Heavy Metals in Bottom Sediment in the Upper and Lower Volga

Heavy metal concentrations in bottom sediment in some reaches of the Upper (the Ivankovo Reservoir) and Lower Volga (from Volgograd to the mouth offshore area). The bottom sediment in the Ivankovo Reservoir are shown to be heavily polluted by Cu and Zn and to a lesser extent, by Co and Ni; heavy pollution with Ni and Cr and moderate pollution with Zn and Mn were recorded in the Lower Volga. Principal component procedure was used to assess bottom sediment pollution. The role of organic matter in the formation of the Ivankovo Reservoir bottom sediment pollution with heavy metals is shown to be moderate because of the weak correlation between heavy metal concentration and organic matter content of bottom sediment. The same is true for the Lower Volga because of low organic matter content of bottom sediment. The major role in the redox cycle of elements is shown to belong to Fe in the Ivankovo Reservoir and Mn in the Lower Volga.     

Epiphyton Geochemistry in the Ivankovo Reservoir

Epiphyton chemistry was studied in the Ivankovo Reservoir; a large number of micro- and macroelements (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nd, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sc, Sr, Ti, V, Y, Yb, Zn, W) were determined with the use of up-to-date analytical methods. Comparative characteristics of the geochemistry of macrophyte epiphyton of different ecological groups is given for the Ivankovo Reservoir. The potential of epiphyton as a biogeochemical indicator of anthropogenic impact on the water body is examined.     

Long-Term Dynamics of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Concentrations in Subsoil Water in Ivankovo Reservoir Drainage Basin

Water Resources - The article presents the results of summer dry-season areal surveys of subsoil water chemistry in the drainage basin of the Ivankovo Reservoir in the Volga segment from Tver City...     

SOIL FINGERPRINTING IN THE PALOUSE BASIN, USA USING STABLE CARBON AND NITROGEN ISOTOPES

1 INTRODUCTION Watershed restoration efforts have been accelerated in recent years by mandates in the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and increasing pressure from environmental groups (Wagner and Roberts, 1998). To address these mandates, water-quality management plans and Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) have been developed for surface waters, such as streams placed on the 303(d) list because of beneficial use impairment. Commonly, much of the degradation of surface…     

Regional Retrospective Analysis of Water and Bottom Sediments in the Upper Volga

Water Resources - The dynamics of water quality in the Upper Volga was analyzed in the segment from the source to the Ivankovo Reservoir. It was found that the increase in anthropogenic stress in...     

Spatial and temporal variations of nutrient concentration in the groundwater of a floodplain: effect of hydrology,vegetation and substrate

Spatio‐temporal variations in nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in groundwater were analysed and related to the variations in hydrological conditions, vegetation type and substrate in an alluvial ecosystem. This study was conducted in the Illwald forest in the Rhine Plain (eastern France) to assess the removal of nutrients from groundwater in a regularly flooded area. We compared both forest and meadow ecosystems on clayey‐silty soils with an anoxic horizon (pseudogley) at 1·5–2 m depth (eutric gley soil) and a forest ecosystem on a clayey‐silty fluviosoil rich in organic matter with a gley at 0·5 m depth (calcaric gley soil). Piezometers were used to measure the nutrient concentrations in the groundwater at 2 m depth in the root layer and at 4·5 m depth, below the root layer. Lower concentrations of nitrate and phosphate in groundwater were observed under forest than under meadow, which could be explained by more efficient plant uptake by woody species than herbaceous plants. Thus NO₃‐N inputs by river floods were reduced by 73% in the shallow groundwater of the forested ecosystem, and only by 37% in the meadow. Compared with the superficial groundwater layer, the lowest level of nitrate nitrogen (NO₃‐N) and the highest level of ammonium nitrogen (NH₄‐N) were measured in the deep layer (under the gley horizon at 2·5 m depth), which suggests that the reducing potential of the anoxic horizon in the gley soils contributes to the reduction of nitrate. Nitrate concentrations were higher in the groundwater of the parcel rich in organic matter than in the one poorer in organic matter. Phosphate (PO₄‐P) concentrations in both shallow and deep groundwater are less than 62 to 76% of those found in surface water which can be related to the retention capacity of the clay colloids of these soils. Moreover, the temporal variations in nutrient concentrations in groundwater are directly related to variations in groundwater level during an annual hydrological cycle. Our results suggest that variations in groundwater level regulate spatio‐temporal variations in nutrient concentrations in groundwater as a result of the oxidation–reduction status of soil, which creates favourable or unfavourable conditions for nutrient bioavailability. The hydrological variations are much more important than those concerning substrate and type of vegetation. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ecological-geochemical assessment of the state of the Volga source of water supply to Moscow

Long-term observational data (1992?C2009) on heavy metal (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Ni, V, Mo, Co, Fe, and Mn) content of different links in the Ivankovo Reservoir ecosystem are used to consider the regularities in the distribution and behavior of heavy metals in the system anthropogenic pollution sources-reservoir and its drainage area, thus enabling the assessment of the pollution level of the Volga Source of water supply to Moscow.     

