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Nutrient pollutant loading and source apportionment along a Mediterranean river

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Abstract

Rivers are increasingly being subjected to increased anthropogenic pollution stresses that undermine their designated uses and negatively affect sensitive coastal regions. The degradation of river water quality is attributed to both point and nonpoint sources of pollution. In this study, we determine the relative contribution of point and nonpoint pollutant loads in the Beirut River basin, a poorly monitored seasonal Mediterranean river. Water quality samples were collected on a weekly basis over 2 consecutive years (2016 and 2017) from four sampling sites that represent a gradient of increasing urbanization. Flow-concentration models were first developed to estimate total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), and total suspended solids (TSS) loads reaching the different sub-basins. The performance of the regression models varied by location and by pollutant, with improved performance in the downstream sections (adjusted R2 66% for TP and 59% for TN). Loads were also determined using the Beale’s ratio method, which generally underestimated the loads as compared with the regression-based models. The relative contribution of the nonpoint source loads were then quantified using the Open Nonpoint Source Pollution and Erosion Comparison Tool (OpenNSPECT). The results showed that point sources were the main cause of water quality impairment across the entire basin, with load contributions varying between 75% in the headwaters and 98% in the urbanized downstream sections. The adopted modeling approach in this study provides an opportunity to better understand pollutant load dynamics in poorly monitored basins and a mechanism to apportion pollution loads between point and nonpoint sources.

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Funding

This study was made possible through the generous support of the American University of Beirut’s Research Board (Award No.: 103008; Project No.: 22713).

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  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Riad el Solh, Beirut, 1107 2020, Lebanon

    Sania El-Nakib & Ibrahim Alameddine

  2. Department of Environmental Health, American University of Beirut, Bliss Street, Beirut, Lebanon

    May Massoud

  3. Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA

    Majdi Abou Najm

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  1. Sania El-Nakib
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Correspondence to Ibrahim Alameddine.

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El-Nakib, S., Alameddine, I., Massoud, M. et al. Nutrient pollutant loading and source apportionment along a Mediterranean river. Environ Monit Assess 192, 274 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-8220-7

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