land to streams, and for DOM quality, agricultural streams showed greater proportions of microbial humic compounds than forested streams. The PLS-PM model for DOM quantity accounted for 75.5% of total variance and identified that agricultural land use increased stream water DOM quantity primarily through increasing allochthonous inputs, which can be attributed to shallower flow paths in agricultural watersheds that enabled the export of organic materials from the upper, organic-rich soil horizon. PLS-PM models for DOM quality only explained ~13% of the total variance, highlighting the complex dynamics between environmental drivers and stream water DOM. Relative to commonly used multivariate statistic modeling (e.g., redundancy analysis (RDA)), PLS-PM models offer the advantages of identifying the primary pathway by which agricultural lands alter freshwater DOM and quantifying the relative importance of interactive effects of agriculture and hydroclimatic drivers. Therefore, structural equation modeling is a powerful tool that should be more widely adopted to distinguish among multiple drivers and mechanisms regulating freshwater biogeochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Chen
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa 35487, AL, USA
| | - YingXun Du
- Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Parnab Das
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa 35487, AL, USA
| | - Alexander F Lamore
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa 35487, AL, USA; Geosyntec Consultants, 19321 U.S. Highway 19 North Building C Suite 200, Clearwater, FL 33764, USA
| | - Natasha T Dimova
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa 35487, AL, USA
| | - Mark Elliott
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa 35487, AL, USA
| | - Eben North Broadbent
- Spatial Ecology and Conservation (SPEC) Lab, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Jesse Alan Roebuck
- Southeast Environmental Research Center and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA; Department of Earth Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Rudolf Jaffé
- Southeast Environmental Research Center and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - YueHan Lu
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa 35487, AL, USA.
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19
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Karr JR, Larson ER, Chu EW. Ecological integrity is both real and valuable. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric R. Larson
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois Urbana Illinois USA
| | - Ellen W. Chu
- Ecologist and Editor Port Townsend Washington USA
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20
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Discharge and Temperature Controls of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) in a Forested Coastal Plain Stream. WATER 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/w13202919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Streams in the southeastern United States Coastal Plains serve as an essential source of energy and nutrients for important estuarine ecosystems, and dissolved organic matter (DOM) exported from these streams can have profound impacts on the biogeochemical and ecological functions of fluvial networks. Here, we examined hydrological and temperature controls of DOM during low-flow periods from a forested stream located within the Coastal Plain physiographic region of Alabama, USA. We analyzed DOM via combining dissolved organic carbon (DOC) analysis, fluorescence excitation–emission matrix combined with parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC), and microbial degradation experiments. Four fluorescence components were identified: terrestrial humic-like DOM, microbial humic-like DOM, tyrosine-like DOM, and tryptophan-like DOM. Humic-like DOM accounted for ~70% of total fluorescence, and biodegradation experiments showed that it was less bioreactive than protein-like DOM that accounted for ~30% of total fluorescence. This observation indicates fluorescent DOM (FDOM) was controlled primarily by soil inputs and not substantially influenced by instream production and processing, suggesting that the bulk of FDOM in these streams is transported to downstream environments with limited in situ modification. Linear regression and redundancy analysis models identified that the seasonal variations in DOM were dictated primarily by hydrology and temperature. Overall, high discharge and shallow flow paths led to the enrichment of less-degraded DOM with higher percentages of microbial humic-like and tyrosine-like compounds, whereas high temperatures favored the accumulation of high-aromaticity, high-molecular-weight, terrestrial, humic-like compounds in stream water. The flux of DOC and four fluorescence components was driven primarily by water discharge. Thus, the instantaneous exports of both refractory humic-like DOM and reactive protein-like DOM were higher in wetter seasons (winter and spring). As high temperatures and severe precipitation are projected to become more prominent in the southeastern U.S. due to climate change, our findings have important implications for future changes in the amount, source, and composition of DOM in Coastal Plain streams and the associated impacts on downstream carbon and nutrient supplies and water quality.
