Rivers

The onset of downstream migration of European eels is accompanied by a cessation of feeding and the start of sexual maturation which stresses the link between metabolism and sexual maturation, also suggesting an important role for exercise. Exercise has been tested with eels in swim tunnels and was found to stimulate the onset of sexual maturation. In this study, we have investigated the interplay between migration and maturation in the field during the downstream migration of female silver eels. Temporal changes in migratory status and sexual maturation among silver eels of the upstream Rhine River system over 3 months of the migration season (August, September and October) were determined in biometrical parameters, plasma 17b-estradiol and calcium levels, oocyte histology and gonadal fat levels. Furthermore, the ecological relevant parameters age as determined by otolithometry and health aspects indicated by haematocrit, haemoglobin and swim-bladder parasite load were measured. Silver eels were estimated to be 14 years old. A strong temporal progression in migratory stage was shown over the months of downstream migration. Catches probably represented a mix of reproductive migrants and feeding migrants of which the ratio increased over time. Furthermore, this study confirmed our hypothesis linking the migratory stage to early maturation as indicated by enlargement of the eyes, oocyte growth and fat deposition in the oocytes, exactly the same changes as found induced by exercise but not ruling out environmental influences. Migrants show extensive fat uptake by the oocytes, probably stimulated by the swimming exercise. In addition, at least 83% of the silver eels in this spawning run may have suffered from negative effects of swim-bladder parasites on their swimming performance.

The Citarum River in West Java is the largest water supplier to the Saguling Dam, which plays a major role in electric power generation for the entire Java Island and is used for the aquaculture of marketed fish. To elucidate the extent of degradation in water quality and its causes in the Upper Citarum watershed, physical, chemical and biological parameters for water samples collected from various sites were analyzed. The results demonstrate large site-to-site variations in water qualities and pollutant loads derived from various human activities such as agriculture, cattle raising and the textile industry. To halt worsening conditions of the Citarum watershed, integrated mitigation efforts should be made, taking biophysical pollution mechanisms and local socioeconomic conditions into account.

Perfluorinated substances are listed among emerging contaminants because they are globally distributed, environmentally persistent, bioaccumulative and potentially harmful. In a three-year monitoring campaign (2010-2013) we investigated the occurrence, sources and fate of nine perfluoroalkylcarboxylic acids and three perfluoroalkylsulfonic acids, in the most industrialized region of Italy. Composite samples were collected in influents and effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), in the main rivers flowing through the basin, and in raw groundwater and finished drinking water. Samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Perfluorinated substances were not removed in WWTPs and those receiving industrial wastes discharged up to 50 times the loads of WWTPs receiving municipal wastes. The mass balance of the emissions in the River Lambro basin showed continuously increasing contamination from north to south and differences in the composition of homologues in the west and east sides of the basin. Ground and drinking water were contaminated in industrial areas, but these substances were removed well in Milan. Contamination from industrial sources was prevalent over urban sources, contributing to 90% of the loads measured at the closure of the basin. The River Lambro was confirmed as one of the main sources of contamination in the Po River.

Production of methane and carbon dioxide as well as methane concentrations in surface waters and emissions to the atmosphere were investigated in two flow-through lake complexes (Uzlina–Isac and Puiu–Rosu–Rosulet) in the Danube Delta during post-flood conditions in May and low water level in September 2006. Retained nutrients fuelled primary production and remineralisation of bioavailable organic matter. This led to an observable net release of methane, particularly in the lakes Uzlina, Puiu and Rosu in May. Input from the Danube River, from redbuds and benthic release contributed to CH4 concentrations in surface waters. In addition to significant river input of CO2, this trace gas was released via aerobic remineralisation within the water column and in top sediments. Emission patterns of CO2 widely overlapped with those of CH4. Generally, greenhouse gas emissions peaked in the lake complex adjacent to the Danube River in May due to strong winds and decreased with increasing hydrological distance from the Danube River. Intense remineralisation of organic matter in the Danube Delta lakes results in a net source of atmospheric greenhouse gases.

