Land Cover and Water Quality Patterns in an Urban River: A Case Study of River Medlock, Greater Manchester, UK

Urban river catchments face multiple water quality challenges that threaten the biodiversity of riverine habitats and the flow of ecosystem services. We examined two water quality challenges, runoff from increasingly impervious land covers and effluent from combined sewer overflows within a temperate zone river catchment in Greater Manchester, North-West UK. Sub-catchment areas of the River Medlock were delineated from digital elevation models using a Geographical Information System. By combining flow accumulation and high-resolution land cover data within each sub-catchment and water quality measurements at five sampling points along the river, we identified which land cover(s) are key drivers of water quality. Impervious land covers increased downstream and were associated with higher runoff and poorer water quality. Of the impervious covers, transportation networks have the highest runoff ratios and therefore the greatest potential to convey contaminants to the river. We suggest more integrated management of imperviousness to address water quality, flood risk and, urban wellbeing could be achieved with greater catchment partnership working

Phytoplankton community and their impact on water quality: An analysis of Hollingsworth Lake, UK

Algal bloom had been a problem on the Hollingworth Lake in years\u2019 past to the locales and the lake\u2019s biodiversity. In order to assess the status of the lake, the lake\u2019s phytoplankton and water quality were examined during the study period of June to August 2004) at three lake depths. 49 species belonging to 7 different classes were identified including Dinophytes , Cyanophytes , Baccilariophytes , Chlorophytes , Cryptophytes , Euglenophytes and Crysophytes . The most representative class in terms of species richness was Dinophyceae (2species) and dominated by Ceratium hirudinella. Cyanobacteria had 13 species and was dominated by Microcytis flos aquae , Baccilariophytes had 10 species, Chlorophytes had 15 species, Cryptophytes (4 species), Chrysophytes (2 species) and the least of the species was Euglenophyte as it contributed with lower biovolume values. The total biovolumes of the phytoplankton species including Microcystis Flos aquae and Oscillatoria aghardii increased progressively following the increase in temperature over the summer months with a mean level of temperature was 17\ub0C, pH-7.72; conductivity of 0.199ms/cm and Dissolved Oxygen, 87%. When the lake\u2019s chemical components, phytoplankton composition and phytoplankton biomass were compared with international technical standards for measurement, including the World Health Organisations\u2019 standard for water quality and the EC Directive for good quality water, the results indicated the lake to fall within the mesotrophic-eutrophic status. At the time of this study, the lake was not susceptible to generating algal blooms

Phytoplankton community and their impact on water quality: An analysis of Hollingsworth Lake, UK

Algal bloom had been a problem on the Hollingworth Lake in years’ past to the locales and the lake’s biodiversity. In order to assess the status of the lake, the lake’s phytoplankton and water quality were examined during the study period of June to August 2004) at three lake depths. 49 species belonging to 7 different classes were identified including Dinophytes , Cyanophytes , Baccilariophytes , Chlorophytes , Cryptophytes , Euglenophytes and Crysophytes . The most representative class in terms of species richness was Dinophyceae (2species) and dominated by Ceratium hirudinella. Cyanobacteria had 13 species and was dominated by Microcytis flos aquae , Baccilariophytes had 10 species, Chlorophytes had 15 species, Cryptophytes (4 species), Chrysophytes (2 species) and the least of the species was Euglenophyte as it contributed with lower biovolume values. The total biovolumes of the phytoplankton species including Microcystis Flos aquae and Oscillatoria aghardii increased progressively following the increase in temperature over the summer months with a mean level of temperature was 17°C, pH-7.72; conductivity of 0.199ms/cm and Dissolved Oxygen, 87%. When the lake’s chemical components, phytoplankton composition and phytoplankton biomass were compared with international technical standards for measurement, including the World Health Organisations’ standard for water quality and the EC Directive for good quality water, the results indicated the lake to fall within the mesotrophic-eutrophic status. At the time of this study, the lake was not susceptible to generating algal blooms

Women in Environmental Sciences (WiES) and The UN SDGs: A Catalyst for Achieving a Sustainable Future for All

Women can serve as catalysts needed to achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development agenda by 2030. The Women in Environmental Sciences network engaged women from culturally and professionally diverse backgrounds at two workshops held in the UK in 2018 and 2019. The interdisciplinary environmental sciences’ meeting included presentations by leading women in academic and non-academic organizations. Through breakout sessions, effective interaction, and discussions between professionals and grassroots, an atmosphere of “leaving no one behind” was created. Participants’ ages ranged from 18 to 55 years and more than 65% of the participants were under 35 years old, representing the productive working group. The mixed group of young and the old, academic and non-academic women provided a basis for insightful and lively discussions needed to bridge the gap between information disseminated to professionals and non-professionals, to students, and early career researchers. In this article, the following information are presented: Relevant literature in view of gender equality and environmental aspects, summary of the talks and discussions, how the talks aligned with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and sub-targets, issues identified and avenues for change, evaluation and some quotations from the participants. The article showcases the opportunity for the implementation of SDGs in all organizations through the promotion of integrated discussions on environmental science aspects, gender, equality, diversity, inclusion, partnerships needed to inform effective policy changes at local, national, or global levels. This article provides insights to professionals/non-professionals, governmental, non-governmental organizations, higher education institutions, and local communities and women. By providing a summary of the talks and their alignment with SDGs, the Women in Environmental Sciences provide new ways of engagement required at these times to develop applied and strategic research, and open a dimension of how the SDGs can be implemented to cope with changing environmental conditions