River water quality and pollution sources in the Pearl River Delta, China.
Some physicochemical parameters were determined for thirty field water samples collected from different water channels in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone river system. The analytical results were compared with the environmental quality standards for surface water. Using the SPSS software, statistical analyses were performed to determine the main pollutants of the river water. The main purpose of the present research is to investigate the river water quality and to determine the main pollutants and pollution sources. Furthermore, the research provides some approaches for protecting and improving river water quality. The results indicate that the predominant pollutants are ammonium, phosphorus, and organic compounds. The wastewater discharged from households in urban and rural areas, industrial facilities, and non-point sources from agricultural areas are the main sources of pollution in river water in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone.
Key Laboratory of Margin Sea Geology, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wushan, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, PR China. oyangtp@gig.ac.cn
Tingping
T
Ouyang
Zhaoyu
Z
Zhu
Yaoqiu
Y
Kuang
D000383:Agriculture; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007220:Industrial Waste; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis; D009573:Nitrites / Q000032:analysis; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D007220:Industrial Waste; D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D010758:Phosphorus; D002244:Carbon; D010100:Oxygen