Allozymes,mtDNA and microsatellites study introgression in a stocked trout population in France

A comparative study of disturbed (downstream) and undisturbed (upstream) populations in a French Mediterranean river (the Sorgue) was conducted to assess the fate of introgressing hatchery-genes in the aboriginal gene pool. Variation was assessed at 27 protein-coding loci, three microsatellite loci and two mtDNA restriction sites. The results were compared to those from another Mediterranean drainage basin (that of the river Orb). The genetic pattern observed among markers and drainage basins was found to be noticeably different. A reduction in population size is hypothesized to explain the lower variability observed in the upper part of the river Sorgue. Estimations of hatchery gene flow were different between loci but in the same range of values between markers.     

A Multimedia Assessment of the Environmental Fate of Bisphenol A

A comprehensive multimedia assessment of the environmental fate of bisphenol A (BPA) is presented. Components of the assessment include an evaluation of relevant partitioning and reactive properties, estimation of discharge quantities in the U.S. and the European Union (E.U.) resulting in conservative and realistic emission scenarios, and a review of monitoring data. Evaluative assessments of chemical fate using the Equilibrium Criterion (EQC) model are described from which it is concluded that the low volatility of BPA will result in negligible presence in the atmosphere. It is relatively rapidly degraded in the environment with half-lives in water and soil of about 4.5 days and less than 1 day in air, and with an overall half-life of 4.5 to 4.7 days, depending on the medium of release. The degradation rate in water is such that it may be transported some hundreds of kilometres in rivers, but long-range transport potential in air is negligible. Its low bioconcentration factor is consistent with rapid metabolism in fish (half-life less than 1 day). The estimated concentrations were generally consistent with the monitoring data, with the exception of sediment-water concentration ratios. Several hypotheses for the apparent nonequilibrium sediment-water partitioning are presented.     

Fate modelling within LCA

For an accurate assessment of the toxic effects of chemicals during their life cycle, LCA developers try more and more to include chemical fate into the life-cycle impact assessment (LCIA) procedure. In this study the application of multi-media partitioning models within LCIA is discussed. With the case of textile chemicals as an example, USES-LCA and a simple river model (box approach) are compared according to their practicability and the value added to the assessment results. It is shown that emissions from the supply and use of energy still dominate the LCIA results even if ecotoxicity is assessed with a rather complex fate model such as USES-LCA. Second, the treatment of modelling results is addressed for persistent substances with low or unknown toxicity. A possible approach to include such chemicals into valuation is to define an exposure-based impact category additionally to the existing effect-oriented ones (toxicity scores) or a combination of different methods. A combined presentation of results from complementary tools is proposed, providing a more detailed background for decision making while avoiding aggregation and leaving the final weighting between the categories to the user.     

Study on the ecological compensation standard for river basin water environment based on total pollutants control

The method used to calculate ecological compensation remains an important but difficult issue in current studies of ecological compensation. In this study, we used the ecological compensation method to examine the natural, social, and economic interactions between ecological and economic systems at the administrative level and between upstream and downstream areas in a river basin, with the aim of capacity control in the total amount of pollutants discharged. We used the information entropy method to build the total pollutant allocation model, in which we included a range of indexes that reflected regional heterogeneity in factors such as population, economic structure, production level, pollution control, and the water environment. The relationship between the capital invested and the quantity of pollutants discharged was used to calculate the unit value of the pollutants, from which we constructed a quantitative model of ecological compensation standard for river basin water environment based on total pollutants control. We used the Xiao Honghe River Basin, China, as a case study, and calculated the ecological compensation values of the water environment from 2008 to 2012 with chemical oxygen demand (COD) as the main pollution evaluation index. From the upper to lower reaches, the compensation value gradually decreased while it gradually increased in terms of time scale. This study provides a valid approach that can be applied to develop a long-term effective mechanism for protecting river basin ecology and improving the system of ecological compensation in river basins.     

