Xuneng Tong
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11 records found
1
Water diversion projects are widely implemented to address water scarcity, improve water quality, and restore ecological conditions in degraded aquatic systems. This study applies a process-based hydrodynamic-environmental model to investigate the dynamics of eutrophication and the representative antibiotic tetracycline in Chaohu Lake under the influence of the Yangtze–Chaohu Water Diversion Project. To explore the influence of different diversion pathways, two numerical scenarios were developed representing two alternative water diversion options: western and eastern routes. The model was validated against field data, achieving Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency values ranging from 0.34 to 0.80 and absolute relative differences between 9.31% and 18.64%, indicating satisfactory performance. Assessment results revealed that tetracycline posed high ecological risks during summer, while nutrient concentrations and eutrophication levels remained within mild to moderate ranges throughout the study period. Comparison of the two scenarios indicated that the western route more effectively reduced ecological risks, yielding annual reductions of 9.12% in total phosphorus, 13.68% in chlorophyll-a, and 11.5% in tetracycline concentrations. This study provides critical insights for optimizing the operation of water diversion projects and supports the sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems, particularly in mitigating the combined threats of eutrophication and antibiotic pollution.
Purpose of the Review: Climate change is intensifying the pressures on aquatic ecosystems by altering the dynamics of contaminants, with cascading effects on ecological and human health. This review synthesizes recent evidence on how rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events influence chemical and microbial contaminant dynamics in aquatic environments. Recent Findings: Key findings reveal that elevated temperatures enhance phosphorus pollution and algal blooms, increase heavy metal release from sediments, and promote the mobilization of organic pollutants. Concurrently, climate change exacerbates microbial contamination by facilitating the spread of waterborne microbial contaminants, especially posing more pressure to antimicrobial resistance-related contaminants through temperature-driven horizontal gene transfer and extreme precipitation events. Complex interactions between chemical and microbial contaminants like heavy metals co-selecting for antibiotic resistance further amplify risks. The compounded effects of climate change and contaminants threaten water quality, ecosystem resilience, and public health, particularly through increased toxicant exposure via seafood and waterborne disease outbreaks. Despite growing recognition of these interactions, critical gaps remain in understanding their synergistic mechanisms, especially in data-scarce regions. Summary: This review highlights the urgent need for integrated monitoring, predictive modeling, and adaptive policies under a One Health framework to mitigate the multifaceted impacts of climate-driven contamination. Future research should prioritize real-world assessments of temperature effects, urban overflow dynamics during extreme weather, and the socio-behavioral dimensions of contaminant spread to inform effective mitigation strategies.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic environments poses a critical threat to both environmental and human health. This study presents a novel hybrid modeling framework that integrates a process-based hydrodynamic-environmental model with a data-driven approach to predict the spatiotemporal dynamics of AMR in coastal waters. Macrolide-related antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs_Macro) were selected as representative markers. The model results were validated using data from a monthly sampling campaign conducted across Singapore’s coastal waters, yielding a mean coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.693, a Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) of 0.589, and a root-mean-square deviation (RMSE) of 0.0257 GC/16S rRNA across 12 sampling points. Lincomycin, pH, dissolved oxygen, zinc and temperature were identified as significant influencers of ARGs_Macro. Although Lincomycin is not classified as a macrolide, it ranks as the most important driver of ARGs_Macro due to its shared resistance mechanisms with macrolides, potentially facilitating cross-resistance. The spatiotemporal model results revealed that coastal areas, particularly in the northern part of Singapore, are vulnerable to significant ARG accumulation, with monsoon seasons amplifying the spread of AMR due to hydrodynamic conditions. This study highlights the development of a robust modeling framework that provides valuable insights into the environmental drivers of AMR in coastal waters, offering a foundation for regulatory strategies and future research aimed at mitigating the risks of antimicrobial resistance in aquatic environments.
Predicting Antibiotic Resistance and Assessing the Risk Burden from Antibiotics
A Holistic Modeling Framework in a Tropical Reservoir