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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 7423

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Chengzhong Pan

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Guest Editor

College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Interests: hydrology; river eco-restoration; soil and water environmental protection

Prof. Dr. Yujiao Sun

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Co-Guest Editor

College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Interests: environmental biotechnology; river microecology; biotransformation of nitrogen

Prof. Dr. Lan Ma

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor

School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: forest hydrology; soil erosion; water dynamics; hydrological model; field monitoring
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

River is not only a course of water, sediment and the nutrients, but also an important ecological corridor or system for riparian plants, aquatic hydrobios, even human beings. In some areas, the unreasonable exploitation and use of water resources, together with climate changes has leaded to the degradation of river ecological system. There exist serval eco-environmental problems such as streamflow decrease, water quality deterioration and riparian zone shrinks. It is an urgent task to effectively restore the impaired river systems and improve their eco-environment. This special issue mainly focuses on river ecological restoration, and it includes the following four sub-topics.

River riparian zone restoration
water quality purification and assessment
river eco-flow and management
Surface- and ground- water links

Prof. Dr. Chengzhong Pan
Prof. Dr. Yujiao Sun
Dr. Lan Ma
Guest Editors

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Keywords

river
ecological restoration
water quality
eco-flow
groundwater
riparian zone
soil
water ecology

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4083 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Interaction between Lake and Groundwater Based on Water–Salt Balance Method and Stable Isotopic Characteristics

by Changming Cao, Na Li, Weifeng Yue, Lijun Wu, Xinyi Cao and Yuanzheng Zhai

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12202; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph191912202 - 26 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1435

Abstract

To better protect lacustrine ecologies and understand the evolutionary process of lake environments, it is critical to study the interacting mechanisms between lakes and the surrounding groundwater. The Wuliangsu Lake watershed is the largest wetland in the Yellow River basin and is the discharge area of the Hetao Irrigation District (HID), which is one of the three largest agricultural production areas in China. Due to the influence of human activities, the discharge water from the HID has led to the deterioration of the Wuliangsu Lake ecology and the degradation of the lake environment. Based on long-term observation data and water sampling data collected in 2021, a water–salt equilibrium model was used to analyze the recharge rate of groundwater to the lake. The contribution rate of groundwater to lake recharge in the study area was calculated with a Bayesian mixing model by combining D and ¹⁸O stable isotope data. Furthermore, the environmental evolutionary process of the lake was also analyzed using the collected water quality data. The results show that channel drainage was the main source of recharge to Wuliangsu Lake, accounting for more than 75%, while groundwater contributed less than 5% of lake recharge. After implementing the ecological water supplement plan, the concentration of various ions in the lake decreased, the concentration of the total dissolved solids (TDS) in the lake decreased from 1.7 g/L in 2016 to 1.28 g/L in 2021, and the ecological environment was improved. The contribution of groundwater to lake recharge was quantitatively analyzed. The results of this study can facilitate the development of vital strategies for preventing the further deterioration of lake water quality and for protecting wetland ecologies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue River Ecological Restoration)

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17 pages, 3188 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Flood Routing Model Coupled with Dynamic Leakage Losses for Ephemeral Rivers with Large Potholes

by Congmin Liu, Chengzhong Pan, Chunlei Liu, Yuanzheng Zhai, Wanlai Xue and Yongsheng Cui

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 7638; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19137638 - 22 Jun 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1370

Abstract

Ephemeral rivers commonly occur in regions with a shortage of water resources, and their channel configuration tends to change substantially owing to long drying times and artificial sand extraction. During short-term water conveyance, water storage in large potholes and leakage along the dry riverbed retards the flow, which is detrimental for the river landscape and ecological water demand. The objective of this study is to evaluate the flow process corresponding to a certain release scheme. A coupled dynamic leakage loss and flood routing model was established to predict the flood routing distance for dry rivers with potholes and strong leakage. The model mainly includes three sub-models of flow dynamics, dynamic leakage loss and water balance along multiple cross sections of the river channel. The water head was dominated by flow velocity and the overflow from potholes. The model was applied to Yongding River, a typical ephemeral river in northern China, and the model parameters were calibrated and verified using monitoring data from ecological water releases into the Yongding River in 2019 and 2020, thus, making the model more stable and reliable. Finally, the model was used to evaluate the impact of cross section optimization and pothole treatment on the flow process. This study can provide scientific guidance for ecological water conveyance and the ecological restoration of ephemeral rivers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue River Ecological Restoration)

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18 pages, 5722 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of the In-Stream Structure on Solute Transport in the Hyporheic Zone

by Han Li, Ying Liu, Jinghong Feng, Defu Liu, Yi Li, Lihui Chen and Jingwen Xiao

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 5856; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19105856 - 11 May 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1391

Abstract

The hyporheic zone (HZ) plays an important role in the river ecosystem, and hyporheic exchange and solute transport in the HZ are important ecological functions. However, the relationship between the design parameters of river structure and solute transport is still poorly understood. In this study, we combined flume experiments and numerical simulations to systematically evaluate how in-stream structures impact the solute transport depth (D_P), hyporheic vertical exchange flux (Q), and solute flux (Qs). The results showed that the in-stream structure had a significant influence on solute transport in the HZ and could obviously increase the intensity of hyporheic exchange and promote solute transport. Model results indicated that D_P, Q, and Qs increased with the ratio of ground height to underground height of structure (H/D) and structure number (N), while Q, D_P, and Qs increased with the structural spacing (S) to begin with; then, Q remained constant, and D_P and Qs decreased as S continued to increase. This study deepened our understanding of the influence of in-stream structural design parameters on HZ solute transport, which is helpful to provide a theoretical basis for ecological restoration projects in the river HZ. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue River Ecological Restoration)

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17 pages, 2910 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Distribution, Genesis, and Human Health Risks of Groundwater Heavy Metals Impacted by the Typical Setting of Songnen Plain of NE China

by Yuanzheng Zhai, Fuxin Zheng, Dongfan Li, Xinyi Cao and Yanguo Teng

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3571; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19063571 - 17 Mar 2022

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2414

Abstract

Heavy metals pollution in groundwater and the resulting health risks have always been an environmental research hotspot. However, the available information regarding this topic and associated methods is still limited. This study collected 98 groundwater samples from a typical agricultural area of Songnen Plain in different seasons. The pollution status and sources of ten heavy metals (As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr (VI), Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were then analyzed and compared. In addition, the human health risks assessment (HHRA) model was used to calculate human health risks caused by heavy metals in groundwater. The results revealed that heavy metals were mainly distributed in the northwest of the study area and along the upper reaches of the Lalin river and that the concentrations of heavy metals were higher during the wet season than the dry season. Industrial and agricultural activities and natural leaching are the main sources, and each kind of heavy metal may have different sources. Fe and Mn are the primary pollutants, mainly caused by the native environment and agricultural activities. The exceeding standard rates are 71.74% and 61.54%, respectively based on the Class III of Quality Standard for Groundwater of China (GB/T 14848-2017). The maximum exceeding multiple are 91.45 and 32.05, respectively. The health risks of heavy metals borne by different groups of people were as follows: child > elder > young > adult. Carcinogenic heavy metals contribute to the main risks, and the largest risks sources are Cr and As. Therefore, the government should appropriately restrict the use of pesticides and fertilizers, strictly manage the discharge of enterprises, and control man-made heavy metals from the source. In addition, centralized water supply and treatment facilities shall be established to prevent the harm of native heavy metals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue River Ecological Restoration)

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