The maintenance of limnological monitoring programs in the Cerrado Domain is crucial as a provision of useful information about temporal variations in land use and their respective water quality responses, considering its importance as water source for different Brazilian hydrographic basins. The purpose of this research was to describe limnological variables of loworder lotic systems located in the Cerrado Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site (Environmental Protection Area (APA) Gama and Cabeça de Veado, Federal District of Brazil). Altogether, nine different streams were considered in this study. Samplings were conducted between 2010 and 2012, concentrated in the dry and rainy seasons. The sampling sites were generally characterized by low nutrient concentrations (e.g., medians, TP=14.8 μg L −1 , TN=20.0 μg L −1 , NO 3 = 13.8 μg L −1 ) and slightly acidic waters (median, pH= 5.3), with quite low electrical conductivity values (me-dian=6.4 μS cm −1 ). However, water quality degradation as a response to diffuse pollution was reported in some sampling points (e.g., Onça and Gama streams), expressed by relatively higher N and P concentrations, which were probably highlighted by the good water quality of the data set as whole. Although there was a trend to higher values of nitrogen forms during the dry season, significant statistical differences between the seasonal periods were reported only for the variables temperature and dissolved silica, which were higher in the dry and rainy season, respectively. The streams located in the preserved areas inside the ecological stations of APA Gama and Cabeça de Veado can still be considered good examples of reference lotic systems in the Cerrado Domain; notwithstanding, this study reported incipient signs of water quality degradation which cannot be overlooked in future limnological monitoring.

The aim of this study was to better understand the fate of nutrients discharged by sewage treatment plants into an intermittent Mediterranean river, during a low-flow period. Many pollutants stored in the riverbed during the low-flow period can be transferred to the downstream environments during flood events. The study focused on two processes that affect the fate and the transport of nutrients, a physical process (retention in the riverbed sediments) and a biological process (denitrification). A spatial campaign was carried out during a low-flow period to characterize the nutrient contents of both water and sediments in the Vène River. The removal of nitrogen loads (up to 38%) from the water column and was greater than accumulation processes.

The Mahanadi conflict is perhaps the youngest of all inter-state river water disputes in the country.
The two major riparian states – Odisha and Chhattisgarh – are at loggerheads for about seven months now over the distribution of Mahanadi waters. Odisha fears a drastic reduction of water flow in the basin due to several dams and barrages upstream, which have been built by Chhattisgarh without its consent.  While these apprehensions may be correct, the states need better data set and strategic intervention to resolve this river conflict that is going to affect lives and livelihood of millions of indigenous communities, and the ecology of the river basin as well. Some recent tricks by the lower riparian government with cherry picked data has been analysed in this context in the article and it has been suggested that such tricks are not used if the governments were serious about resolving the conflict.

Capital needs during the next twenty years for public wastewater treatment, piping, combined sewer overflow correction, and storm-water management are estimated to be approximately $300 billion for the USA. Financing these needs is a significant challenge, as Federal funding for the Clean Water Act has been reduced by 70% during the last twenty years. There is an urgent need for new approaches to assist states and other decision makers to prioritize wastewater maintenance and improvements. We present a methodology for performing an integrated quantitative watershed-scale goals assessment for sustaining wastewater infrastructure. We applied this methodology to ten watersheds of the Hudson-Mohawk basin in New York State, USA that together are home to more than 2.7 million people, cover 3.5 million hectares, and contain more than 36,000 km of streams. We assembled data on 183 POTWs treating approximately 1.5 million m(3) of wastewater per day. For each watershed, we analyzed eight metrics: Growth Capacity, Capacity Density, Soil Suitability, Violations, Tributary Length Impacted, Tributary Capital Cost, Volume Capital Cost, and Population Capital Cost. These metrics were integrated into three goals for watershed-scale management: Tributary Protection, Urban Development, and Urban-Rural Integration. Our results demonstrate that the methodology can be implemented using widely available data, although some verification of data is required. Furthermore, we demonstrate substantial differences in character, need, and the appropriateness of different management strategies among the ten watersheds. These results suggest that it is feasible to perform watershed-scale goals assessment to augment existing approaches to wastewater infrastructure analysis and planning.

The spatial and temporal variability in bacterial communities within freshwater systems is poorly understood. The bacterial composition of stream epilithic biofilms across a range of different spatial and temporal scales both within and between streams and across the profile of individual stream rocks was characterised using a community DNA-fingerprinting technique (Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis, ARISA). The differences in bacterial community structure between two different streams were found to be greater than the spatial variability within each stream site, and were larger than the weekly temporal variation measured over a 10-week study period. Greater variations in bacterial community profiles were detected on different faces of individual stream rocks than between whole rocks sampled within a 9-m stream section. Stream temperature was found to be the most important determinant of bacterial community variability using distance-based redundancy analysis (dbRDA) of ARISA data, which may have broad implications for riparian zone management and ecological change as a consequence of global warming. The combination of ARISA with multivariate statistical methods and ordination, such as multidimensional scaling (MDS), permutational MANOVA and RDA, provided rapid and effective methods for quantifying and visualising variation in bacterial community structure, and to identify potential drivers of ecological change.

