The quality of rivers: From pristine stage to global pollution

Meybeck, Michel; Helmer, R.G.

doi:10.1016/0031-0182(89)90191-0

Cited by 302 publications

(111 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…The median TDS concentration in Yangtze River is similar to that of the Ganges-Brahmaputra in Asia and the Mackenzie in North America, but is more than three times the global median of 65 mg/l [13]. For most rivers in the world, the enhanced dissolution of detrital calcite is likely since suspended solid concentration in the flood season can reach 6 -55 times that in the dry season [14,15], but there are no such large discrepancies in the lower Yangtze River between HFR and LFR.…”

Section: Aqueous Geochemistry Of the Lower Yangtze Rivermentioning

confidence: 76%

Geochemistry of Water and Suspended Particulate in the Lower Yangtze River: Implications for Geographic and Anthropogenic Effects

Yuan¹,

Li²,

Mao³

et al. 2012

IJG

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The lower Yangtze River undergoes intense anthropogenic activities and various natural progress compared to the upper-middle reaches. We explore the aqueous geochemistry of ions and elements of suspended particulate in order to recognize the effects of natural conditions and anthropogenic inputs on rivers. These results show that total dissolved solids of water in the lower Yangtze River are similar as those in the upper-middle reaches of mainstream, but higher in tributaries. The major elements of suspended particulate in high-flow regime (HFR) have approximate concentrations with those in low-flow regime (LFR). But remarkable high concentrations of trace elements in tributaries exhibit regardless of HFR or LFR. Multivariate statistics show the suspended particulate matter (SPM) of mainstream presents similar characteristics in flood season and diverse characteristics in dry season. While SPM of tributaries reveals different results. The majority of suspended matter originates from municipal and industrial discharge both in flood season and dry season, and a part from road runoff in flood season, showing an effect of hydrological regime. Mining activity induces remarkably high concentrations of metals regardless of HFR or LFR. Therefore, the geochemistry of SPM in the lower reach of Yangtze River are significantly affected by the anthropogenic input of different sources, which is different from the upper-middle Yangtze River.

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Section: Aqueous Geochemistry Of the Lower Yangtze Rivermentioning

confidence: 76%

Geochemistry of Water and Suspended Particulate in the Lower Yangtze River: Implications for Geographic and Anthropogenic Effects

Yuan¹,

Li²,

Mao³

et al. 2012

IJG

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“…According to Meybeck and Helmer (1989), even in highly industrialised countries most river monitoring programmes cannot completely fulfil the data requirements for effective pollution control measures. The sampling frequency is usually monthly, which is not enough to take into account the great variability of many water quality descriptors or to detect short-term periods of pollution.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The DO content maintains a standard level throughout the entire length of the River Ganga, indicating a high re-aeration rate and rapid aerobic oxidation of biological substances. It seems reasonable, as suggested by Meybeck and Helmer (1989) "to set up regional reference values which take into account the lithology for major ions, as well as climate, vegetation and drainage patterns for nutrients and organic matter".…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water quality of the River Ganga (The Ganges) and some of its physico-chemical properties

1993

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The water qualities of the River Ganga (The Ganges) over a short stretch from Swarupganj to Barrackpore (in West Bengal) have been determined and are compared with the values reported by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute of India for the periods 1972-74 and 1979-80. The water quafity is generally bad, but not at such alarming levels as previously determined by other agencies. Biochemical and chemical oxygen demand (BOD and COD) levels are high but within tolerable limits. Dissolved oxygen (DO) levels are are fairly high, indicating a reasonable self-purifying capability for the River Ganga. However, nutrient loads containing N and P have increased enormously in recent years.

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“…These CAS modifications, including the creation of new types of aquatic systems such as canals, irrigation ditches, reservoirs, the alteration of natural hydrological regimes and the general degradation of CAS water quality, are now documented on all continents (Meybeck et al, 1989;Meybeck and Helmer, 1989;Degens et al, 1990;WHO/UNEP, 1992;Meade, 1995;Kimstach et al, 1998;Dynesius and Nilsson, 1994;Van der Weijden and Middleburg, 1989;Turner and Rabalais, 1991;Hu et al, 1998;Caraco, 1995;Seitzinger and Kroeze, 1998;Salomons et al, 1999;Peters and Meybeck, 2000;Von Bodungen and Turner, 2001;Neal and Whitehead, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here, these complex interactions are considered from various angles: (i) typology of trends in river material fluxes and concentrations, either dissolved or particulate, (ii) typology of river-quality management and successive time lags in management practices, (iii) decomposition of water quality restoration cycle, illustrating the social and societal responses to environmental impacts, (iv) typology of temporal variability of riverine quality both in natural and humanimpacted conditions. These typologies result from the author's experience in comparing water-quality issues at a global scale (Meybeck et al, 1989;WHO/UNEP, 1991;Meybeck and Ragu, 1997;Meybeck, 2001 a and b). (v) spatial and temporal analysis of some major river-quality issues (eutrophication, organic pollution, metal contamination, xenobiotic occurrence, nitrate pollution) as illustrated by the Seine River Basin.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Riverine quality at the Anthropocene: Propositions for global space and time analysis, illustrated by the Seine River

Meybeck

2002

Aquat. Sci.

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The control of riverine quality (water, particulates) by human-related pressures is now a major feature of the Anthropocene era. A set of general typologies and approaches to address the complex relationships between pressures, environmental impacts and some of the related social responses is proposed here on the basis of various examples, among others the Seine basin. Riverine quality management is described through a dozen major types illustrated by river fluxes and riverine quality trends (ӷ10 years). A successful restoration cycle, still seldom documented, is used as an example of the decomposition of the multiple social, societal and hydrological inertia and time lags, generally spanning several decades. Human impacts can also be described by finer temporal analysis, over hourly to year-on-year scales, and spatial analysis including classical longitudinal profiles, stream-order

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The quality of rivers: From pristine stage to global pollution

Cited by 302 publications

References 45 publications

Geochemistry of Water and Suspended Particulate in the Lower Yangtze River: Implications for Geographic and Anthropogenic Effects

Geochemistry of Water and Suspended Particulate in the Lower Yangtze River: Implications for Geographic and Anthropogenic Effects

Water quality of the River Ganga (The Ganges) and some of its physico-chemical properties

Riverine quality at the Anthropocene: Propositions for global space and time analysis, illustrated by the Seine River

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