Quartz OSL dating of late Holocene beach ridges from the Magdalen Islands (Quebec,Canada)

Quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating has been applied to sandy beach ridge systems from the Magdalen Islands in the center of the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Quebec, Canada) to provide the first chronological framework for these features. Nineteen beach ridges (22 samples) from four different sites throughout the archipelago were investigated. At one of the sites, samples were taken at 9 m and 7.5 m depth using a vibracore. The quartz is dominated by the fast OSL component and a single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol was used to measure the equivalent doses; a low preheat (180°C/10 s) was chosen to avoid the influence of thermal transfer. The average dose recovery ratio of all samples is 1.02 ± 0.02 (n = 130) suggesting that the SAR protocol works satisfactorily on this material. The OSL ages are internally consistent and supported by independent age control (radiocarbon). The OSL ages indicate that the ridges were built between 2.6 ± 0.2 ka and 0.40 ± 0.10 ka, i.e. during a period of sea level rise. This rise eroded adjacent sandstone cliffs, which contributed a significant sediment supply to the littoral drift and beaches. Some low-lying coasts in the archipelago are still prograding, despite a relative sea level increase of ∼1.6 mm/a over the last 600 years. The late Holocene ages obtained in this study indicate that these processes have been active for at least the past two thousand years. This study demonstrates for the first time that OSL dating using quartz has great potential in this area, and is an appropriate method for establishing precise chronologies for coastal sediments in this region of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.     

Metal concentrations in sediments from tourist beaches of Miri City,Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo Island)

Forty-three sediment samples were collected from the beaches of Miri City, Sarawak, Malaysia to identify the enrichment of partially leached trace metals (PLTMs) from six different tourist beaches. The samples were analyzed for PLTMs Fe, Mn, Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sr and Zn. The concentration pattern suggest that the southern side of the study area is enriched with Fe (1821–6097 μg g⁻¹), Mn (11.57–90.22 μg g⁻¹), Cr (51.50–311 μg g⁻¹), Ni (18–51 μg g⁻¹), Pb (8.81–84.05 μg g⁻¹), Sr (25.95–140.49 μg g⁻¹) and Zn (12.46–35.04 μg g⁻¹). Compared to the eco-toxicological values, Cr > Effects range low (ERL), Lowest effect level (LEL), Severe effect level (SEL); Cu > Unpolluted sediments, ERL, LEL; Pb > Unpolluted sediments and Ni > ERL and LEL. Comparative results with other regions indicate that Co, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn are higher, indicating an external input rather than natural process.     

Prevalence and distribution of fecal indicator organisms in South Florida beach sand and preliminary assessment of health effects associated with beach sand exposure

Fecal indicator levels in nearshore waters of South Florida are routinely monitored to assess microbial contamination at recreational beaches. However, samples of sand from the surf zone and upper beach are not monitored which is surprising since sand may accumulate and harbor fecal-derived organisms. This study examined the prevalence of fecal indicator organisms in tidally-affected beach sand and in upper beach sand and compared these counts to levels in the water. Since indicator organisms were statistically elevated in sand relative to water, the study also considered the potential health risks associated with beach use and exposure to sand. Fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci, somatic coliphages, and F(+)-specific coliphages were enumerated from sand and water at three South Florida beaches (Ft. Lauderdale Beach, Hollywood Beach, and Hobie Beach) over a 2-year period. Bacteria were consistently more concentrated in 100g samples of beach sand (2-23 fold in wet sand and 30-460 fold in dry sand) compared to 100ml samples of water. Somatic coliphages were commonly recovered from both sand and water while F(+)-specific coliphages were less commonly detected. Seeding experiments revealed that a single specimen of gull feces significantly influenced enterococci levels in some 3.1m(2) of beach sand. Examination of beach sand on a micro-spatial scale demonstrated that the variation in enterococci density over short distances was considerable. Results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that the physical and chemical parameters monitored in this study could only minimally account for the variation observed in indicator densities. A pilot epidemiological study was conducted to examine whether the length of exposure to beach water and sand could be correlated with health risk. Logistic regression analysis results provided preliminary evidence that time spent in the wet sand and time spent in the water were associated with a dose-dependent increase in gastrointestinal illness.     

