Environmental science and pollution research international, 2016
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) plays an important role in the climate system, but few data are av... more Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) plays an important role in the climate system, but few data are available on the Tibetan Plateau (TP). In this study, 89 precipitation samples were collected at Lhasa, the largest city of southern Tibet, from March to December 2013. The average concentration and wet deposition flux of DOC was 1.10 mg C L(-1) and 0.63 g C m(-2) year(-1), respectively. Seasonally, low DOC concentration and high flux appeared during the monsoon period, which were in line with heavy precipitation amount, reflecting dilution effect of precipitation for the DOC. Compared to other regions, the values of Lhasa were lower than those of large cities (e.g., Beijing and Seoul) mainly because of less air pollution of Lhasa. The principal component analysis (PCA) of DOC and ions (Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Na(+), K(+), NH4 (+), Cl(-), NO3 (-), and SO4 (2-)) showed that DOC of Lhasa was derived mainly from the natural sources, followed by anthropogenic burning activities. Furthermore, △(14)C va...
ABSTRACT To study the water quality across the Himalayan region, a total of 43 river water sample... more ABSTRACT To study the water quality across the Himalayan region, a total of 43 river water samples were collected in September 2012 from the Yarlung Tsangbo (Brahmaputra), Indus and Ganges basins. We measured the common water quality parameters (pH, EC, TDS, and water temperature) and analyzed the element concentrations (As, Cr, S, Sr, Tl, B, Ba, Ca, Al, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, and Ti) using ICP-AES. The results show that all the rivers have an alkaline environment with pH from 7.9 to 8.9. TDS has a positive relationship with Ca and Mg concentrations. The elemental contents are comparable among the samples from different river basins. The enrichment factor of As in river water across Himalayas showed a high value at 30, indicating the impacts of anthropogenic activities. The river water quality in this region is under the influence of climate change on the glacier melting, which will affect the water chemistry and the seasonal discharge of river runoff.
A total of 31 river water samples were collected from the headwater of the Yangtze River and its ... more A total of 31 river water samples were collected from the headwater of the Yangtze River and its tributaries across Shigu Town to Mt. Tangula region. Water chemistry analysis was carried out to investigate water quality in the upstream Yangtze River. The results show that the headwaters of Yangtze River are turbid and have an alkaline environment with pH ranges from 8.3 to 9.3. The oxidation reduction potential (ORP) of the water varies from -77.1 to -134.2 mv with an average of -88.8 mv, indicating an anoxic water surface. Based on the ions analysis, the water chemistry of headwaters of the Yangtze River is affected by mineral (magnesium and calcium sulfate) weathering, evaporation-crystallization processes and ground water discharge. Concentrations of ions and elements except Hg in the headwaters of Yangtze River presented a trend of decreasing with the downward of altitude. All heavy metals and other toxic elements concentrations in this study were under the WHO and GB (China national standards) guidelines. But attention should be given to Hg because the concentration of Hg (2.6 ng/l) was much higher than the world average (0.07 ng/l) and it increased as the river flows down, which may become a threat to the inhabitants in the downstream area of the river.
