Aquatic Ecological Monitoring and Wastewater Treatment in Agricultural Systems

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water quality and ecological management are the most important components of the agricultural economy and system development. In addition, facilities that can deal with pollutants generated by agriculture are also of great importance (e.g., wastewater treatment facilities), due to the possibility that another harmful compound may be produced as a result of agricultural processes. Various organic and inorganic compounds that are used to grow crops are, as a result of rainfall, likely to enter nearby rivers or streams as nonpoint pollutants, which adversely affects the agricultural ecosystem. However, studies of predictive techniques are needed because precipitation is frequent and has become unpredictable due to climate change. Agriculture has the longest history among numerous industries and is both directly and indirectly related to the development of human life. Therefore, for agricultural growth, it is necessary to make predictions regarding the agricultural aquatic ecosystem in terms of its response to various environmental changes, and this can be achieved through the use of modeling techniques combined with data on water quality and ecological monitoring results. This Topic will focus on monitoring and modeling for water quality, ecosystem, wastewater facility, phytoplankton and zooplankton, taste order compounds, nonpoint sources, and anthropogenic impact. We welcome novel research, reviews, and opinion pieces covering all related topics.

Dr. Jongkwon Im
Dr. Xuwang Zhang
Prof. Dr. Laura Bulgariu
Dr. Christos S. Akratos
Prof. Dr. Francisco Osorio
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Agronomy agronomy	3.3	6.7	2011	17.6 Days	CHF 2600
Water water	3.0	6.0	2009	17.5 Days	CHF 2600
Hydrobiology hydrobiology	-	3.7	2022	21.1 Days	CHF 1000

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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13 pages, 1880 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Distribution of Heavy Metals and Organic Compounds: Contamination and Associated Risk Assessment in the Han River Watershed, South Korea

by Jong Kwon Im, Hye Ran Noh, Taegu Kang and Sang Hun Kim

Agronomy 2022, 12(12), 3022; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12123022 - 29 Nov 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3019

Abstract

Given water pollution increases in aquatic ecosystems resulting from industrialization and rapid urbanization, appropriate treatment strategies to alleviate water pollution are crucial. The spatiotemporal distribution, sources, and potential risk of heavy metals and organic compounds were determined in surface water from the Han [...] Read more.

Given water pollution increases in aquatic ecosystems resulting from industrialization and rapid urbanization, appropriate treatment strategies to alleviate water pollution are crucial. The spatiotemporal distribution, sources, and potential risk of heavy metals and organic compounds were determined in surface water from the Han River watershed (n = 100) in wet and dry seasons. The inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (Cr and As), mercury analyzer (Hg), and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometer (organic compounds) were used to analyze the target compounds. Total concentration and detection frequency were in the order: Cr (2.375 µg/L, 100%) > As (1.339 µg/L, 100%) > Hg (0.007 µg/L, 100%) for heavy metals, and carbofuran (0.051 µg/L, 75%) > bisphenol A (0.040 µg/L, 47%) > quinoline (0.020 µg/L, 32%) for organic compounds. The target compounds showed the highest concentration in the area near industrial facilities. High concentrations and risk levels of all target compounds, except quinoline, were observed during the wet season. Principal component analysis indicated anthropogenic activities were the primary source of pollution. Cr showed the most prominent environmental impact in the wet season, suggesting its ecological risk. Additional monitoring is required for clear risk pollutant assessments in aquatic ecosystems to aid policy implementation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Aquatic Ecological Monitoring and Wastewater Treatment in Agricultural Systems)

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19 pages, 2255 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Bacterioplankton Community Shifts during a Spring Bloom of Aphanizomenon gracile and Sphaerospermopsis aphanizomenoides at a Temperate Shallow Lake

by Daniela R. de Figueiredo, Ana R. Lopes, Mário J. Pereira, Ana R. M. Polónia, Bruno B. Castro, Fernando Gonçalves, Newton C. M. Gomes and Daniel F. R. Cleary

Hydrobiology 2022, 1(4), 499-517; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrobiology1040030 - 25 Nov 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2884

Abstract

Climate change is enhancing the frequency of cyanobacterial blooms not only during summer but also in spring and autumn, leading to increased ecological impacts. The bacterioplankton community composition (BCC), in particular, is deeply affected by these blooms, although at the same time BCC [...] Read more.

