Streamflow variability can provide valuable information for nonpoint source pollution monitoring program planning. The research papers presented in this thesis examine selected properties of streamflow variability in Oregon to advance its application in regional planning of water quality monitoring programs. The products of this research depict Oregon streams by their relative streamflow variability and evaluate factors that may influence that variability. The three manuscripts examine the application of streamflow variability in the context of regional strategic planning by addressing three related questions: 1.) What is the relationship in Oregon between streamflow variability and watershed size, which is often described as a proxy for streamflow variability?, 2.) What geographic factors in Oregon influence streamflow variability, and are regionalscale factors adequate to efficiently predict streamflow variability on ungaged streams?, and 3.) How is streamflow variability in Oregon affected by seasonal climatic variation? Examination of these questions regarding the behavior of streamflow variability of river systems in Oregon is used to assist in the design of regional and local water quality monitoring programs. Data are from historical records of established US Geological Survey gaging stations. Simple linear regression depicts the relationship of streamflow variability to basin size on a statewide basis and stratified by ecoregions. The results indicate that basin area is not an appropriate indicator of streamflow variability. Multiple regression is used to develop regional models of streamflow variability. Three models are developed for natural flow streams and streams with upstream diversions. Regional and watershed scale variables are evaluated for their potential contributions to the models. Watershed scale variables do not increase the predictive capacity of the models; therefore, the regional scale is appropriate for efficiently modeling streamflow variability. Seasonal investigation of streamflow variability in Oregon develops its application for seasonal monitoring programs. Spatial and temporal analysis reveal a weak relationship between annual and monthly streamflow variability, indicating potential for refined application of the variability index. Streamflow variability is an accessible tool for developing water quality monitoring programs. The regional scale distribution of streamflow variability in Oregon demonstrates the ease at which streamflow variability may be estimated on ungaged streams. / Graduation date: 1998

Investigations of radon in natural water and its relation to physical and chemical parameters are outlined in this thesis. In particular, a method for measuring 222Rn in water at low concentrations (~20 mBq.l-1) is described, followed by discussions concerning the design and its application to study both radon and parameters influencing radon levels in natural waters. A topic considered is the impact of fluoride and other aquatic parameters on radon in water. Moreover, variables such as uranium series radionuclides and stable elements in water, bedrock and sediment radioactivity and geology are investigated in two case studies. This was performed by employing radiometric-, chemical-, statistical- and GIS & geostatistical- analyses. The general water chemistry and presence of some elements such as fluoride was observed to influence radon levels in water. Health aspects of radon in drinking water are discussed based on radiation dose assessments. The radiation doses are compared with and added to doses incurred from ingestion of uranium, radium and polonium isotopes in drinking water and inhalation of radon in air in order to estimate total exposures for different age categories. The results may have a potential for future epidemiological studies.

<p>This study forms part of a broader project co-funded by the Water Research Commission (WRC), and CSIR Parliamentary Grant (PG) and Strategic Research Panel (SRP) research grants, aimed at surveying selected water resources within the 19 Water Management Areas in South Africa. Furthermore, it aims at determining the concentrations of Hg and MeHg in various environmental compartments collected from priority water resources, to identify the potential Hg hotspots, and to assess the degree of compliance with national and international guidelines. Mercury concentrations in the environment have increased globally and this has caused much anxiety in terms of the adverse effects it has on aquatic ecosystems, their organisms, and the communities they sustain. Human health risks associated with the consumption of fish elevated containing Hg concentrations have received minimal attention particularly in South Africa. It is imperative that any potential adverse impacts of Hg on aquatic ecosystems, and the subsequent impacts on human health, be investigated.</p>