The river Rhine: a global highway for dispersal of aquatic invasive species

The river Rhine is heavily influenced by human activities and suffers from a series of environmental constraints which hamper a complete recovery of biodiversity. These constraints comprise intensive navigation and habitat modification by hydraulic engineering. Improving water quality while these constraints remain in place has led to increased colonization by aquatic invasive species. This tendency has been accelerated by the construction of canals connecting river basins. Over the last two centuries, the total surface area of river catchments connected to the river Rhine via inland waterways has been increased by a factor 21.6. Six principal invasion corridors for aquatic species to the river Rhine are discerned. The extensive network of inland waterways has allowed macroinvertebrate species from different bio-geographical regions to mix, changing communities, affecting the food webs and forming new constraints on the recovery of the native biodiversity. From the eighteenth century onward, in the freshwater sections of the river Rhine, a total of 45 non-indigenous macroinvertebrate species have been recorded. The average number of invasions per decade shows a sharp increase from <1 to 13 species. Currently, the contribution of non-indigenous species to the total species richness of macroinvertebrates in the river Rhine is 11.3%. The Delta Rhine and Upper Rhine exhibit higher numbers of non-indigenous species than other river sections, because the sea ports in the Delta Rhine and the Main-Danube canal function as invasion gateways. Important donor areas are the Ponto-Caspian area and North America (44.4 and 26.7% of the non-indigenous macroinvertebrate species, respectively). Transport via shipping and dispersal via man made waterways are the most important dispersal vectors. Intentional and unintentional introductions are highest for the period 1950–1992. The cumulative number of non-indigenous species in time is significantly correlated with the increase in total surface area of other river catchments connected to the river Rhine by means of networks of canals. The species richness of non-indigenous macroinvertebrates is strongly dominated by crustaceans and molluscs. Invasive species often tolerate higher salt content, temperature, organic pollution and current flow than native species. Spatiotemporal analyses of distribution patterns reveal that average and maximum dispersal rates of six invasive species vary between 44–112 and 137–461 km year⁻¹, respectively. Species arriving in upstream sections first show a shorter time lag between colonisation of the Delta and Upper Rhine than species initially arriving in downstream areas. Temporal analyses of macroinvertebrate assemblages in the littoral zones indicate that native species are displaced by non-indigenous species. However, established non-indigenous species are also displaced by more recent mass invaders.     

Sediment‐phosphorus dynamics can shift aquatic ecology and cause downstream legacy effects after wildfire in large river systems

Global increases in the occurrence of large, severe wildfires in forested watersheds threaten drinking water supplies and aquatic ecology. Wildfire effects on water quality, particularly nutrient levels and forms, can be significant. The longevity and downstream propagation of these effects as well as the geochemical mechanisms regulating them remain largely undocumented at larger river basin scales. Here, phosphorus (P) speciation and sorption behavior of suspended sediment were examined in two river basins impacted by a severe wildfire in southern Alberta, Canada. Fine‐grained suspended sediments (<125 μm) were sampled continuously during ice‐free conditions over a two‐year period (2009–2010), 6 and 7 years after the wildfire. Suspended sediment samples were collected from upstream reference (unburned) river reaches, multiple tributaries within the burned areas, and from reaches downstream of the burned areas, in the Crowsnest and Castle River basins. Total particulate phosphorus (TPP) and particulate phosphorus forms (nonapatite inorganic P, apatite P, organic P), and the equilibrium phosphorus concentration (EPC₀) of suspended sediment were assessed. Concentrations of TPP and the EPC₀ were significantly higher downstream of wildfire‐impacted areas compared to reference (unburned) upstream river reaches. Sediments from the burned tributary inputs contained higher levels of bioavailable particulate P (NAIP) – these effects were also observed downstream at larger river basin scales. The release of bioavailable P from postfire, P‐enriched fine sediment is a key mechanism causing these effects in gravel‐bed rivers at larger basin scales. Wildfire‐associated increases in NAIP and the EPC₀ persisted 6 and 7 years after wildfire. Accordingly, this work demonstrated that fine sediment in gravel‐bed rivers is a significant, long‐term source of in‐stream bioavailable P that contributes to a legacy of wildfire impacts on downstream water quality, aquatic ecology, and drinking water treatability.     

