Hydro-Geochemistry of the River Water in the Jiulongjiang River Basin, Southeast China: Implications of Anthropogenic Inputs and Chemical Weathering

Xiaoqiang Li, Guilin Han, Man Liu, Kunhua Yang and Jinke Liu
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Xiaoqiang Li: Institute of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Guilin Han: Institute of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Man Liu: Institute of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Kunhua Yang: Institute of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Jinke Liu: Institute of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 3, 1-16

Abstract: This study focuses on the chemical weathering process under the influence of human activities in the Jiulongjiang River basin, which is the most developed and heavily polluted area in southeast China. The average total dissolved solid (TDS) of the river water is 116.6 mg/L and total cation concentration ( TZ + ) is 1.5 meq/L. Calcium and HCO 3 − followed by Na + and SO 4 2 − constitute the main species in river waters. A mass balance based on cations calculation indicated that the silicate weathering (43.3%), carbonate weathering (30.7%), atmospheric (15.6%) and anthropogenic inputs (10.4%) are four reservoirs contributing to the dissolved load. Silicates (SCW) and carbonates (CCW) chemical weathering rates are calculated to be approximately 53.2 ton/km 2 /a and 15.0 ton/km 2 /a, respectively. When sulfuric and nitric acid from rainfall affected by human activities are involved in the weathering process, the actual atmospheric CO 2 consumption rates are estimated at 3.7 × 10 5 mol/km 2 /a for silicate weathering and 2.2 × 10 5 mol/km 2 /a for carbonate weathering. An overestimated carbon sink (17.4 Gg C / a ) is about 27.0% of the CO 2 consumption flux via silicate weathering in the Jiulongjiang River basin, this result shows the strong effects of anthropogenic factors on atmospheric CO 2 level and current and future climate change of earth.

Keywords: chemical weathering; major ions; human activities; Jiulongjiang River; southeast China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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