International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

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Environmental Behavior, Effects, and Attenuation of Contaminants in Natural Waters

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Dear Colleagues,

Contaminated natural waters represent a complex ecosystem that contains various substances, including carbon, nitrate, phosphorus, heavy metals, organic pollutants, etc. Contaminants released into rivers or lakes can interact with these substances and thus influence their transportation, transformation, and geochemical cycling. This Special Issue seeks research papers on various aspects of “Environmental Behavior, Effects, and Attenuation of Contaminants in Natural Waters”. We especially encourage the submission of interdisciplinary work and multicountry collaborative research. We also encourage the submission of environment policy or water-policy-related manuscripts that focus on issues related to the behavior, effects, and attenuation of contaminants in natural waters. We welcome original research papers using different study designs, as well as systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Prof. Dr. Huacheng Xu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

dissolved and colloidal organic/inorganic matters in natural waters
distribution and environmental behavior of organic/inorganic contaminants
environmental/ecological toxicity of aquatic contaminants
attenuation process and technology for aquatic contaminants

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21 pages, 3967 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A 22-Site Comparison of Land-Use Practices, E-coli and Enterococci Concentrations

by Jason A. Hubbart, Elliott Kellner and Fritz Petersen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(21), 13907; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192113907 - 26 Oct 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1502

Abstract

Land-use practices can greatly impact water quality. Escherichia (E.) coli and Enterococcus are accepted water quality indicators. However, surprisingly little research has been conducted comparing both organisms’ population density relationships to land use practices and water quality. Stream water grab samples were collected monthly (n = 9 months) from 22 stream monitoring sites draining varying land use practice types in a representative mixed-land-use watershed of the northeastern United States. E. coli and enterococci colony forming units (CFU per 100 mL) were estimated (n = 396) and statistically analyzed relative to land use practices, hydroclimate, and pH, using a suite of methods, including correlation analysis, Principal Components Analysis (PCA), and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). Correlation analyses indicated significant (p < 0.05) relationships between fecal indicator bacteria concentrations, water quality metrics and land use practices but emphasized significant (p < 0.05) negative correlations between pH and instream enterococci concentrations. PCA and CCA results indicated consistent spatial differences between fecal indicator bacteria concentrations, pH, and land use/land cover characteristics. The study showed that pH could be considered an integrated proxy variable for past (legacy) and present land use practice influences. Results also bring to question the comparability of E-coli and enterococci relative to dominant land use practices and variations in pH and provide useful information that will help guide land use practice and water pollutant mitigation decision making. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Behavior, Effects, and Attenuation of Contaminants in Natural Waters)

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40 pages, 2519 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Possibility of Metal Accumulation in Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) in the Aquatic Environment of South-Western Polish Rivers

by Magdalena Senze, Monika Kowalska-Góralska, Katarzyna Czyż and Anna Wondołowska-Grabowska

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 7779; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137779 - 24 Jun 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1262

Abstract

A four-year research study was conducted on aquatic plants (reed canary grass) growing in the beds of three rivers and their tributaries in Lower Silesia, Poland. Metal contents (Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb, Zn, Fe, Mn) were determined in plant samples, metal accumulation in water (BCF_w) and sediment (BCF_B), Metal Pollution Index (MPI) and Enrichment Factor (EF) were calculated. The highest contents of copper, lead, nickel and cadmium were found in reed canary grass sampled from the Nysa Szalona River. The highest values were recorded for zinc in the Bystrzyca River, and for iron and manganese in the Strzegomka River. The series of metals were as follows: Nysa Szalona and Strzegomka: Cd < Ni < Pb < Cu < Zn < Mn < Fe, Bystrzyca: Cd < Ni < Cu < Pb < Zn < Mn < Fe. Throughout the study period, the lowest values of metals in plants were recorded in 2015 and 2018, and the highest in 2017. The general picture of MPI in aquatic plants is arranged in the series Bystrzyca < Strzegomka < Nysa Szalona. These values classify the studied material at a high level of pollution in all rivers. In the comparison of the two extreme sites, i.e., source–mouth, higher values were found at the mouth of the reservoir, which suggests that metals move with the water current and accumulate more with the direction of the river flow, which is most likely a consequence of the influence of the catchment area as the source of metals. The series of EF enrichment factor values were as follows: Bystrzyca—Ni < Cd < Fe < Cu < Zn < Mn < Pb, Nysa Szalona—Ni < Fe < Zn < Cd < Mn < Cu < Pb, Strzegomka—Ni < Cd < Fe < Zn < Cu < Pb < Mn. For all the samples studied, the values found in spring were much higher than in autumn, which indicates the great importance for research in that area. The levels of copper and iron were within the range of moderate values, lead and manganese reached very high and exceptionally high values, and the remaining metals were within the values described as significant. Bioaccumulation of metals determined relative to bottom sediments was highest in 2017 and lowest in 2018, while bioaccumulation relative to water was highest in 2018 and lowest in 2016. The four-year study found that the metal content in reed canary grass was mostly within the range of mean values presented in the literature from moderately polluted areas. Also, no significant deviation was found from levels that have been recorded for the same rivers for more than two decades. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Behavior, Effects, and Attenuation of Contaminants in Natural Waters)

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