What are the three main categories of hydro-morphological elements (rivers)?
hydrological regime
Morphological conditions
River continuity
What is meant with “One health approach”?
The One Health approach is a holistic concept recognizing that human, animal, and environmental health are interconnected, especially for issues like antibiotic resistance.
It aims to prevent and manage risks by coordinated actions across all sectors .
Which are the core criteria to determine the river typology?
The core criteria to determine river typology are:
climate
Altitude
Catchment size
What is the difference between primary and secondary microplastic?
Primary microplastics are intentionally produced in small sizes (e.g. microbeads in personal care products), while secondary microplastics form when larger plastic items break down into small particles through processes like UV exposure and weathering .
What is meant with non-target screening?
Non-target screening is the analysis of all detected substances in a sample, including those not previously targeted or expected, to identify unknown or emerging contaminants that exceed normal levels .
Mention and shortly explain three goals of water quality monitoring.
Three goals of water quality monitoring are:
Water quality assessment: to evaluate compliance with regulations and standards.
Pollution screening: to detect existing or emerging contaminants.
Trend analysis: to identify long-term changes in water quality over time .
For which pressures on rivers is the biological quality element “fish index” the most significant indicator?
The fish index is most significant for detecting hydromorphological pressures such as river regulation, barriers, and altered flow regimes, as well as temperature changes.
This is because fish are sensitive to habitat structure, connectivity, and thermal conditions over their long life cycles .
Describe in a few sentences causes, mechanisms and consequences of eutrophication in lakes.
Eutrophication in lakes is caused by excess nutrient inputs (mainly phosphorus and nitrogen) from sources such as wastewater and agriculture.
These nutrients lead to strong algal growth, increased organic matter decomposition, oxygen depletion, and consequences like fish kills, harmful algal blooms, and biodiversity loss .
Mention at least 2 examples of applications of molecular biology in the fields of freshwater ecology and wastewater treatment.
Examples include PCR/qPCR and sequencing to identify and quantify microbial communities or antibiotic resistance genes, and FISH to locate and visualize specific microorganisms in freshwater or wastewater treatment systems .
What is constant and what is variable in time proportional, volume proportional and discharge proportional composite samples, respectively?
Time-proportional composite samples: the sampling interval is constant, while the sample volume varies.
Volume-proportional composite samples: the sample volume is constant, while the sampling interval varies.
Discharge-proportional composite samples: the sample volume depends on discharge, increasing with higher flow, while time is not constant
Can saturation of oxygen in freshwater exceed 100%?
Yes.
Oxygen saturation in freshwater can exceed 100% due to intense photosynthesis, which produces more oxygen than can dissolve under equilibrium conditions.
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