Diatom indices developed in certain geographic regions are frequently used elsewhere, despite the strong evidence that such metrics are less useful when applied in regions other than that where speciesenvironment relationships were originally assessed, showing that species have particular autoecological requirements in different geographic areas. The goal of this study was to develop a new metric, the Duero Diatom Index (DDI), aimed at monitoring water quality in Duero basin watercourses (NW Spain). In summer 2008 and 2009, a total of 355 epilithic diatom samples were collected following standard protocols. The 2008 samples were used to develop the DDI, whereas the samples collected during 2009 were used in the index testing. Weighted averages method was used to derive the autoecological profiles of diatoms with respect to pH, conductivity, biological oxygen demand, ammonia, nitrates, and phosphates. The optimum and tolerance values for the measured environmental variables were determined for 137 taxa with abundances and frequencies of occurrence above 1 %, and subsequent trophic indicator and sensitivity values were defined for the DDI. The correlation between the observed and the diatom-inferred nutrient concentrations was highest for phosphates (ρ S 00.72). Significant statistical relationship were observed between DDI values and the chemistry-based General Quality Index values (p00.006) and the specific pollution index (SPI) diatom metric (p00.04). DDI has demonstrated a better correlation with water chemistry than SPI diatom metric.

PL: Wieloletnia presja antropogeniczna wywarła głębokie zmiany w krajobrazie doliny Kłodnicy w Gliwicach. W artykule przedstawiono różne warianty rewitalizacji doliny rzeki Kłodnicy, możliwe do realizacji w ramach funduszy unijnych, krajowych, partnerstwa publiczno-prywatnego i budżetu obywatelskiego. Zdecydowana większość mieszkańców (81%) źle ocenia stan badanego odcinka doliny, wskazując na potrzebę jej rewitalizacji (76%). Zaproponowane w pracy rozwiązania, zgodne z koncepcją zielonej architektury, pozwoliłyby na odtworzenie potencjału ekohydrologicznego doliny Kłodnicy i stworzenie przyjaznej dla mieszkańców przestrzeni publicznej. Przywrócenie właściwego stanu ekosystemów rzeki umożliwiłoby uzyskanie wielu usług ekosystemowych (poprawa bezpieczeństwa powodziowego, poprawa warunków aerosanitarnych, estetyzacja krajobrazu), podnoszących jakość i standard życia mieszkańców. Przewidziane w projekcie obiekty i infrastruktura stanowiłyby interesującą ofertę spędzania czasu wolnego oraz służyłyby podniesieniu świadomości ekologicznej mieszkańców. EN: Long-term anthropopressure caused negative changes in the landscape of the Kłodnica valley in Gliwice. The article presents various variants of revitalization of the Kłodnica valley. They are possible to realize within European funds, national funds, public-private partnership and the civil budget. Most inhabitants (81%) poorly assessed the state of the studied section of the Kłodnica valley. The inhabitants pointed also at the need to the revitalization of the valley (76%). Solutions proposed in the article, according to green architecture concept, would allow the reconstruction of the ecohydrological potential of the Kłodnica valley and creating friendly public space. The restoration of the proper state of river ecosystems would allow many valuable ecosystem services (improving flood safety, micro-climate regulation, aesthetization of landscape), which increases the standard and quality of life of inhabitants. Objects and infrastructure proposed in the project would be an interesting offer for spending leisure time and would increase the ecological awareness of inhabitants.

1. Predicting population dynamics at large spatial scales requires integrating information about spatial distribution patterns, inter-patch movement rates and within-patch processes. Advective dispersal of aquatic species by water movement is considered paramount to understanding their population dynamics. Rivers are model advective systems, and the larvae of baetid mayflies are considered quintessential dispersers. Egg laying of baetids along channels is patchy and reflects the distribution of oviposition sites, but larvae are assumed to drift frequently and far, thereby erasing patterns created during oviposition. Dispersal kernels are often overestimated, however, and empirical tests of such assumptions are warranted because of the pivotal role distribution patterns can have on populations. 2. We tested empirically whether the egg distribution patterns arising from oviposition behaviours persisted and were reflected in the distribution patterns of larval Baetis rhodani. In field surveys, we tested for associations between egg mass and larval densities over 1 km lengths of four streams. A control species, the mayfly Ephemerella ignita, was employed to test for covarying environmental factors. We estimated drift rates directly to test whether larvae dispersed between riffles (patches of high egg mass density) and whether drift rates were density-dependent or density-relatedexpected outcomes if drift erases patterns established by maternal behaviours. 3. Positive associations between egg masses and larval benthic densities were found for neonate and mid-stage larvae of Baetis, but not the control species, suggesting persistence of the patchy distribution patterns established at oviposition. Drift rates were high, and riffles were net exporters of neonate and mid-stage larvae, but drift rates were unrelated to benthic densities and few drifters reached the next riffle. Riffles were sinks for large larvae, suggesting ontogenetic shifts in habitat use, but little long-distance dispersal. 4. Overall, the results suggest that most neonate and mid-stage larvae of B. rhodani remain close to the natal riffle, and late-stage larvae disperse shorter distances than routinely assumed. The persistence of maternal effects on distribution patterns well into juvenile life of an allegedly iconic disperser suggests that traditional models of how dispersal influences the population dynamics of many lotic invertebrates may be incorrect.

