Developing water quality standards for coastal dolphins

The EU Habitats Directive requires Member States to consider the potential impact of sewage discharges on protected wildlife populations, but efforts to reduce these threats are constrained by the lack of appropriate water quality guidelines for wildlife. In Scotland, recommendations for higher discharge standards in areas frequented by bottlenose dolphins have been criticised on the basis of scientific uncertainty. This Viewpoint article outlines the background to this issue, and discusses whether the scientific frameworks used for assessing water quality standards for human bathers can realistically be used to develop water quality standards for coastal dolphins. Importantly, it highlights that widely accepted EU standards for human bathers are based on extremely limited scientific data, and argues that unrealistic demands for empirical data from wildlife populations should not prevent more precautionary measures being introduced to reduce disease risks to these species.     

Evaluating Oregon's beach sites for application to United States Environmental Protection Agency's BEACH Act criteria

With the passage of the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act in 2000, coastal states were mandated to assess and sample coastal recreational waters for bacterial ambient water quality parameters. The assessment of beach sites required the application of federal guidelines and a tiered approach to delineating the beaches. Eighty-seven beach sites in Oregon were evaluated and ranked by use, available information, pollution threats, sanitary survey and monitoring data results, exposure considerations, and economic/development factors. This ranking resulted in 19 high priority beaches (tier 1), five medium priority beaches (tier 2), 23 low priority beaches, and 40 beaches with a rank of none in Oregon.     

Luminex detection of fecal indicators in river samples, marine recreational water, and beach sand

Research to understand and remediate coastal pollution is moving toward a multitiered approach in which traditional enumeration of fecal indicators is accompanied by molecular analysis of a variety of targets. Technology that rapidly detects multiple microbial contaminants would benefit from such an approach. The Luminex 100 system is a suspension array that assays multiple analytes rapidly in a single well of a microtiter plate. The ability of the system to simultaneously detect multiple fecal indicating bacteria in environmental samples was tested. Primer/probe sets were designed to simultaneously detect the following fecal indicators: the Bacteroides fragilis group, Enterococcus spp., Escherichia coli and Shigella spp., Bacteroides distasonis, and Ent. faecalis. Specificity and sensitivity of the Luminex probes was tested against laboratory cultures. In addition, sequencing, culture plate testing, and specificity testing with environmental isolates were steps taken to validate the function of the assay with environmental samples. Luminex response to cultures and to environmental samples was consistent with sequencing results, suggesting that the technology has the potential to simultaneously detect multiple targets for coastal water quality applications, particularly as progress is made to efficiently extract DNA from water and sediment matrices.     

基于改善水质的浅水湖泊引调水模式的评价指标

以浅水湖泊引清调水的目的为基础,结合生态水力学要求,兼考虑经济性因子,尝试性地建立了浅水湖泊调水方案评价指标体系.评价指标包括湖泊水质改善效果指标、水力条件指标和经济效益指标.以玄武湖调水模式为例,采用二维水质水量模型对玄武湖不同的引水规模、引水方式、引水口和出水口流量分配的引调水方案进行模拟计算,统计出各个评价指标的结果,综合分析评价出相对最优的引调水方案.该评价方法可推广到其它类似的浅水湖泊引清调水模式的评价中.     

Development of drinking water resources in coastal areas of estonia

For a sustainable development of Estonia's coastal region it is necessary to achieve a balanced proportion between purified surface water and deep groundwater for public drinking water supplies. Special attention should be directed to problems of sea water encroachment into coastal aquifer systems. Only close co-operation between surface water specialists, hydrogeologists, and socio-economists will be able to solve this sophisticated task.     

Indicators of microbial beach water quality: Preliminary findings from Teluk Kemang beach,Port Dickson (Malaysia)

This study aims to determine the concentrations of total coliforms and Escherichia coli (E. coli) in beach water, Teluk Kemang beach. This study was also aimed to determine relationship between total coliforms, E. coli and physicochemical parameters. As perceived health symptoms among beach visitors are rarely incorporated in beach water studies, this element was also assessed in this study. A total of eight water sampling points were selected randomly along Teluk Kemang beach. Total coliforms concentrations were found between 20 and 1940 cfu/100 ml. E. coli concentrations were between 0 and 90 cfu/100 ml. Significant correlations were found between total coliforms and E. coli with pH, temperature and oxidation reduction potential. Skin and eyes symptoms were the highest reported though in small numbers. Microbiological water quality in Teluk Kemang public beach was generally safe for recreational activities except sampling location near with sewage outfall.     

