Fine-Scale Chemical Exposure Differs in Point and Nonpoint Source Plumes

Increasing influxes of anthropogenic chemicals into aquatic ecosystems has led to growing global concern surrounding human and ecosystem health. As more freshwater systems are deemed not potable or usable for agricultural purposes, more attention is being paid to remediation and mitigation efforts. Predicting and preventing the impacts of the chemical inputs first requires a thorough understanding of the spatio-temporal distribution of chemical plumes in natural habitats. Plume dispersion is intimately tied to fluid mechanics; therefore, alterations in the way that chemical plumes are introduced to habitats can have profound effects on chemical distribution. Such alterations can subsequently alter the exposure to which organisms are subjected. This study examined the influence of point versus nonpoint sources in structuring the distribution of chemicals in a simulated flowing freshwater habitat. The fine-scale (molecular) spatio-temporal distribution of chemicals was measured in situ using an electrochemical detector. Molecular concentration at varying distance and height from the source was quantified using dopamine coupled with an electrochemical detection system. The fine-scale distribution of chemical plumes from point and nonpoint sources showed significant differences in how organisms will be exposed to chemicals. Overall, this study characterized plumes from nonpoint sources as having significantly longer peak lengths and rise times as well as greater peak heights and maximum slopes than plumes from point sources, thus providing a significantly different exposure paradigm. This quantification of how chemicals move differently throughout a fluid medium when introduced from point and nonpoint sources allows a greater understanding of how chemical plumes can potentially affect aquatic ecosystems.