Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Analysis of river pollution data from low-flow period by means of multivariate techniques

A case study from the oil-shale industry region, northeastern Estonia

  • Case Studies
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The oil-shale industry has created serious pollution problems in northeastern Estonia. Untreated, phenol-rich leachate from semi-coke mounds formed as a by-product of oil-shale processing is discharged into the Baltic Sea via channels and rivers. An exploratory analysis of water chemical and microbiological data sets from the low-flow period was carried out using different multivariate analysis techniques. Principal component analysis allowed us to distinguish different locations in the river system. The riverine microbial community response to water chemical parameters was assessed by co-inertia analysis. Water pH, COD and total nitrogen were negatively related to the number of biodegradative bacteria, while oxygen concentration promoted the abundance of these bacteria. The results demonstrate the utility of multivariate statistical techniques as tools for estimating the magnitude and extent of pollution based on river water chemical and microbiological parameters. An evaluation of river chemical and microbiological data suggests that the ambient natural attenuation mechanisms only partly eliminate pollutants from river water, and that a sufficient reduction of more recalcitrant compounds could be achieved through the reduction of wastewater discharge from the oil-shale chemical industry into the rivers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.

References

  1. Estonian Environment Information Centre (2001): State of environment in Estonia — on the threshold of XXI century. Tallinn, 96 pp

  2. Kundel H, Liblik V (2000): Emission of volatile phenols from stabilization ponds of oil shale ash dump leachate. Oil Shale17, 81–94

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Huuskonen SE, Tuvikene A, Trapido M, Fent K, Hahn M (2000): Cytochrome P4501A induction and porphyrin accumulation in PLHC-1 cells exposed to sediment and oil shale extracts. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol38, 59–69

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Truu J, Alamäe T, Heinaru E, Talpsep E, Kokassaar U, Tenno T, Heinaru A (1997): Impact of oil shale mine water on microbiological and chemical composition of north-eastern Estonian rivers. Oil Shale14, 526–532

    Google Scholar 

  5. Szava-Kovats RC (2001) Influence of oil shale mining on strontium distribution in stream sediments, North-East Estonia. Oil Shale18, 25–33

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Romantschuk M, Sarand I, Petänen T, Peltola R, Jonsson-Vihanne M, Koivula T, Yrjälä K, Haahtela K (2000) Means to improve the effect of in situ bioremediation of contaminated soil: an overview of novel approaches. Environmental Pollution107, 179–185

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Watanabe K (2001): Microorganisms relevant to bioremediation. Current Opinion in Biotechnology12, 237–241

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Holder-Franklin MA (1992): Aquatic microorganisms: processes, populations, and molecular solutions to environmental problems. J Aquatic Ecosystem Health1, 253–262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Whiteley AS, Bailey MJ (2000): Bacterial community structure and physiological state within an industrial phenol bioremediation system. Appl Environ Microbiol66, 2400–2407

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Vega M, Pardo R, Barrado E, Deban L (1998): Assessment of seasonal and polluting effects on the quality of river water by exploratory data analysis. Water Research32, 3581–3592

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Weilguni H, Humpesch UH (1999): Long-term trends of physical, chemical and biological variables in the River Danube 1957–1995: A statistical approach. Aquatic Sciences61, 234–259

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Einax J, Truckenbrodt D, Kampe O (1998): River pollution data interpreted by means of chemometric methods. Microchemical Journal58, 315–324

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Forsberg C, Ryding SO (1980): Eutrophication parameters and trophic status indices in 30 Swedish waste-receiving lakes. Arch Hydrobiol89, 189–207

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Järvekülg A (1993): Trophy of the water of Estonian rivers and nutrient limiting the primary production. Water pollution and quality in Estonia. Environmental Report7, 29–34

    Google Scholar 

  15. Manly B (1995): Randomization, bootstrap and Monte Carlo methods in biology. Second edition. Chapman and Hall, London, 399 pp

    Google Scholar 

  16. Mercier P, Chessel D, Doledec S (1992): Complete correspondence analysis of an ecological profile data table: a central ordination method. Acta Oecologica13, 25–44

    Google Scholar 

  17. Doledec S, Chessel D (1994): Co-inertia analysis: an alternative method for studying species-environment relationships. Freshwater Biology31, 277–294

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Thiolouse J, Lobry JR (1995): Co-inertia analysis of amino-acid physicochemical properties and protein composition with the ADE package. Comput Appl Biosci11, 321–329