Assessing surface water quality of the Yangtze Estuary with genotoxicity data

The present study investigated the genotoxicity of the surface water samples from the Yangtze Estuary with the Ames test in three seasons. Several important chemical parameters, such as COD inorganic nitrogen, active phosphate and heavy metals, were also analyzed at the same time. According the results, surface water samples from the south branch and a few of samples at the seaward end of the Yangtze Estuary show positive genotoxicity in some seasons. Chemical analysis revealed that the Yangtze Estuary was seriously polluted by inorganic nitrogen and by active phosphate. However, chemical parameters could not demonstrate the spatial variation of water quality of the estuary, and they could not assess adverse effects of chemicals in mixtures as well. Therefore, it is recommended that genotoxicity data, mutation rate of the Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98 at the dose of 1 l per plate, be taken as a new parameter assessing surface water quality of the Yangtze Estuary. Our studies also suggested that genetic toxicology assays, such as the Ames test, could be applied as a routine measure to monitoring marine environment in China. The paper proposes a development of the National Seawater Quality Standard of China.     

Bathing water quality monitoring of Varna Black Sea coastal zone,Bulgaria

Physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of the bathing waters in Varna’s Black Sea coastal area were investigated during year 2007 at 23 monitoring stations. Most of the determined physicochemical parameters—pH, mineral oils, surface active substances, phenols, dissolved oxygen, nutrients and microbiological parameters—“Total coliforms”, “Faecal coliforms”, “Faecal streptococci” were in compliance with the guidline’ limits and exhibited good water quality. Ammonium and phosphate’s pollution above the limits was determined at the South beach, Officers beach and Central beach situated in Varna’s central bathing zone. For the period of 13.08 to 24.10.2007—70% of the South beach samples analyzed for NH₄⁺ exceeded the limits 60 times and the concentrations of PO₄³⁻ exceeded the limits 17.5 times. Some deviations from the guidline’ limits regarding the microbiology were exhibited at the same beaches. A conclusion is made that the area of study is not yet seriously threatened, in spite of the rapid recreation during the last years.     

Microbial water quality of the Georgian coastal zone of the Black Sea

From 2006 to 2008, microbial water quality was monitored along the Georgian coast of the Black Sea. Temperature, pH, salinity, and dissolved oxygen were measured, along with a variety of aquatic microbial parameters, including heterotrophic plate count (HPC), total culturable bacterial count (TCBC), and chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentration. Total and fecal coliforms and total enterococci counts were recorded as indicators of fecal pollution. Vibrio bacteria, and Escherichia coli- and Vibrio-specific bacteriophages were isolated and enumerated to determine their relationships to standard marine pollution indicators.Persistent microbial pollution was observed, particularly in the summer months, with a higher rate of contamination in estuaries. Microbial indicators generally showed seasonal dependence, suggesting that temperature may influence bacterial dynamics in this environment. No correlation was apparent between fecal pollution indicators and physical-chemical and aquatic microbial parameters, although there were significant relationships amongst the indicators themselves, as well as with the prevalence of Vibrio bacteria and phage.     

Managing coastal bathing water quality: the contribution of microbiology and epidemiology

The EU Bathing Water Directive with a life of 25 years (EEC, 1976) has contributed significantly to the improvement of the quality of coastal recreational waters throughout Europe and has successfully protected public health. Improvement of the standards of living and general public demands has made it necessary to consider updating it (EU, 1994) introducing important changes in microbiological parameters. Measurement of microbial pollution is of primary importance to this new proposal, as is to the regulatory schemes introduced by the very recent 'Annapolis Protocol' (WHO/US EPA, 1999). This report discusses the microbiological aspects of the health-related management of bathing seawater in the context of the scientific information available from epidemiological and microbiological studies.     

Assessing the quality of water of the Araks basin rivers in Armenia

This article deals with the quality of water of tributaries of transboundary River Araks. The performed river water research was underpinned by monthly monitoring data for 2004–2007. As a result of the research, a general characteristic of water quality by basic quality indices and the contents of common ions were given. The impact sources and water quality formation-determining factors were indicated. Geochemical series of heavy metals streams were made up and studied, and dominating elements indicated. As a result of statistical data analysis, correlation dependence between concentrations of a different parameters was indicated.     

