Paweł Tomczyk , Michał Tymcio , Alban Kuriqi , José Maria Santos , Mirosław Wiatkowski
{"title":"Small hydropower impacts on water quality: A comparative analysis of different assessment methods","authors":"Paweł Tomczyk , Michał Tymcio , Alban Kuriqi , José Maria Santos , Mirosław Wiatkowski","doi":"10.1016/j.wri.2025.100282","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aims to evaluate the spatial and temporal variations of physico-chemical parameters at selected small run-of-river hydropower plants along a 126 km section of the Bóbr River in southwestern Poland. The main contribution of this study lies in comparing different water quality classification methods from different regions worldwide. Our results show that the spatio-temporal changes in physico-chemical parameters in the studied section of the Bóbr River are, to a larger extent, due to anthropogenic pressures (i.e., urbanization and agriculture) unrelated to the operation of hydropower plants. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) confirmed the statistical significance (p < 0.05) of the results for 8 (i.e., EC, temperature, pH, DO, NO<sub>2</sub>-N, TDS, NH<sub>4</sub>-N, and COD) out of 16 physicochemical parameters. Hierarchical cluster analysis also showed a greater influence of factors other than hydropower plants on water quality. The average compliance with the standards based on the selected water quality classifications was 76.9%. The Polish classification proved to be the most appropriate classification for assessing the status of physico-chemical elements of the Bóbr River. The findings from this study can be used for various applications, e.g., formulating strategies for sustainable water management in hydropower plant catchment areas, planning new hydropower plants, and developing operating regulations for existing plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23714,"journal":{"name":"Water Resources and Industry","volume":"33 ","pages":"Article 100282"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Water Resources and Industry","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221237172500006X","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"WATER RESOURCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the spatial and temporal variations of physico-chemical parameters at selected small run-of-river hydropower plants along a 126 km section of the Bóbr River in southwestern Poland. The main contribution of this study lies in comparing different water quality classification methods from different regions worldwide. Our results show that the spatio-temporal changes in physico-chemical parameters in the studied section of the Bóbr River are, to a larger extent, due to anthropogenic pressures (i.e., urbanization and agriculture) unrelated to the operation of hydropower plants. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) confirmed the statistical significance (p < 0.05) of the results for 8 (i.e., EC, temperature, pH, DO, NO2-N, TDS, NH4-N, and COD) out of 16 physicochemical parameters. Hierarchical cluster analysis also showed a greater influence of factors other than hydropower plants on water quality. The average compliance with the standards based on the selected water quality classifications was 76.9%. The Polish classification proved to be the most appropriate classification for assessing the status of physico-chemical elements of the Bóbr River. The findings from this study can be used for various applications, e.g., formulating strategies for sustainable water management in hydropower plant catchment areas, planning new hydropower plants, and developing operating regulations for existing plants.
期刊介绍:
Water Resources and Industry moves research to innovation by focusing on the role industry plays in the exploitation, management and treatment of water resources. Different industries use radically different water resources in their production processes, while they produce, treat and dispose a wide variety of wastewater qualities. Depending on the geographical location of the facilities, the impact on the local resources will vary, pre-empting the applicability of one single approach. The aims and scope of the journal include: -Industrial water footprint assessment - an evaluation of tools and methodologies -What constitutes good corporate governance and policy and how to evaluate water-related risk -What constitutes good stakeholder collaboration and engagement -New technologies enabling companies to better manage water resources -Integration of water and energy and of water treatment and production processes in industry