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21
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Guardian MGE, He P, Bermudez A, Duan S, Kaushal SS, Rosenfeldt E, Aga DS. Optimized suspect screening approach for a comprehensive assessment of the impact of best management practices in reducing micropollutants transport in the Potomac River watershed. WATER RESEARCH X 2021; 11:100088. [PMID: 33598649 PMCID: PMC7868815 DOI: 10.1016/j.wroa.2021.100088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The vast number of chemicals potentially reaching aquatic environment pose a challenge in maintaining the quality of water resources. However, best management practices to improve water quality are typically focused on reducing nutrient transport without assessing how these practices may impact the occurrence of micropollutants. The potential for co-management of nutrients and organic micropollutants exists, but few studies have comprehensively evaluated the suite of contaminants associated with different water quality management practices (riparian zone restoration, stormwater management, etc.). Furthermore, most studies dealing with the determination of micropollutants in environmental samples include only a limited number of target analytes, leaving many contaminants undetected. To address this limitation, there has been a gradual shift in environmental monitoring from using target analysis to either suspect screening analysis (SSA) or non-targeted analysis (NTA), which relies on accurate mass measurements, mass spectral fragmentation patterns, and retention time information obtained using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry. The work presented in this paper focuses on a wide-scope detection of micropollutants in surface water samples from the Potomac River watershed (United States). An in-house database composed of 1039 compounds based on experimental analysis of primary standards was established, and SSA workflow was optimized and applied to determine the presence of micropollutants in surface water. A total of 103 micropollutants were detected in the samples, some of which are contaminants that were not previously monitored and belong to various classes such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances and other persistent industrial chemicals. The impact of best management practices being implemented for nitrogen and phosphorus reductions were also assessed for their potential to reduce micropollutant transport. This work illustrates the advantages of suspect screening methods to determine a large number of micropollutants in environmental samples and reveals the potential to co-manage a diverse array of micropollutants based on shared transport and transformation mechanisms in watersheds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Grace E. Guardian
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Ping He
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Alysson Bermudez
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Shuiwang Duan
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20740, USA
| | - Sujay S. Kaushal
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20740, USA
| | | | - Diana S. Aga
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York (SUNY), Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
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22
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Galella JG, Kaushal SS, Wood KL, Reimer JE, Mayer PM. Sensors track mobilization of 'chemical cocktails' in streams impacted by road salts in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS : ERL [WEB SITE] 2021; 16:035017-35017. [PMID: 34017359 PMCID: PMC8128710 DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/abe48f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Increasing trends in base cations, pH, and salinity of freshwaters have been documented in U.S. streams over 50 years. These patterns, collectively known as Freshwater Salinization Syndrome (FSS), are driven by multiple processes, including applications of road salt and human-accelerated weathering of impervious surfaces, reductions in acid rain, and other anthropogenic legacies of change. FSS mobilizes chemical cocktails of distinct elemental mixtures via ion exchange, and other biogeochemical processes. We analyzed impacts of FSS on streamwater chemistry across five urban watersheds in the Baltimore-Washington, USA metropolitan region. Through combined grab-sampling and high-frequency monitoring by USGS sensors, regression relationships were developed among specific conductance and major ion and trace metal concentrations. These linear relationships were statistically significant in most of the urban streams (e.g., R2 = 0.62 and 0.43 for Mn and Cu, respectively), and showed that specific conductance could be used as a proxy to predict concentrations of major ions and trace metals. Major ions and trace metals analyzed via linear regression and principal component analysis (PCA) showed co-mobilization (i.e., correlations among combinations of specific conductance, Mn, Cu, Sr2+, and all base cations during certain times of year and hydrologic conditions). Co-mobilization of metals and base cations was strongest during peak snow events but could continue over 24 hours after specific conductance peaked, suggesting ongoing cation exchange in soils and stream sediments. Mn and Cu concentrations predicted from specific conductance as a proxy indicated acceptable goodness of fit for predicted vs. observed values (Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency > 0.28). Metals concentrations remained elevated for days after specific conductance decreased following snowstorms, suggesting lag times and continued mobilization after road salt use. High-frequency sensor monitoring and proxies associated with FSS may help better predict contaminant pulses and contaminant exceedances in response to salinization and impacts on aquatic life, infrastructure, and drinking water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph G Galella
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center University of Maryland College Park, MD 20140
| | - Sujay S Kaushal
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center University of Maryland College Park, MD 20140
