Impacts of desalination discharges on phytoplankton and zooplankton: Perspectives on current knowledge.

Large-scale application of desalination technology can result in impacts to the marine biota, such as phytoplankton and zooplankton, basal components of marine trophic webs. In this context, our perspective aimed to summarize the impacts of effluent discharges from desalination plants on phytoplankton and zooplankton in order to identify the main gaps and challenges in this theme, propose solutions, and provide recommendations for future work. We identified two main approaches to assess the desalination impacts: laboratory experiments and field studies. Most of these studies were conducted in areas impacted by effluent discharges using the BACI (before, after, and control-impact) approach. They primarily aimed to set out the impacts of hypersaline brine on the surrounding environment and, to a lesser extent, the high-temperature effluents and contaminants from desalination plants. Moreover, phytoplankton was more sensitive to effluent discharges than zooplankton. The main changes observed were a decrease in primary productivity, a loss in diversity, and a change in the community structure of planktonic populations due to the dominance of saline-tolerant groups, which highlights the importance improving treatment or dilution of effluent discharges to minimize the impacts over whole neritic trophic webs, which depend on phytoplankton. From the impacts related to effluent discharges analyzed herein, RO technology was related to most cases of negative impact related to salinity modifications. However, coagulants were related to negative effects in all study cases. Future work should focus on escalate the impacts of such effluents on other trophic levels that could be directly or indirectly impacted as well as on how to improve the quality of effluent discharges. Also, we highlight the importance of further baseline and long-term monitoring studies to investigate desalination-induced changes and community resilience to these impacts, as well as studies to provide alternatives to the use of toxic chemicals in the pre-treatment phases.

Integração do SWMM e ferramentas SIG para modelagem hidrológico-hidráulica de bacia complexa / SWMM and GIS tools integration for hydrological-hydraulic modeling of a complex basin

RESUMO O presente trabalho aplicou o Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) para simular e avaliar a resposta hidrológica do sistema de macrodrenagem de um rio costeiro, cuja bacia situa-se em área de transição urbano-rural e apresenta influência marítima em seu exutório. Assim, como condição de contorno de jusante, reconstruiu-se a curva de maré existente no exutório da bacia por meio do método harmônico. Ademais, realizou-se a delimitação dos trechos de escoamento e a discretização das sub-bacias automaticamente e desenvolveu-se um mapa de uso e ocupação do solo para obtenção dos parâmetros físicos e espaciais dos elementos da drenagem, etapas estas auxiliadas por ferramentas de Sistemas de Informações Geográficas (SIG). Procedeu-se à simulação das vazões no sistema para o período de um mês sob condição de precipitação moderada. A validação do modelo resultou em um coeficiente de Nash-Sutcliffe de 0,57. Os resultados mostraram que o SWMM simulou as vazões nos trechos de drenagem das sub-bacias rurais com desvio médio de 8,6% das vazões medidas em campo. Para os trechos sob influência marinha, o SWMM conseguiu reproduzir o efeito da maré nos trechos, apresentando uma oscilação completa. Ademais, obteve-se a descarga fluvial média da bacia ao estuário de 2,35 m3.s-1 e a vazão média mensal afluente ao maior reservatório da bacia de 0,33 m3.s-1, resultados estes em consonância com trabalhos anteriores realizados na bacia em estudo. Em síntese, os resultados obtidos e o modelo proposto têm potencial para auxiliar na gestão integrada de águas rurais, urbanas e costeiras.

ABSTRACT The present work applied the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) to simulate and evaluate the hydrological response of a coastal river macrodrainage system whose basin is located in an urban-rural transition area and has a tidal influence in its outflow. Thus, as a downstream contour condition, the existing tidal curve in the basin's outlet was reconstructed using the harmonic method. In addition, drainage stretches and sub-basins were automatically delimited, and a land use and occupation maps were developed to obtain the physical and spatial parameters of the drainage elements, these steps being aided by Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools. The flow was simulated in the system for a period of one month under a moderate precipitation condition. The validation of the model resulted in a Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient of 0.57. The results showed that the SWMM simulated the flows in the drainage stretches of the rural sub-basins with an average deviation of 8.6% of the flows measured in the field. For stretches under tidal influence, SWMM was able to reproduce the effect of the tide in the stretches with a complete oscillation. In addition, the river discharge from the basin to the estuary was 2.35 m3.s-1, on average, and the average monthly flow affluent to the largest reservoir in the basin was 0.33 m3.s-1, consistently with previous work carried out in the study basin. In summary, the results obtained and the proposed model have the potential to assist in the integrated management of rural, urban, and coastal waters.

