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Nutrient loading in the Vaal River over the past two decades
Nutrient loading is negatively affecting South Africa’s freshwater resources and ecosystems. Anthropogenic activities are the leading causes of continuous nutrient loading in the country’s water resources. This study examines the dynamics of nutrient loading in the Vaal River. The objectives are to...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Environmental and Geographical Science
2020
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| _version_ | 1867613197551271936 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Ntshalintshali, Pargeant |
| author2 | Winter, Kevin |
| author_browse | Ntshalintshali, Pargeant Winter, Kevin |
| author_facet | Winter, Kevin Ntshalintshali, Pargeant |
| author_sort | Ntshalintshali, Pargeant |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Nutrient loading is negatively affecting South Africa’s freshwater resources and ecosystems. Anthropogenic activities are the leading causes of continuous nutrient loading in the country’s water resources. This study examines the dynamics of nutrient loading in the Vaal River. The objectives are to explore nutrient loading in the Vaal River over the past two decades and to compare the differences between the two decades. Water quality data were obtained from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) Water Resource Quality Information Services (RQIS) database. Elevated nutrients of NH4+, N03, P04 3- and chlorophyll-a were observed at selected sites at various times during the 20 year period under analysis. Nutrients concentration are elevated alongside agricultural and industrial activities, and urban areas. Student t-tests investigated the difference between the two decades and in most cases showed significant differences between these decades. The last decade showed elevated nutrient levels for N03, NH4+ and chlorophyll-a in most of the DWS monitoring sites. Only P04 3- at some sites showed a reduction from the previous decade. The study concludes that upper and middle sections of Vaal River are eutrophic and hypertrophic and a trend toward a permanent state of these conditions is likely without a long-term solution to address the problem of excessive nutrient loading entering the Vaal River system. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/30950 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:18.917Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publishDateRange | 2020 |
| publishDateSort | 2020 |
| publisher | Department of Environmental and Geographical Science |
| publisherStr | Department of Environmental and Geographical Science |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/30950 Nutrient loading in the Vaal River over the past two decades Ntshalintshali, Pargeant Winter, Kevin Geographical Sciences Environmental Sciences Nutrient loading is negatively affecting South Africa’s freshwater resources and ecosystems. Anthropogenic activities are the leading causes of continuous nutrient loading in the country’s water resources. This study examines the dynamics of nutrient loading in the Vaal River. The objectives are to explore nutrient loading in the Vaal River over the past two decades and to compare the differences between the two decades. Water quality data were obtained from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) Water Resource Quality Information Services (RQIS) database. Elevated nutrients of NH4+, N03, P04 3- and chlorophyll-a were observed at selected sites at various times during the 20 year period under analysis. Nutrients concentration are elevated alongside agricultural and industrial activities, and urban areas. Student t-tests investigated the difference between the two decades and in most cases showed significant differences between these decades. The last decade showed elevated nutrient levels for N03, NH4+ and chlorophyll-a in most of the DWS monitoring sites. Only P04 3- at some sites showed a reduction from the previous decade. The study concludes that upper and middle sections of Vaal River are eutrophic and hypertrophic and a trend toward a permanent state of these conditions is likely without a long-term solution to address the problem of excessive nutrient loading entering the Vaal River system. 2020-02-10T10:42:54Z 2020-02-10T10:42:54Z 2019 2020-01-28T07:52:51Z Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/30950 eng application/pdf Department of Environmental and Geographical Science Faculty of Science |
| spellingShingle | Geographical Sciences Environmental Sciences Ntshalintshali, Pargeant Nutrient loading in the Vaal River over the past two decades |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Nutrient loading in the Vaal River over the past two decades |
| title_full | Nutrient loading in the Vaal River over the past two decades |
| title_fullStr | Nutrient loading in the Vaal River over the past two decades |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nutrient loading in the Vaal River over the past two decades |
| title_short | Nutrient loading in the Vaal River over the past two decades |
| title_sort | nutrient loading in the vaal river over the past two decades |
| topic | Geographical Sciences Environmental Sciences |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/30950 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ntshalintshalipargeant nutrientloadinginthevaalriveroverthepasttwodecades |