| | - Kelsey L Wood
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center University of Maryland College Park, MD 20140
| | - Jenna E Reimer
- Department of Geology & Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center University of Maryland College Park, MD 20140
| | - Paul M Mayer
- US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment Corvallis, OR 97333
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23
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Croghan D, Khamis K, Bradley C, Van Loon AF, Sadler J, Hannah DM. Combining in-situ fluorometry and distributed rainfall data provides new insights into natural organic matter transport dynamics in an urban river. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 755:142731. [PMID: 33097245 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization alters the quality and quantity of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) fluxes to rivers potentially leading to water quality problems and impaired ecosystem function. Traditional synoptic and point sampling approaches are generally inadequate for monitoring DOM source dynamics. To identify links between spatial heterogeneity in precipitation and DOM dynamics, we used a unique approach combining high spatial and temporal resolution precipitation datasets featuring point, catchment, and land-cover weighted precipitation to characterise catchment transport dynamics. These datasets were linked to fluorescence records from an urban stream (Bourn Brook, Birmingham, UK). Humic-like fluorescence (HLF: Ex. 365 nm, Em. 490 nm) and Tryptophan-like fluorescence (TLF: Ex. 285 nm, Em. 340 nm) were measured, (plus river flow and turbidity) at 5 min intervals for 10 weeks during Autumn 2017. The relationship between discharge (Q) and concentration (C) for TLF and HLF were strongly chemodynamic at low Q (<Q50) but TLF was chemostatic when Q exceeded this threshold. Figure of eight hysteresis was the most common response type for both HLF and TLF, indicating that DOM sources shift within and between events. Key drivers of DOM dynamics were identified using regression analysis and model outputs using point, catchment-averaged, and land-use weighted precipitation were compared. Antecedent rainfall was identified as the most important predictor (negative relationship) of TLF and HLF change suggesting DOM source exhaustion. Precipitation weighted by land cover showed that urbanization metrics were linked to increased TLF:HLF ratios and changes in hysteresis index. This study presents a novel approach of using land-cover weighted rainfall to enhance mechanistic understanding of DOM controls and sources. In contrast, catchment-average rainfall data have the potential to yield stronger understanding of TLF dynamics. This technique could be integrated with existing high resolution in-situ datasets to enhance our understanding of DOM dynamics in urban rivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danny Croghan
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, University of Oulu, Oulu, FI-90014, Finland.
| | - Kieran Khamis
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Chris Bradley
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Anne F Van Loon
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Institute for Environmental Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jon Sadler
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - David M Hannah
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
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24
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Gold AC, Thompson SP, Magel CL, Piehler MF. Urbanization alters coastal plain stream carbon export and dissolved oxygen dynamics. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 747:141132. [PMID: 32777493 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Coastal plain streams in the southeastern United States supply carbon that supports important coastal ecosystems, but the effects of urbanization on carbon export from these streams have not been extensively studied. This study aimed to determine how urbanization changes coastal plain stream organic matter quality, rates of carbon export, and dissolved oxygen dynamics that have implications for stream ecosystem function. Organic matter quality, organic carbon export, and dissolved oxygen concentrations were measured for multiple years (2009 & 2013-2015) in North Carolina coastal plain streams that spanned a gradient of urbanization. Based on spectral characteristics, dissolved organic matter (DOM) quality appeared to shift from characteristic blackwater in minimally impacted streams to clear streamwater in urban streams due to large reductions in chromophoric DOM concentrations, aromaticity, and molecular weight. Differences in spectral indices and characteristics of dissolved organic carbon export suggest that urbanization reduced natural sources of DOM and provided various urban sources of DOM that were likely more bioavailable. Particulate organic matter in the urban streams was indicative of more labile autochthonous sources than that of the less impacted streams, and rates of particulate carbon export increased and shifted to higher flows with watershed impervious surface cover. Diel variation of dissolved oxygen increased with watershed impervious surface cover, indicating that urbanization and associated changes in carbon and nutrient cycling altered stream function. While the effects of urbanization on carbon export were similar to previous studies in other regions, the unique blackwater state of natural streams and receiving waters in the study area make them especially susceptible to negative ecological impacts from altered carbon and nutrient export. Management actions that conserve or restore natural carbon sources to the stream may help mitigate multiple negative effects of urbanization in southeastern US coastal plain streams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam C Gold
- UNC Institute of Marine Sciences, 3431 Arendell St., Morehead City, NC 28557, United States; UNC Environment, Ecology, and Energy Program, 3202 Murray/Venable Hall, CB#3275, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, United States.