Modelagem da drenagem urbana e avaliação das cargas bacteriológicas na Vertente Marítima de Fortaleza, Ceará / Urban drainage modeling and evaluation of bacteriological loads in the Vertente Marítima of Fortaleza, Ceará

RESUMO Os sistemas de drenagem urbana podem representar fontes de aporte de poluentes aos corpos receptores aos quais se destinam. Diante disso, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo propor uma ferramenta para modelagem do sistema de drenagem urbana da bacia da Vertente Marítima de Fortaleza, Ceará, visando à avaliação das cargas bacteriológicas. Para esse fim, foi selecionado o stormwater management model (SWMM) para as simulações hidrológicas e hidráulicas; propôs-se uma metodologia para o cálculo das cargas bacteriológicas por meio da estimativa da carga difusa [CD] (NMP. dia-1.ha-1) e para a correlação desta com uma série de variáveis hidroambientais; e analisaram-se cenários para diferentes condições de precipitação pluviométrica, coleta de esgoto e resíduos sólidos dispostos inadequadamente (RSDI). Os resultados mostraram que o SWMM oferece respostas representativas e que o período chuvoso é responsável pelo maior aporte da carga bacteriológica à orla. Em relação ao modelo preditivo, foi ajustada uma função de potência de segunda ordem correlacionando CD com a precipitação média mensal (mm.dia-1) para as três sub-bacias analisadas. Posteriormente, os coeficientes das equações encontradas foram correlacionados ao indicador RSDI (kg.dia-1), obtendo-se um ajuste logarítmico (R2 = 0,99), com o qual é possível gerar uma equação de estimativa de CD para qualquer sub-bacia da Vertente Marítima. A análise dos cenários mostrou haver aumento significativo da carga em precipitações extremas (2 vezes) e diminuição considerável com a elevação da fração da população interligada à rede de esgoto, bem como diminuição da produção de RSDI (0,28 e 0,38 vezes do valor inicial nos Riachos Jacarecanga e Maceió, respectivamente).

ABSTRACT Urban drainage systems can represent sources of pollutants input to the receiving bodies for which they are intended. Therefore, the present work aims to propose a tool for modeling the urban drainage system of the Vertente Marítima basin of Fortaleza, Ceará, aiming at the evaluation of bacteriological loads. For this purpose, the Stormwater Management Model (SWMM) was selected for the hydrological and hydraulic simulations; a methodology for the calculation of bacteriological loads was proposed by estimating the diffuse load [DL] (MPN, day-1.ha-1) and its correlation with a series of hydro-environmental variables and scenarios for different pluviometry precipitation conditions were analyzed, as well as sewage collection and inadequately disposed solid waste (IDSW). The results show that SWMM gives representative results and that the rainy season is responsible for the greater contribution of the bacteriological load to the seafront. Regarding the predictive model, a second-order potential function was adjusted by correlating DL with the average monthly precipitation (mm.day-1) for the three sub-basins analyzed. Subsequently, the coefficients of the equations found were correlated to IDSW (kg.day-1), obtaining a logarithmic adjustment (R2 = 0.99), with which it is possible to obtain a DL estimation equation for any sub-basin of Vertente Marítima. An analysis of the scenarios showed a significant increase of the load in extreme precipitations (twice) and a considerable decrease with the increase of the fraction of the population connected to the sewage network and the decrease of IDSW production (0.28 and 0.38 times the initial value in the Jacarecanga and Maceió Stream, respectively).