It is the responsibility of humans, as environmental stewards, to monitor our impact on the environment so that efforts can be made to remediate the effects of our actions and change behaviors. To better understand our environmental footprint, sensitive and simple analytical methods are needed to quantify the contaminants that we discharge into our natural surroundings. Emerging environmental contaminants are of particular concern because there is limited or no information available on their occurrence, fate, and toxicity. As a result, the implications of using these chemicals are not well understood. Therefore, accurate environmental data are needed to help scientists and government policy-makers make informed decisions on research directions and chemical regulation. However, challenges exist for the analysis of emerging contaminants, including a lack of suitable analytical standards and internal standards, their broad range of chemical properties, and that they are frequently present at trace levels and in complex environmental matrices. The work presented within this dissertation focuses on the development, validation, and comparison of analytical methodologies based on large-volume injection high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) for the analysis of emerging environmental contaminants in aqueous environmental matrices. Large-volume injection (e.g. 900 μL to 4,500 μL) is an analytical technique that eliminates sample preparation associated with pre-concentration by injecting larger-than-traditional volumes of sample directly onto a HPLC column. In Chapter 2, a direct aqueous large-volume injection method was developed and validated for the quantification of natural and synthetic androgenic steroids in wastewater influent, wastewater effluent, and river water. This method was then applied to hourly composite samples of wastewater influent that were taken over the course of a single day. This work expands on the research of the endocrine-disrupting chemicals that occur in wastewater and provides an estimate of the community use/abuse of synthetic androgenic steroids. Environmental analytical methods should be as environmentally friendly as possible and efforts should be made to reduce the waste generated during analysis while maintaining analytical performance. In Chapter 3, a method based on large-volume injection was compared to two methods based on solid-phase extraction. The purpose of this comparison was to demonstrate that the same method performance could be achieved by large-volume injection as that by solid-phase extraction while reducing waste, labor, and costs. Estrogens and perfluorinated chemicals were used as model analytes and wastewater influent was used as a model matrix. The results of this study provide convincing reasons for analysts to adopt large-volume injection as an alternative to solid-phase extraction. In Chapter 4, a novel analytical method was developed and validated to quantify newly-identified and legacy fluorinated chemicals in groundwater. The final method combined micro liquid-liquid extraction, non-aqueous large-volume injection, and orthogonal chromatographic separations. Ground water samples collected from six different U.S. military bases was used to demonstrate the method. This is the first report on the occurrence of these newly-identified fluorinated chemicals in any environmental media and serves as a rational for conducting future research on their environmental fate and toxicity. The breadth of the research presented in this dissertation advances the field of environmental analytical chemistry in several areas. First, classes of environmental contaminants for which there is limited (synthetic androgenic steroids) or no (newly-identified fluorochemicals) environmental data were studied. Second, novel methods based on direct-aqueous and non-aqueous large-volume injection were developed and validated to identify and quantify those contaminants. Third, it was demonstrated that solid-phase extraction is not a "necessary evil" needed to develop methods for emerging environmental contaminants in aqueous matrices. Finally, this work is a platform on which other environmental chemists can use to develop large-volume injection methods in the future. / Graduation date: 2013 / Access restricted to the OSU Community at author's request from Aug. 2, 2012 - Feb. 2, 2013

Biocides are widely used as a preservative or as an antiseptic agent in consumer care products such as toothpaste, mouthwash, and soaps, as well as in household cleaners and even in textiles due to their high antimicrobial effectiveness. The usage of this compounds results in discharge to wastewater treatment plants and so into surface waters. Their existence in the environment is of importance due to their negative effects on aquatic environment microorganisms and human health in terms of occurrence in surface waters and their fate in wastewater treatment plants. In this scope, this study focuses on occurrence and fate of selected biocides, namely triclosan (TCS) and chlorhexidine (CHD), in wastewater treatment plants and in surface waters. It was aimed to determine the biocides levels in surface water and wastewater in Turkey. For the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) studies, several WWTPs with different process configurations, namely, Tatlar WWTP, METU WWTP, Kayseri WWTP and Antalya WWTPs were selected. Composite wastewater samples were taken from various points along the WWTPs on a seasonally basis for one year period. For the surface water part, samples were taken monthly from three different sources with different pollution levels, namely, Kesikk&ouml / pr&uuml / Reservoir, &Ccedil / amlidere Reservoir and Eymir Lake for one year period. All water samples were analyzed for their biocide level using liquid chromatography, following solid phase cartridge extraction. As a result of analyses, TCS concentration in surface water samples was detected as in the range of 0.65-11.15 ng/L, 0.86-48.96 ng/L and 0.86-757.7 ng/L for clean, moderately polluted and polluted water sources respectively. The recovery of solid phase extraction analyses for TCS was achieved as %92. CHD concentration was determined as in the range of &lt / 1.33-5.31 ng/L for surface water samples and the recovery of extraction were calculated as %96 for CHD. The concentration of TCS in wastewater samples was measured as in the range of 1.77-94.47 ng/L and 1.40-15.09 ng/L for influent and effluent samples respectively. These ranges became 1.39-10.45 ng/L and &lt / 1.32-2.44 ng/L for CHD. The highest concentrations of biocides were observed in sludge samples with concentrations of 1117-3687 &mu / g/kg and 510-2742 &mu / g/kg for TCS and CHD. Biocide removal efficiency of primary and biological treatment together was reported as % 67.5&plusmn / 8.2 in January 2012 Tatlar WWTP analyses.