Climate change is enhancing the frequency of cyanobacterial blooms not only during summer but also in spring and autumn, leading to increased ecological impacts. The bacterioplankton community composition (BCC), in particular, is deeply affected by these blooms, although at the same time BCC can also play important roles in blooms’ dynamics. However, more information is still needed regarding BCC during species-specific cyanobacterial blooms. The goal of this study was to assess BCC succession in a hypereutrophic shallow lake (Vela Lake, Portugal) during a warm spring using a metagenomic approach to provide a glimpse of the changes these communities experience during the dominance of Aphanizomenon-like bloom-forming species. BCC shifts were studied using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding and multivariate analyses. A total of 875 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were retrieved from samples. In early spring, the dominant taxa belonged to Proteobacteria (mainly Alphaproteobacteria—Rickettsiales) and Bacteroidetes (Saprospirales, Flavobacteriales and Sphingobacteriales). However, at the end of May, a bloom co-dominated by cyanobacterial populations of Aphanizomenon gracile, Sphaerospermopsis aphanizomenoides and Synechococcus sp. developed and persisted until the end of spring. This led to a major BCC shift favouring the prevalence of Alphaproteobacteria (Rickettsiales and also Rhizobiales, Caulobacteriales and Rhodospirillales) and Bacteroidetes (Saprospirales, followed by Flavobacteriales and Sphingobacteriales). These results contribute to the knowledge of BCC dynamics during species-specific cyanobacterial blooms, showing that BCC is strongly affected (directly or indirectly) by Aphanizomenon-Sphaerospermopsis blooms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Aquatic Ecological Monitoring and Wastewater Treatment in Agricultural Systems)

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11 pages, 1626 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Agricultural Intensity on Nutrient and Sediment Contributions within the Cache River Watershed, Arkansas

by Amelia K. Atwell and Jennifer L. Bouldin

Water 2022, 14(16), 2528; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14162528 - 17 Aug 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2845

Abstract

Streams in agricultural lands tend to serve as a conduit for nutrient pollution. These streams are often modified and have reduced riparian zones, resulting in agriculture being the leading cause of nonpoint source pollution into streams of the United States. Eutrophication within the [...] Read more.

Streams in agricultural lands tend to serve as a conduit for nutrient pollution. These streams are often modified and have reduced riparian zones, resulting in agriculture being the leading cause of nonpoint source pollution into streams of the United States. Eutrophication within the Gulf of Mexico has been attributed to nutrient and sediment contributions from watersheds within the greater Mississippi River Basin. One such watershed, the Cache River Watershed (CRW) located in northeast Arkansas, was assessed to determine the impacts of agricultural intensity on water quality at a local scale. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of agricultural activity on nutrient and sediment contributions to the CRW. Following American Public Health Association guidelines, physicochemical parameters, turbidity, and total nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) were analyzed weekly from October 2017–September 2020 at 12 subwatersheds of four varying agricultural intensities (low, low moderate, moderate high, high). Results indicate that physicochemical parameters increase (pH, conductivity, temperature) or decrease (dissolved oxygen) with increased agricultural intensity. Similarly, turbidity and total nutrients also increase (significantly for turbidity and total phosphorus) with increased intensity. Contributions of sediment and nutrients in the CRW not only influence local stream health but also contribute to hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Aquatic Ecological Monitoring and Wastewater Treatment in Agricultural Systems)

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13 pages, 1882 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Study on Water Purification Effect and Operation Parameters of Various Units of Wastewater Circulation

by Tongtong Yin, Yao Zheng, Tingyan Liu, Xiaofei Wang, Jiancao Gao, Zhijuan Nie, Lili Song, Gangchun Xu and Julin Yuan

Water 2022, 14(11), 1743; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14111743 - 29 May 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2936

Abstract

The discharge of wastewater from aquaculture ponds causes a certain degree of damage to the environment. It is necessary to continuously improve the treatment efficiency of wastewater treatment devices. The purpose of this study is to obtain an optimal ratio of wastewater circulation [...] Read more.