Molecular analysis of invasive Cichla (Perciformes: Cichlidae) populations from neotropical ecosystems

Invasive Cichla populations in the São João River basin were genetically analysed and compared with Cichla populations from other neotropical hydrographic basins. Polymorphic sequences within the mitochondrial DNA D-loop region confirmed the introduction of different populations to the regions under analysis. Cichla kelberi was introduced to the Juturnaíba reservoir and a downstream area of the São João River, with Cichla monoculus restricted to downstream river areas. Results from this study will be useful for monitoring invasive Cichla populations in the coastal basin since it elucidated the taxonomic units in the reservoir and an areas downstream.     

Coupling of the PADDY-Large model with geospatial information for predicting paddy pesticide behavior in river basins

The previously developed PADDY-Large model was improved by the coupling of geospatial information about watershed properties (Digital National Land Information and digital cultivated soil maps of Japan). The improved model was used for simulating the spatiotemporal variations of pesticide concentrations in rice paddies located in two river basins. We also developed a method for clarifying land use in sub-basins and for allocation of paddy fields to the nearest 50-m-long river segment for the model calculation. We validated the model by monitoring paddy pesticide concentrations in river water in basins under rice cultivation in southern Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, and comparing the measured concentrations with concentrations simulated by the model. The measured concentrations of the herbicide mefenacet in river water peaked 1?C2?weeks after transplanting (mid-May) and then decreased rapidly in early June. The period during which mefenacet was detected corresponded to the application timing of mefenacet. The improved PADDY-Large model accurately simulated changes in measured concentrations of mefenacet at the sampling points. The spatial distribution of mefenacet concentrations was related to the distribution of paddy fields. River segments with relatively large areas of paddy fields in upstream areas of the sub-basins had relatively high mefenacet concentrations.     

北京市白河和潮河流域生态健康评价

选取北京市重要的饮用水源密云水库上游白河和潮河流域,结合北京山区流域生态现状,构建了涵盖水域生境结构、水生生物、生态压力和陆域生态格局与功能、生态压力5大类13项指标的评价指标体系,开展了流域生态健康评价。结果表明白河和潮河流域的健康状态整体处于良好等级,但水生生物和陆域生态格局状况相对较差。14个子流域的健康状况差异并不显著,琉璃河、白河下段、汤河上游的健康状况相对较好,潮河中下段和小汤河的健康状况相对较差。流域内不合理的畜禽养殖、岸边带种植及民俗旅游是导致流域生态健康退化的主要原因,建议加强污染负荷排放的控制和监管涉水活动对水生生境的干扰以改善流域健康状况,并重点关注可指示水生态系统早期退化的生物指数,以实现可持续性和适应性的流域管理,保障密云水库的水生态安全。     

Model of the Fate of Chemicals in Sludge-Amended Soils with Uptake in Vegetation and Soil-Dwelling Organisms

The BASL4 (Biosolids Amended Soil Level 4) soil biota models are described, applied, and discussed. The models simulate the fate of organic chemicals present in biosolids that are applied to a two-layer soil and address the processes of chemical degradation, volatilization, leaching, and sorption to decaying organic matter. Uptake in invertebrates (worms), small mammals (shrews), and vegetation is simulated involving three levels of complexity, namely simple equilibrium partitioning, steady state bioaccumulation and dynamic bioaccumulation models. A simulation of the fate of pyrene is presented to illustrate the model's capabilities. The model is successfully applied to the fate of triclosan in biosolids giving results in accord with monitoring data. The model results suggest that triclosan may biomagnify in a terrestrial food web. It is believed that the model is useful for assessing the bio-uptake of chemicals associated with biosolids, thus providing guidance on expected levels of contamination and the associated risks to wildlife.     