| | - Suzanne P Thompson
- UNC Institute of Marine Sciences, 3431 Arendell St., Morehead City, NC 28557, United States
| | - Caitlin L Magel
- OSU Department of Integrative Biology, 3029 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States
| | - Michael F Piehler
- UNC Institute of Marine Sciences, 3431 Arendell St., Morehead City, NC 28557, United States; UNC Environment, Ecology, and Energy Program, 3202 Murray/Venable Hall, CB#3275, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, United States; UNC Institute for the Environment, 100 Europa Dr., Suite 490, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, United States
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25
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Developing Sensor Proxies for “Chemical Cocktails” of Trace Metals in Urban Streams. WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12102864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Understanding transport mechanisms and temporal patterns in the context of metal concentrations in urban streams is important for developing best management practices and restoration strategies to improve water quality. In some cases, in-situ sensors can be used to estimate unknown concentrations of trace metals or to interpolate between sampling events. Continuous sensor data from the United States Geological Survey were analyzed to determine statistically significant relationships between lead, copper, zinc, cadmium, and mercury with turbidity, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and discharge for the Hickey Run, Watts Branch, and Rock Creek watersheds in the Washington, D.C. region. We observed a significant negative linear relationship between concentrations of Cu and dissolved oxygen at Rock Creek (p < 0.05). Sometimes, turbidity had significant positive linear relationships with Pb and Hg concentrations. There were negative or positive linear relationships between Pb, Cd, Zn, and Hg and specific conductance. There also appeared to be relationships between watershed areal fluxes of Pb, Cu, Zn, and Cd in streams with turbidity. Watershed monitoring approaches using continuous sensor data have the potential to characterize the frequency, magnitude, and composition of pulses in concentrations and loads of trace metals, which could improve the management and restoration of urban streams.
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26
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Sarkis N, Geffard O, Souchon Y, Chandesris A, Férréol M, Valette L, Alric B, François A, Piffady J, Chaumot A, Villeneuve B. How to quantify the links between bioavailable contamination in watercourses and pressures of anthropogenic land cover, contamination sources and hydromorphology at multiple scales? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 735:139492. [PMID: 32492570 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Active biomonitoring permits the quantification of biological exposure to chemicals through measurements of bioavailable concentrations in biota and biological markers of toxicity in organisms. It enables respective comparison of the levels of contamination between sites and sampling campaigns. Caged gammarids are recently proposed as relevant probes for measuring bioavailable contamination in freshwater systems. The purpose of the present study was to develop a multi-pressure and multiscale approach, considering metallic contamination levels (from data based on active biomonitoring) as a response to pressures (combination of individual stressors). These pressures were anthropogenic land cover, industry density, wastewater treatment plant density, pressures on stream hydromorphological functioning, riverside vegetation and bioavailability factors. A dataset combining active biomonitoring and potentially related pressures was established at the French national scale, with 196 samplings from 2009 to 2016. The links between pressures and metallic contamination were defined and modelled via structural equation modeling (more specifically partial least squares - path modeling). The model enabled the understanding of the respective influences of pressures on metallic bioconcentration in caged sentinel organisms. Beyond validating the local influence of industries and wastewater treatment plants on metallic contamination, this model showed a complementary effect of driving forces of anthropogenic land cover (leading to human activities). It also quantified a significant influence of pressures on stream hydromorphological functioning, presence of vegetation and physico-chemical parameters on metal bioconcentration. This hierarchical multi-pressure approach could serve as a concept on how pressures and contamination (assessed by active biomonitoring) can be connected. Its future application will enable better understanding of environmental pressures leading to contamination in freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noëlle Sarkis
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, EcoFlowS, F-69625 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Olivier Geffard
