Evolution of hydrochemical characteristics and the influence of environmental background in the Hailar River basin, China

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment 2024-10, Vol.196 (10), p.968-968, Article 968
• Main Authors: Xie, Fei, Chai, Sen, Wang, Zhongli, Tang, Yuanqing, Liu, Yangzheng, Zhou, Xingjun, Lü, Changwei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anthropogenic factors; Aquatic ecosystems; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; basins; Calcium ions; Chemical oxygen demand; Chemistry; China; Climate change; Dissolved organic carbon; Dissolved organic matter; Dissolved solids; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental assessment; environmental health; Environmental Impact Assessment; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental quality; Evolution; Grasslands; Human influences; humans; Hydrochemicals; Hydrochemistry; Hydrology; Influence; Leaching; Lithology; Moisture content; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Organic carbon; Organic soils; Phosphorus; Phosphorus - analysis; pollution; Precipitation; Resource management; riparian areas; River basins; River ecology; River management; River systems; Rivers; Rivers - chemistry; Self-purification; Soil; Soil - chemistry; Soil analysis; Soil pollution; Soil water; Spatial distribution; Surface water; Temporal distribution; Total dissolved solids; total phosphorus; Water consumption; water management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water pollution; Water purification; Water quality; Water quality assessments; Water resources; Water resources management; Watershed management; watersheds; Weathering
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-13134-8

Understanding the evolution of hydrochemical characteristics in river systems is essential for environmental assessment and water resource management. This study explores the spatiotemporal distribution and the determinants of hydrochemical characteristics in the Hailar River basin, China, over an extensive period. Our results revealed that COD Mn and COD Cr were the primary concerns for long-term river management, with exceedance rates of 42.92% and 50.62%, respectively. These exceedances were predominantly driven by interactions between riparian soils and surface water, rather than anthropogenic pollution, as suggested by the strong correlations between dissolved organic carbon and soil water-extractable organic carbon, and the limited human footprint in this region. Piper trilinear and Gibbs diagram analysis further revealed that long-term rack weathering shaped the basin’s hydrochemical characteristics, resulting in distinct HCO 3 − -Ca 2+ and HCO 3 − -Ca 2+ -Na + signatures. In addition, APCS-MLR analysis identified that elevated of COD Mn and COD Cr levels were mainly attributed to the interactions with adjacent soils, which are extensively covered by forests and grasslands. In contrast, leaching and migration processes contributed significantly on total dissolved solids and total phosphorus. The study also found that environmental self-purification processes played a key role in regulating Fe concentrations. This investigation provides a nuanced understanding of the environmental background’s influence on hydrochemistry and dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the Hailar River basin, which offers valuable insights and methodologies for the rational assessment of water quality and aquatic ecosystem health in similar riverine systems. Graphical abstract