Metal concentrations in water and sediments from tourist beaches of Acapulco, Mexico

A survey on the metal concentrations (As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, V, Zn) in beach water and sediments is reported from the tourist destination of Acapulco city on the Pacific coast of Mexico. The concentration of dissolved trace metals (DTMs) in beach water and acid leachable trace metals (ALTMs) in sediments indicated that they are anthropogenic in nature due to the increased tourist activities in the crowded beach locations. The statistical analysis indicates Fe and Mn play a major role as metal scavengers in both the medium (water and sediment) and the higher value of other metals is site specific in the study area, indicating that they are transported from the local area. Comparison results suggest that the beach water quality has deteriorated more than the sediments and special care needs to be taken to restore the beach quality.     

Impacts of urbanisation on hydrological and water quality dynamics,and urban water management: a review

ABSTRACT

As urban space continues to expand to accommodate a growing global population, there remains a real need to quantify and qualify the impacts of urban space on natural processes. The expansion of global urban areas has resulted in marked alterations to natural processes, environmental quality and natural resource consumption. The urban landscape influences infiltration and evapotranspiration, complicating our capacity to quantify their dynamics across a heterogeneous landscape at contrasting scales. Impervious surfaces exacerbate runoff processes, whereas runoff from pervious areas remains uncertain owing to variable infiltration dynamics. Increasingly, the link between the natural hydrological cycle and engineered water cycle has been made, realising the contributions from leaky infrastructure to recharge and runoff rates. Urban landscapes are host to a suite of contaminants that impact on water quality, where novel contaminants continue to pose new challenges to monitoring and treatment regimes. This review seeks to assess the major advances and remaining challenges that remain within the growing field of urban hydrology.

Editor M.C. Acreman; Associate editor E. Rozos     

Seasonal and spatial variability of water quality parameters in the Port of Genoa, Italy, from 2000 to 2007

This paper presents the results of the statistical analysis of a set of physico-chemical and biological water quality parameters, monthly collected from 2000 to 2007 in the Genoa Harbour area (Ligurian Sea). We applied multivariate methods, such as principal component analysis (PCA) and dynamic factor analysis (DFA) for investigating the spatial and temporal variability and for providing important background information on pollution problems in the region. PCA evidenced the role of the sewage and river discharges and of the exchanges with the open sea in determining the harbour water quality. DFA was used to estimate underlying common trends in the time series. The DFA results partly show a general improvement of water quality over the 8-years period. However, in other areas, we found inter-annual variations but no significant multi-annual trend. Furthermore, we included meteorological variables in our statistical analyses because of their potential influence on the water quality parameters. These natural forcings explain part of the variability in water quality parameters that are superimposed on the dominating anthropogenic pollution factors.     

新疆艾比湖流域河湖水质变化(2005—2020年)

艾比湖流域是西北地区重要的生态屏障,维持着该地区乃至整个新疆北部的生态平衡.艾比湖流域水环境的好坏关系着当地经济和流域的可持续发展.然而,针对艾比湖流域长期水质变化、营养状况和健康风险的研究较少,故基于艾比湖流域2005-2020年12个断面长时间序列的监测数据,利用加拿大水质指数(Canadian water qua...     

太湖水体交换周期变化(1986-2018年)及对水质空间格局的影响

针对太湖水体交换周期近十余年发生的变化,本文收集整理了1986-2018年太湖水文巡测、汛期水文巡测数据以及太湖流域沿江城市引水量、流域降雨量变化数据,基于太湖出入湖水量的变化研究了太湖水体交换周期的变化及原因,并对交换周期变化对水质空间格局的影响进行分析.结果 表明:太湖入湖水量有显著上升,2007年以来平均每年入湖...     

Determining water requirements for Black Box (Eucalyptus largiflorens) floodplain woodlands of high conservation value using drip-irrigation

