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Water
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Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Rivers
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Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Rivers

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Quality and Contamination".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 8762

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Alla Khosrovyan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Tallinn, Estonia
Interests: water contamination; sedimnet contamination; plastics toxicity; ecotoxicology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is designed to serve as a collection of the latest work on the state of biodiversity and ecosystem services in rivers. We welcome all studies that address any aspect of biodiversity changes, from threats to drivers which have the potential to affect the ecosystem services of rivers and connected lakes and coastal areas. Innovative methods for the risk assessment of biodiversity changes and the evaluation of the outcomes of water and biodiversity resource management and ecosystem services recovery in river catchments are particularly welcome

Dr. Alla Khosrovyan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • aquatic ecosystem
  • water resource
  • biological resource
  • river basin
  • natural resource
  • hydrobionts
  • diversity
  • toxicity
  • oxidative stress

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2419 KiB  
Article
Experimental Validation of Suitability of a River for Natural Reproduction of Trout of Lake Sevan Using Egg Incubation
by Vardan Asatryan, Tigran Vardanyan, Nelli Barseghyan, Marine Dallakyan and Bardukh Gabrielyan
Water 2023, 15(22), 3993; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15223993 - 16 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1045
Abstract
The endangered endemic species Sevan trout (Salmo ischchan Kessler, 1877) is under the threat of extinction and its survival is dependent on restocking by smolts. Thus, there is an urgent need to find an effective solution for restocking wild populations. After developing [...] Read more.
The endangered endemic species Sevan trout (Salmo ischchan Kessler, 1877) is under the threat of extinction and its survival is dependent on restocking by smolts. Thus, there is an urgent need to find an effective solution for restocking wild populations. After developing a theoretical methodology to reveal the most suitable parts of spawning rivers for natural reproduction, we consider the incubation of eggs in the wild as an appropriate method for the validation of the results of the theoretical assessment. Thus, we estimate the eggs’ survival differences in the wild and microcosm conditions which found significant differences in the sac-fry emergence rate in the zones assessed as “partly suitable” and “unsuitable”. Also, the results show that the emergence of eggs in the wild was less than in the microcosm conditions and the success rate of emergence of eyed eggs in the wild was higher than that of the green eggs. The results of one-way ANOVA, correlation and general linear mixed model analyses have in general proven the theoretical assessment but raise some questions on the completeness of using a set of abiotic criteria as the range of success during different experiments varies significantly. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Rivers)
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14 pages, 1460 KiB  
Article
Towards a Cleaner Textile Industry: Using ASEC to Decrease the Water Footprint to Zero Liquid Discharge
by Estefanía Bonnail, Sebastián Vera, Julián Blasco and Tomás Ángel DelValls
Water 2023, 15(21), 3781; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15213781 - 29 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1455
Abstract
Textile manufacturing is the second most polluting industry. It involves a series of processes that require large amounts of water and generates highly polluting wastewater. Four liquid wastes collected at different steps from two different textile factories (synthetic and natural fibers) were treated [...] Read more.