The discharge of wastewater from aquaculture ponds causes a certain degree of damage to the environment. It is necessary to continuously improve the treatment efficiency of wastewater treatment devices. The purpose of this study is to obtain an optimal ratio of wastewater circulation devices in order to obtain the best operating parameters and to reduce the discharge of polluted water. We constructed an experimental wastewater circulation device consisting of three units. The primary unit contained modified attapulgite (Al@TCAP-N), volcanic stone, and activated carbon for precipitation. The secondary and tertiary units used biological methods to enhance removal rates of nitrogen and phosphorus. Water quality indicators of total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), ammonia (NH₃-N), permanganate (COD_Mn), and total suspended solids (TSS) were detected. Water quality was tested under different matching ratios for three units of different hydraulic retention time (HRT) and load Results showed that the removal rate of TP, TN, NH₃-N, and TSS reached 20–60%, 20%, 30–70%, and 10–80%, respectively. The average reduction efficiencies of secondary module chlorella and filler on TP, TN, NH₃-N, COD_Mn, and TSS were 56.88%, 30.09%, 0.43%, 46.15%, and 53.70%, respectively. The best removal rate can be achieved when the matching ratio of each unit becomes 2:1:1 and the hydraulic retention time is maintained within 2 h in the high-concentration load. Finally, the average removal rates of TP, TN, NH₃-N, and TSS reached 58.87%, 15.96%, 33.99%, and 28.89%, respectively. The second unit obtained the enhanced removal effect in this wastewater treatment system when adding microorganisms and activated sludge. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Aquatic Ecological Monitoring and Wastewater Treatment in Agricultural Systems)

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21 pages, 2614 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

External Phosphorus Loading in New Lakes

by Theis Kragh, Thor Kolath, Anja Svane Kolath, Kasper Reitzel, Kenneth Thorø Martinsen, Martin Søndergaard, Carl Christian Hoffmann, Lars Baastrup-Spohr and Sara Egemose

Water 2022, 14(7), 1008; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14071008 - 22 Mar 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3697

Abstract

The water quality of lakes is highly dependent on external phosphorus (P) loading. The vast external loadings from sewage and other wastewater discharge that European lakes have historically received have been dramatically reduced today by improved wastewater treatment. Gaining knowledge of the catchment [...] Read more.

The water quality of lakes is highly dependent on external phosphorus (P) loading. The vast external loadings from sewage and other wastewater discharge that European lakes have historically received have been dramatically reduced today by improved wastewater treatment. Gaining knowledge of the catchment characteristics that influence external P-loading should enable predictions of the achievable water quality of lakes. In this study, we tested this proposition. Data from 90 new Danish lakes show no apparent relationship between the mean summer P-concentration and the size or land use of the catchments. The external P-loading and resulting annual P-concentration were further investigated on a representative subset of 12 of the new lakes, using six methods. Three of the methods used empirical estimates of P-transport from catchments, based on the national average P-transport, runoff-dependent P-transport, and crop-dependent P-transport, and the other three methods used different empirical models tested on the lakes. External P-loading was reliably predicted by several of the methods. The predictions of the annual P-concentration were highly dependent on the inclusion of annual runoff. However, the predicted P-concentrations were generally overestimated, most pronounced for the nutrient-poor and most recently established lakes. In these lakes, internal P-loading was found to be the most important factor in predicting achievable water quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Aquatic Ecological Monitoring and Wastewater Treatment in Agricultural Systems)

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20 pages, 3022 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Size–Abundance Relationships of Freshwater Macroinvertebrates in Two Contrasting Floodplain Channels of Rhone River

by Vojsava Gjoni, Pierre Marle, Bastiaan W. Ibelings and Emmanuel Castella

Water 2022, 14(5), 794; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14050794 - 3 Mar 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3393

Abstract

Body size is perhaps the most fundamental property of an organism and its relationship with abundance is one of the most studied relationships in ecology. Although numerous studies have examined these relationships in local communities, few have investigated how they vary at different [...] Read more.

