Investigating the influence of geologic bombs and reservoir management on biogeochemical cycling of trace metals and resultant water quality.

该项目的主要目的是进一步促进对饮用水水库及其集水区锰浓度的地质来源和生物地球化学途径的科学知识基础。锰（Mn）是一种天然存在的微量金属，高浓度会对人体造成健康问题。虽然锰是人类健康必不可少的微量元素，但锰中毒（或锰中毒）是一种有毒状况，可因持续接触环境中高浓度的锰而导致，例如空气或饮用水中的锰。因此，有必要从人类健康的角度监测和管理饮用水中的锰含量。除了对人体健康产生影响外，锰还会引起饮用水气味、味道和外观的美学问题，以及由于管网中锰的沉淀而导致的配水系统的物理阻塞。锰是英国饮用水公司必须处理的味道和气味问题的主要原因之一，每年因客户投诉而被罚款数百万英镑。这导致英国几乎所有的自来水公司目前都通过向水库的低氮离子泵入氧气来管理饮用水水库，以促进氧化和还原锰形式的沉积，并随后将其从水柱中去除。然而，目前普遍缺乏对这些工程曝气系统如何影响水质的生物地球化学控制的理解。通讯)。随着人口增长对全球水资源造成的压力增加，再加上气候变化等环境压力，利用新的、更可持续的、可能质量较低的水资源，以及以更有效的方式利用现有水资源，将变得更加重要。因此，有一个先例，了解锰和其他微量金属的循环在这些环境中，影响我们的水供应的质量。为了从水质的角度进一步阐明锰的地球化学循环，本项目侧重于描述流域来源和锰的生物地球化学途径，以便更好地有针对性地改进管理。这项工作将在布莱登湖进行，这是一个由布里斯托尔水务公司管理的饮用水水库；研究结果将直接有助于自来水公司和对饮用水水库中锰动态的普遍科学认识。主要研究方向有两个：1)利用伏安电极进一步了解沉积物-水界面的氧-锰动力学，包括储层的时空差异。2)局部（集水区）地质对水库水质的影响，重点是与河岸径流相关的锰层。根据WISE学生Jack Waterhouse目前以blagdon为重点的研究，研究结果最终将被纳入集水区-水库模型，该模型将用于未来更好地管理锰水平，并缓解英国现有的水供应问题。

The main aim of this project is to further contribute to the scientific knowledge base of the geologic sources and biogeochemical pathways of manganese concentrations within drinking water reservoirs and their catchments. Manganese (Mn) is a naturally occurring trace metal which in high concentrations can cause health problems in humans. Although manganese is an essential trace element for human health, manganism (or manganese poisoning) is a toxic condition that can result from sustained exposure to high levels of manganese in the environment, for example from manganese in the air or in drinking water. Therefore, there is a need to monitor and manage manganese levels in drinking water from a human health perspective. As well as having an effect on human health, manganese can also cause aesthetic issues with drinking water odour, taste and appearance, and physical blockages in water distribution systems due to manganese precipitation in pipe networks. Manganese is one of the primary causes of taste and odour problems that UK drinking utilities must deal with, resulting in £millions of fines annually in customer complaints. This has led to almost all UK water utilities currently managing their drinking water reservoirs by pumping oxygen into the hypolimnion of the reservoir to promote the oxygenation and sedimentation of reduced manganese forms, and its subsequent removal from the water column. There is a current general lack of understanding, however, of how these engineered aeration systems affect the biogeochemical controls on water quality (Bristol Water, pers. comm.). With increased pressure on water resources worldwide created by a rising population, combined with environmental pressures such as climate change, it will become more important to utilise new, more sustainable water resources that may be of lower quality, and to utilise existing water resources in a more efficient way. Therefore, there is a precedent for understanding the cycling of manganese and other trace metals in these environments that influence the quality of our water supplies.To further elucidate manganese geochemical cycling from a water quality standpoint, this project focuses on characterising the catchment sources and biogeochemical pathways of manganese that can be better targeted for improved management. This work will be carried out at Blagdon Lake - a drinking water reservoir managed by Bristol Water; research results will directly contribute to water utilities' and general scientific understanding of manganese dynamics in a drinking water reservoir.Two primary lines of research will be investigated:1) The novel use of voltammetric electrodes to further understand oxygen-manganese dynamics at the sediment-water interface, including spatial and temporal differences in the reservoir.2) The influence of local (catchment) geology on reservoir water quality, with focus on manganese formations linked to riparian runoff.Results will ultimately be incorporated into a catchment-reservoir model, building upon current Blagdon-focused research by WISE student Jack Waterhouse, which would be used to better manage manganese levels in the future and alleviate existing UK water-supply issues with taste and odour.