Fixation of dissolved silicate and sedimentation of biogenic silicate in the lower river Rhine during diatom blooms

Concentrations of dissolved silicate and particulate biogenic silicate were measured in three branches of the lower river Rhine in The Netherlands in order to analyse the role of this element in the eutrophication of the river basin. Particulate silicate followed the seasonal development of the phytoplankton, which was dominated by diatoms. The concentration of dissolved silicate fell during blooms (< 0.1 mg.l^–1 ), but the amounts of biogenic silicate measured ( 1 mg.l^–1) were insufficient to explain the seasonal decrease in the dissolved fraction; this indicates retention of silicate upstream. Some particulate biogenic silicate in river water settled in man-made sedimentation areas in the Rhine delta. The observations suggest that changes in silicate fixation in the Rhine may have contributed to the incidence of non-diatom phytoplankton blooms in receiving waters.     

Risk Assessment Using EUSES; Refinement Options to Estimate Atmospheric Transportation by its Operational Priority Substances Model (OPS)

The Operational Priority Substances (OPS) model is part of the European Union System for the Evaluation of Substances (EUSES) and is used to estimate air concentrations and atmospheric depositions for risk assessment of chemicals. Traditionally, EUSES assesses environmental exposure using a standardized scenario based on explicit assumptions and default parameter settings. Under the new European Union REACH legislation—which stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and restriction of Chemicals—industry is responsible for the risk assessment of chemicals. The current work investigates the potential impact and importance of source parameter refinement on the emission distribution and environmental fate of chemicals as modelled by OPS. In total, 60 scenarios with different combinations of (non) default values for emission heat content, emission source height, and emission source radius, were run for a typical particle-bound substance. Increasing heat content and emission source height reduced the modelled air concentrations and depositions and caused maximum air concentrations to occur further away from the emission source. Results show that estimated air concentrations and total depositions used for risk assessment can become more realistic by using more site-specific emission source parameters. This article proposes risk assessment refinement options and provides recommendations on future updates of EUSES.     

太湖流域河流水质状况对景观背景的响应

为探索流域水质对景观背景的响应,以太湖流域为研究对象,在0.5—24 km共9个尺度上运用冗余分析研究了土地利用、河网密度、降水量、地形等景观背景因子与河流水化学指标的关系。结果表明:2006—2010年太湖流域河流水质状况总体较差,但整体有逐渐改善的趋势,超标水质指标主要包括总磷(TP)、氨氮(AN)、生化需氧量(BOD)、化学需氧量(COD)和溶解氧(DO),上游地区主要表现为林区和平原水网区的差异,下游地区主要表现为河段上下游间的差异。河流水质受到多种景观背景因子的综合影响,并表现出尺度依赖性和区位差异性。AN、TP、DO在流域上游与聚落用地正相关,在下游则与耕地、河网密度正相关。COD、BOD在流域上游主要与自然湿地负相关,与人工湿地正相关,在下游则与坡度负相关,与河网密度正相关。总方差贡献率在上下游表现出一致的尺度依赖特征,均在较小(0.5—1 km)和较大(16 km)两个尺度上具有较高的解释能力。自然湿地和坡度,河网密度和耕地分别为上游、下游地区在较小和较大尺度上解释能力最高的景观因子。     

Seasonal variations in growth, condition and gonads of Dormitator latifrons (Richardson) in the Chone River Basin, Ecuador

