All in Contaminants

Modelling Microbial Utilisation of Macrophyte Organic Matter Inputs to Rivers under Different Flow Conditions

superuser — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:54:43 +0000

This thesis by Patricia Bowen, University of Canberra investigates the timing and composition of organic matter (OM) inputs to rivers. These are important as carbon plays a major role in river functioning.

IDs and People

Program:

River Landscapes

Program Theme:

National River Contaminants

Research Type:

Research Project

LWA Project Code:

UOC19

Researchers:

Patricia Bowen

Subjects

Subjects:

Threats and Pests

Contaminants

Rivers and Wetlands

Current Activities

Status:

Complete

Development of a Catchment Contaminant Cycle for Stakeholder Use

superuser — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:31:56 +0000

The aims of this project were:

To develop a catchment modelling framework to integrate and link component models developed by various researchers, including those contributing to other projects under the Contaminants Program.
To conduct initial stakeholder workshops in two regions to articulate broad focus of the project and solicit input viz-a-viz modelling needs.
To Conduct technical workshops with modelling specialists (including other NRCP project teams) to discuss appropriate model algorithms, scale issues and model validation.
To develop a comprehensive contaminant cycle model applicable to large catchments, giving consideration to sediment, nutrients, salt and ecology, and the interlinking of land, groundwater and rivers
Via stakeholder consultation, ensure that the model addresses the right questions and is presented in a form that is meaningful to both technical and lay people.
To apply the model to two regions as case studies, engaging stakeholders throughout the process

IDs and People

Program:

River Landscapes

Program Theme:

National River Contaminants

Research Type:

Research Project

LWA Project Code:

CLW55

Researchers:

Kit Rutherford

Subjects

Subjects:

Contaminants

Rivers and Wetlands

Current Activities

Status:

Complete

Risk-based Approaches for Managing Contaminants in Catchments

superuser — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:26:43 +0000

The project, undertaken through a research collaboration between Monash University, the University of Melbourne and CSIRO, and in partnership with regional natural resource management agencies, aimed to:

IDs and People

Program:

River Landscapes

Program Theme:

National River Contaminants

Research Type:

Research Project

LWA Project Code:

UMO43

Subjects

Subjects:

Contaminants

Rivers and Wetlands

Current Activities

Status:

Complete

Integrated Impacts of Contaminants and Flow on Riverine Ecosystem Production

superuser — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:23:11 +0000

This project identified key sources and sinks of nutrients, sediment and salts; their interactions with in-stream primary production and flow regime to effect ecosystem production in the Murrumbidgee river.

IDs and People

Program:

River Landscapes

Program Theme:

National River Contaminants

Research Type:

Research Project

LWA Project Code:

UNE47

Host Organisation:

University of New England

Researchers:

Sue vink

Darren Ryder

Subjects

Subjects:

Contaminants

Rivers and Wetlands

Current Activities

Status:

Complete

Catchment Nutrients and Sediment budgets: identification of knowledge gaps

superuser — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:18:57 +0000

This project aimed to:

To compile a database on nutrients (N, P and possibly C) and sediment movement for the following rivers: the Murrumbidgee River (NSW), the Brisbane River (Qld), the Latrobe River (West Gippsland, Vic), and the Johnstone River (Qld).
To develop a nitrogen, phosphorus, (carbon where possible) and sediment budget for each of the selected catchments using a combination of empirical and modelled data. The modelled data will be generated by the CSIRO models developed for the NLWRA (SEDNET/ANNEX). In the Johnstone catchment, the SEDNET/ANNEX model outputs will be compared with those from a water quality model calibrated for the catchment.
To determine the critical processes controlling each contaminant transport and transformations and how these processes vary with environmental conditions (flow variability, magnitude, temperature, vegetation, land uses, sediment types) and identify key knowledge gaps that will assist in the development of parameterisation of new processes to include in catchment management models.
Assess the effectiveness of current monitoring strategies and propose improved methods.

IDs and People

Program:

River Landscapes

Program Theme:

National River Contaminants

Research Type:

Research Project

LWA Project Code:

CLW54

Host Organisation:

CSIRO Land & Water

Researchers:

Myriam Bormans

Subjects

Subjects:

Contaminants

Rivers and Wetlands

Current Activities

Status:

Complete

Identifying sources of sediment in river basins to help develop revegetation priorities

superuser — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:12:30 +0000

Scott Wilkinson and Chris Kennedy from CSIRO Land & Water developed a modelling tool to assess spatial patterns in the sediment sources and sediment transport at the river basin regional scale. SedNet has enabled Catchment Management Authorities to target areas for riparian restoration, measures to reduce bank erosion or general catchment management activities to reduce soil erosion in order to address the source of erosion and sediment problems.

