Tracing The Contaminant History Of An Urban Watershed Through An Examination Of Aquatic Sediments

Many of the contaminants currently found in the surface sediments of the watershed are above biological effects-based criteria. [...] The results of this comparison, illustrated in Fig.2, indicates probable effects level (PEL) criteria are most often exceeded in the Still Creek area of the watershed. [...] Using this conservative approach, the median increase between 1973 and 1993 is 140 %. This result and the 81 % median increase in Cu levels in stream sediments during the same time period contradict the declining trend observed in the lake core. [...] The recent decline of Cu and Hg recorded in the lake core may be the result of the abatement of industrial point-source pollution into Still Creek, while levels throughout the watershed are rising. [...] It is difficult to determine the aquatic health risk resulting from increased Mn levels because of the lack of Canadian sediment criteria and the large natural variability observed in sediments.

This open access book reviews the water-agro-food and socio-eco-system of the Seine River basin (76,000 km2), and offers a historical perspective on the river’s long-term contamination. The Seine basin is inhabited by circa 17 million people and is impacted by intensive agricultural practices and industrial activities. These pressures have gradually affected its hydrological, chemical and ecological functioning, leading to a maximum chemical degradation between the 1960s and the 1990s. Over the last three decades, while major water-quality improvements have been observed, new issues (e.g. endocrine disruptors, microplastics) have also emerged. The state of the Seine River network, from the headwaters to estuary, is increasingly controlled by the balance between pressures and social responses. This socio-ecosystem provides a unique example of the functioning of a territory under heavy anthropogenic pressure during the Anthropocene era. The achievements made were possible due to the long-term PIREN Seine research program, established in 1989 and today part of the French socio-ecological research network “Zones Ateliers”, itself part of the international Long-term Socio-economic and Ecological Research Network (LTSER). Written by experts in the field, the book provides an introduction to the water budget and the territorial metabolism of the Seine basin, and studies the trajectories and impact of various pollutants in the Seine River. It offers insights into the ecological functioning, the integration of agricultural practices, the analysis of aquatic organic matter, and the evolution of fish assemblages in the Seine basin, and also presents research perspectives and approaches to improve the water quality of the Seine River. Given its scope, it will appeal to environmental managers, scientists and policymakers interested in the long-term contamination of the Seine River.

With the continuing increase in population, more people are sharing the finite resources of the urban watershed, resulting in new and increasingly complex interactions between humans and the environment. Environmental contamination is a chronic problem-and an expensive one. In urban areas, water and soil contamination poses a threat to public healt

Understanding that the natural world beneath our feet is the point at which civilization meets the natural world is critical to the success of restoration and prevention efforts to reduce contaminant impacts and improve the global environment because of one simple fact – contaminants do not respect country borders. Contaminants often begin their destructive journey immediately after being released and can affect the entire planet if the release is in just the right amount, at just the right location, and at just the right time. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, Urban Watersheds, Geology, Contamination, Environmental Regulations, and Sustainability, Second Edition presents more than 30 years of research and professional practice on urban watersheds from the fields of environmental geology, geochemistry, risk analysis, hydrology, and urban planning. The geological characteristics of urbanized watersheds along with the physical and chemical properties of their common contaminants are integrated to assess risk factors for soil, groundwater, and air. This new edition continues to examine the urban environment and the geology beneath urban areas, evaluates the contamination that affects watersheds in urban regions, and addresses redevelopment strategies. Features of the Second Edition: Examines contaminants and the successes of environmental regulation worldwide and highlights the areas that need improvement Describes several advances in investigation techniques in urban regions that now provide a huge leap forward in data collection, resolution, and accuracy Explains the importance of understanding the geological and hydrogeologic environments of urban and developed regions Provides new and enhanced methods presented as a sustainability model for assessing risks to human health and the environment from negative human-induced contaminant impacts Includes a new chapter that surveys how environmental regulations have been successful or have failed at protecting the air, water, and land in urban areas Suitable for use as a textbook and as a professional practice reference, the book includes case studies on successful and unsuccessful approaches to contaminant remediation as well as practical methods for environmental risk assessment. PowerPoint® presentations of selected portions of the book are available with qualifying course adoption. Daniel T. Rogers is currently the Director of Environmental Affairs at Amsted Industries Inc. in Chicago, Illinois. His writings address environmental geology, hydrogeology, geologic vulnerability and mapping, contaminant fate and transport, urban geology, environmental site investigations, contaminant risk, brownfield redevelopment, and sustainability. He has taught geology and environmental chemistry at Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan.

This project explores whether it is possible to predict which urban stormwater pipe networks are most likely to be contaminated by wastewater inputs based on geographic information about the areas they drain. Wastewater pollution introduced into urban stormwater systems is a major source of impairment of water bodies in the United States, introducing pathogens and other pollutants, into rivers, streams, and lakes. Recent stormwater permits require extensive testing for bacteria. Efficiencies could be gained in remediating problems if an evidence-based prioritization scheme could target stormwater pipe networks based on publicly available information. I use a large data set of bacteria data in stormwater from the Mystic River watershed in Massachusetts, along with a GIS methodology, to explore a hypothesis that some features of the stormwater networks and the land they drain can usefully predict which networks will exhibit high bacteria values. Multiple regression analysis shows that pipe length, population density, and age of buildings in an area are significant predictors of high bacteria concentrations in the Mystic River dataset. In addition, I use the final regression model to estimate bacteria loads from stormwater outfalls. I conclude that the evidence supports a pollution-tracking prioritization scheme that tests large pipe networks first, at a minimum. I discuss the possible reasons for this somewhat surprising result, and suggest further ways to extend and refine this modeling approach.