Body size is perhaps the most fundamental property of an organism and its relationship with abundance is one of the most studied relationships in ecology. Although numerous studies have examined these relationships in local communities, few have investigated how they vary at different temporal and spatial scales. We investigated the relationship between body size and abundance of local macroinvertebrate communities in two floodplain channels of the French upper Rhone River. The two channels differ in their vegetation coverage (high vs. low vegetation) and hydrological regimes. The shapes of the size–abundance relationship were similar between channels on a yearly basis but differed when compared between months. The variation in local size–abundance relationships between months was related to variation in the functional diversity across time. Our findings suggest that local size–abundance relationships are able to quantitatively describe temporal changes in community structure, showing the importance of relating diversity with ecosystem function in a more realistic context. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Aquatic Ecological Monitoring and Wastewater Treatment in Agricultural Systems)

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13 pages, 4625 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Coupling Water and Fertilizer on Agronomic Traits, Sugar Content and Yield of Sugarcane in Guangxi, China

by Weixiong Wu, Wuxiang Fu, Juha M. Alatalo, Zhanxia Ma and Yang Bai

Agronomy 2022, 12(2), 321; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12020321 - 26 Jan 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3614

Abstract

This work is a contribution to applied water and fertilizer coupling efforts aiming at increasing crop productivity on sugarcane plantations through the analysis of average cane yields obtained following main agronomic traits in growth and sugar content of plantations, in order to improve [...] Read more.

This work is a contribution to applied water and fertilizer coupling efforts aiming at increasing crop productivity on sugarcane plantations through the analysis of average cane yields obtained following main agronomic traits in growth and sugar content of plantations, in order to improve irrigation scheduling practices. A field experiment was carried out, testing drip irrigation (D), with four levels (0%, 50%, 100% and 150%) of water (W) and four levels (0%, 50%, 100% and 150%) of fertilizer (F) with three replicates. Rain-fed crop (neither irrigation nor fertilizer DW0F0) and manpower irrigation were included as the control (W1F1). The effects of water and fertilizer on agronomic traits (plant high, stem diameter, effective stem number and single stem weight), sugarcane yield and sugar content were studied in Guangxi (southwest China) from 2018–2020. Compared with W1F1, the agronomic traits were higher under DW1F1 treatment; for sugar content, the benefit of the combined treatment was W0.5F0; for sugarcane yield, the best treatment was DW1F1, followed by DW1.5F1. To obtain maximum sugar yield, it is recommended to apply a N fertilizer dose of 292 kg ha⁻¹, K₂O fertilizer 146.55 kg ha⁻¹ and P₂O₅ fertilizer 439.5 kg ha⁻¹ with water 1778.4 m³ ha⁻¹. The results could not only boost efficiency of water and fertilizer, but also establish the reasonable irrigation and fertilizer measure, and regulate yield of sugarcane. It could offer some ideas and techniques for developing precision farming. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Aquatic Ecological Monitoring and Wastewater Treatment in Agricultural Systems)

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11 pages, 1831 KiB  

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Spatiotemporal Trends Observed in 20 Years of Posidonia oceanica Monitoring along the Alicante Coast, Spain

by Fabio Blanco-Murillo, Santiago Jimenez-Gutierrez, Joaquín Martínez-Vidal, Juan Eduardo Guillén and Jose Luis Sánchez-Lizaso

Water 2022, 14(3), 274; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14030274 - 18 Jan 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3582

Abstract

Posidonia oceanica meadows, known to be valuable marine ecosystems, have been reported to be in decline as a result of human activities in recent decades. However, it is still controversial if this decline is a global phenomenon or it is caused by specific [...] Read more.

Posidonia oceanica meadows, known to be valuable marine ecosystems, have been reported to be in decline as a result of human activities in recent decades. However, it is still controversial if this decline is a global phenomenon or it is caused by specific disturbances related to human development at a local scale. In order to evaluate changes in P. oceanica meadows, in this study, monitoring data obtained at 14 stations along the Mediterranean coast near Alicante, Spain, over a 20-year period were analyzed. Field data were obtained through the citizen science project POSIMED, which had the aim of carrying out annual monitoring of both shallow and deep P. oceanica meadows along the coast near Alicante and determining whether their ecological status was changing over time. The percentage cover of living P. oceanica and dead matte and shoot density data were used to assess the ecosystem status and to determine whether there had been an overall regional decline in seagrass over the 20-year period. Both cover and density data showed a significant positive trend at most locations. However, the amount of dead matte was noted to slightly increase with time while six shallow and one deep station showed a negative P. oceanica cover trend, indicating that in certain locations meadow regression might be taking place. Shoot density decreased with depth and increased with the amount of rock cover; its correlation with the dead matte percentage was unclear, which probably means that a range of different factors can result in the presence of dead plants. These results support the idea that local disturbances are the cause of seagrass decline in the Mediterranean, thus demonstrating the need for management plans that focus on local stressors of P. oceanica meadows at specific locations. Long-term, large-scale monitoring allows the ecosystem status in the western Mediterranean to be assessed; however, local disturbances can also affect specific locations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Aquatic Ecological Monitoring and Wastewater Treatment in Agricultural Systems)

