The floodplain inundation history of the Murray-Darling Basin through two-monthly maximum water depth maps.

With growing concerns over water management in rivers worldwide, researchers are seeking innovative solutions to monitor and understand changing flood patterns. In a noteworthy advancement, stakeholders interested in the changing flood patterns of the Murray Darling Basin (MDB) in Australia, covering an area of 1 million km2, can now access a consistent timeseries of water depth maps for the entire basin. The dataset covers the period from 1988 to 2022 at two-monthly timestep and was developed using remotely sensed imagery and a flood depth estimation model at a spatial resolution of ≈30 m, providing a comprehensive picture of maximum observed inundation depth across the MDB. Validation against 13 hydrodynamic model outputs for different parts of the MDB yielded a mean absolute error of 0.49 m, demonstrating reasonable accuracy and reliability of the dataset. The resulting dataset is best suited to system-wide analysis but might also be useful for those interested in the history of flooding at specific locations in the system. We provide the dataset, visualization tools, and examples to support ongoing research.

A baseline of terrestrial freshwater and nitrogen fluxes to the Southern California Bight, USA.

Time series were compiled of terrestrial nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon, iron, and silica fluxes to the Southern California Bight (SCB), a U.S. West Coast embayment (Sutula et al., 2021). Monitoring data and model output were used to construct a baseline of inputs from direct point source (PS) discharges of wastewater treatment (WWT) effluent (via ocean outfalls) and PS, non-point and natural sources from coastal rivers. The baseline covers 1971-2017 for large WWT plants discharging >50 million gallons per day (MGD) and 1997-2017 for small WWT plants and rivers. PS are the dominant nitrogen source, with contributions of 70% of the total annual freshwater discharge and 95% of nitrogen loads. WWT upgrades have reduced organic nitrogen loads by 73% since 1971. Inorganic nitrogen loads have generally held constant (35-40 Gg y-1) for the large WWT plants. This baseline represents a period prior to extensive wastewater and stormwater recycling that is increasing in the region.

Dataset of terrestrial fluxes of freshwater, nutrients, carbon, and iron to the Southern California bight, U.A.A.

The Southern California Bight (SCB) is an upwelling-dominated, open embayment on the U.S. West Coast and receives discharges of anthropogenically-enhanced freshwater, nutrients, carbon, and other materials. These inputs include direct point sources discharged from wastewater treatment (WWT) plants via ocean outfalls and point, non-point, and natural sources discharged via coastal rivers. We assembled a daily time series over 1971-2017 of discharges from large WWT plants ≥ 50 million gallon per day (MGD) and 1997-2017 from small WWT plants and coastal rivers. Constituents include nitrogen, phosphorus, organic carbon, alkalinity, iron, and silica. Data from research studies, several government and non-government agency databases containing discharge monitoring reports, river flow gauges, and other collateral information were compiled to produce this dataset. Predictive models and expert analysis addressed unmonitored sources and data gaps. The time series of terrestrial discharge and fluxes are provided with location of coastal discharge point or tributary. The data are deposited in a repository found in Sutula et al. [1].

Increasing probability of mortality during Indian heat waves.

Rising global temperatures are causing increases in the frequency and severity of extreme climatic events, such as floods, droughts, and heat waves. We analyze changes in summer temperatures, the frequency, severity, and duration of heat waves, and heat-related mortality in India between 1960 and 2009 using data from the India Meteorological Department. Mean temperatures across India have risen by more than 0.5°C over this period, with statistically significant increases in heat waves. Using a novel probabilistic model, we further show that the increase in summer mean temperatures in India over this period corresponds to a 146% increase in the probability of heat-related mortality events of more than 100 people. In turn, our results suggest that future climate warming will lead to substantial increases in heat-related mortality, particularly in developing low-latitude countries, such as India, where heat waves will become more frequent and populations are especially vulnerable to these extreme temperatures. Our findings indicate that even moderate increases in mean temperatures may cause great increases in heat-related mortality and support the efforts of governments and international organizations to build up the resilience of these vulnerable regions to more severe heat waves.

Multimedia screening of contaminants of emerging concern (CECS) in coastal urban watersheds in southern California (USA).

To examine the occurrence and fate of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and inform future monitoring of CECs in coastal urban waterways, water, sediment, and fish tissue samples were collected and analyzed for a broad suite of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), commercial and/or household chemicals, current use pesticides, and hormones in an effluent-dominated river and multiple embayments in southern California (USA). In the Santa Clara River, which receives treated wastewater from several facilities, aqueous phase CECs were detectable at stations nearest discharges from municipal wastewater treatment plants but were attenuated downstream. Sucralose and the chlorinated phosphate flame retardants tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP), tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP), and tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) were most abundant in water, with maximum concentrations of 35 µg/L, 3.3 µg/L, 1.4 µg/L, and 0.81 µg/L, respectively. Triclocarban, an antimicrobial agent in use for decades, was more prevalent in water than triclosan or nonylphenol. Maximum concentrations of bifenthrin, permethrin, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and degradates of fipronil exceeded CEC-specific monitoring trigger levels recently established for freshwater and estuarine sediments by factors of 10 to 1000, respectively. Maximum fish tissue concentrations of PBDEs varied widely (370 ng/g and 7.0 ng/g for the Santa Clara River and coastal embayments, respectively), with most species exhibiting concentrations at the lower end of this range. These results suggest that continued monitoring of pyrethroids, PBDEs, and degradates of fipronil in sediment is warranted in these systems. In contrast, aqueous pharmaceutical concentrations in the Santa Clara River were not close to exceeding current monitoring trigger levels, suggesting a lower priority for targeted monitoring in this medium. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:1986-1994. © 2016 SETAC.

The occurrence and fate of chemicals of emerging concern in coastal urban rivers receiving discharge of treated municipal wastewater effluent.

To inform future monitoring and assessment of chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) in coastal urban watersheds, the occurrence and fate of more than 60 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), commercial/household chemicals, current-use pesticides, and hormones were characterized in 2 effluent-dominated rivers in southern California (USA). Water samples were collected during 2 low-flow events at locations above and below the discharge points of water reclamation plants (WRPs) and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Approximately 50% of targeted CECs were detectable at stations downstream from WRPs, compared with <31% and <10% at the reference stations above the WRPs. Concentrations of chlorinated phosphate flame retardants were highest among the CECs tested, with mean total aggregate concentrations of tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP), and tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP) of 3400 ng/L and 2400 ng/L for the 2 rivers. Maximum in-stream concentrations of pyrethroids (bifenthrin and permethrin), diclofenac, and galaxolide exceeded risk-based thresholds established for monitoring of CECs in effluent-dominated receiving waters. In contrast, maximum concentrations of PPCPs commonly detected in treated wastewater (e.g., acetaminophen, N,N,diethyl-meta-toluamide [DEET], and gemfibrozil) were less than 10% of established thresholds. Attenuation of target CECs was not observed downstream of WRP discharge until dilution by seawater occurred in the tidal zone, partly because of the short hydraulic residence times in these highly channelized systems (<3 d). In addition to confirming CECs for future in-stream monitoring, these results suggest that conservative mass transport is an important boundary condition for assessment of the input, fate, and effects of CECs in estuaries at the bottom of these watersheds.