Stiebeuel River Monitoring and Characterisation Study

This dataset contains water quality data collected from the Stiebeuel River, located in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The data were collected as part of a research project investigating the presence of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and other pollutants in surface waters impacted by runoff from an informal settlement. The data was collected using both grab sampling and automated sampling methods to capture temporal variations in pollutant concentrations.<b>Data Collection:</b><br>Water samples were collected using an ISCO 3710 automatic sampler programmed to collect samples every two hours over a 24-hour period at a downstream site approximately 2 km from the Langrug informal settlement. Sampling was conducted on three separate occasions in April and May 2024. The automatic sampler was positioned in a secure location to reduce the risk of theft or vandalism, ensuring continuous monitoring. Additional grab samples were collected from designated sampling sites upstream and downstream of the informal settlement to support spatial analysis of pollution sources in a preliminary exploratory analysis.<br><b>Parameters Measured:</b><br>Water quality parameters measured include:<b>Physical Parameters:</b> pH, electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), and turbidity<b>Nutrients:</b> Ammonia and orthophosphate<b>Organic Carbon:</b> Total organic carbon (TOC)<b>Microbiological Indicators:</b> E. coli concentrations<b>Pharmaceutical Contaminants:</b> A wide range of APIs were detected, including antiretroviral drugs (efavirenz, ritonavir, nevirapine), antibiotics (trimethoprim), analgesics (paracetamol, diclofenac), and lifestyle markers (e.g., caffeine)