Black Box (Eucalyptus largiflorens F. Muell.), is a keystone tree species of lowland semi-arid floodplain ecosystems in south-eastern Australia. E. largiflorens woodlands are of high conservation value and threatened by climate change-induced drought and irrigation water diversions due to their location on upper floodplain areas where flood frequency has declined. Water requirements of E. largiflorens have not been well quantified using empirical data. Accordingly, knowledge gaps exist in relation to volumes of environmental water required to maintain and improve ecological condition for disconnected floodplain woodlands. To further assist conservation and water resource management, we tested the use of drip irrigation to provide a variety of water regimes to experimental plots in order to monitor tree responses. Water was provided via irrigation delivery across four regimes representing known volumes of water, referred to as an environmental water provision, applied over a 22-week period for two Austral summers. Benefits to trees were identified by measuring transpiration and plant water status using sap flow sensors and a Scholander pressure chamber, respectively. Results indicate that volumes of 0.3, 0.4, 0.7 and 0.8 ML increased transpiration and improved plant water status in comparison to a control, with delivery recommended to commence early autumn. Greater volumes (1.4 ML), substantially increased transpiration and improved water status, especially when delivered at a rate of ~25 mm week⁻¹ compared to a monthly 'burst' which broadly represented natural, sporadic summer rainfall in the region. For an environmental watering provision of 25 mm week⁻¹, ~178 ha of E. largiflorens woodland can be watered with a 1 GL environmental water allocation. The study methods presented are relevant worldwide and our results further the collective understanding of the benefits environmental water provides to E. largiflorens.     

1987—2022年新安江水库（千岛湖）水面面积时空变化及其与水位、蓄水量的响应关系

水面面积、水位、蓄水量是水库水资源管理的重要基础数据,遥感是湖库水体提取、水位和蓄水量估算的重要技术手段。由于不同水体提取方法的适用性差异、测高卫星数据的有限时间覆盖度和开源数据集的时空分辨率不足等原因,湖库水面面积、水位、蓄水量的长时序、高频率时空变化监测仍存在一定挑战。本研究以新安江水库为研究区,结合多源遥感、气象、水文和土地利用等数据,基于Google Earth Engine云平台,运用水体指数法,分析1987—2022年新安江水库水面面积时空变化特征,构建水位—水面面积、水位—蓄水量和水面面积—蓄水量响应关系,探究水面面积时空变化成因。结果表明:(1)Landsat 5、Landsat 8和哨兵2号数据的最佳水体提取指数分别为AWEI_sh和GNDWI,F1-score分别为91.93%、91.03%和93.14%。相比于开放数据集GSWED(32.61%)、JRC GSW(76.17%)和ReaLSAT(69.76%),基于最优水体指数的水体提取结果具有最高的F1-score(91.26%);(2)时间上,1987—2022年新安江水库水面面积呈显著上升...     

抚仙湖水质变化(1980-2011年)趋势与驱动力分析

水质恶化是湖泊系统生态健康的主要制约因素之一,科学地判别水质变化趋势是正确认识和解决水环境问题的首要步骤.基于抚仙湖1980-2011共32年湖体水质监测数据,采用Mann-Kendall和Daniel趋势检验法分析了高锰酸盐指数(COD_Mn)、总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)、透明度(SD)、叶绿素a(Chl.a)和浮游植物丰度等6项指标的年际变化趋势;从人类活动和自然环境变化2个角度,筛选出9项水质变化的驱动指标,建立了水质指标与驱动指标之间的灰色关联模型.研究结果表明:①统计的6项指标年际波动较大,其中TP、TN和浮游植物丰度的变异系数最大,达到0.6以上;②在α=0.05显著性水平上,COD_Mn、TN、SD、Chl.a和浮游植物丰度等5项指标均有恶化趋势,Mann-Kendall和Daniel趋势检验2种方法的检验结果一致;③驱动因子与水质指标之间有较强的相关水平,其中,人口数量和水温是主要驱动因子,与主要水质指标的灰色关联系数达到0.7以上的强相关水平.     

Restoration of the eutrophic Orbetello lagoon (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy): water quality management

The Orbetello lagoon (Tyrrhenian coast, Italy) receives treated urban and land based fishfarms wastewater. The development of severe eutrophication imposed the three main activity adoption focuses on (1) macroalgae harvesting; (2) pumping of water from the sea; (3) confining wastewater to phytotreatment ponds. The responses to these interventions were rapid and macroalgal reduction growth and seagrass return were recorded. Since 1999, a new macroalgal development was recorded. The aim of this research was to discover whether the recent macroalgal growth can be attributed to the continuing wastewater influx from the remaining persistent anthropic sources (PAS) or from the sediment nutrient release. A monitoring programme was carried out between August 1999 and July 2000 in order to measure dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus in the wastewaters entering into the lagoon and in central lagoon areas, seaweed and seagrass distribution and lagoon N, P annual budgets. The results showed higher N and P values close to PAS. The distribution of the macroalgal species confirms that the available P comes almost entirely from these remaining PAS. In conclusion, the environmental measures adopted produced a significant reduction in algal biomass development in the lagoon; the macroalgal harvesting activities produced a sediment disturbance with following oxidize conditions, which make P unavailable in the lagoon water, excepting close the PAS.     

