title: Water quality in the Tibetan Plateau: metal contents of four selected rivers.
abstract: The water used by 85% of the Asian population originates in Tibetan Plateau. During April and May of 2006, water samples were collected from four major Asian rivers in the Plateau (i.e. the Salween, Mekong, Yangtze River and Yarlung Tsangpo) and analyzed for Cu, Pb, Zn, Ag, Mo, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Li, Mn, Al, Fe, Mg and Hg. The results showed that elements such as Mg were rather high in Tibetan rivers, giving a mean electrical conductance of 36 mS/m. In a few locations, the results also showed relatively high concentrations of Al and Fe (>1mg/L). However, the concentrations of Cu, Zn, Ag, Cd, and Cr were generally low. Contamination with Pb was identified at a few locations in the Salween and Ni at a few sites in the Yangtze River.
authors: Laboratory of Applied Environmental Chemistry, University of Kuopio, Patteristonkatu 1, FIN-50100 Mikkeli, Finland. xiang.huang@uku.fi
authors: Xiang
authors: X
authors: Huang
authors: Mika
authors: M
authors: Sillanpää
authors: Bu
authors: B
authors: Duo
authors: Egil T
authors: ET
authors: Gjessing
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis; D008274:Magnesium / Q000032:analysis; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D018609:Tibet; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014881:Water Supply
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D007854:Lead; D000535:Aluminum; D007501:Iron; D008274:Magnesium