Nonpoint Source Pollution and Spatial Aspects of Risk Assessment
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8377624 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jonathan D Phillips (0000-0003-0283-6023, East Carolina University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1988 |
| Volume | 78 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 611-623 |
| Publication date | 1988-12-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Annals of the Association of American Geographers (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0004-5608 • E-ISSN: 1467-8306 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1467-8306.1988.tb00234.x |
| OpenAlex | W1993034230 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 20 |
Nonpoint source (NPS) water pollution is one of a number of environmental issues posing complex spatial problems. The management context requires “targeting,” to achieve the greatest water quality improvements per unit effort, and problem prioritizing on the basis of a risk assessment. These are inherently spatial problems, since non-point sources are by definition spatially diffuse. Water quality management must typically rely on at-a-point monitoring, so evaluation of NPS risks and allocation of control efforts requires a determination of the relative influence of dispersed upstream contributing areas on water quality at a single point. Any model for solving this complex hydrological and biogeochemical problem can be generalized to a simple spatial model based on magnitude of discrete runoff-contributing areas, a hydraulic distance function, and a drainage area scaling factor. The general spatial model has a probabilistic interpretation and can produce a quantitative assessment of risk. It was applied to urban runoff in the South Platte River basin of Denver, Colorado, to estimate the proportion of copper concentrations at the basin mouth attributable to runoff from the Cherry Creek sub-basin in down-town Denver. The model suggests that 29 percent of the copper at the basin mouth comes from the Cherry Creek catchment, which represents 13 percent of the land area. About four percent of all runoff-producing storms will result in violations of copper standards at the basin mouth that are attributable to runoff from Cherry Creek. The Denver study demonstrates the utility of the spatial approach to risk assessment. It is suggested that spatial analysis will become increasingly critical in environmental risk assessment. Key Words: nonpoint sourcesrisk assessmentspatial analysiswatershed contexttargetingprobabilistic risk assessment
Cartography · Context (archaeology) · Drainage basin · Geography · Hydrology (agriculture) · Nonpoint source pollution · Runoff curve number · Runoff model · Stormwater · Structural basin · Surface runoff · Water quality · Water resource management · Environmental Science · Geology · Pollution · Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics · Water Quality and Pollution Assessment · Water resources management and optimization
| Highly cited | No |
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