Assessing water quality in Marine Protected Areas from Southern California, USA

Despite the regulatory mandate to maintain “natural water quality”, there are ?271 storm drain discharges that potentially threaten the 14 designated marine water quality protected areas in Southern California called Areas of Special Biological Significance (ASBS). After sampling 35 site-events, the geomean concentrations of total suspended solids, nutrients, total and dissolved trace metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the ocean following storm events were similar between reference drainages and ASBS discharge sites. Concentrations of chlorinated hydrocarbons were nondetectable and no post-storm sample exhibited significant toxicity to the endemic purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) near ASBS discharge sites. A reference-based threshold was developed and, despite the similarities in average concentrations, there were some individual ASBS discharge sites that were greater than reference background. Cumulatively across all ASBS, the constituents that were most frequently greater than the reference-based threshold were nutrients and general constituents, followed by dissolved and total trace metals.     

山东日照地区沿海海啸探析

从概念上区分风暴潮和地震海啸,讨论风暴潮和地震海啸的形成、分布;通过对中国大陆沿海地震海啸和大陆架情况的分析,认为山东日照地区沿海既不具备形成地震海啸的条件,也不可能受非本地地震海啸的影响。日照沿海遭受的海洋灾害主要是风暴潮。     

Setting new thermal standards for transitional and coastal (TraC) waters

The construction of a new generation of coastal power stations in the UK and other western European countries has highlighted the absence of robust standards for thermal discharges to transitional and coastal waters. The proposed discharge volumes are greater than hitherto, yet there has been little independent critical examination of their potential impact, whilst much of the existing guidance has been adapted from freshwater practice. This review considers the available knowledge on the tolerance and behaviour of fish and other marine biota to heated effluents. Appropriate ways are suggested of grouping fish species to reflect their sensitivity to thermal effects. The plethora of existing standards are considered and their validity assessed in a framework of predicted seawater temperature rise. Those species or groups of organisms most likely to be affected are identified and finally specific recommendations for thermal standards consistent with long term sustainability are proposed.     

A hybrid near-field/far-field thermal discharge model for coastal areas

A hybrid technique has been used to simulate the dispersion of heat from surface discharges in coastal areas. Characteristics of the near field thermal dispersion are described by the CORMIX3 model. A two-dimensional harmonic finite element hydrodynamic model (TEA) and a Eulerian–Lagrangian transport model (ELA) are applied for the far-field computation. A Gaussian puff algorithm in ELA, which represents the near field plume as a series of patches, is used to link the two regimes. The computed results are compared to available field measurements. Very reasonable agreement is observed.     

Analysis of water quality and circulation of four recreational Miami beaches through the use of Lagrangian Coherent Structures

Four popular, recreational beaches in Miami, FL are Hobie Beach, Virginia Key Beach, Crandon Park Beach, and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. While all of the beaches are within a few miles of each other in Biscayne Bay, they have greatly differing water qualities, as determined by the testing for fecal indicator bacteria performed by the Florida Department of Health. Using the geodesic theory of transport barriers, we identify Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs) in each area. We show how these material curves, which shape circulation and mixing patterns, can be used to explain the incongruous states of the water at beaches that should be comparable. The LCSs are computed using a hydrodynamic model and verified through field experimentation at each beach.     

A coastal three-dimensional water quality model of nitrogen in Jiaozhou Bay linking field experiments with modelling

With anthropogenic changes, the structure and quantity of nitrogen nutrients have changed in coastal ocean, which has dramatically influenced the water quality. Water quality modeling can contribute to the necessary scientific grounding of coastal management. In this paper, some of the dynamic functions and parameters of nitrogen were calibrated based on coastal field experiments covering the dynamic nitrogen processes in Jiaozhou Bay (JZB), including phytoplankton growth, respiration, and mortality; particulate nitrogen degradation; and dissolved organic nitrogen remineralization. The results of the field experiments and box model simulations showed good agreement (RSD = 20% ± 2% and SI = 0.77 ± 0.04). A three-dimensional water quality model of nitrogen (3DWQMN) in JZB was improved and the dynamic parameters were updated according to field experiments. The 3DWQMN was validated based on observed data from 2012 to 2013, with good agreement (RSD = 27 ± 4%, SI = 0.68 ± 0.06, and K = 0.48 ± 0.04), which testifies to the model's credibility.