What impact might mitigation of diffuse nitrate pollution have on river water quality in a rural catchment?

Hutchins, Michael

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2012.04.045

Cited by 33 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…The catchment of the River Ure draining to Boroughbridge (915 km 2 ) is predominantly agricultural grassland (56%) with moorland headwaters, and is underlain by a mixed geology of limestone and grits. Nutrient concentrations are lower than in the Thames, with mean nitrate-N and total phosphorus concentrations being 2.82 and 0.21 mgL −1 , respectively (Hutchins 2012), for a period encompassing that used to originally calibrate QUESTOR. Mean annual rainfall is 1138 mm.…”

Section: River Urementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore estimates of tributary flows could not be based on observed data but instead were based on 46 groups of hydrological response units (HRUs, Fig. 4) as defined in a hydrological transfer function used in the NALTRACES nitrate model (Hutchins 2012). For each of the 46 groups, flow time series were derived from the FFH for station 27034.…”

Section: River Urementioning

confidence: 99%

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Projections of future deterioration in UK river quality are hampered by climatic uncertainty under extreme conditions

Hutchins

Williams

Prudhomme

et al. 2016

Hydrological Sciences Journal

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A modelling study was undertaken to quantify effects that the climate likely to prevail in the 2050s might have on water quality in two contrasting UK rivers. In so doing, it pinpointed the extent to which time series of climate model output, for some variables derived following bias correction, are fit for purpose when used as a basis for projecting future water quality. Working at daily time step, the method involved linking regional climate model (HadRM3-PPE) projections, Future Flows Hydrology (rainfall-runoff modelling) and the QUESTOR river network water quality model. In the River Thames, the number of days when temperature, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand and phytoplankton exceeded undesirable values (>25°C, <6 mg L −1 , >4 mg L −1 and >0.03 mg L −1 , respectively) was estimated to increase by 4.1-26.7 days per year. The changes do not reflect impacts of any possible change in land use or land management. In the River Ure, smaller increases in occurrence of undesirable water quality are likely to occur in the future (by 1.0-11.5 days per year) and some scenarios suggested no change. Results from 11 scenarios of the hydroclimatic inputs revealed considerable uncertainty around the levels of change, which prompted analysis of the sensitivity of the QUESTOR model to simulations of current climate and hydrology. Hydrological model errors were deemed of less significance than those associated with the derivation and downscaling of driving climatic variables (rainfall, air temperature and solar radiation). Errors associated with incomplete understanding of river water quality interactions with the aquatic ecosystem were found likely to be more substantial than those associated with hydrology, but less than those related to climate model inputs. These errors are largely a manifestation of uncertainty concerning the extent to which phytoplankton biomass is controlled by invertebrate grazers, particularly in mid-summer; and the degree to which this varies from year to year. The quality of data from climate models for generating flows and defining driving variables at the extremes of their distributions has been highlighted as the major source of uncertainty in water quality model outputs.

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Section: River Urementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: River Urementioning

confidence: 99%

Projections of future deterioration in UK river quality are hampered by climatic uncertainty under extreme conditions

Hutchins

Williams

Prudhomme

et al. 2016

Hydrological Sciences Journal

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“…Diffuse pollution caused by intensive agricultural practices has long been recognized as a significant environmental issue (Hutchins 2012), and in particular the excess enrichment of surface and ground waters with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Worldwide, diffuse sources are the main polluters of waterways, not least because of the significant difficulties of regulating diffuse pollution (Doole et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating the Impacts of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones on the Environment and Farmers’ Practices: A Scottish Case Study

Macgregor

Warren

2015

Scottish Geographical Journal

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“…This source is dominant in the Carpathian tributaries of the Vistula River (Twardy et al, 2003), although agriculture makes an important contribution to diffuse sources of phosphorus in various rivers (Haygarth et al, 2009). Nitrate content was dependent on the river flow (positive correlation); therefore, diffuse contamination and soil erosion was recognised as its dominant source in the Biała Tarnowska River, similar to other Carpathian rivers in Poland (Twardy et al, 2003;Szarek-Gwiazda, 2013) and in rural rivers dominated by diffuse sources of nitrate (Hutchins, 2012;Cisowska and Hutchins, 2016). Nitrates are easily leached from the soil during the spring thaw and heavy rainfall.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Chemical variability of water and sediment over time and along a mountain river subjected to natural and human impact

Szarek-Gwiazda¹,

Mazurkiewicz-Boroń²,

Gwiazda³

et al. 2018

Knowl. Manag. Aquat. Ecosyst.

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-We studied the variability of physico-chemical parameters in water, and heavy metal contents in water and sediment over time and along the Carpathian Biała Tarnowska River (southern Poland) and related them to catchment geology, human impact and the effect of barriers as a side aspect. The river water was well oxygenated, had pH 7.7-9.5 and was characterised by low and average flow. Temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen did not change significantly, while the contents of major ions, NO 3 À , NH 4 þ , Mn and Fe increased gradually along the river. The major ion contents were negatively, and nitrate, Mn, and Fe positively, correlated with the flow. We recognise correlations between nitrate, Fe and Mn to be good indicators of soil erosion processes in the catchment. River sediment was unpolluted by most of the studied metals (slightly polluted by Ni and Cd). The differences in the values of some parameters (pH and NH 4 þ , PO 4 3À , HCO 3 À , Mn, Cd and Pb concentrations) in the water, and heavy metals in the sediment upstream and downstream of some of the barriers were determined. Spatiotemporal changes in the values of studied parameters and the results of statistical calculation indicate the impact of human activity in the catchment basin (land use, wastewater) on the water chemistry.Keywords: physico-chemical parameters / heavy metals / small barriers / catchment geology / human impact Résumé -Variabilité chimique de l'eau et des sédiments dans le temps et le long d'une rivière de montagne soumise à des impacts naturels et humains. Nous avons étudié la variabilité des paramètres physico-chimiques dans l'eau et les teneurs en métaux lourds dans l'eau et les sédiments au fil du temps et le long de la rivière des Carpathes Biała Tarnowska (sud de la Pologne) et nous les avons mis en relation avec la géologie du bassin versant, l'impact humain et l'effet des barrages comme aspect secondaire. L'eau de la rivière était bien oxygénée, avait un pH de 7,7 à 9,5 et se caractérisait par un débit faible et moyen. La température, le pH et l'oxygène dissous n'ont pas changé de façon significative, tandis que la teneur en ions majeurs, NO 3 þ , PO 4 3À , HCO 3 À , Mn, Cd et Pb) dans l'eau et les métaux lourds dans les sédiments en amont et en aval de certains barrages ont été déterminées. Les changements spatio-temporels des valeurs des paramètres étudiés et les résultats des calculs statistiques indiquent l'impact de l'activité humaine dans le bassin versant (utilisation des sols, eaux usées) sur la chimie de l'eau.

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What impact might mitigation of diffuse nitrate pollution have on river water quality in a rural catchment?

Cited by 33 publications

References 44 publications

Projections of future deterioration in UK river quality are hampered by climatic uncertainty under extreme conditions

Projections of future deterioration in UK river quality are hampered by climatic uncertainty under extreme conditions

Evaluating the Impacts of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones on the Environment and Farmers’ Practices: A Scottish Case Study

Chemical variability of water and sediment over time and along a mountain river subjected to natural and human impact

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