    Google Scholar 

  19. Thioulouse J, Chessel D, Dolédec S, Olivier JM (1997): ADE-4: A multivariate analysis and graphical display software. Stat Comput7, 75–83

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Rahe R (1997): Short review of investigations on the treatment of oil shale industry wastewaters in 1960–1990. Oil Shale14, 554–560

    Google Scholar 

  21. Kamenev S, Kallas J, Munter R (1995): Chemical oxidation of biologically treated phenolic effluents. Water Management15, 203–208

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Orupōld K, Ohlsson A, Henrysson T (1997): Batch trials to simulate biological treatment in lagoons of leachate from oil-shale ash heaps. Oil Shale14, 476–487

    Google Scholar 

  23. Kahru A, Kurvet M, Kurvet I (1997): Study of the toxicological impart of different components of ash-heap water (sulphur rich phenolic leachate) using luminescent bacteria as test organisms. Oil Shale14, 469–475

    Google Scholar 

  24. Saha NC, Bhunia N, Kaviraj A (1999): A Toxicity of Phenol to Fish and Aquatic Ecosystems. Bull. Environ Contam Toxicol63, 195–202

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Estonian Environment Information Centre (1997): Estonian environmental monitoring. Tallinn, 168 pp

  26. Estonian Environment Information Centre (1999): Estonian environment. Tallinn, 112 pp

  27. Heinaru E, Talpsep E, Linnas A, Heinaru A, Stottmeister U (1997): Metabolic and genetic diversity of phenol-utilizing bacteria as an enhancer of natural biodegradation in polluted waters. Oil Shale14, 454–468

    Google Scholar 

  28. Arvin E, Jensen BK, Gundersen AT (1991): Biodegradation kinetics of phenols in an aerobic biofilm at low concentrations. Water Sci Technol23, 1375–1348

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Nielsen PH, Bjerg PL, Nielsen P, Smith P, Christen TH (1995): In situ and laboratory determined first-order degradation rate constants of specific organic compounds in an aerobic aquifer. Environ Sci Technol30, 31–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Orupōld K, Masirin A, Tenno T (2001): Estimation of biodegradation parameters of phenolic compounds on activated sludge by respirometry. Chemosphere44, 1273–1280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Langworthy DE, Stapleton RD, Sayer SS, Findlay RH (1998): Genotypic and phenotypic responses of a riverine microbial community to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination. Appl Environ Microbiol64, 3422–3428

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Lehman RM, Colwell FS, Garland JL (1997): Physiological profiling of indigenous aquatic microbial communities to determine toxic effects of metals. Environ Toxicol Chem16, 2232–2243

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Lopez-Archilla AI, Amis R (1999): A comparative ecological study of two acidic riyers in Southwestern Spain. Microb Ecol38, 146–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Talpsep E, Heinaru E, Truu J, Laht T, Heinaru A, Wand H, Stottmeister U (1997): Functional dynamics of microbial populations in waters contaminated with phenolic leachate. Oil Shale14, 435–453

    Google Scholar 

  35. Whiteley AS, Wiles S, Lilley AK, Philp J, Bailey MJ (2001): Ecological and physiological analyses of Pseudomonad species within a phenol remediation system. J Microbiol Methods44, 79–88

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Orupold K, Tenno T, Henrysson T (2000): Biological lagooning of phenols-containing oil shale ash heaps leachate. Water Research34, 4389–4396

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Groudeva VI, Groudev SN, Doycheva AS (2001): Bioremediation of waters contaminated with crude oil and toxic heavy metals. Int J Miner Process62, 293–299

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Findlay RH, Watling L, Mayer LM (1995): Environmental impact of salmon net-pen culture on marine benthic communities in Maine: a case study. Estuaries18, 145–179

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, 23 Riia Str., EE-51010, Tartu, Estonia

    Jaak Truu, Eeva Heinaru, Ene Talpsep & Ain Heinaru

Authors
  1. Jaak Truu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Eeva Heinaru
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ene Talpsep
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ain Heinaru
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jaak Truu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Truu, J., Heinaru, E., Talpsep, E. et al. Analysis of river pollution data from low-flow period by means of multivariate techniques. Environ Sci & Pollut Res 9 (Suppl 1), 8–14 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02987419

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02987419

Keywords

Search

Navigation