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, Laboratoire d'écotoxicologie, F-69625 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Yves Souchon
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, EcoFlowS, F-69625 Villeurbanne, France
| | | | | | | | - Benjamin Alric
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, Laboratoire d'écotoxicologie, F-69625 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Adeline François
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, Laboratoire d'écotoxicologie, F-69625 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jérémy Piffady
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, EcoFlowS, F-69625 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Arnaud Chaumot
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, Laboratoire d'écotoxicologie, F-69625 Villeurbanne, France
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27
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Macêdo AKS, Santos KPED, Brighenti LS, Windmöller CC, Barbosa FAR, Ribeiro RIMDA, Santos HBD, Thomé RG. Histological and molecular changes in gill and liver of fish (Astyanax lacustris Lütken, 1875) exposed to water from the Doce basin after the rupture of a mining tailings dam in Mariana, MG, Brazil. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 735:139505. [PMID: 32480153 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The effects of the rupture of a mining tailings dam were investigated using the gills and liver of Astyanax lacustris as a proxy for environmental quality. The fish were exposed for seven days to water sampled forming four groups: upstream of the dam rupture (P1), and 22 km (P2); 48 km (P3); and 70 km (P4) downstream from the dam rupture in the Doce River basin. The control group received dechlorinated tap water. The dissolved concentrations of metals were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). We evaluated the histology of the gills and liver, as well as, immunohistochemistry for HSP70 and Na+/K+ ATPase (NKA) in the gills, and for P-gp in liver. In all sites we observed a mix of metals, with higher concentrations of Mn, Cd, As, and Cu/Cr in P1, P2, P3, and P4, respectively. All treatments groups showed histological changes in gills and liver, with the highest amount of these alterations found in the P2 group. Disorganization of the secondary lamellae, epithelial lifting, and mitochondria-rich cells (MRC) were observed in the gills. The parenchyma of the liver was rather disorganized, and hepatocytes and nuclei showed hypertrophy, vacuolization and cytoplasmic degeneration. A higher immunoreaction of HSP70 in P2 when compared with the other groups and lower labeling of HSP70 in the P4 was registered. In P2 and P3, NKA-positive cells were observed with hypertrophy and disorganization. Morphometric analyses of the liver revealed that all treatment groups presented a lower immunolabeling of P-gp when compared with the control group. Thus, the experimental approach revealed that the water from Doce basin can promote histological alterations in fish's liver and gills, as well as modulation of disruption of ionic balance, cellular responses to stress, and cell detoxification pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anderson Kelvin Saraiva Macêdo
- Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei, Campus Centro Oeste, Rua Sebastião Gonçalves Coelho, 400, 35501-296 Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Keiza Priscila Enes Dos Santos
- Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei, Campus Centro Oeste, Rua Sebastião Gonçalves Coelho, 400, 35501-296 Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ludmila Silva Brighenti
- Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Unidade Divinópolis, Av. Paraná, 3001, 35501-170 Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Instituto de Ciências Biológicas ICB, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Cláudia Carvalhinho Windmöller
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Departamento de Química, ICEX, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Francisco Antônio Rodrigues Barbosa
- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Instituto de Ciências Biológicas ICB, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Hélio Batista Dos Santos
- Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei, Campus Centro Oeste, Rua Sebastião Gonçalves Coelho, 400, 35501-296 Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ralph Gruppi Thomé
- Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei, Campus Centro Oeste, Rua Sebastião Gonçalves Coelho, 400, 35501-296 Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Regier PJ, González-Pinzón R, Van Horn DJ, Reale JK, Nichols J, Khandewal A. Water quality impacts of urban and non-urban arid-land runoff on the Rio Grande. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 729:138443. [PMID: 32498151 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Urban surface runoff from storms impacts the water quality dynamics of downstream ecosystems. While these effects are well-documented in mesic regions, they are not well constrained for arid watersheds, which sustain longer dry periods, receive intense but short-lived storms, and where stormwater drainage networks are generally isolated from sewage systems. We used a network of high-frequency in situ water quality sensors located along the Middle Rio Grande to determine surface runoff origins during storms and track rapid changes in physical, chemical, and biological components of water quality. Specific conductivity (SpCond) patterns were a reliable indicator of source, distinguishing between runoff events originating primarily in urban (SpCond sags) or non-urban (SpCond spikes) catchments. Urban events were characterized by high fluorescent dissolved organic matter (fDOM), low dissolved oxygen (including short-lived hypoxia <2 mg/L), smaller increases in turbidity and varied pH response. In contrast, non-urban events showed large turbidity spikes, smaller dissolved oxygen sags, and consistent pH sags. Principal component analysis distinguished urban and non-urban events by dividing physical and biogeochemical water quality parameters, and modeling of DO along the same reach demonstrated consistently higher oxygen demand for an urban event compared to a non-urban event. Based on our analysis, urban runoff poses more potential ecological harm, while non-urban runoff poses a larger problem for drinking water treatment. The comparison of our results to other reports of urban stormwater quality suggest that water quality responses to storm events in urban landscapes are consistent across a range of regional climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Regier
- Department of Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
| | - Ricardo González-Pinzón
- Department of Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - David J Van Horn
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque 87131, USA
| | - Justin K Reale
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque District, Albuquerque 87109, USA
| | - Justin Nichols
- Department of Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Aashish Khandewal
- Department of Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
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29
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Kaushal SS, Wood KL, Galella JG, Gion AM, Haq S, Goodling PJ, Haviland KA, Reimer JE, Morel CJ, Wessel B, Nguyen W, Hollingsworth JW, Mei K, Leal J, Widmer J, Sharif R, Mayer PM, Johnson TAN, Newcomb KD, Smith E, Belt KT. Making 'Chemical Cocktails' - Evolution of Urban Geochemical Processes across the Periodic Table of Elements. APPLIED GEOCHEMISTRY : JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GEOCHEMISTRY AND COSMOCHEMISTRY 2020; 119:1-104632. [PMID: 33746355 PMCID: PMC7970522 DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2020.104632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization contributes to the formation of novel elemental combinations and signatures in terrestrial and aquatic watersheds, also known as 'chemical cocktails.' The composition of chemical cocktails evolves across space and time due to: (1) elevated concentrations from anthropogenic sources, (2) accelerated weathering and corrosion of the built environment, (3) increased drainage density and intensification of urban water conveyance systems, and (4) enhanced rates of geochemical transformations due to changes in temperature, ionic strength, pH, and redox potentials. Characterizing chemical cocktails and underlying geochemical processes is necessary for: (1) tracking pollution sources using complex chemical mixtures instead of individual elements or compounds; (2) developing new strategies for co-managing groups of contaminants; (3) identifying proxies for predicting transport of chemical mixtures using continuous sensor data; and (4) determining whether interactive effects of chemical cocktails produce ecosystem-scale impacts greater than the sum of individual chemical stressors. First, we discuss some unique urban geochemical processes which form chemical cocktails, such as urban soil formation, human-accelerated weathering, urban acidification-alkalinization, and freshwater salinization syndrome. Second, we review and synthesize global patterns in concentrations of major ions, carbon and nutrients, and trace elements in urban streams across different world regions and make comparisons with reference conditions. In addition to our global analysis, we highlight examples from some watersheds in the Baltimore-Washington DC region, which show increased transport of major ions, trace metals, and nutrients across streams draining a well-defined land-use gradient. Urbanization increased the concentrations of multiple major and trace elements in streams draining human-dominated watersheds compared to reference conditions. Chemical cocktails of major and trace elements were formed over diurnal cycles coinciding with changes in streamflow, dissolved oxygen, pH, and other variables measured by high-frequency sensors. Some chemical cocktails of major and trace elements were also significantly related