Phytoplankton-based water quality metrics: feasibility of their use in a Neotropical shallow lake

2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (11) ◽  
pp. 1746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Frau ◽  
Gisela Mayora ◽  
Melina Devercelli
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Soluble Reactive Phosphorus ◽  
Quality Metrics ◽  
Ecological Quality ◽  
Quality Estimation ◽  
Cyanobacteria Blooms ◽  
Environmental Variations ◽  
Reactive Phosphorus ◽  
Q Index

Urban lakes constitute important recreational areas, but often they are eutrophicated. In this study we discuss the utility of 12 ecological quality metrics to test whether they: (1) can be applied to Neotropical lakes; (2) are sensitive to environmental variations throughout the year; and (3) are affected by heterogeneous spatial distribution of phytoplankton. Phytoplankton and environmental variables (including nutrients) were sampled monthly in an urban lake (four littoral and one limnetic station) throughout 1 year (n=60 samples). Twelve ecological quality metrics were tested using total phosphorus as a proxy of eutrophication through general lineal models. The best adjusted metrics were then transformed to an ecological quality ratio (EQR) to allow comparisons. The Phytoplankton Assemblage Index (Q-index) and the Cyanobacteria Bloom Index (CBI) were the most accurate. Differences in water quality estimation occurred across the year, with an overestimation of water quality in the absence of cyanobacteria blooms. There were no differences due to effects of the spatial distribution of phytoplankton. The Q-index was related to temperature and soluble reactive phosphorus, whereas the CBI was related to conductivity. We conclude that the Q-index is the most accurate metric for monitoring purposes, responding well to variations in phosphorus.

scholarly journals Impacts of drying and reflooding on water quality of a tropical semi-arid reservoir during an extended drought event

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jéssica Nayara de Carvalho Leite ◽  
Vanessa Becker
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Chlorophyll A ◽  
Total Phosphorus ◽  
Algal Biomass ◽  
Soluble Reactive Phosphorus ◽  
Drought Event ◽  
Reactive Phosphorus ◽  
Semi Arid

Abstract Aim The aim of this study was to analyze the water quality of a tropical, semi-arid reservoir after a reflooding. In terms of impact on water quality after a drought event, it is expected that there will be improvements with the reflooding. Less algal biomass, increased water transparency, decreased turbidity and low nutrient concentration. Methods This study was performed in a tropical, semi-arid man-made lake (Dourado Reservoir), during an extended drought period. This study consisted of a comparison of three distinct periods determined by water accumulation. The limnological variables, including water transparency, turbidity, electrical conductivity, pH, total phosphorus, soluble reactive phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a were analyzed. A principal component analysis (PCA) was also performed to verify the patterns of the variables in relation to the sample units in the studied periods. Results After water renewal, there was an expressive reduction in chlorophyll-a. Electrical conductivity, pH, and turbidity variables also reduced after the reflooding, indicating an improvement in water quality. There was no reduction in total phosphorus and soluble reactive phosphorus after the reflooding compared to the previous periods. Conclusions The significant reduction in algal biomass after reflooding in Dourado indicates water quality improvement in terms of eutrophication due to the change of the trophic state from eutrophic to mesotrophic.

scholarly journals Management Transition to the Great Lakes Nearshore: Insights from Hydrodynamic Modeling

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenfu Huang ◽  
Anika Kuczynski ◽  
Martin T. Auer ◽  
David M. O’Donnell ◽  
Pengfei Xue
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Soluble Reactive Phosphorus ◽  
Quality Standard ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Greater Toronto Area ◽  
Regulatory Guidelines ◽  
Reactive Phosphorus ◽  
Biogeochemical Transformations ◽  
Footprint Area

The emerging shift in Great Lakes management from offshore to nearshore waters will require attention to complexities of coastal hydrodynamics and biogeochemical transformations. Emphasizing hydrodynamics, this work resolves transport processes in quantifying discharge plume and pollutant of concern (POC) footprint dimensions, the latter being the portion of the plume where water quality standards are not met. A generic approach, isolated from pollutant-specific biokinetics, provides first-approximation estimates of the footprint area. A high-resolution, linked hydrodynamic-tracer model is applied at a site in the Greater Toronto Area on Lake Ontario. Model results agree with observed meteorological and hydrodynamic conditions and satisfactorily simulate plume dimensions. Footprints are examined in the context of guidelines for regulatory mixing zone size and attendant loss of beneficial use. We demonstrate that the ratio of the water quality standard to the POC concentration at discharge is a key determinant of footprint dimensions. Footprint size for traditional pollutants (ammonia, total phosphorus) meets regulatory guidelines; however, that for soluble reactive phosphorus, a presently unattended pollutant, is ~1–2 orders of magnitude larger. This suggests that it may be necessary to upgrade treatment technologies to maintain consistency with regulatory guidelines and mitigate manifestations of the eutrophication-related soluble reactive phosphorus POC.