Land cover controls on depression‐focused recharge on the Oak Ridges Moraine,southern Ontario,Canada

The Oak Ridges Moraine (ORM) is a key hydrogeologic feature in southern Ontario. Previous research has emphasized the importance of depression‐focused recharge (DFR) for the timing and location of water recharge to the ORM's aquifers. However, the significance of DFR has not been empirically demonstrated, and the ORM's permeable surficial deposits imply that rainfall and snowmelt will largely recharge vertically rather than move laterally to topographic depressions. The exception may be during winter and spring, when concrete soil frost limits infiltration and encourages overland flow. The potential for DFR was examined for closed depressions under forest and agricultural land covers with similar soils and surficial geology. Air temperatures, precipitation, snow depth and water equivalent, soil water contents, soil freezing, and depression surface‐water levels were monitored during the winter and spring of 2012–2013 and 2013–2014. Recharge (R) was estimated at the crest and base of each depression using a 1‐dimensional water balance approach and surface‐applied Br^? tracing. Both forest and agricultural land covers experienced soil freezing; however, forest soils did not develop concrete frost. Conversely, agricultural fields saw concrete frost, overland flow, episodic ponding, and subsequent drainage of rain‐on‐snow and snowmelt inputs in open depressions. Recharge at the base of open depressions exceeded that in surrounding areas by an order of magnitude, suggesting that DFR is a significant hydrologic process during winter and spring under agricultural land cover on the ORM. Closed topographic depressions under agricultural land cover on the ORM crest may serve as critical recharge “hot spots” during winter and spring, and the ability of the unsaturated zone beneath these depressions to modify the chemistry of recharging water deserves further attention.     

Hydrocarbon gases (C1–C5) and organic matter in bottom sediments of the Ivankovo Reservoir on the Volga River

The results of studying the composition of hydrocarbon gases (C₁–C₅) and organic matter in bottom sediments of the Ivankovo Reservoir in 1995, 2004, and 2005 are given. The methods used in the study include vapor-phase gas chromatography, instrumental pyrolysis gas chromatography, and mass-spectrometry for determining organic carbon δ ¹³C_org. The gas field of bottom sediments in different regions of the reservoir varies widely in terms of gas saturation and the spectrum of hydrocarbon gases. This suggests the heterogeneous composition of organic matter in the sediments and different conditions of its input and transformation processes. The gases were found to contain saturated hydrocarbons from methane to pentane C₁–C₅, including isomers i-C₄ and i-C₅ and unsaturated compounds C₂–C₄. A correlation was found to exist between methane distribution and the distribution of its more high-molecular homologues, which confirms their genetic relationship in bottom sediments. The obtained results show an increase in the rate of microbiological processes and organic matter transformation for most regions in the Ivankovo Reservoir. The only exceptions are the zones of Moshkovichskii Bay and the sections at Gorodnya and Konakovo, where technogenic organic matter is being accumulated. The high information value of hydrocarbon gases as biogeochemical markers of the sources of organic matter and the rates of its transformation is demonstrated. The isotopic composition of organic-matter carbon in the bottom sediments of the Ivankovo Reservoir δ ¹³C varies from ?26.21 to ?30.86‰.     

Hazardous Heavy Metal Distribution in Dahuofang Catchment,Fushun, Liaoning,an Important Industry City in China: A Case Study

Located in Liaoning Province, one of the traditional heavy industrial areas in China, Dahuofang Reservoir provides drinking water for nearly 30 000 000 citizens, as well as industrial and agricultural water for dozens of several cities and rural areas. The distribution of hazardous heavy metals is described in several types of soil, crops, and in different industrial or mining areas and main sewage irrigation areas. Five possible reasons that may cause the pollution are analyzed and listed. Also we provide some pragmatic suggestions for the remediation of heavy metals in contaminated soils.     

