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HERO ID
5087596
Reference Type
Journal Article
Title
Water quality variables and pollution sources shaping stream macroinvertebrate communities
Author(s)
Berger, E; Haase, P; Kuemmerlen, M; Leps, M; Schäfer, RB; Sundermann, A
Year
2017
Is Peer Reviewed?
1
Journal
Science of the Total Environment
ISSN:
0048-9697
EISSN:
1879-1026
Volume
587-588
Page Numbers
1-10
Language
English
PMID
28190575
DOI
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.02.031
Abstract
In 2015, over 90 percent of German rivers failed to reach a good ecological status as demanded by the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). Deficits in water quality, mainly from diffuse pollution such as agricultural run-off, but also from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), have been suggested as important drivers of this decline in ecological quality. We modelled six macroinvertebrate based metrics indicating ecological quality for 184 streams in response to a) PCA-derived water quality gradients, b) individual water quality variables and c) catchment land use and wastewater exposure indices as pollution drivers. The aim was to evaluate the relative importance of key water quality variables and their sources. Indicator substances (i.e. carbamazepine and caffeine indicating wastewater exposure; herbicides indicating agricultural run-off) represented micropollutants in the analyses and successfully related water quality variables to pollution sources. Arable and urban catchment land covers were strongly associated with reduced ecological quality. Electric conductivity, oxygen concentration, caffeine, silicate and toxic units with respect to pesticides were identified as the most significant in-stream predictors in this order. Our results underline the importance to manage diffuse pollution, if ecological quality is to be improved. However, we also found a clear impact of wastewater on ecological quality through caffeine. Thus, improvement of WWTPs, especially preventing the release of poorly treated wastewater, will benefit freshwater communities.
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Other
•
Nutrient Stressors and Biological Responses
Geographic Location
Other Location
Nutrient Stressor
TP
Biological Response
Macroinvertebrates
Document Type
Journal Article
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