Diel and seasonal mixing patterns and water quality dynamics in a multipurpose tropical semiarid reservoir.

Eutrophication has become a recurrent concern in reservoirs worldwide. This problem is intensified in tropical semiarid regions, where the reservoirs have high seasonal and annual variability of water level and volume. Therefore, an extensive understanding of the diel variation of water quality key-parameters can help improve management of such reservoirs. This study focuses on Castanhão reservoir with the largest multipurpose dam in the Brazilian semiarid. Its main water uses are irrigation, fish farming, and human supply. The reservoir faced a decline in water quality due to a prolonged drought period. While previous research has predominantly emphasized the seasonal dynamics of thermal and chemical stratification, our investigation provides diel assessments of multiple water quality parameters, including nutrient concentrations and phytoplankton abundance. Our primary objective is to compare seasonal and diel variations in stratification and nutrient distribution within the reservoir. Key findings reveal a diel cycle of thermal stratification, primarily during dry season, driven by higher wind speeds. This is corroborated by a significant negative correlation between wind speed and the relative water column stability index. In contrast, during the rainy season, the reservoir experiences continuous thermal stratification due to inflowing water being warmer than the reservoir's water temperature. Notably, a significant negative correlation between total phosphorus and chlorophyll-a, along with a two-fold increase of this nutrient throughout the day during the rainy season, underscores the influence of the phytoplankton community dynamics on the diel nutrient variation. Chemical stratification of dissolved oxygen occurred during dry and rainy seasons, indicating that even during the dry season, where there is no significant inflow, the internal nutrient loading can also significantly impact the water quality of a reservoir. This study advances the understanding of diel water quality dynamics in tropical semiarid reservoirs, shedding light on both climatic and anthropogenic influences on water resources.

Prediction of total phosphorus in reservoir cascade systems.

Reservoir cascade systems have attracted the attention of scientists worldwide. The present study investigates the cascade of five reservoirs (R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5) along a 192-km water channel system located in the state of Ceará, in the Brazilian semiarid region. This cascade system was implemented in 2012 to promote water availability and security to the capital of Ceará and the strategic industry and port complex of the region. However, these reservoirs have faced a progressive degradation of water quality, which has resulted in intense eutrophication and high-water treatment costs. The study evaluates the dynamics of water quality from 2013 to 2021 along this reservoir cascade (from R1 to R5). The results revealed that water quality did not improve along the cascade system, differently from previous studies on reservoirs interconnected by natural rivers. This was attributed to the low water residence time and low capacity of pollutant removal along the man-made water channel system, as well as to the high internal phosphorus loads of the reservoirs. Multiple regression models involving the explanatory variables of total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, cyanobacteria, transparency, rainfall, and volume from upstream reservoirs were obtained to determine total phosphorus concentration in downstream reservoirs, considering different combinations of reservoir pairs in the cascade and different time delays. A clear trend of R2 decline with the distance between the upstream and downstream reservoirs was observed. For example, the R2 values for the correlations adjusted between R1 and R2 (48 km), R1 and R3 (172 km), R1 and R4 (178 km), and R1 and R5 (192 km) were 0.66, 0.32, 0.22, and 0.12, respectively. On the other hand, the adoption of time delays of the order of the cumulative residence times of the reservoirs promoted a significant improvement in the R2 values. For instance, the best correlation adjusted between R1 and R5 improved from R2 = 0.12 to 0.69 by considering a time delay of 21 months. This suggests that previous data from upstream reservoirs can be used to predict current and future total phosphorus concentration in downstream reservoirs. The results from this study are important to better understand the spatiotemporal dynamics of water quality in reservoir cascade systems and thus improve water resources management, especially in drylands.

Growth of the microalgae Tetraselmis tetrathele and nitrate depletion in culture medium Guillard f/2 and Conway / Crescimento da microalga Tetraselmis tetrathele e depleção de nitrato em meio de cultivo Guillard f/2 e Conway

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of nutrient depletion during the cultivation of the microalgae Tetraselmis tetrathele, and to verify the algal growth and productivity in different culture media (Guillard f/2 and Conway). The experiment was conducted in nine-liter containers, with working volume of eight liters, salinity 35 ± 2‰, temperature 28 ± 1°C, with constant light and aeration, around 200 µE cm-2 s-1 and 3 L air min.-1. Results showed that microalgae development caused nutrient depletion, since we observed an inversely proportional relationship between nitrate concentration and algal biomass during the cultivation. Regarding the culture media, a higher algal productivity was observed in the cultivation developed in Conway medium (p < 0.05), obtaining at the end of the cultivation, biomass of 3.38 ± 0.02 g L-1. In the Guillard medium, only 2.47 ± 0.05 g L-1 was obtained. The cultivation in Conway medium presented better results concerning microalgae growth, with a more pronounced exponential phase. This was due to the higher nitrate availability, which was reduced more rapidly in the culture medium Guillard f/2.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito da depleção de nutrientes durante o cultivo da microalga Tetraselmis tetrathele, bem como verificar o crescimento e a produtividade algal em diferentes meios de cultivo (Guillard f/2 e Conway). O experimento foi realizado em recipientes de nove litros, com volume útil de oito litros, salinidade de 35 ± 2‰, temperatura de 28 ± 1°C, com iluminação e aeração constantes, em torno de 200 µE cm-2 s-1 e 3 L ar min.-1. Os resultados mostraram que o desenvolvimento da microalga resultou na depleção de nutrientes, uma vez que foi observada uma relação inversamente proporcional entre a concentração de nitrato e a biomassa algal durante o cultivo. Em relação aos meios de cultivo, foi observada maior produtividade algal na cultura desenvolvida em meio Conway (p < 0,05), obtendo, ao final do cultivo, biomassa de 3,38 ± 0,02 g L-1. No meio Guillard foi obtido apenas 2,47 ± 0,05 g L-1. O cultivo em meio Conway apresentou resultados melhores quanto ao crescimento microalgal, dispondo de uma fase exponencial mais acentuada. Isto por conta da maior disponibilidade do nitrato, o qual foi reduzido mais rapidamente no cultivo em meio Guillard f/2.