scholarly journals Primary production and phosphorus modelling in LakeVegoritis, Greece

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Soultana K. Gianniou ◽  
Vassilis Z. Antonopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Primary Production ◽  
Model Simulation ◽  
Soluble Reactive Phosphorus ◽  
Quality Model ◽  
Lake Water Quality ◽  
Phytoplankton Primary Production ◽  
Reactive Phosphorus ◽  
Phosphorus Modelling

Primary production and phosphorus are two of the most important determinants of the water quality of lakes. Phytoplankton primary production and phosphorus cycling were modelled within a one-dimensional lake water quality model. The model was calibrated and applied to Lake Vegoritis in Greece for two different years (1981 and 1993) using daily meteorological variables and inflow rates as input data. Monthly profiles of temperature, chlorophyll-a, and oxygen concentration for these two years were used to calibrate the model. Simulation results indicate that the thermal regime of the lake strongly affects phosphorus profiles and that phytoplankton concentrations throughout the year are tightly correlated with soluble reactive phosphorus concentrations. The significant decrease in the depth and the volume of the lake from 1981 to 1993 resulted in important changes in phytoplankton and phosphorus concentrations. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to estimate the errors resulting from the uncertainty in the biochemical variables of the model and the limited data on phosphorus and phytoplankton.

scholarly journals Phytoplankton in relation to water quality of Tanguar Haor ecosystem, Bangladesh: I. Rauar station

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-138
Author(s):  
Mohammad Azmal Hossain Bhuiyan ◽  
SAM Shariar Islam ◽  
Abu Kowser ◽  
Md Rasikul Islam ◽  
Shahina Akter Kakoly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Secchi Depth ◽  
Soluble Reactive Phosphorus ◽  
Organic Pollution ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Water Quality Data ◽  
Chl A ◽  
Reactive Phosphorus

The water quality at Rauar station of Tanguar Haor, Sunamganj was assessed studying phytoplankton and associated environmental variables. The environmental variables were monitored over a period of one year, collecting samples at two months interval between March, 2017 and March, 2018. Air temperature, rainfall, and humidity ranged from 22.6 - 32.1°C, 48 - 76% and 8 - 930 mm, respectively. Air temperature showed a direct relationship with water temperature which varied from 22.4 - 31.0°C during the study period. The water transparency remained relatively constant throughout the year having a mean Secchi depth (Zs) value of 2.48 m. Total dissolved solids (TDS), conductivity, and pH of the water ranged from 51 - 85 mg/l, 60 - 110 μS/cm, and 7.2 - 9.7, respectively. In December, because of a temperature fall, the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration of the water reached its maximum value of 6.09 mg/l. In the rest of the period, the concentration remained between 2.44 and 4.80 mg/l. The value of alkalinity ranged from 0.43 - 1.35 meq/l. Among the nutrients, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), soluble reactive silicate (SRS), and NO3-N ranged from 5.43 - 36.43 μg/l, 4 - 14.58 mg/l, and 0.06 - 0.31 mg/l, respectively. The concentration of NH4+ ranged from 238 - 1230 μg/l. The highest concentrations (905 and 1230 μg/l) occurred between September and December, 2017. This might be attributed to the higher density of migratory birds during that period. The phytoplanktonic biomass expressed as chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) ranged from 1.35 - 8.45 μg/l while its degraded product phaeophytin concentration ranged from 0.08 - 3.5 μg/l. The standing crop of phytoplankton ranged from 397 - 2480 × 103 individuals/l of haor water exhibiting its maximum abundance in September. This parameter showed a highly significant positive correlation with SRP. From the correlation analysis, the degradation of chl-a to phaeophytin was found to be temperature dependent. Considering the different physicochemical and biological water quality data, it could be said that the Tanguar Haor is still free from organic pollution. However, the range of soluble reactive phosphorus data (5.43 - 36.43 μg/l) show that the Haor has been passing a meso-eutrophic state. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 28(2): 131-138, 2019 (July)

scholarly journals The Integrated Catchments model of Phosphorus dynamics (INCA-P), a new approach for multiple source assessment in heterogeneous river systems: model structure and equations

2002 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 583-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Wade ◽  
P. G. Whitehead ◽  
D. Butterfield
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Total Phosphorus ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soluble Reactive Phosphorus ◽  
Particulate Phosphorus ◽  
Model Structure ◽  
River Systems ◽  
Soil System ◽  
Phosphorus Dynamics ◽  
Reactive Phosphorus

