Spatiotemporal Evaluation of Water Quality and Hazardous Substances in Small Coastal Streams According to Watershed Characteristics

Han-Saem Lee, Su-Jin Lim, Byung-Ran Lim, Hong-Seok Kim, Heung-Soo Lee, Tae-Ung Ahn and Hyun-Sang Shin
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Han-Saem Lee: Department of Environment Energy Engineering, Seoul National University of Science & Technology, Seoul 01811, Korea
Su-Jin Lim: Department of Environment Energy Engineering, Seoul National University of Science & Technology, Seoul 01811, Korea
Byung-Ran Lim: Department of Environment Energy Engineering, Seoul National University of Science & Technology, Seoul 01811, Korea
Hong-Seok Kim: Korea Testing and Research Institute, Gwacheon 13810, Korea
Heung-Soo Lee: Gyeonggido Environmental Preservation Association, Suwon 16229, Korea
Tae-Ung Ahn: Environment Solution Partners, Gwangmyeong 14348, Korea
Hyun-Sang Shin: Department of Environment Energy Engineering, Seoul National University of Science & Technology, Seoul 01811, Korea

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 2, 1-14

Abstract: In this study, spatial and temporal changes of eight water quality indicators and 30 types of hazardous substances including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), pesticides, and inorganic matters for the small coastal streams along the West Coast of South Korea were investigated. In coastal streams with clear seasonal changes in water quality, larger watershed areas led to greater contamination by particulate matter (i.e., suspended solids, r = 0.89), and smaller watershed areas led to greater contamination by organic matter (i.e., BOD, r = −0.78). The concentration of VOCs and pesticides was higher in agricultural areas, and those of SVOCs and metals were often higher in urban areas. According to the principal component analysis (PCA), during the wet season, the fluctuation in the water quality of coastal streams was higher in urban areas than in agricultural areas. Furthermore, coastal streams in residential areas exhibited higher levels of SVOCs, and those in industrial areas exhibited higher levels of metallic substances. Based on these results, the spatial and temporal trends of water quality and hazardous substances were obtained according to watershed characteristics, thereby clarifying the pollution characteristics of small-scale coastal streams and the major influencing factors.

Keywords: land use; season; pollutant sources; water basin; hazardous material (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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