28 research outputs found
Performance of a PRB for the Remediation of Acidic Groundwater in Acid Sulfate Soil Terrain
Reflexive learning in adaptive management: A case study of environmental water management in the Murray Darling Basin, Australia
Coal mine-affected water releases, turbidity and metal concentrations in the Fitzroy River Basin, Queensland, Australia
An evaluation of the weight of evidence approach to assess sediment quality in the Mvoti Estuary, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Subsidence Fracturing of Stream Channel from Longwall Coal Mining Causing Upwelling Saline Groundwater and Metal-Enriched Contamination of Surface Waterway
An eutrophication index for lowland sandy rivers in Mediterranean coastal climatic regions of Southern Africa
The eutrophication of waterways has become an endemic global problem. Nutrient enrichment from agriculture activities and waste water treatment plants are major drivers, but it remains unclear how lowland sandy rivers respond to eutrophication. The objective of this study was the development and verification of eutrophication index for sandy rivers (EISR) to prioritize nutrient enrichment river stretches caused by different land use activities that include point and nonpoint sources of nutrient enrich water. The Berg River drainage system in South Africa served as a case study area for this purpose during the dry seasons (December and January) of 2015 and 2016. In the initial EISR development phase, periphyton, benthic biomass (chl-a mg m−2), and macroinvertebrate families were employed as benthic bioindicators of river bedforms, whereas in the second phase, physicochemical and abiotic variables were used as target indicator. Using a weight of support approach, the site receiving sewage effluent was categorize as heavily polluted whereas sites impacted by agriculture land use activities were polluted. The EISR that focuses strongly on benthic bioindicators, which are close to the transfer of nutrients and energy in the food web, showed a distinct difference between river bedform impacted by sewage effluent and agriculture none point source. A maximum benthic algae biomass of 110 mg m−2 chl-a was recorded with higher sediment orthophosphate concentration at sewage-impacted sites. The outcome of the proposed EISR showed that it can be employed as a decision support tool for eutrophication management of sandy rivers.Fil: Oberholster, Paul Johan. Natural Resources and the Environment; Sudáfrica. University of Stellenbosch; Sudáfrica. University of the Western Cape; SudáfricaFil: Madlala, Tebogo. Natural Resources and the Environment; Sudáfrica. University of the Western Cape; SudáfricaFil: Blettler, Martin Cesar Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; ArgentinaFil: Amsler, Mario Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; ArgentinaFil: Eberle Folmer, Eliana Gisel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; ArgentinaFil: Botha, Anna María. University of Stellenbosch; Sudáfric