TY - JOUR
T1 - Release of treated effluent into streams
T2 - A global review of ecological impacts with a consideration of its potential use for environmental flows
AU - Hamdhani, Hamdhani
AU - Eppehimer, Drew E.
AU - Bogan, Michael T.
N1 - Funding Information:
This review was completed as part of Hamdhani's PhD dissertation at the University of Arizona, and was funded by the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP). During the writing of this review, M.T. Bogan was supported by start-up funding from the University of Arizona and D.E. Eppehimer was supported by the Lincoln Institute's Babbitt Dissertation Fellowship Program. We thank E. McGee, S. Wasko, M. Grageda, and K. Hollien for providing useful feedback on earlier drafts of this review.
Funding Information:
This review was completed as part of Hamdhani's PhD dissertation at the University of Arizona, and was funded by the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP). During the writing of this review, M.T. Bogan was supported by start‐up funding from the University of Arizona and D.E. Eppehimer was supported by the Lincoln Institute's Babbitt Dissertation Fellowship Program. We thank E. McGee, S. Wasko, M. Grageda, and K. Hollien for providing useful feedback on earlier drafts of this review.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2020/9/1
Y1 - 2020/9/1
N2 - Worldwide, the addition of treated wastewater (i.e. effluent) to streams is becoming more common as urban populations grow and developing countries increase their use of wastewater treatment plants. Release of treated effluent can impair water quality and ecological communities, but also could help restore flow and maintain aquatic habitat in water-stressed regions. To assess this range of potential outcomes, we conducted a global review of studies from effluent-fed streams to examine the impacts of effluent on water quality and aquatic and riparian biota. We identified 147 quantitative studies of effluent-fed streams, most of which were from the U.S.A. and Europe. Over 85% of the studies identified water quality as a primary study focus, including basic physical and chemical parameters, as well as trace organic contaminants. Nearly 60% of the studies had at least some focus on aquatic or riparian biota, primarily fish, aquatic invertebrates, and basal resources (e.g. algae). Effluent inputs generally impaired water quality near discharge points, mainly through increased water temperature, nutrients, and concentrations of trace organic contaminants, but also via decreased dissolved oxygen levels. The majority of ecological studies found that basal resources, aquatic invertebrates, and fish were negatively affected in a variety of ways (e.g. biodiversity losses, replacement of sensitive with tolerant species). However, several studies showed the importance of effluent in providing environmental flows to streams that had been dewatered by anthropogenic water withdrawals, especially in semi-arid and arid regions. Knowledge gaps identified include the abiotic impacts of effluent, such as changes in channel morphology and hydrology (e.g. how nutrient-rich and warmer effluent affects infiltration rates or interactions with groundwater), the effects of effluent on plants and vertebrates (e.g. amphibians, birds), and the impact of effluent-induced perennialisation on naturally intermittent or ephemeral streams. Although effluent-fed streams often exhibit signs of ecological impairment, there is great potential for these systems to serve as refuges of aquatic biodiversity and corridors of ecological connectivity when wastewater treatment standards are high, especially in semi-arid and arid regions where natural streams have been dewatered.
AB - Worldwide, the addition of treated wastewater (i.e. effluent) to streams is becoming more common as urban populations grow and developing countries increase their use of wastewater treatment plants. Release of treated effluent can impair water quality and ecological communities, but also could help restore flow and maintain aquatic habitat in water-stressed regions. To assess this range of potential outcomes, we conducted a global review of studies from effluent-fed streams to examine the impacts of effluent on water quality and aquatic and riparian biota. We identified 147 quantitative studies of effluent-fed streams, most of which were from the U.S.A. and Europe. Over 85% of the studies identified water quality as a primary study focus, including basic physical and chemical parameters, as well as trace organic contaminants. Nearly 60% of the studies had at least some focus on aquatic or riparian biota, primarily fish, aquatic invertebrates, and basal resources (e.g. algae). Effluent inputs generally impaired water quality near discharge points, mainly through increased water temperature, nutrients, and concentrations of trace organic contaminants, but also via decreased dissolved oxygen levels. The majority of ecological studies found that basal resources, aquatic invertebrates, and fish were negatively affected in a variety of ways (e.g. biodiversity losses, replacement of sensitive with tolerant species). However, several studies showed the importance of effluent in providing environmental flows to streams that had been dewatered by anthropogenic water withdrawals, especially in semi-arid and arid regions. Knowledge gaps identified include the abiotic impacts of effluent, such as changes in channel morphology and hydrology (e.g. how nutrient-rich and warmer effluent affects infiltration rates or interactions with groundwater), the effects of effluent on plants and vertebrates (e.g. amphibians, birds), and the impact of effluent-induced perennialisation on naturally intermittent or ephemeral streams. Although effluent-fed streams often exhibit signs of ecological impairment, there is great potential for these systems to serve as refuges of aquatic biodiversity and corridors of ecological connectivity when wastewater treatment standards are high, especially in semi-arid and arid regions where natural streams have been dewatered.
KW - aquatic invertebrates
KW - contaminants
KW - fish
KW - primary producers
KW - stream ecology
KW - urban ecology
KW - wastewater treatment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85084793529&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85084793529&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/fwb.13519
DO - 10.1111/fwb.13519
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85084793529
SN - 0046-5070
VL - 65
SP - 1657
EP - 1670
JO - Freshwater Biology
JF - Freshwater Biology
IS - 9
ER -