Growth in length, condition, and gonads of a food fish, Dormitator latifrons , were studied in the Chone River basin, Ecuador, in 1981. The river was bordered by floodplains in the upstream freshwater zone, and by mangrove swamps and shrimp farms in the downstream estuarine zone. The climate was marked by wet (January to April) and dry (May to December) seasons. During the dry season, an earth dam in the river prevented movement of water and fish between upstream and downstream zones. At the end of the dry season, most of the upstream floodplains were dry, and the main fish refuges were in downstream areas in deep pools in the river upstream. During the floods, fish migrated from downstream areas towards upstream floodplains. Growth rates and condition increased when water levels were high or salinity was low and decreased when water levels were low or salinity was high. Seasonal changes in gonads and abundance of juveniles indicated that reproduction occurred during the floods, but there was some reproduction in the dry season. Reproduction occurred in upstream and downstream zones and appeared to be stimulated by a complex of factors, including water levels, currents and salinity. The yield in flood plain sites was estimated as c. 115 kg ha⁻¹ in 1981.     

Eutrophication of the Dutch Wadden Sea: External nutrient loadings of the Marsdiep and Vliestroom basin

The increasing P and N content in the two main tidal basins in the western Dutch Wadden Sea, the Marsdiep and the Vliestroom basin, has been reconstructed from the 50s onwards. The area is enriched with nutrients by two sources both originating from the river Rhine, one being the discharge from Lake IJssel and the other the exchange with the coastal zone of the North Sea. Due to a buffering by Lake IJssel for about 15–20 years, the eutrophication of the western Wadden Sea showed a time lag compared with the continuously increasing nutrient concentrations in the river Rhine and the coastal zone of the North Sea. At present, the primary production in part of the area still seems to be nutrient limited in summer, while loadings have already been decreasing in recent years. So far, no severe, negative effects on the ecosystem have been reported. Some remarks are made on the eutrophication in other parts of the Dutch' Wadden Sea in relation to the hydrographic characteristics of these areas. Presented at the VI International Wadden Sea Symposium (Biologische Anstalt Helgoland, Wattenmeerstation Sylt, D-2282 List, FRG, 1–4 November 1988) Publication No. 18 of the project “Ecological Research of the North Sea and Wadden Sea” (EON)     

A large reservoir as a source of zooplankton for the river: structure of the populations and influence of fish predation

Within an extensive programme on the Seine river, including the large reservoirs in the upstream basin, zooplankton populations were investigated at the reservoir-river interface to find out their fate when released into the river. Zooplankton structure, abundance and biomass were analysed in the river upstream and downstream from the reservoir, in the release canal and in the reservoir. Whereas the river zooplankton are dominated by rotifers, microcrustaceans represent a large part of the population in the reservoir, because of the longer residence time (6 months). We have shown that the reservoir is a source of zooplankton; we calculated a biomass export of 30-60 tons C year^-1, which is, however, rapidly lost in the river. One of the main loss factors was found to be selective fish predation on larger zooplankton species developed in the reservoir.      

基于SWAT模型的汾河流域生态补水研究

随着人类对于河流的开发利用日益增强,显著改变了河流的天然径流过程,生态供水不足成为流域生态系统健康的重要制约因素。以山西省汾河流域为研究区,基于天然和实测径流数据,利用SWAT模型分别模拟了流域近30年天然径流和近10年跨流域调水情况下现状径流过程,并在此基础上对流域各河道生态流量及现状径流量进行时空量化,探讨了不同生态流量标准下生态缺水量在时间和空间上的变化情况。研究结果表明：(1)汾河流域各河道生态流量时空差异明显,汛期(0.50—18.80m~3/s)河道生态流量需求显著高于非汛期(0.05—1.81m~3/s),总体分布特征为中下游干流远高于上游支流;(2)在Tennant法的不同生态流量标准下,汾河流域非汛期生态流量保障情况整体优于汛期,高频缺水区主要分布在支流,呈上下游分散分布;(3)在中等级生态流量标准下,流域约84%的区域能保障基本生态流量需求,关键缺水区为岚河、潇河、浮山县及浍河地区;(4)建议流域生态补水在时间上侧重汛期补水,空间上侧重高频缺水地区,基于流域生态缺水量时空分布特征分配跨流域调水资源,提高水资源利用效率。研究从时空上量化了跨流域调水工程实施后流域生态流...     