南水北调中线水源区水质生态监测(2005年)

在生态调查基础上从微生物学、理化及叶绿素a指标等对南水北调中线水源区进行了生态监测．结果表明,水源区为寡污型水体,水体基本处于贫-中营养状态,水源区指标除TN为Ⅲ类水质外,其它监测指标均符合Ⅰ类水质标准．是理想的水源地．本研究为建立中线水源区长期生态研究数据信息库及库区生态环境保护政策制定提供科学依据．     

Historical analysis (2000-2005) of the coastal water quality in San Andrés Island, SeaFlower Biosphere Reserve, Caribbean Colombia

To understand the coastal water quality of San Andrès Island, and provide tools for the management of its marine resources, we present the historical analysis of the island monitoring, which includes ammonia, nitrites, nitrate, phosphates, fecal and total coliforms. The anthropogenic pressure on the coastal system is heavy, with water nutrification, posing at risk seagrass and coral ecosystems. During dry season, biologically available nitrogen is 3-9 times higher than the maximum recommended for coral reefs, while during wet season values are 2-6.4 times the maximum. Biologically available phosphorous is also high, 1-8 times the maximum during dry season, 2-13 times during wet season. In some sites the concentration of pathogenic bacteria is above the limits set by law for primary and secondary contact. It is urgent to improve the management of sewage discharge, the main polluting source of San Andres coastal waters.     

山东南四湖上级湖水质变化评价(2008-2014年)及成因分析

基于南四湖上级湖6个监测点2008-2014年42个奇数月份的水质资料,选取溶解氧、化学需氧量(COD)、高锰酸盐指数(COD_Mn)、五日生化需氧量(BOD₅)、氨氮、总磷和氟化物作为水质评价的指标.对水质指标的归一化方法进行了改进,采用主成分分析法对6个监测点的水质综合状况进行评价,根据得出的各月综合得分序列分析水质变化趋势.与2000-2007年南四湖上级湖的水质综合状况进行比较,2008-2014年水质明显变好.评价结果表明,同一监测点的水质在不同时间点上有明显变化,同一时间序列不同监测点的水质状况也有不同变化.此外,分析得出南四湖上级湖的主要水质影响指标为COD、COD_Mn和BOD₅.结合评价结果,分析水质变化原因,入湖河流水质状况和湖区底泥是其重要影响因素.     

贵阳市百花湖近10年(2009-2018年)的水质时空变化

百花湖是贵阳市重要的城市饮用水源地,并且近年来经常发生水质异常现象.本文利用2009-2018年百花湖长时间序列的监测数据,采用综合营养状态指数法和Pearson相关性分析,研究了百花湖10年间的水质变化特征和影响因素.结果表明：1）库区叶绿素a（Chl.a）、总磷（TP）、总氮（TN）、高锰酸盐指数（COD_Mn）和透明度（SD）的浓度范围分别是3.43~39.72 mg/m³、0.034~0.115 mg/L、1.200~2.759 mg/L、1.41~5.51 mg/L和0.75~2.07 m,且高氮磷比（12~63）表明百花湖是磷限制型.2）在空间上,TP、TN、氨氮、COD_Mn和Chl.a浓度沿水体流向逐渐降低,SD呈相反变化趋势.3）10年来,百花湖水质由Ⅳ类转变为Ⅲ类,综合营养状态由轻度富营养化状态转变为中营养状态,水质整体向好.4）入库支流是影响百花湖库区水质的主要因素,长期以来,东门桥河、南门河水质TP和TN等超标严重,给库区水质稳定达标带来威胁.5）百花湖Chl.a浓度与气温、水位、风速和TP等指标显著相关,是受水文、气象及营养盐因素的综合控制.未来在百花湖水环境保护治理过程中,应加大对东门桥河、南门河等重点支流的污染治理,加强对水动力学、气候变化等水文气象因素影响库区水质（藻类水华）的机制研究.     