Textile manufacturing is the second most polluting industry. It involves a series of processes that require large amounts of water and generates highly polluting wastewater. Four liquid wastes collected at different steps from two different textile factories (synthetic and natural fibers) were treated using a new disruptive technology (Adiabatic Sonic Evaporation and Crystallization—ASEC). After the treatment of the contaminated fluids, the byproducts obtained (freshwater and crystallized solids <1% humidity) were characterized to determine depuration efficiency and their potential commercial reuse. The physicochemical parameters were analyzed in the liquid and solid phases. The results evidence a completely efficient separation of the contaminants and solutes from the liquids analyzed, resulting in 100% pure water with the characteristics of distilled water (an electrical conductivity below 20 µS/cm) suitable for other industrial processes or water reuses, including human consumption. This implies an estimated annual reduction in the water consumption of these factories of between 16 and 103 Olympic pools. It would also avoid the disposal of 181 and 966 ton/y dried residue by the current synthetic and natural fiber textile processing factories, respectively. More than 75% of the resulting solid residue was S from the synthetic fiber industry, and light elements from the natural fiber residues. The installation of ASEC technology in different phases or at the end of industrial textile processing lines could change the paradigm of water consumption to a minimum, thus reducing consumption and resulting in the complete recycling of water. Using renewable energy and residual heat transforms the system into a zero-pollution technology; it makes it possible to attain almost 0% CO2 emissions, fulfilling the European Green Deal objectives such as a circular economy, the decarbonization of the textile industry, the protection of the biodiversity of river basins, and zero pollution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Rivers)
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14 pages, 2753 KiB  
Article
Revealing Diversity in Gammarus (Amphipoda: Gammaridae) in the Freshwater Ecosystems of Armenia Using DNA Barcoding
by Marine Dallakyan, Tatsiana Lipinskaya, Vardan Asatryan, Viktoriya Golovenchik, Jana Thormann, Laura von der Mark and Jonas J. Astrin
Water 2023, 15(19), 3490; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15193490 - 6 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1016
Abstract
Gammarus plays a central role in the detritus cycle and constitutes an important component in food webs. At the same time, taxonomy and morphological identification to species level is highly challenging in this genus. Thus, the freshwater gammarid diversity in the Caucasus biodiversity [...] Read more.
Gammarus plays a central role in the detritus cycle and constitutes an important component in food webs. At the same time, taxonomy and morphological identification to species level is highly challenging in this genus. Thus, the freshwater gammarid diversity in the Caucasus biodiversity hotspot remains largely unstudied to date. We use DNA barcoding for the first time in assessing the biodiversity and taxonomy of gammarids within the amphipod genus Gammarus in the limnic ecosystems of Armenia. The results expand the knowledge on possible diversity and evolutionary lineages of Gammarus in the region. DNA barcodes obtained from our Armenian specimens consistently indicate four to six well-defined molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) within three distinct morphospecies clusters. One to three MOTUs correspond to the Gammarus balcanicus species complex, two MOTUs to the G. komareki complex, and one MOTU to the G. lacustris complex. Five BINs out of six were unique and new to BOLD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Rivers)
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20 pages, 3853 KiB  
Article
Risks of Antibiotic Resistance Dissemination by Leachates from Municipal Landfills of Different Ages
by Māra Blumfelde, Dita Gudrā, Dzintars Začs, Kārlis Vonda, Laura Žorža, Tūrs Selga, Andrejs Grīnbergs, Aija Dēliņa, Vadims Bartkevičs, Dāvids Fridmanis and Olga Muter
Water 2023, 15(19), 3349; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15193349 - 24 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1216
Abstract
Landfill leachate is regarded as a significant point source of pollutants that may pose a hazard to the environment, particularly to surface and ground waters. Leachates are highly variable and heterogeneous. Our study was focused on the characterization of landfill leachates derived from [...] Read more.
Landfill leachate is regarded as a significant point source of pollutants that may pose a hazard to the environment, particularly to surface and ground waters. Leachates are highly variable and heterogeneous. Our study was focused on the characterization of landfill leachates derived from young (YDS) and matured (MDS) dumpsites in terms of the abundance of micropollutants, antimicrobial resistance genes (ARG), and microbial community structure. The concentrations of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were found to be higher in MDS compared to YDS, i.e., 13.19 and 7.16 μg/L, respectively. Among pharmaceutical compounds, ibuprofen was detected at the highest concentrations, i.e., 12.54, 12.81, and 13.13 μg/L, in the leachates derived from MDS, YDS, and ponds. The distribution of bacteria, archaea, eukaryotes, and viruses in the three leachate samples was as follows: 85.15 ÷ 88.04%, 9.13 ÷ 12.29%, 2.20 ÷ 2.68%, and 0.12 ÷ 0.15%, respectively. In total, 31 distinct families of ARGs were identified, comprising a total of 80 ARGs. Incubation of P. putida MSCL650 in sterile leachate from the pond resulted in decreasing the minimum inhibitory concentrations for six antibiotics as compared to cells incubated in nutrient broth. Hydrological processes, i.e., runoff and infiltration, can increase the dissemination of ARGs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Rivers)
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16 pages, 3495 KiB  
Article
Tradescantia-Based Test Systems Can Be Used for the Evaluation of the Toxic Potential of Harmful Algal Blooms
by Alla Khosrovyan, Rima Avalyan, Anahit Atoyants, Evelina Aghajanyan, Lusine Hambaryan, Rouben Aroutiounian and Bardukh Gabrielyan
Water 2023, 15(13), 2500; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15132500 - 7 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1214
Abstract
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are overgrowths of toxic strains of algae (diatoms, green) and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). While occurring naturally, human-induced environmental changes have resulted in more frequent occurrences of such blooms worldwide. Meantime, the ecotoxicological risk of HABs is rarely evaluated by [...] Read more.