Plant pigments as indicators of water transformation in the upper Volga Chain of reservoirs

Results of studying spatial and temporal variability in plant pigments in the Volga River water from the upper sections of the Ivankovo Reservoir downstream to the Rybinsk Reservoir Main Reach, as well as the applicability of different groups of indices of the absolute and relative concentration of pigments (chlorophylls, phaeo-pigments, and carotenoids) are presented. To differentiate water masses, these pigments have been assessed using the standard spectrophotometric method. It has been found that waters of individual river sections, singled out according to their hydrological features, and waters of different reservoirs on the whole can be reliably distinguished according to the concentration of pigments in the plant suspension.     

Aggregate stability and colluviation in the Luxembourg ardennes; an experimental and micromorphological study

To obtain a better understanding of the colluvial deposits in two catchments in the Luxembourg Ardennes, structural aggregates from forest and farmland soils were subjected to the impact of falling water drops. The changes that the aggregates underwent and the material eroded from them were studied in thin section. Predictably, forest aggregates were more resistant to water-drop impacts than those from farmland. Farmland aggregates tended to slake upon wetting and to break down into many micro-aggregates having a size-frequency distribution similar to that of the micro-aggregates in the undisturbed soil. The forest aggregates were eroded slowly under water-drop impact, losing material from their surfaces or occasionally shearing into several smaller equally resistant aggregates. The size-frequency distributions of the break-down products differed from the micro-aggregates in the untreated aggregates or original forest soil, probably because of bonding by organic material. The differing composition of the aggregates points to the importance of oriented clay and planes for the lack of stability of the farmland aggregates. It can be concluded that agricultural colluvium is probably largely deposited by processes other than splash and that splash is an important process, but not the only one, in the formation of colluvium under forest.     

Adapting a model of heat and mass exchange between a water body and the atmosphere taking into account the effect of shallows: Case study of the Ivankovo Reservoir

The paper is based on a box model of heat and mass exchange with the incorporation of a block for calculating latent heat flux, supplemented by parameterization of heat and mass exchange between shallow water area and the atmosphere. The results of calculation of evaporation from the water area of the Ivankovo Reservoir, with allowance made for more intense evaporation from shallows, are given. The latent heat fluxes from shallow and deep-water zones of the water body are shown to differ, depending on weather conditions and water level; the increase in the evaporated-water volume due to taking into account the shallow-water effect is evaluated.     

Plant Pigments in the Ivankovo Reservoir Silts as Indicators of Destruction Processes

The trophic state of the Ivankovo Reservoir is evaluated based on the characteristics of phytoplankton development and silt accumulation. Data on the space and time distribution of plant pigments in silt deposits are examined. Correlation between plant pigments and the main characteristics of silts are established. The ratio of chlorophyll content of the normal annual layer of sediment accumulation to the annual primary production of phytoplankton is calculated. The bedding of gray clayey silts onto gray sandy silts is shown to correlate with an increase in pigment concentrations in the top sediment horizons.     

Soil organic carbon storage and soil CO_2 flux in the alpine meadow ecosystem

High-resolution sampling,measurements of organic carbon contents and 14C signatures of selected four soil profiles in the Haibei Station situated on the northeast Tibetan Plateau,and application of 14C tracing technology were conducted in an attempt to investigate the turnover times of soil organic car-bon and the soil-CO2 flux in the alpine meadow ecosystem. The results show that the organic carbon stored in the soils varies from 22.12×104 kg C hm-2 to 30.75×104 kg C hm-2 in the alpine meadow eco-systems,with an average of 26.86×104 kg C hm-2. Turnover times of organic carbon pools increase with depth from 45 a to 73 a in the surface soil horizon to hundreds of years or millennia or even longer at the deep soil horizons in the alpine meadow ecosystems. The soil-CO2 flux ranges from 103.24 g C m-2 a-1 to 254.93 gC m-2 a-1,with an average of 191.23 g C m-2 a-1. The CO2 efflux produced from microbial decomposition of organic matter varies from 73.3 g C m-2 a-1 to 181 g C m-2 a-1. More than 30% of total soil organic carbon resides in the active carbon pool and 72.8%―81.23% of total CO2 emitted from or-ganic matter decomposition results from the topsoil horizon (from 0 cm to 10 cm) for the Kobresia meadow. Responding to global warming,the storage,volume of flow and fate of the soil organic carbon in the alpine meadow ecosystem of the Tibetan Plateau will be changed,which needs further research.     