Jakes Creek, Delaware County, Indiana, near Muncie, was investigated between July 5, and November 23, 1969. The purpose of the analysis was to determine the water quality of the stream throughout its twelve kilometer length.Twelve stations were established to analyze the effects of the pollution entering from field tiles and tributaries. Where Jakes Creek enters Killbuck Creek two stations were established, one above and one below the confluence.Physical and chemical tests, and biological indicators were utilized in concluding the following: (1) The major source of the pollution is from the South Branch of Jakes Creek where field drainage tiles carry large volumes of raw sewage. (2) Another source of pollution which flows into the North Branch is from a field tile carrying effluent from a local dairy. (3) Raw sewage enters the stream throughout its length from small tributaries. This sewage supports andenhances the coliform bacteria population. (4) The water is unsuitable for drinking by either humans or domestic stock (Public Health Service Publication No. 956, 1962). Neither should it be used by humans for partial or whole body contact (Indiana Stream Pollution Control Board, 1967). (5) Based on California State Mater Pollution Board criteria the water of Jakes Creek can legally be deemed polluted.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306

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Purpose/aim The purpose of the research is to analyze the relationship between water pollution (WP) and the economic development in China. We found a vicious cycle that at the same time as China’s economy has developed; the WP has become the focus of attention, and has also caused huge economic losses. Faced with this situation, this topic is really worth to study. Design/methodology/approach The research adopted a quantitative methodology for the exploration, and conducted a survey through questionnaires which were answered by different people. These respondents come from four areas in China. After having conducted the survey, we selected three typical provinces as representative for each area, and surveyed the basic information about these places. The sample information was calculated by the Chi-square test. The results will be analyzed together with the findings below. Findings The findings indicated that through an analysis of GDP, population, the economic development level and the degree of WP, there is relationship between economic development and WP. When people ignore the problem of WP, and just focus on the economy, the relationship shows that the more developing of economy, the more serious the WP becomes. Originality/value The original idea in our dissertation is to discuss the relationship between economic development and WP in China. The water problem and economic development form a vicious circle. And it seriously affects the whole China. The study has a value for the improvement of the environmental awareness of all the people in China, and advocates the government to develop the economy, and at the same time protect the water sources.

A major upgrade to the wastewater treatment plant in Saskatoon, Canada significantly improved the final effluent quality. Consequently, the relative impact of the citys urban runoff on the receiving stream, the South Saskatchewan River, has increased. Moreover, at the inception of the study, pending amendments to provincial legislation governing urban runoff were such that urban runoff would no longer be automatically exempt from regulation. In response to this impending change, which has since been made, Saskatchewan Environment initiated a study to examine the water quality of the urban runoff in Saskatoon, because little had been done to date involving the water quality of urban runoff in Saskatchewan.<p>The field program was conducted in 2001 and 2002 to collect representative urban runoff water quality and flow rate data from four different land uses: newer residential, older residential, commercial, and industrial. Three characterizations of the water quality were developed on the basis of the data collected: Site Mean Concentration (SMC), multiple variable regression models, and the unit load. The SMC results indicate that the average water quality parameter concentrations in Saskatoon are greater than those from NURP, the updated U.S. nationwide urban runoff database, and from Vancouver, Canada, but are similar to those from Wisconsin. The regression analyses indicate that the rainfall depth is the most frequently significant parameter in the prediction of event loads. The unit load analyses indicate that the commercial catchment produces the most pollutant load per unit area. Comparison of the methods indicates that the SMC can be used to estimate longer term urban runoff loads, in lieu of the more complex regression method.<p>Heavy metals, pesticides, and fecal coliforms were detected in the urban runoff at concentrations that exceed guideline values. Further investigation is recommended.<p>In comparison to the loads discharged by local point sources, urban runoff contributes larger total suspended solids (TSS) and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) loads to the South Saskatchewan River. The load of COD to the river is comparable to that of the Saskatoon Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). The total phosphorus load contributed by urban runoff is slightly smaller than that of the WWTP. Considering the relative load of TSS from urban runoff to the WWTP and the potential for other, more toxic pollutants to adsorb to the TSS, sediment controls should be implemented at all levels of development. Further examination of urban runoff with specific emphasis on spring and winter runoff is recommended.

The aim of this study is to determine the distribution of Chla in Eymir Lake using remotely sensed data and in-situ data. The study was carried out in three phases / the first phase was taking ground real data from the lake for a 6-month period, secondly the remotely sensed satellite image was taken and analyzed, thirdly a correlation was obtained between the ground data and satellite image, and lastly mapping of the Chla in the lake was made. During the study also the change of the lake during the 6-month period was monitored. The results showed a great variation in the concentration of Chla in the period measured from spring till early fall, from very low almost undetectable concentrations to noticeably very high values especially during summer. The secchi disc depth values ranged from about 3 meters in early spring, to as low as 15 centimeters in late summer / this made it very much related to Chla values. Chla concentrations had a high relationship with the following parameters: DO, TSS, Depth and secchi disc. As for the remotely sensed data also an acceptable level of correlation was obtained between them and Chla data both from laboratory results and in-situ probe.