Abstract. A new model has been developed for assessing the effects of multiple sources of phosphorus on the water quality and aquatic ecology in heterogeneous river systems. The Integrated Catchments model for Phosphorus (INCA-P) is a process-based, mass balance model that simulates the phosphorus dynamics in both the plant/soil system and the stream. The model simulates the spatial variations in phosphorus export from different land use types within a river system using a semi-distributed representation, thereby accounting for the impacts of different land management practices, such as organic and inorganic fertiliser and wastewater applications. The land phase of INCA-P includes a simplified representation of direct runoff, soilwater and groundwater flows, and the soil processes that involve phosphorus. In addition, the model includes a multi-reach in-stream component that routes water down the main river channel. It simulates Organic and Inorganic Phosphorus concentrations in the land phase, and Total Phosphorus (dissolved plus particulate phosphorus) concentrations in the in-stream phase. In-stream Soluble Reactive Phosphorus concentrations are determined from the Total Phosphorus concentrations and the macrophyte, epiphyte and algal biomasses are simulated also. This paper describes the model structure and equations, the limitations and the potential utility of the approach. Keywords: modelling, water quality, phosphorus, soluble reactive phosphorus, basin management

scholarly journals The role of alkalinity in setting water quality metrics: phosphorus standards in United Kingdom rivers

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 1361-1372
Author(s):  
Alan D. Tappin ◽  
Alba Navarro-Rodriguez ◽  
Sean D. W. Comber ◽  
Paul J. Worsfold
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
European Union ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Water Framework Directive ◽  
Reference Conditions ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Quality Metrics ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Reactive Phosphorus

UK implementation of the European Union Water Framework Directive (for the 2015–2021 cycle) Ecological Status (ES) classification for river phosphorus is based on the calculation of reference conditions for reactive phosphorus (RP) using river alkalinity measurements.

Water quality estimation in consideration of pollutant runoff and internal production in Lake Biwa, Japan

2007 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 167-175
Author(s):  
A. Ichiki ◽  
K. Nakakura ◽  
N. Sakata ◽  
A. Sasaki ◽  
Y. Tai
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Water Surface ◽  
Lake Biwa ◽  
Water Quality Management ◽  
Simulation System ◽  
Quality Estimation ◽  
Limiting Nutrients ◽  
Pollutant Runoff ◽  
Internal Production

Lake Biwa is the largest lake in Japan, and water quality in the lake is heterogeneous. Therefore, it is important for water quality management that spatial distribution of water quality in the lake should be clearly understood. The objectives of this study are to show a methodology and to develop a simulation system to calculate COD distribution in Lake Biwa taking internal COD production into consideration. This study also aims to examine transition of COD in the lake using the simulation system. In the simulation system, runoff loads of COD from the Lake Biwa basin are calculated by Macro Model for each tributary. The external COD concentration in 233 inshore meshes of the Lake Biwa water surface was calculated using the runoff loads. The internal COD was calculated using relationships among limiting nutrients, chlorophyll-a and COD. Then, the spatial distribution of water quality in Lake Biwa was calculated both for the external and internal COD by spline technique. Simulations using the system were implemented for 1986–1998, and a clear difference in characteristics between a drought year and a flood year was shown. In the result, it was shown that the simulation system developed here was available to calculate COD distribution in Lake Biwa, and that it had the possibility to explain the recent phenomenon of COD increase in the lake.

scholarly journals Effects of water quality on phytoplankton biomass in Balu river, Dhaka, Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-46
Author(s):  
MAH Bhuiyan ◽  
MR Islam ◽  
SA MS Islam ◽  
A Kowser ◽  
M Mohid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Water Temperature ◽  
Phytoplankton Biomass ◽  
Secchi Depth ◽  
Soluble Reactive Phosphorus ◽  
Co2 Concentration ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Total Density ◽  
Chl A ◽  
Reactive Phosphorus

The Balu River is a peripheral river of Dhaka Metropolis and like other rivers its water quality is also highly vulnerable towards pollution. In the present study, effects of water quality parameters on the phytoplankton biomass have been studied for six climatic seasons of the year. The results obtained were compared with two other rivers of Dhaka Metropolis namely, Buriganga and Turag. Balu River showed water quality characters almost comparable with two other rivers. The phytoplankton biomass as chlorophyll a (chl-a) was found to be correlated directly with air and water temperature and alkalinity of the water. However, a weak positive correlation was obtained between chl-a and Secchi depth and free CO2 concentration. Nitrate nitrogen showed weak negative correlation with chl-a and phaeopigment and phytoplankton total density. High fluctuation was observed in the concentration of DO (0.20 - 4.50 mg/l) and free CO2 (0.06 - 2.90 mg/l) throughout the seasons. Soluble reactive phosphorus ranged from 30 - 1248 μg/l and chl-a ranged from 6.77 - 32.60 μg/l. Phytoplankton density ranged 1178 - 7409×103 ind./l over the study year. Water color ranged from light blue to dark black. The depth of visibility as Secchi depth varied from 15.24 - 81.28 cm whilst the water depth of the studied station Paschim Gaon of Balu River ranged from 4.57 - 7.92 m. Air and water temperature ranged from 25.4 - 36.5°C and 23.4 - 32.3°C, respectively. J. Biodivers. Conserv. Bioresour. Manag. 2020, 6(1): 37-46

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