三峡库区丰都-忠县段消落带不同高程土壤镉及其形态的分布特征

镉(Cd)是目前三峡库区消落带主要的污染物之一,其迁移和形态转化直接威胁水环境安全.选择库区丰都-忠县段消落带,按照高程差异分别于不同土地利用类型(农田、林地、果园和村庄)下采集土壤样品,利用化学连续提取法测定Cd的形态组成,探讨影响消落带土壤中Cd及其形态空间分布的关键因素.结果表明,消落带土壤中Cd的平均含量为0.65 mg/kg,可交换态及碳酸盐结合态是土壤中Cd的主要形态,占比达到41.21%,残渣态和铁锰氧化物结合态次之,有机物及硫化物结合态占比最低.不同土地利用类型下消落带土壤Cd的含量整体上不存在显著性差异,表明当地人类活动对土壤Cd的直接贡献较弱.消落带土壤Cd及其形态的含量与高程呈显著负相关,且在160～165 m区域发生明显转变,水位变化导致的泥沙沉积可能是控制消落带Cd空间分布的主要因素.此外,土壤理化性质,尤其是细颗粒泥沙对Cd及其形态分布具有明显影响,将来需重点关注泥沙理化属性对Cd迁移及形态转化的影响.     

Geoenvironmental problems of recreational use of the Ivankovo Reservoir

Methodical principles of recreational studies of reservoirs are discussed. The impact of main types of recreational water use on water quality is revealed using the Ivankovo Reservoir as an example.Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 1, 2005, pp. 115–122.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Lantsova, Grigoreva, Tikhomirov.     

CO2 efflux from different forest soils and impact factors in Dinghu Mountain, China

CO2 fluxes from soils and related environmental factors were measured in three forest ecosystems of Dinghu Mountain using static chamber-gas chromatograph technique for one year. The seasonal pattern of CO2 flux, contribution of litter on total CO2 flux and the correlations of CO2 flux with soil temperature and soil water content were examined for each type of forest. The results were given as followings: (1) The seasonal patterns of CO2 flux from soil of the three types of forest were similar, with a higher CO2 flux in rainy season than in dry season. The comparative relations of mean annual CO2 fluxes between the three sites were expressed as:monsoon forest ＞ mixed forest ＞ pine forest. (2) CO2 fluxes from litter decomposition in monsoon forest, mixed forest and pine forest accounted for 24.43%, 41.75% and 29.23% of the corresponding total CO2 fluxes from forest floor, respectively. (3) Significant relationships were found between CO2 fluxes and soil temperatures at 5 cm depth for the three types of forest, which could be best described by exponential equations. The calculated Q10 values based on soil temperature at 5 cm depth ranged from 1.86 to 3.24. More significant relationships were found between CO2 fluxes and soil water content when the annual variation coefficients of soil moisture were higher.     

The impact of agricultural land use on stream chemistry and inputs to an inland reservoir: case of the Sauce Grande River,Argentina

Abstract

Water quality in the Paso Piedras Reservoir has deteriorated, primarily due to periodic blue-green algal blooms, making it temporarily unfit for human consumption. This phenomenon results from the eutrophication of waters of the watershed, and nutrients are considered to be the primary contributors to degradation of freshwater quality. In order to reduce the levels of nitrogen and, most of all, phosphorus, entering the Paso Piedras Reservoir, it is necessary to understand the incidence of diffuse transfers of nutrients from agricultural soils. The nitrogen composition, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and other physico-chemical parameters of the water were analysed in various different parts of the watershed in order to characterize water input to the reservoir from areas with different anthropogenic activity. The upper Sauce Grande basin was divided into three areas with different edaphic characteristics. The physico-chemical parameters measured in sampling surveys included: SRP, ammonium and nitrate, pH, conductivity, turbidity, and total solids. The results showed that the water of the Sauce Grande (areas 1 and 2) was not strongly contaminated, but in El Divisorio (Area 3, which is a sub-watershed whose stream flows directly into the Paso Piedras Reservoir), the levels of conductivity, total suspended sediments and SRP were so high that its contribution to the reservoir accounts for nearly 50% of the total SRP input. The main characteristics of El Divisorio watershed that make it a diffuse source of SRP were not only that its soils, under agricultural-livestock production, have significant slopes, so that water and wind erosion are faster, but also that human intervention had caused the destruction of aggregates. The results showed the influence of the soil characteristics, production systems and the micro-environment developed in the reservoir on the characteristics of waters flowing out of the reservoir. The two villages located in Area 2 had no significant influence on the concentration of nitrogen compounds and SRP found downstream.