Le septembre 2008 Titre : Caractérisation moléculaire et physiologique des Facteurs de Réponse à l'Ethylène (ERF) chez la tomate (Solanum lycopersicon) JURY Mr. Jean-Claude PECH Président (INP-ENSAT) Mr. Christophe ROTHAN Rapporteur (INRA Bordeaux) Mr. Guy ALBAGNAC Rapporteur (INRA Montpellier) Mme. Mathilde CAUSSE Examinatrice (INRA Avignon) Mr. Masaru OHME-TAKAGI Examinateur (AIST Tsukuba) Mr. Farid REGAD Examinateur (INP-ENSAT) Mr. Mondher BOUZAYEN Directeur de thèse (INP-ENSAT) Mr. Xavier BERTHET Membre invité (NINSAR Barcelone) Ecole doctorale : Biologie Santé et Biotechnologie Unité de recherche : UMR990 INP-ENSAT/INRA Génomique et Biotechnologie des Fruits Directeur de Thèse : Pr. Mondher BOUZAYEN Je remercie Mondher BOUZ AYEN et Masaru OHME-T AKAGI pour m'avoir acceuilli, encadré et fait confiance pendant ce travail de thèse. Je remercie Farid REGAD pour les discussions scientifiques ainsi que son soutien jusqu'à très tard dans la nuit. Je remercie Jean-Claude PECH et Alain LATCHE pour avoir échangé scientifiquement avec moi. Un merci tout spéciale à Corinne, Isabelle, Simone, Marie, Salma et Benoît pour tous les moments de sciences (ou pas) partagés. Merci à Prassad, Ravi, Wangshu et Lanlan d'avoir participé à cette aventure. Un grand merci à Hélène, Carole, Lydie, Olivie r et Dominique pour la transformation et le suivi des plantes transgéniques (et ce n'est pas peu dire). Un grand merci à l'ensemble des membres du laboratoire pour tous les moments partagés, de sciences, et de convivialité : Christian, Je tiens également à remercier tous les membres du Research Institute of Genome-based Biofactory Miho Ikeda, Akira Iwase, Yoshimi Umemura, Tomotsugu Koyama, Masahito Shikata, Kyoko Matsui, Nobut aka Mitsuda, Naoko Kaneta , sans qui cette thèse n'aurait pas eu le même parfum. ありがとう. Merci aussi à Toshi et Hiroshi Ez ura de m'avoir acceuilli. Merci à mes proches qui m'ont soutenu pendant ces années, mes parents et mon frère. Enfin, je tiens à remercier tout particulièrement Laëtitia qui m'a suivi au bout du monde (au sens propre et au sens figuré), pour son soutien permanent et sans qui ce travail aurait été un peu différent. (2007): Isolation and characterization of a Vitis vinifera transcription factor, VvWRKY1, and its effect on responses to fungal pathogens in transgenic tobacco plants J Exp Bot.;58 (8):

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in 34 surface sediments along the Susquehanna River were investigated in 2000. The total concentrations of PAHs in the surface sediments of Lake Clarke, Lake Aldred, the upper Conowingo Reservoir, and the lower Conowingo Reservoir were 3.3 ± 1.5 lg g À1 (n = 9), 1.6 ± 1.3 lg g À1 (n = 4), 9.8 ± 5.5 lg g À1 (n = 7), and 4.0 ± 1.2 lg g À1 (n = 14), respectively. These represent the first comprehensive measurement of PAHs in Susquehanna River surface sediments. Overall, total PAH concentrations were relatively lower in Lake Aldred, which is more shallow and sloped, and significantly higher in the upper Conowingo Reservoir. The sediment PAH levels were related to river flow rates, which are indirectly correlated with the particle size of the surface sediments. Total PAH levels in all the studied sites were below the effects range median (ERM) of 44.8 lg g À1 with 38% (13 of the 34 sampling sites) exceeding the effects range low (ERL) of 4.02 lg g À1 . Principal component analysis indicated that variations in the PAH compound patterns of each reservoir decreased from upstream to downstream, indicating that the surface sediments were mixed along the Susquehanna River. The PAH patterns in the lower Conowingo Reservoir sediments were a combination of those upstream sources. Source analysis using isomer ratios as indicators suggested that PAHs in the Susquehanna River surface sediment are derived from the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal and gasoline with coal as the major source of contaminants.

