Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in water, suspended particulate matter, and sediment of reservoirs and their tributaries in Shenzhen, a mega city in South China.

Urban reservoirs serve many purposes including recreation and drinking water, and larger bodies of water can alter the surrounding air temperatures, making urban areas cooler in summer and warmer in winter. However, reservoirs may also be sinks for contaminants. One such group of contaminants, the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), are persistent organic pollutants known to accumulate in sediments and suspended particulate matter (SPM). Few studies have been conducted on PBDEs in water, SPM, and sediment from reservoirs of Shenzhen which is a mega city in South China. To this end, 12 PBDEs were measured in water, SPM, and sediment samples during the dry season (DS) and wet season (WS), to explain the spatiotemporal distribution, congener profiles, sources, and risks of pollutants in four reservoirs (A-D) and their tributaries in the study region. The concentration of ∑12PBDEs during the DS was found to be significantly higher than that during the WS. Source apportionment suggested that commercial penta-, octa-, and deca-BDEs are the major components of PBDEs, resulting mainly from atmospheric deposition, wastewater discharge, and external water-diversion projects. Further, attention should be paid to electronic equipment manufacturing factories in the study area. Risk assessment indicated risk of PBDEs (especially BDE-209) in sediment and SPM to be of concern. This study provides important data support for the control of PBDEs in natural drinking water sources.

Variations in Dissolved Nitrate, Chloride, and Sulfate in Precipitation, Reservoir, and Tap Waters, Columbus, Ohio.

Urban potable waters can be very susceptible to human activities that can impact water quality and, hence, public health. Columbus, Ohio, is currently the 14th largest city in the United States with an estimated population of ~860,000. Much of the urban population receives its water supply from a series of reservoirs located north of the city proper. These reservoirs are fed by river systems that drain either large agricultural lands, or rapidly growing suburban areas, or both. The agricultural activities introduce dissolved nitrate, and increased usage of de-icing salts on roads and highways within the drainage area introduce chloride into the river/reservoir systems. High nitrate in drinking water poses a potential health risk, particularly to infants, while high chloride, applied as halite, in drinking water can aid in the development of cardiovascular disease. In this work, we present a 19-month time series measuring nitrate, chloride, and sulfate in local precipitation, reservoir and household tap waters in order to better understand the relationship of the hydrologic residence time on the tap water chemistry, as well as to evaluate the anion concentrations. The highest chloride tap water concentration, 6.9 mM, occurred in early February 2011, while increases in nitrate occurred in both early summer and the middle of winter. In general, the anion concentrations in the precipitation are all equal to or lower than the reservoir waters. Similarly, the tap water had concentrations of chloride and sulfate higher than reservoir water, while nitrate was similar to reservoir water. Tap water had higher fluoride and sulfate concentrations, suggesting that they are added during the treatment of the reservoir water prior to residential distribution. These data clearly demonstrate the importance of watershed lands on the quality of water in the human distribution system.

Record of morphological deformities in Corydoras aff. longipinnis in two reservoirs under urban influence in Upper Iguaçu and Southern Coastal basins in Paraná State, Brazil / Registro de anomalias morfológicas em Corydoras aff. longipinnis em dois reservatórios sob influência urbana no Paraná, Brasil

Abstract In this work we report on the presence of morphological deformities in Corydoras aff. longipinnis from two reservoirs in Paraná State, Brazil. The frequency of deformities in the fish populations was 11% in Iraí and 10.5% in Capivari reservoirs. Considering that the frequency may be associated with impacts caused by anthropic activities, this information can be used as a metric in management systems and environmental monitoring.

Resumo Neste trabalho relatamos a presença de deformidades morfológicas em Corydoras aff. longipinnis de dois reservatórios no estado do Paraná, Brasil. A frequência das deformidades observadas nas populações analisadas foi de 11% no reservatório de Iraí e 10,5% no reservatório de Capivari. Considerando que a frequência pode ser associada a impactos causados por atividades antrópicas, essa informação pode ser usada como uma métrica em sistemas de gestão e monitoramento ambiental.

Ecological and toxicological responses in a multistressor scenario: Are monitoring programs showing the stressors or just showing stress? A case study in Brazil.

The Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP) is located in the Brazilian State of São Paulo and reservoirs in this region are vital for water supply and energy production. Changes in economic, social, and demographic trends produced pollution of water bodies, decreasing water quality for human uses and affecting freshwater populations. The presence of emerging pollutants, classical priority substances, nutrient excess and the interaction with tropical-climate conditions require periodic reviews of water policies and monitoring programs in order to detect and manage these threats in a global change scenario. The objective of this work is to determine whether the monitoring program of the São Paulo's Environmental Agency, is sufficient to explain the toxicological and biological responses observed in organisms in reservoirs of the MRSP, and whether it can identify the possible agents causing these responses. For that, we used publicly available data on water quality compiled by this agency in their routine monitoring program. A general overview of these data and a chemometric approach to analyze the responses of biotic indexes and toxicological bioassays, as a function of the physical and chemical parameters monitored, were performed. Data compiled showed temporal and geographical information gaps on variables measured. Toxicological responses have been observed in the reservoirs of the MRSP, together with a high incidence of impairments of the zooplankton community. This demonstrates the presence of stressors that affect the viability of organisms and populations. The statistical approach showed that the data compiled by the environmental agency are insufficient to identify and explain the factors causing the observed ecotoxicological responses and impairments in the zooplankton community, and are therefore insufficient to identify clear cause-effect relationships. Stressors different from those analyzed could be responsible for the observed responses.