地表水资源供给服务供需关系对节水政策的响应——以大清河流域为例

水资源是基础性自然资源和战略资源,科学量化水资源供给服务的供需关系、识别供需矛盾的突出区域是进行流域水资源管理的重要前提。以大清河流域为例,利用InVEST模型,建立了水资源供给服务空间流动量化方法,预测了用水效率提升、节水灌溉两种节水政策情景对水资源供给服务供需关系的影响。结果表明：(1)流域水资源供给服务和水资源需求量均呈现出上游低、下游高的空间分布格局,农业用水为流域主要用水类型,2010—2015年,流域水资源供给服务增长0.97%,水资源需求量出现了9.6%的下降;(2)2010—2015年,流域整体水资源供给服务的供需比由0.78提升至0.88,服务的空间流动使得上游盈余的水量缓解了中下游的用水压力,但中下游水资源需求大于供给的问题仍普遍存在;(3)提升用水效率、推行节水灌溉这两种节水政策均能够有效改善大清河流域的水资源供需关系,分别可将流域水资源供需比提升至0.97和0.96,基本达到供需平衡。研究可为北方资源型缺水流域水资源供需匹配度的提高、节水政策潜力的评估提供借鉴。     

Implications of a statistical occurrence model for mixture toxicity estimation

This study provides a method for characterizing the effects of concentration variability and correlation among co-acting compounds on mixture toxicity, considering the implications of missing chemical data. The method is explored by developing a set of multiple occurrence scenarios for mixtures of related chemicals. The calculations are performed for hypothetical mixtures of a group of ten synthetic antibiotics that have been tested on marine bacterium to fit dose-response relationships for long-term bioluminescence inhibition of Vibrio fischeri. Mixture toxicities are computed and compared for the assumptions of independent joint action theory and concentration/dose addition theory. The study results show that higher variability in concentrations is associated with higher effective (average) mixture toxicity, in this application by as much as a factor of ten for mixtures with highly variable component concentrations. Moreover, omitting the most toxic compounds caused mixture toxicities to be underestimated by a factor of approximately two. We recommend a pre-assessment of the effect of different chemical occurrence patterns and variability on mixture toxicity to help prioritize needs for further co-occurrence data and toxicity studies.     

Modeling indirect N2O emissions along the N cascade from cropland soils to rivers

The frequently observed discrepancy between estimations of N₂O emissions at regional or global scale based either on field data or inventories (bottom-up) or on direct atmospheric observations (top-down) suggests that riparian areas and river surfaces play a significant role as hot spots of emission. We developed a modeling procedure to assess N₂O emissions occurring during the transfer of water masses from the subroot water pool of the watershed to the outlet of the river drainage network, including their passage through riparian wetlands. The model was applied to three river basins of increasing size located in the sedimentary geological area of the Paris basin (France) and validated by its capability to predict river N₂O concentrations and fluxes across the river–atmosphere interface. At the scale of the Seine watershed, indirect emissions, i.e. emissions linked to agricultural practices but occurring elsewhere than directly at the field plot, are estimated to represent approximately 20% of the direct emissions from the watershed soils, in good agreement with previous estimates based on empirical accounting approaches. Denitrification in riparian zones is responsible for the largest share of these indirect emissions. The model results are very sensitive to the value of the ratio of N₂O versus (N₂ + N₂O), in the final products of denitrification in rivers and wetlands. By calibration on river N₂O concentrations, a value of 0.015 ± 0.05 is proposed for this ratio, in agreement with recent studies. This represents the main uncertainty factor of the model. In basins with conditions prone to increasing the value of this ratio, higher proportions of indirect N₂O emissions might possibly be observed.