River health has become one of the most important environmental issues today because of multiple anthropogenic stressors and other artificial interventions that have led to adverse long-term impacts on the physical habitats, biodiversity, ecological functions and the services provided by a water body. Kolong river, located in Assam, India, has suffered a similar fate with it being listed among the 275 most polluted rivers of India by the Central Pollution Control Board, Government of India, in 2015. This study has been carried out with the primary objective of diagnosing chemical and biological river health of the Kolong river with regard to physico-chemical parameters and abundance of the plankton community, using statistical analysis. Four sites along the river were selected for sampling purposes, namely, Jakhalabandha (Station 1), Samoguri (Station 2), Nagaon town (Station 3) and Roha (Station 4). Thirteen physico-chemical parameters were considered for the study and data were co...

To complement physical measures or indices of river health a social benchmarking instrument has been developed to measure community dispositions and behaviour regarding river health. This instrument seeks to achieve three outcomes. First, to provide a benchmark of the social condition of…

The aim of this study was to assess and monitor the seasonal variations of physicochemical parameters (temperature, EC, TS, TDS, TSS, pH, DO, BOD, COD, CO R 3 R , HCO R 3 R El-Menoufia Governorate, Egypt from summer 2012 to spring 2013. Physicochemical characteristics of water varied significantly season to season and the most parameters values were significantly higher during summer at station I. All physicochemical parameters were below the permissible limits except TDS, BOD, COD and NH3 were higher in summer season at all stations. In case of heavy metals, As, Cd, Co, Sb, Se, Sn and V were not detectable (below the detection limits with ICP -OES Cu>Al> Zn>Ni>Pb>Cr>Ba and the highest concentrations of heavy metals were recorded in summer at Station I. The water of El-Bahr El-Pharaony drain is partially polluted with heavy metals so, it is recommended that strict vigilance and constant monitoring are needed to maintain water quality of the drain, which considered ...

A s the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) gets ready to publish the first instalment of its latest report, many critics of the reports have been harking back to the previous effort-and the glaring mistake it made in stating that the Himalayan glaciers would disappear by 2035. The situation in the Himalayas is not as dire as that, but it is certainly perilous. And although the IPCC overstated the timescale, the threat to the mountains from global warming and other pressures is genuine and must be addressed. Just this summer, the Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand witnessed what many described as the most horrific devastation in human memory. Cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides, human deaths and destruction were unleashed within a day. Human casualties were put in the thousands, and estimates of economic loss range from US$500 million to around $2 billion. Similarly, a monsoon flood hit Pakistan in 2010, killing more than 2,000 people, displacing millions and costing $40 billion. Policy-makers in India and elsewhere are reluctant to accept a glaring and dangerous truth: combined human activities have stressed the Himalayas close to their limit. We need positive action, not least a restriction on the number of tourists who visit during the monsoon season from June to September. Too many of them are unaware of the risks they run. Thousands of visitors perished in the Uttarakhand disaster. Policy-makers must actively engage with scientists and experts on the problems facing the Himalayas and their people to make sustainable development work. Global warming can grab the headlines, but many of the other pressures on the fragile mountain region are more mundane. The human population is increasing fast in the Himalayas, and so is the speed of the landscape changes needed to support it. Cattle grazing and rampant deforestation-on current trends, one-third of the total Indian Himalayan forest cover could be gone by 2100-will drive nearly one-quarter of endemic species to extinction and disrupt the natural flow of water. A changed Himalayan landscape caused by human activities and warming means transformed natural ecosystems through biological invasions and reduced native biodiversity. People need energy, and in the Himalayas that means hydropower and dams. Nearly 400 new dams are proposed for the Indian and Tibetan Himalayas in the next decade or so. With them will come more change to ecosystems and more people displaced from submerged settlements. Such rampant dam-building in a region with high seismic activity and fragile geology shows that the policy-makers who approve these schemes either do not understand the scientific evidence or choose to ignore it. The Himalayas are just 45 million years (Myr) old-mere striplings compared with the Climate change and human activities are pushing the fragile ecosystem ever closer to instability,warns Maharaj K. Pandit.

Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS-MS) Waste water Sewage treatment plant (STP) Surface water a b s t r a c t Aim of this study was to provide an up-to-date assessment of the antibiotics contaminating the aqueous environment in Italy, for a better understanding of risks for the ecosystem and human health. Antibiotics were first listed in order of their theoretical environmental loads, then were measured in wastewater of some sewage treatment plants (STPs) and in rivers in Italy. Macrolides, particularly clarithromycin and spiramycin, and quinolones, particularly ciprofloxacin and l-floxacin/ofloxacin, were the most abundant antibiotics in untreated wastewater. Several of them were not removed in STPs and still remained in the treated wastewater, and a total estimate of 7-14 tons of active principles were discharged annually into the aqueous environment in Italy through this route. Results of the analysis of rivers in northern Italy agreed with these figures, with an average load of 5 kg/day, or about 1.8 tons/year, of antibiotics flowing in the River Po, at sampling sites covering a basin comprising about one-fifth of the Italian population. In conclusion, antibiotics, particularly macrolides and quinolones, are widespread environmental contaminants, and urban STPs are confirmed a major source of the contamination.

Large flood events were part of the historical disturbance regime within the lower basin of most large river systems around the world. Large flood events are now rare in the lower basins of most large river systems due to flood control structures. Endemic organisms that are adapted to this historical disturbance regime have become less abundant due to these dramatic changes in the hydrology and the resultant changes in vegetation structure. The Yuma Clapper Rail is a federally endangered bird that breeds in emergent marshes within the lower Colorado River basin in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. We evaluated whether prescribed fire could be used as a surrogate disturbance event to help restore historical conditions for the benefit of Yuma Clapper Rails and four sympatric marsh-dependent birds. We conducted call-broadcast surveys for marsh birds within burned and unburned (control) plots both pre-and post-burn. Fire increased the numbers of Yuma Clapper Rails and Virginia Rails, and did not affect the numbers of Black Rails, Soras, and Least Bitterns. We found no evidence that detection probability of any of the five species differed between burn and control plots. Our results suggest that prescribed fire can be used to set back succession of emergent marshlands and help mimic the natural disturbance regime in the lower Colorado River basin. Hence, prescribed fire can be used to help increase Yuma Clapper Rail populations without adversely affecting sympatric species. Implementing a coordinated long-term fire management plan within marshes of the lower Colorado River may allow regulatory agencies to remove the Yuma Clapper Rail from the endangered species list.

Lead (Pb) is recognized as one of the most toxic metals. Sources of Pb exposure have been widely documented in North America, and the removal of Pb additives from gasoline was reflected in a dramatic lowering of blood Pb concentration. In Latin America, the removal of Pb from gasoline resulted in decreased exposure, but Pb levels in many areas remain high due to occupational and environmental sources of exposure. While many of the Pb sources have been identified (mining, industries, battery recycling, lead-based paint, ceramics), new ones occasionally crop up. Here we report on blood Pb (B-Pb) levels in remote riverside communities of the Brazilian Amazon. Blood Pb (B-Pb) levels were determined in 448 persons from 12 villages of the Lower Tapajó s River Basin, Pará , Brazil. Socio-demographic and dietary information, as well as occupational, residential and medical history was collected using an interview-administered questionnaire. B-Pb, measured by ICP-MS, showed elevated concentrations.

The genus Podocnemis comprises six living species, including P. erythrocephala (irapuca -red-headed river turtle). Data are available concerning the reproductive biology of the species of the genus Podocnemis, but little is known about their reproductive strategies. Considering the total lack of such data for P. erythrocephala, and with the goal of contributing information on their mode of reproduction, we examined the relationships among individuals of nests of this turtle, using microsatellite markers. Using four microsatellite loci, we analyzed the progeny in six nests from two localities in the Brazilian Amazon (Santa Isabel do rio Negro and Parintins). All juveniles from each nest were analyzed. The genotypes of each juvenile from each nest were identified, and because a sample of female DNA was not available, the maternal genotype was inferred from homozygous individuals in each nest. We found that this species is promiscuous; there was multiple paternity in five of the six nests analyzed. In addition to being important for the understanding of evolutionary and genetic processes, this type of information will be useful for chelonian management projects. Our data suggest one possible ©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 9 (1): 435-440 (2010) C. Fantin et al. difference between reproductive patterns of the different populations. This multi-paternal condition may be a natural reproductive strategy for the preservation of the genetic diversity of this species.