IDs and People

Program:

River Landscapes

Program Theme:

National River Contaminants

Research Type:

Research Project

LWA Project Code:

CLW89

Host Organisation:

CSIRO Land & Water

Researchers:

Scott Wilkinson

Chris Kennedy

Subjects

Subjects:

Contaminants

Rivers and Wetlands

Current Activities

Status:

Complete

Better Fertiliser Decisions

superuser — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:06:31 +0000

The aims of the project were to

provide regionally specific and scientifically validated fertiliser production responses for various seasonal, climatic and soil conditions
identify landscape, soils and fertiliser management practices that impact on the environment
to integrate the production and environmental information for key fertiliser stakeholders.

Dairy Australia was the project manager for this project, with Ken Peverill and Cameron Gourley as principle investigators.

More information

See chapter 6 of “Salt, Nutrient, Sediment and interactions: Findings from the National River Contaminants Program” below.

IDs and People

Program:

River Landscapes

Program Theme:

National River Contaminants

Research Type:

Research Project

LWA Project Code:

DRD5

Host Organisation:

Dairy Australia

Researchers:

Ken Peverill

Cameron Gourley

Subjects

Subjects:

Contaminants

Rivers and Wetlands

Current Activities

Status:

Complete

Instream and riparian zone nitrogen dynamics

superuser — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:59:47 +0000

This project investigated broad patterns of nitrogen cycling in freshwater streams and their associated riparian zones, with an emphasis on the potential for riparian vegetation to buffer nitrogen inputs to surface waters. The focus of past studies has typically been on either the riparian zone or stream, but not both. This project took a unique perspective in examining both ecosystem components, and doing so in multiple sites across three distinct biogeographic regions: southeast Queensland (SEQ), southern Victoria (VIC) and southwestern Australia (WA). These regions were chosen as a result of their contrasting climates and soil types, and so the development of conceptual models could draw on data from past and ongoing research being conducted in these regions.

IDs and People

Program:

River Landscapes

Program Theme:

National River Contaminants

Research Type:

Research Project

LWA Project Code:

GRU28

Subjects

Subjects:

Contaminants

Rivers and Wetlands

Current Activities

Status:

Complete

Alternative Stable States: a potential paradigm for managing salinised ecosystems

superuser — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:10:40 +0000

This project has tested the applicability of the concept of alternative stable states (clear water dominated by macrophytes versus turbid water dominated by phytoplankton) to a range of saline and colored systems encompassed by inland rivers and wetlands in south-western Australia.

IDs and People

Program:

River Landscapes

Program Theme:

National River Contaminants

Research Type:

Research Project

LWA Project Code:

UMU18

Researchers:

Associate Professor Jenny Davis

Subjects

Subjects:

Contaminants

Rivers and Wetlands

Current Activities

Status:

Complete

Determining transition thresholds between alternative ecological states in saline waterbodies

superuser — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:51:13 +0000

This PhD study by Lien Sim used experimental and observational data from seven saline wetlands in the wheatbelt of south west WA in order to identify some of the potential mechanisms for the transition between a salt tolerant submerged macrophyte dominated regime and a benthic microbial community dominated regime. The applicability of existing conceptual models for ecological regime shifts were then tested against these data.

IDs and People

Program:

River Landscapes

Program Theme:

National River Contaminants

Research Type:

Research Project

LWA Project Code:

UMU19

Researchers:

Lien Sim

Subjects

Subjects:

Contaminants

Rivers and Wetlands

Current Activities

Status:

Complete

Predicting salinity induced loss of biodiversity

superuser — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:40:42 +0000

The objectives for this project were to develop and test a management tool to predict the loss of instream fauna biodiversity (micro-, macro- invertebrates and fish) due to changes in salinity. Extensive experimental data were collected from the southern Murray Darling Basin (MDB) with proof-testing in the northern MDB and Tropical Australia to see whether the results transfered across Australia. The effect of salinity in combination with changes in other key water quality variables (such as nutrients, pH, temperature and dissolved oxygen) were investigated and incorporated into the tool.

IDs and People

Program:

River Landscapes

Program Theme:

National Rivers Consortium

Research Type:

Research Project

LWA Project Code:

RM112

Researchers:

Ben Kefford

Subjects

Subjects:

Contaminants

Rivers and Wetlands

Current Activities

Status:

Complete

Impact of pesticide mixtures used in irrigation agriculture on freshwater ecosystems

superuser — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:00:13 +0000

The principal aim of the research project is to assess the impacts of commonly used agricultural pesticides when present as mixtures on freshwater aquatic ecosystems.

