Water Quality in a Small Lowland River in Different Land Use

Abstract

The paper describes water quality in the Raszynka River based on selected chemical parameters dependent on different land use. The research was carried out in the Raszynka River catchment, characterized by a small surface area (75.9 km2) and length (17.14 km). The river is a right tributary of the Utrata River. It is located in the Piaseczno and Pruszkow districts in the Mazowieckie voivodship. The dominant type of land use in the basin is agricultural land. Water samples were collected from 2017 to 2019 from previously designated research points at similar distances along the river. Selected physicochemical indicators examined in the samples include total alkalinity, electrolytic conductivity (EC), pH, and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Moreover, the concentration of selected substances was determined, including nitrogen compounds: NO3- (nitrates) and NH4+ (ammonium), TP (total phosphorus), and Cl- (chlorides). The results showed that the values of some of the examined indicators do not meet the standards set for first-class surface water quality. Indicators significantly exceeding the limit included ammonium, chlorides, and pH. The highest concentration of chlorides, ammonium, and nitrate was found in urbanized areas. The highest concentrations of total phosphorus and COD were determined in agricultural areas and total alkalinity in meadows.

Ecological Importance of Alkaline Phosphatase Activity and Acid Phosphatase Activity in Lakes with Different Catchment Use Structures

“…According to the analysis of precipitation conditions for the 30th hydrological anniversary, it was discovered that the years 2020 and 2022 were dry. The direct catchment area for Lake Łękno spans 1.42 km 2 , while that of Lake Jeziory Wielkie covers 7.53 km 2 . The research focused on non-stratified lakes, where there is no distinct thermal stratification.…”

“…Agricultural areas dominate the catchment, accounting for 45.86% of the area, while forests still maintain a large share of the area, accounting for 42.05% (Figure 2). The direct catchment area for Lake Łękno spans 1.42 km 2 , while that of Lake Jeziory Wielkie covers 7.53 km 2 . The research focused on non-stratified lakes, where there is no distinct thermal stratification.…”

“…We hypothesize that: (1) Different land uses determine the levels of both ACP and ALP. (2) In the case of the lake situated within a forested catchment, the values of ALP will be higher compared to the lake within an agroforestry catchment. (3) The primary factor influencing the levels of phosphatase enzymes is org-P content.…”

“…Due to their specific location, most often in lowland areas, they are particularly exposed to the eutrophication process. The quality of surface waters is closely related to the negative phenomenon of eutrophication [1,2]. Eutrophication is linked to elevated levels of nutrients, specifically nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P).…”

Used macroinvertebrates as bioindicators to compare water quality from different land uses in Watumokala and Nokambu Rivers, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

“…Land use is crucial for human activities such as transportation, agriculture, settlements, parks, and commercial activities, but changing river bank land use can damage the environment (Clark et al 2022;Rutkowska et al 2022), by causing runoff and erosion, leading to water quality degradation and affecting the life of macroinvertebrates that can indicate good and bad water quality (Fierro et al 2017). Therefore, we must take proactive measures to preserve natural resources and maintain sustainability.…”