2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference
March 13 - 15, 2022
5/22/2019 | 9:45 AM - 10:00 AM | EFFECTS OF TREATED EFFLUENT ADDITION IN STREAMS: WATER QUALITY, ECOLOGY, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS | 150 DEF
EFFECTS OF TREATED EFFLUENT ADDITION IN STREAMS: WATER QUALITY, ECOLOGY, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Environmental laws in many countries require wastewater treatment plants to process sewage before treated effluent can be discharged into streams, but relatively little is known about ecological impacts of effluent. In this study, we reviewed 148 published papers focusing on effluent-fed streams across the globe to synthesize geographic patterns, water quality issues, and ecological impacts of effluent. Studies were concentrated in developed countries, and the majority of studies addressed water quality issues. Water quality changes noted with the addition of effluent included elevated temperatures and nutrient levels (e.g. nitrate, ammonia, and phosphate) and decreased dissolved oxygen levels. There is also growing research attention on novel emerging contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Effluent-fed stream communities differed from non-impacted or reference streams in several ways, including: (1) increased algal biomass and abundance counts, (2) decreased richness of sensitive Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera taxa, and (3) increased relative abundances of female and intersex fish. More studies are needed to better understand the ecological impacts of effluent on other taxa (e.g. amphibians, macrophytes), especially as cities continue to grow and more effluent is produced and discharged into streams.
- Urban
- Biodiversity
- Impairment
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Presenters/Authors
Hamdhani Hamdhani
(), University of Arizona, hamdhani@email.arizona.edu;
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Drew Eppehimer
(), University of Arizona, deppehimer@gmail.com;
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Michael Bogan
(), School of Natural Resources and the Environment, The University of Arizona, mbogan@email.arizona.edu;
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