to specific conductance (p<0.05), which can be measured by sensors. Concentrations of major and trace elements increased, peaked, or decreased longitudinally along streams as watershed urbanization increased, which is consistent with distinct shifts in chemical mixtures upstream and downstream of other major cities in the world. Our global analysis of urban streams shows that concentrations of multiple elements along the Periodic Table significantly increase when compared with reference conditions. Furthermore, similar biogeochemical patterns and processes can be grouped among distinct mixtures of elements of major ions, dissolved organic matter, nutrients, and trace elements as chemical cocktails. Chemical cocktails form in urban waters over diurnal cycles, decades, and throughout drainage basins. We conclude our global review and synthesis by proposing strategies for monitoring and managing chemical cocktails using source control, ecosystem restoration, and green infrastructure. We discuss future research directions applying the watershed chemical cocktail approach to diagnose and manage environmental problems. Ultimately, a chemical cocktail approach targeting sources, transport, and transformations of different and distinct elemental combinations is necessary to more holistically monitor and manage the emerging impacts of chemical mixtures in the world's fresh waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujay S Kaushal
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
| | - Kelsey L Wood
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
| | - Joseph G Galella
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
| | - Austin M Gion
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
| | - Shahan Haq
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
| | - Phillip J Goodling
- MD-DE-DC US Geological Survey Water Science Center, 5522 Research Park Drive, Catonsville, Maryland 21228, USA
| | | | - Jenna E Reimer
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
| | - Carol J Morel
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
| | - Barret Wessel
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
| | - William Nguyen
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
| | - John W Hollingsworth
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
| | - Kevin Mei
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
| | - Julian Leal
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
| | - Jacob Widmer
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
| | - Rahat Sharif
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
| | - Paul M Mayer
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Western Ecology Division, 200 SW 35 Street, Corvallis, Oregon 97333, USA
| | - Tamara A Newcomer Johnson
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Watershed and Ecosystem Characterization Division, 26 W. Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268, USA
| | | | - Evan Smith
- Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20740, USA
| | - Kenneth T Belt
- Department of Geography and Environmental Systems, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, Maryland 21250
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30
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Effects of Mixtures of Engineered Nanoparticles and Metallic Pollutants on Aquatic Organisms. ENVIRONMENTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/environments7040027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
In aquatic environment, engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) are present as complex mixtures with other pollutants, such as trace metals, which could result in synergism, additivity or antagonism of their combined effects. Despite the fact that the toxicity and environmental risk of the ENPs have received extensive attention in the recent years, the interactions of ENPs with other pollutants and the consequent effects on aquatic organisms represent an important challenge in (nano)ecotoxicology. The present review provides an overview of the state-of-the-art and critically discusses the existing knowledge on combined effects of mixtures of ENPs and metallic pollutants on aquatic organisms. The specific emphasis is on the adsorption of metallic pollutants on metal-containing ENPs, transformation and bioavailability of ENPs and metallic pollutants in mixtures. Antagonistic, additive and synergistic effects observed in aquatic organisms co-exposed to ENPs and metallic pollutants are discussed in the case of “particle-proof” and “particle-ingestive” organisms. This knowledge is important in developing efficient strategies for sound environmental impact assessment of mixture exposure in complex environments.
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31
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Addy K, Gold AJ, Welsh MK, August PV, Stolt MH, Arango CP, Groffman PM. Connectivity and Nitrate Uptake Potential of Intermittent Streams in the Northeast USA. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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