Bedload transport in shallow water models: Why splitting (may) fail, how hyperbolicity (can) help

In this paper, we are concerned with sediment transport models consisting of a shallow water system coupled with the so called Exner equation to describe the evolution of the topography. We show that, for some bedload transport models like the well-known Meyer-Peter and Müller model, the system is hyperbolic and, thus, linearly stable, only under some constraint on the velocity. In practical situations, this condition is hopefully fulfilled. Numerical approximations of such system are often based on a splitting method, solving first shallow water equation on a time step and, updating afterwards the topography. It is shown that this strategy can create spurious/unphysical oscillations which are related to the study of hyperbolicity. Using an upper bound of the largest eigenvector may improve the results although the instabilities cannot be always avoided, e.g. in supercritical regions.     

Ecological water quality analysis of the Guayas river basin (Ecuador) based on macroinvertebrates indices

The Guayas river basin is one of the major watersheds in Ecuador, where increasing human activities are affecting water quality and related ecosystem services. The aims of this study were (1) to assess the ecological water quality based on macroinvertebrate indices and (2) to determine the major environmental variables affecting these macroinvertebrate indices. To do so, we performed an integrated water quality assessment at 120 locations within the river basin. Biological and physical–chemical data were collected to analyze the water quality. Two biotic indices were calculated to assess the water quality with an ecological approach: the Biological Monitoring Working Party Colombia (BMWP-Col) and the Neotropical Low-land Stream Multimetric Index (NLSMI). Both the BMWP-Col and NLSMI indicated good water quality at the (upstream) forested locations, lower water quality for sites situated at arable land and bad water quality at residential areas. Both indices gave relevant assessment outcomes and can be considered valuable for supporting the local water management. A correspondence analysis (CA) applied on both indices suggested that flow velocity, chlorophyll concentration, conductivity, land use, sludge layer and sediment type were the major environmental variables determining the ecological water quality. We also suggested that nutrient and pesticide measurements are important to study water quality in the area where intensive agriculture activities take place. The nutrient levels detected in agricultural areas were relatively low and illustrated that the types of crops and the current cultivation methods were not leading to eutrophication. The applied methods and results of this study can be used to support the future water management of the Guayas river basin and similar basins situated in the tropics.     

Integrating water management,habitat modelling and water quality at the basin scale and environmental flow assessment: case study of the Tormes River,Spain

Abstract

Multidisciplinary models are useful for integrating different disciplines when addressing water planning and management problems. We combine water resources management, water quality and habitat analysis tools that were developed with the decision support system AQUATOOL at the basin scale. The water management model solves the allocation problem through network flow optimization and considers the environmental flows in some river stretches. Once volumes and flows are estimated, the water quality model is applied. Furthermore, the flows are evaluated from an ecological perspective using time series of aquatic species habitat indicators. This approach was applied in the Tormes River Water System, where agricultural demands jeopardize the environmental needs of the river ecosystem. Additionally, water quality problems in the lower part of the river result from wastewater loading and agricultural pollution. Our methodological framework can be used to define water management rules that maintain water supply, aquatic ecosystem and legal standards of water quality. The integration of ecological and water management criteria in a software platform with objective criteria and heuristic optimization procedures allows realistic assessment and application of environmental flows to be made. Here, we improve the general methodological framework by assessing the hydrological alteration of selected environmental flow regime scenarios.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Guest editor M. Acreman

Citation Paredes-Arquiola, J., Solera, A., Martinez-Capel, F., Momblanch, A., and Andreu, J., 2014. Integrating water management, habitat modelling and water quality at the basin scale and environmental flow assessment: case study of the Tormes River, Spain. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59 (3–4), 878–889.     

High‐frequency precipitation and stream water quality time series from Plynlimon,Wales: an openly accessible data resource spanning the periodic table

This scientific briefing announces the availability of a new multi‐element high‐frequency water quality data set that is openly accessible to the research community. The data set comprises up to 2 years of 7‐hourly water quality data for two streams and one rainfall site in the Upper Severn catchment at Plynlimon in Mid‐Wales. The measurements cover 50 analytes ranging from H⁺ to U and spanning six orders of magnitude in concentration, including major, minor and trace elements as well as nutrients, and they complement decades of weekly measurements of the same analytes at the Upper Severn. Together, the weekly and 7‐hourly time series provide a unique data set for studying both long‐term trends and short‐term dynamics. The data show complex behaviour over a wide range of timescales, challenging our understanding of catchment processes and informing future modelling efforts. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.