Title: Variations of nitrogen transport in the mainstream of the Yellow River, China

Authors: Zhimin Wang; Xianfang Song; Guomin Li; Jianfeng Zhang; Guirui Yu; Xiaomin Sun

Addresses: Key Laboratory of Engineering Geomechanics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China; Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China ' Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China ' Key Laboratory of Engineering Geomechanics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China ' Key Laboratory of Engineering Geomechanics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China ' Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China ' Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China

Abstract: Three sections along the mainstream of the Yellow River were chosen as sites for monitoring the concentration variations of nitrogen species. First, the nitrogen in the water was mainly dissolved and dominated by nitrate-nitrogen. Second, the nitrogen concentrations in the middle stream were much higher than those in the upper stream, and close to those in the lower stream. Third, the nitrogen species in the upper stream were mainly related to fertiliser, mostly connected with domestic sewage and fertiliser in the middle stream, and principally induced by industrial wastewater in the lower stream. Fourth, the amount of total nitrogen, dissolved nitrogen, solid nitrogen, and nitrate nitrogen transported to the Bohai Sea by the Yellow River averaged 101.2, 94.6, 6.6, and 81.8 thousand tons, respectively, during the period of 2005 to 2007. Finally, water and sediment regulation had important effects on the nitrogen transport in the Yellow River.

Keywords: Yellow River; nitrogen transport; flux; pollution monitoring; Bohai Sea; China; nitrogen concentrations; water pollution; environmental pollution; domestic sewage; fertilisers; industrial wastewater; total nitrogen; dissolved nitrogen; solid nitrogen; nitrate nitrogen; water regulation; sediment regulation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2013.056360

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2013 Vol.52 No.1/2, pp.82 - 103

Received: 29 Feb 2012
Accepted: 04 Mar 2013

Published online: 28 Feb 2014 *

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