The large change in albedo has a great effect on glacier ablation. Atmospheric aerosols (e.g. bla... more The large change in albedo has a great effect on glacier ablation. Atmospheric aerosols (e.g. black carbon (BC) and dust) can reduce the albedo of glaciers and thus contribute to their melting. In this study, we investigated the measured albedo as well as the relationship between albedo and mass balance in Zhadang glacier on Mt. Nyanqentanglha concentrate their sources at the glaciers in the TP known as the "Asian Water Towers". More than 1.4 billion people depend on the water from these rivers (Immerzeel et al., 2010), but these glaciers here have been undergoing rapid changes (Kang et al., 2010; Yao et al., 2012). Therefore, it is important to understand the impact factors that affect the glaciers and snow cover. The surface energy budget of glaciers has signif-Abstract
Environmental science and pollution research international, 2016
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) plays an important role in the climate system, but few data are av... more Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) plays an important role in the climate system, but few data are available on the Tibetan Plateau (TP). In this study, 89 precipitation samples were collected at Lhasa, the largest city of southern Tibet, from March to December 2013. The average concentration and wet deposition flux of DOC was 1.10 mg C L(-1) and 0.63 g C m(-2) year(-1), respectively. Seasonally, low DOC concentration and high flux appeared during the monsoon period, which were in line with heavy precipitation amount, reflecting dilution effect of precipitation for the DOC. Compared to other regions, the values of Lhasa were lower than those of large cities (e.g., Beijing and Seoul) mainly because of less air pollution of Lhasa. The principal component analysis (PCA) of DOC and ions (Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Na(+), K(+), NH4 (+), Cl(-), NO3 (-), and SO4 (2-)) showed that DOC of Lhasa was derived mainly from the natural sources, followed by anthropogenic burning activities. Furthermore, △(14)C va...
ABSTRACT To study the water quality across the Himalayan region, a total of 43 river water sample... more ABSTRACT To study the water quality across the Himalayan region, a total of 43 river water samples were collected in September 2012 from the Yarlung Tsangbo (Brahmaputra), Indus and Ganges basins. We measured the common water quality parameters (pH, EC, TDS, and water temperature) and analyzed the element concentrations (As, Cr, S, Sr, Tl, B, Ba, Ca, Al, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, and Ti) using ICP-AES. The results show that all the rivers have an alkaline environment with pH from 7.9 to 8.9. TDS has a positive relationship with Ca and Mg concentrations. The elemental contents are comparable among the samples from different river basins. The enrichment factor of As in river water across Himalayas showed a high value at 30, indicating the impacts of anthropogenic activities. The river water quality in this region is under the influence of climate change on the glacier melting, which will affect the water chemistry and the seasonal discharge of river runoff.
A total of 31 river water samples were collected from the headwater of the Yangtze River and its ... more A total of 31 river water samples were collected from the headwater of the Yangtze River and its tributaries across Shigu Town to Mt. Tangula region. Water chemistry analysis was carried out to investigate water quality in the upstream Yangtze River. The results show that the headwaters of Yangtze River are turbid and have an alkaline environment with pH ranges from 8.3 to 9.3. The oxidation reduction potential (ORP) of the water varies from -77.1 to -134.2 mv with an average of -88.8 mv, indicating an anoxic water surface. Based on the ions analysis, the water chemistry of headwaters of the Yangtze River is affected by mineral (magnesium and calcium sulfate) weathering, evaporation-crystallization processes and ground water discharge. Concentrations of ions and elements except Hg in the headwaters of Yangtze River presented a trend of decreasing with the downward of altitude. All heavy metals and other toxic elements concentrations in this study were under the WHO and GB (China national standards) guidelines. But attention should be given to Hg because the concentration of Hg (2.6 ng/l) was much higher than the world average (0.07 ng/l) and it increased as the river flows down, which may become a threat to the inhabitants in the downstream area of the river.
The large change in albedo has a great effect on glacier ablation. Atmospheric aerosols (e.g. bla... more The large change in albedo has a great effect on glacier ablation. Atmospheric aerosols (e.g. black carbon (BC) and dust) can reduce the albedo of glaciers and thus contribute to their melting. In this study, we investigated the measured albedo as well as the relationship between albedo and mass balance in Zhadang glacier on Mt. Nyanqentanglha concentrate their sources at the glaciers in the TP known as the "Asian Water Towers". More than 1.4 billion people depend on the water from these rivers (Immerzeel et al., 2010), but these glaciers here have been undergoing rapid changes (Kang et al., 2010; Yao et al., 2012). Therefore, it is important to understand the impact factors that affect the glaciers and snow cover. The surface energy budget of glaciers has signif-Abstract
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