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are overgrowths of toxic strains of algae (diatoms, green) and cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). While occurring naturally, human-induced environmental changes have resulted in more frequent occurrences of such blooms worldwide. Meantime, the ecotoxicological risk of HABs is rarely evaluated by means of standard test methods. For the first time, the genotoxic potential of the HAB event 2020 was assessed using two different Tradescantia-based test systems (Trad-SHM and Trad-MN, 24-h exposure). An integrated analysis of biological (algal abundance) and ecotoxicological (testing) data revealed linkages among algal proliferation, changes in Tradescantia stamen hairs (mutations and suppressed growth) and chromosomal aberrations during microsporogenesis (appearance of micronuclei) that were likely to be caused by toxic algal groups. Green alga Botryococcus braunii and the cyanobacterial species Anabaena and Oscillatoria could suppress stamen hair growth; Cyanobacteria Phormidium and Aphanothece sp. could trigger mutations in stamen hairs (appearance of pink and colorless cells); and Oscillatoria sp. could be responsible for the occurrence of chromosomal damage. Diatom proliferation in the spring was not related to the genotoxic response in Tradescantia. Both tests, the Trad-SHM and Trad-MN, are suitable for the evaluation of the toxic potential of HABs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Rivers)
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16 pages, 836 KiB  
Article
Metal Pollution and Mining in the Iberian Pyrite Belt: New Remediation Technologies to Improve the Ecosystem Services of the River Basins
by Estefanía Bonnail, Sebastián Vera, Julián Blasco, Mercedes Conradi and T. Ángel DelValls
Water 2023, 15(7), 1302; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15071302 - 25 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2197
Abstract
The highly metal-contaminated Odiel-Tinto River basin, located in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), has been the focus of many environmental studies as a natural lab for biodiversity and environmentally catastrophic scenarios and as a reference site for mining places with similar conditions. This [...] Read more.
The highly metal-contaminated Odiel-Tinto River basin, located in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), has been the focus of many environmental studies as a natural lab for biodiversity and environmentally catastrophic scenarios and as a reference site for mining places with similar conditions. This study demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of two different technologies to recover ecosystems affected by acid mine drainage (AMD) in the area of IPB. The current study compiles results of two newest technologies for AMD remediation: passive remediation (dispersed alkaline substrate—DAS) and a new disruptive technology (Adiabatic Sonic Evaporation and Crystallization—ASE&C) that purifies the contaminated water, obtaining two by-products (high-quality water and metal conglomerates) that improve the general quality of the ecosystem including biodiversity by eliminating more than 90% of the contaminants from AMD and mining waters. The removal of contaminants, enhancement of AMD treatment efficiency, and offset operating costs were compared and analyzed for the different uses of the decontaminated effluents, including an old tailing pond failure, the Aznalcóllar mining spill. The efficiency of the removal of elements from the contaminated water is significant using both technologies, although the passive DAS does not still reach the international benchmark for some compounds (such as Fe, sulfates, and Mn); whereas ASE&C obtains distilled water fulfilling all the international benchmarks with conductivity values lower than 120 µS cm−1 or metal concentrations lower than µg/L. Both technologies are eco-friendly and cost-effective as a result of the generation of valuable by-products such as fresh water and metal conglomerates as potentially commercial products while remediating aquatic ecosystems impacted by mining activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Rivers)
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