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19 pages, 4683 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Nitrate Removal Performance of Denitrifying Woodchip Bioreactors in Tropical Climates

by Fabio Manca, Carla Wegscheidl, Rhianna Robinson, Suzette Argent, Christopher Algar, Daniele De Rosa, Matthew Griffiths, Fiona George, David Rowlings, Louis Schipper and Peter Grace

Water 2021, 13(24), 3608; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13243608 - 15 Dec 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4144

Abstract

In Australia, declining water quality in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is a threat to its marine ecosystems and nitrate (NO₃⁻) from sugar cane-dominated agricultural areas in the coastal catchments of North Queensland is a key pollutant of concern. Woodchip [...] Read more.

In Australia, declining water quality in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is a threat to its marine ecosystems and nitrate (NO₃⁻) from sugar cane-dominated agricultural areas in the coastal catchments of North Queensland is a key pollutant of concern. Woodchip bioreactors have been identified as a potential low-cost remediation technology to reduce the NO₃⁻ runoff from sugar cane farms. This study aimed to trial different designs of bioreactors (denitrification walls and beds) to quantify their NO₃⁻ removal performance in the distinct tropical climates and hydrological regimes that characterize sugarcane farms in North Queensland. One denitrification wall and two denitrification beds were installed to treat groundwater and subsurface tile-drainage water in wet tropics catchments, where sugar cane farming relies only on rainfall for crop growth. Two denitrification beds were installed in the dry tropics to assess their performance in treating irrigation tailwater from sugarcane. All trialled bioreactors were effective at removing NO₃⁻, with the beds exhibiting a higher NO₃⁻ removal rate (NRR, from 2.5 to 7.1 g N m⁻³ d⁻¹) compared to the wall (0.15 g N m⁻³ d⁻¹). The NRR depended on the influent NO₃⁻ concentration, as low influent concentrations triggered NO₃⁻ limitation. The highest NRR was observed in a bed installed in the dry tropics, with relatively high and consistent NO₃⁻ influent concentrations due to the use of groundwater, with elevated NO₃⁻, for irrigation. This study demonstrates that bioreactors can be a useful edge-of-field technology for reducing NO₃⁻ in runoff to the GBR, when sited and designed to maximise NO₃⁻ removal performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Aquatic Ecological Monitoring and Wastewater Treatment in Agricultural Systems)

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17 pages, 2490 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Exogenous Oxytetracycline on High-Temperature Anaerobic Digestion of Elements in Swine Wastewater

by Zhongda Hu, Zijing Fan, Qixuan Song, Rabia Khatoon, Mei Zhang, Ning Wang and Xingzhang Luo

Water 2021, 13(24), 3497; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13243497 - 8 Dec 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3003

Abstract

Tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) are a common type of antibiotic found in swine wastewater. Oxytetracycline (OTC) is a significant type of TC. This study mainly examined the influence of OTC on high-temperature anaerobic digestion by adding OTC to collections of swine wastewater at different [...] Read more.

Tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) are a common type of antibiotic found in swine wastewater. Oxytetracycline (OTC) is a significant type of TC. This study mainly examined the influence of OTC on high-temperature anaerobic digestion by adding OTC to collections of swine wastewater at different times during the digestion process. The results showed that high-temperature anaerobic digestion was suitable for the removal of TCs, with an 87% OTC removal efficiency achieved by day 20. Additionally, OTC added from external sources was found to inhibit the chlortetracycline degradation process and affect the first-order degradation kinetic model of TCs. Complexation reactions were the main ways in which OTC affected the heavy metal content of the water. The exogenous addition of OTC was found to inhibit the activity of some digester microbial strains, reduce the proportion of dominant strains, such as MBA03, and kill certain specific strains. This performance alteration was most obvious when OTC was added in the middle of the reaction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Aquatic Ecological Monitoring and Wastewater Treatment in Agricultural Systems)

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