IDs and People

Program:

Innovation

Program Theme:

PhD Students

Host Organisation:

University of Technoloy Sydney

Researchers:

Catherine Choung

Subjects

Subjects:

Biodiversity

Contaminants

Current Activities

Status:

Complete

Frogs as bioindicators for chemical use in irrigation-based agriculture

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 02:17:03 +0000

Dramatic worldwide population declines and extinctions, coupled with high frequencies of physical abnormalities, may be directly related to agricultural activities, particularly the use of herbicides, insecticides and other chemicals.

IDs and People

Program:

Innovation

Program Theme:

Innovation Call

Research Type:

Innovation Call

LWA Project Code:

002303

Host Organisation:

Department of Environment and Conservation

Researchers:

Dr Ross Hyne

Subjects

Subjects:

Biodiversity

Contaminants

Project Information

Outcomes:

We now know, as a result of the research funded in this project and completed by Dr Ross Hyne Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW) and others that:

Southern bell frogs were sensitive to more intensive agricultural practices that reduce habitat, increase agricultural chemicals and reduce water quality.
Detailed statistically robust comparative analysis of Coleambally Irrigation Area Southern bell frogs (L. raniformis) shows that their distribution is related to agricultural practices that included agricultural chemicals. Metolachlor (used as a herbicide in the production of corn) appears to be an indicator associated with other factors that lower the probability of detecting southern bell frogs in northern areas.
Two types of solvent-based passive sampling devices were used and 50% detected residues of herbicides and fipronil, whereas the insecticides chlorpyrifos and endosulfan were detected in more than 85% of the samplers. Concentrations that exceed the water quality guideline triggers were measured at some locations, although endosulfan and fipronil residues were very low.
Southern bell frogs did not display the impact of endocrine disruption effects from atrazine such as hermaphroditism or intersex gonads as expected from a previous study.

We also found that the 14-d average metolachlor concentrations that the L. raniformis tadpoles were exposed to at the study sites (0.05-0.73 μg/L) in the Coleambally Irrigation Area were four to five orders of magnitude lower than its 96-h LC50 of 13.6 mg/L for embyrotoxicity to the frog, Xenopus laevis (Osano et al. 2002). Assuming there is no much difference in sensitivity between these species, this suggests that metolachlor (used as a herbicide in the production of corn) may not cause direct adverse effects on L. raniformis, but rather it is an indirect indicator of agricultural practices such as pesticide usage, which are in turn a result from the different crop types being grown in the area. Detailed statistically robust comparative analysis of Coleambally Irrigation Area Southern bell frogs shows that their distribution is related to agricultural practices that included agricultural chemicals.

Sites in the southern region of the Coleambally Irrigation Area are dominated by traditional rice farmers with small land holdings, which utilise minimal machinery for the construction of rice bays and levees. This results in well-vegetated rice bay levees on the farms and terrestrial environment adjacent to the irrigation supply channels from which the frogs disperse. In contrast, a feature of the northern irrigation region is the preponderance of larger land holdings, which in summer grow other crops such as corn and sorghum in addition to rice. This has lead to more mechanised farm practices on the larger holdings including more water recycling which results in higher conductivity. Associated with the water recycling are less vegetated on-farm water channels particularly at the beginning on the rice season, which may also discourage frog recruitment. Limited recruitment early in the rice growing season would be particularly disadvantageous for L. raniformis because of its more restricted breeding period, compared to the other anuran species. Southern bell frogs were sensitive to intensive agricultural practices that reduce habitat, increase agricultural chemicals and reduce water quality.

The figure above shows where L. raniformis is present (CP) and absent (CA) on corn and rice farms and present (RP) and absent (RA) on rice only farms. Sites with solid symbols show that L. raniformis was present. The results of the statistical analysis (Discriminant Analysis) arranges the data and identifies the most powerful explanations for the pattern. The sites are shown arranged across the most powerful explanatory variables. In summary L. raniformisis is more likely to be found in sites with low metolachlor concentrations, high pH, low conductivity and high temperatures. This is a powerful relationship with 20/28 sites being correctly classified and the correlation coefficients are 0.84 for the first function and 0.60 for the second, and together account for 94% of the variance.