Within the ancient country of Japan, thousands of hydroelectric dams exist. The first hydroelectric dam built in Japan was the Oi Dam in 1924. These concrete megaliths have many purposes, with one major function for the Japanese and humans worldwide being the production of hydroelectric power. In essence, the electricity produced by hydroelectric power is a renewable resource generated through the movement of water. This form of energy produces no waste and does not emit carbon dioxide. Yet, many people do not consider large hydroelectric projects to be a sustainable energy source due to the belief that they do not produce enough energy to make their construction necessary. Indeed, the construction of the dams harm the environment in many ways, such as land clearing; the destruction of animal habitat, and the dispersal of humans from their ancient homelands.

The Aguamilpa Dam is part of the reservoir cascade system formed by four reservoirs in the middle and lower part of the Santiago River. For decades, this system has received urban and industrial wastewater from the metropolitan area of Guadalajara and the runoff of agricultural fields located in the river basin. The present study was carried out to obtain a preliminary assessment on the concentration distribution of heavy metals (Al, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in surface sediments of the Aguamilpa reservoir collected from 10 sampling stations. The metal concentrations (mg kg −1

Catchment urbanization perturbs the water and sediment budgets of streams, degrades stream health and function, and causes a constellation of flow, water quality and ecological symptoms collectively known as the urban stream syndrome. Low-impact development (LID) technologies address the hydrologic symptoms of the urban stream syndrome by mimicking natural flow paths and restoring a natural water balance. Over annual time scales, the volumes of storm water that should be infiltrated and harvested can be estimated from a catchment-scale water-balance given local climate conditions and pre-urban land cover. For all but the wettest regions of the world, the water balance predicts a much larger volume of storm water runoff should be harvested than infiltrated to restore stream hydrology to a pre-urban state. Efforts to prevent or reverse hydrologic symptoms associated with the urban stream syndrome will therefore require: (1) selecting the right mix of LID technologies that provide regi...

We assessed the dynamics of fine sediment concentrations in two headwater catchments. • Exceedances of FFD guidelines were found be 8.3% and 17.8% of the monitoring period. • Exceedances were short in duration, in contrast to receptor response experiments. • The 7 h sampling method was found to predict exceedance most accurately.

Constructal theory is the view that (i) the generation of images of design (pattern, rhythm) in nature is a phenomenon of physics and (ii) this phenomenon is covered by a principle (the constructal law): 'for a finite-size flow system to persist in time (to live) it must evolve such that it provides greater and greater access to the currents that flow through it'. This law is about the necessity of design to occur, and about the time direction of the phenomenon: the tape of the design evolution 'movie' runs such that existing configurations are replaced by globally easier flowing configurations. The constructal law has two useful sides: the prediction of natural phenomena and the strategic engineering of novel architectures, based on the constructal law, i.e. not by mimicking nature. We show that the emergence of scaling laws in inanimate (geophysical) flow systems is the same phenomenon as the emergence of allometric laws in animate (biological) flow systems. Examples are lung design, animal locomotion, vegetation, river basins, turbulent flow structure, self-lubrication and natural multi-scale porous media. This article outlines the place of the constructal law as a self-standing law in physics, which covers all the ad hoc (and contradictory) statements of optimality such as minimum entropy generation, maximum entropy generation, minimum flow resistance, maximum flow resistance, minimum time, minimum weight, uniform maximum stresses and characteristic organ sizes. Nature is configured to flow and move as a conglomerate of 'engine and brake' designs.

Riverine tsetse flies such as Glossina palpalis gambiensis and G. tachinoides are the vectors of human and animal trypanosomoses in West Africa. Despite intimate links between tsetse and water, to our knowledge there has never been any attempt to design trapping devices that would catch tsetse on water. In mangrove (Guinea) one challenging issue is the tide, because height above the ground for a trap is a key factor affecting tsetse catches. The trap was mounted on the remains of an old wooden dugout, and attached with rope to nearby branches, thereby allowing it to rise and fall with the tide. Catches showed a very high density of 93.9 flies/"water-trap"/day, which was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than all the catches from other habitats where the classical trap had been used. In savannah, on the Comoe river of South Burkina Faso, the biconical trap was mounted on a small wooden raft anchored to a stone, and catches were compared with the classical biconical trap put on the shores. G. p. gambiensis and G. tachinoides densities were not significantly different from those from the classical biconical one. The adaptations described here have allowed to efficiently catch tsetse on the water, which to our knowledge is reported here for the first time. This represents a great progress and opens new opportunities to undertake studies on the vectors of trypanosomoses in mangrove areas of Guinea, which are currently the areas showing the highest prevalences of sleeping sickness in West Africa. It also has huge potential for tsetse control using insecticide impregnated traps in savannah areas where traps become less efficient in rainy season. The Guinean National control programme has already expressed its willingness to use such modified traps in its control campaigns in Guinea, as has the national PATTEC programme in Burkina Faso during rainy season.