Hermaphroditism or intersex gonads occurred in both Limnodynastes species, but only at a very low frequency (below 2%) which is considered the natural frequency of hermaphroditism in wild frog populations (Pettersson and Berg 2007). Furthermore, the study found no evidence of increased intersex gonads in late stage tadpoles or juvenile Limnodynastes species and L. raniformis frogs at sites with relatively high atrazine concentrations (0.16─1.67 μg/L) over 6 weeks during the period they would be undergoing metamorphosis. This contrasts with the study by Hayes et al. (2003) that found an increased occurrence of intersex gonads of male frogs in agricultural areas growing corn that was attributed to their exposure to concentrations of atrazine higher than 0.1 μg/L. Southern bell frogs did not display the impact of endocrine disruption effects from atrazine such as hermaphroditism or intersex gonads as expected from a previous study.

Current Activities

Status:

Active

Endocrine disrupting chemicals in the Australian riverine environment

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 02:11:55 +0000

This national level pilot project assessed the environmental fate (breakdown, phase partitioning into sediments, mobility) and ecotoxicological impact of priority endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in Australian riverine environment. Samples from waterways from across Australia (e.g., Queensland, South Australia, Australian Capital Territory) associated with various types of sources were collected and screened for EDCs. The total loading of estrogenic and androgenic compounds was assessed.

IDs and People

Program:

Innovation

Program Theme:

Innovation Call

Research Type:

Innovation Call

LWA Project Code:

002286

Host Organisation:

CSIRO Land and water

Researchers:

Dr Rai Kookana

Subjects

Subjects:

Contaminants

Water (General)

Project Information

Summary:

Endocrine disrupting chemicals in the Australian riverine environment

Current Activities

Status:

Complete

Healthy catchments through detection and remediation of contaminants with novel technologies

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:46:52 +0000

IDs and People

Program:

Innovation

Program Theme:

Innovation Call

Research Type:

Innovation Call

LWA Project Code:

002500

Host Organisation:

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

Researchers:

Professor David Mainwaring

Subjects

Subjects:

Innovation

Contaminants

Catchment Management

Project Information

Summary:

This one year project has critically tested two novel technologies for contaminant detection and treatment in catchment water contaminated by agricultural chemicals. The project brings together RMIT’s expertise (polymer compositions suitable for fungicide iprodione sensing in real ground and run-off water) and Victorian DPI expertise (analytical support and samples) to develop a chemical detection device made of a polymer. The research has tested whether salinity, pH, water temperature and colloids interfere with polymer used to trap and detect iprodione (Ip). Ip is a widely used fungicide that effects ecosystems and organisms and is undesirable in water and export fruit but is necessary for fungal management. Managing the chemical Iprodione impacts off-site is vital to various land uses (eg strawberry farming). These tests have shown the polymer is sensitive, durable and inexpensive. It has shown that this polymer system has the capacity to detect iprodione in more efficient ways than currently available. Avoiding specialist laboratory analysis and reducing costs per measure is attractive to managers of water quality. Prototypes of the polymer thin film-Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) chips have been fabricated and trials of the long-term stability have been conducted with solutions that could be encountered in field application. Tests using samples from creeks in the Yarra catchment, groundwater from boreholes and surface flow in the Yea River area were compared to an independent conventional lab test. The potential to reuse the sensor multiple times was also demonstrated. Some interference was observed and varied between different water samples; however, quantitative detection was demonstrated. The polymer is able to bind up to 10% of its own weight in Ip at the residual concentration of 7 ppm (i.e. after polymer binding) satisfying the requirements for a mass detection device. Polymer binding of the Ip concentrations below the solubility limit of Ip in water (13 ppm) leaves equilibrium concentrations <0.02 ppm which is the current detection limit of the analytical technique employed (GC-NPD). The results of tests using Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) for detecting and identifying contaminants Ip and metsulfuron-methyl (MM a widely used herbicide at low parts per million) levels) identified some research challenges. Reproducibility of results at 0.47 mg/L Ip was low and was attributed to the irregular deposition of Ip on the SERS substrate during the water evaporation step – further methodological work is needed. The interaction of Ip and MM is also worthy of further research and a RMIT post-doctorate may be working on this next. Focus group workshops in 2008 identified ways the work can be adopted in the water industry. RMIT is considering ongoing investments and meeting with the Victorian Strawberry Industry Development Committee and Melbourne Water have discussed ongoing collaboration. Further workshops are being planned by RMIT, DPI and LWA.

Current Activities

Status:

Active

Resources

External Links:

Cheap sensor finds pollutants (ScienceAlert, 4 May 2009)