The occurrence of 28 pharmaceuticals and 10 estrogens has been investigated in waters from the lower part of the Llobregat River basin, where the main intakes for production of drinking water for Barcelona (Spain) are located. Sampling was programmed to monitor the same mass of water on its way down the river to reflect inputs from discharges, contribution from subsidiaries plus persistence of the compounds in the surface water. Analysis of pharmaceuticals was performed by off-line solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with a triple quadrupole analyzer (LC-QqQ-MS/MS). Further analysis by ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry with a time-of-flight analyzer (UPLC-TOF-MS) has been proposed and applied for confirmation of several of these target compounds. Estrogens have been analysed by on-line SPE-LC-QqQ-MS/MS. Within the class of pharmaceuticals, 23 out of the 28 compounds investigated, were detected in at least one sample. The highest concentrations were observed for the b-blockers metoprolol (8042 ng L À1 ) and sotalol (788 ng L À1 ), the antibiotic ofloxacin (1904 ng L À1 ), and the lipid regulator gemfibrozil (1014 ng L À1 ). Within the group of estrogens, only estrone and estrone-3-sulfate were positively identified, with concentrations for the former (0.82-5.81 ng L À1 ) close in some locations to those considered sufficient to induce estrogenic effects in aquatic organisms (1-10 ng L À1 ). As a general pattern, concentration of target compounds increases along the river flow as expected.

Chemical pollution is typically characterized by exposure to multiple rather than to single or a limited number of compounds. Parent compounds, transformation products and other non-targeted compounds yield mixtures whose composition can only be partially identified by monitoring, while a substantial proportion remains unknown. In this context, risk assessment based on the application of additive ecotoxicity models, such as concentration addition (CA), is rendered somewhat misleading. Here, we show that ecotoxicity risk information can be better understood upon consideration of the probabilistic distribution of risk among the different compounds. Toxic units of the compounds identified in a sample fit a lognormal probability distribution. The parameters characterizing this distribution (mean and standard deviation) provide information which can be tentatively interpreted as a measure of the toxic load and its apportionment among the constituents in the mixture (here interpreted as mixture complexity). Furthermore, they provide information for compound prioritization tailored to each site and enable prediction of some of the functional and structural biological variables associated with the receiving ecosystem. The proposed approach was tested in the Llobregat River basin (NE Spain) using exposure and toxicity data (algae and Daphnia) corresponding to 29 pharmaceuticals and 22 j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w . e l s e v i e r . c o m / l o c a t e / s c i t o t e n v pesticides, and 5 structural and functional biological descriptors related to benthic macroinvertebrates (diversity, biomass) and biofilm metrics (diatom quality, chlorophyll-a content and photosynthetic capacity). Aggregated toxic units based on Daphnia and algae bioassays provided a good indication of the pollution pattern of the Llobregat River basin. Relative contribution of pesticides and pharmaceuticals to total toxic load was variable and highly site dependent, the latter group tending to increase its contribution in urban areas. Contaminated sites' toxic load was typically dominated by fewer compounds as compared to cleaner sites where more compounds contribute.

A simulation-based interval quadratic waste load allocation (IQWLA) model was developed for supporting river water quality management. A multi-segment simulation model was developed to generate water-quality transformation matrices and vectors under steady-state river flow conditions. The established matrices and vectors were then used to establish the water-quality constraints that were included in a water quality management model. Uncertainties associated with water quality parameters, cost functions, and environmental guidelines were described as intervals. The cost functions of wastewater treatment units were expressed in quadratic forms. A water-quality planning problem in the Changsha section of Xiangjiang River in China was used as a study case to demonstrate applicability of the proposed method. The study results demonstrated that IQWLA model could effectively communicate the interval-format uncertainties into optimization process, and generate inexact solutions that contain a spectrum of potential wastewater treatment options. Decision alternatives can be generated by adjusting different combinations of the decision variables within their solution intervals. The results are valuable for supporting local decision makers in generating cost-effective water quality management strategies.