Impacts of Agricultural Non-point Pollution on Water-source Area in Songhua Dam

[Objective] The aim was to research impacts of agricultural non-point pol- lution on water-source region in Songhua Dam, laying foundation for control of water pollution and scientific protection of water-source region. [Method] Water in Muyang River, lengshui River and Zizania aquatica region were sampled to measure content of pollutants in water and conclude relation between water contamination and agri- cultural non-point pollution to find the major cause of pollution. [Result] Organic pollu- tant in Muyang River was higher; N and P contents in Lengshui River were higher; the measured indices in Zizania aquatica region excessively exceeded related stan- dard. [Conclusion] The chemical fertilizers and pesticides are the toxic materials lead- ing to water contamination and constitute a major cause of pollution in Songhua Dam water-source region. Agricultural non-point pollution should be controlled in a scientific way.

Mountain Effect and Differences in Storm Floods between Northern and Southern Sources of the Songhua River Basin

In this study, the differences in annual rainstorm changes in the Second Songhua River Basin and the Nenjiang River basin and their causes were compared from the perspective of mountain effects. The following results were drawn: (1) Altitude effect is the primary factor leading to increased rainstorms in the southern source; (2) Slope effect primarily leads to differences of the weather systems in the two sources, and thus cause the difference of the rainstorms; (3) Slope effect is responsible for the greater fluctuation in the observed floods in the southern source. These landform differences eventually lead to the differences in the characteristics of floods in the southern and northern sources. Commensurability method was used to identify the period of rainstorms in the southern and northern sources. The results showed that although rainstorms do not appear at the same time in the two sources they are characteristic of a 10 years' period in both areas. These results can serve as hydrological references for flood control and long-term flood disaster predictions.

Analysis of Urbanization Based on Center-of-gravity Movement and Characteristics in Songhua River Basin of China and its Southern Source Sub-basin between 1990 and 2010

Urbanization in modern times led to a series of development strategies that brought new opportunities in China. Rapid urbanization caused severe stress to the ecosystems and the environment. Using the center-of-gravity(COG) method and parameters such as population, economy, and land, we studied the urbanization pattern in Songhua River Basin and its southern source sub-basin from 1990 to 2010. Urbanization was analyzed based on the COG position, eccentric distance, movement direction of COG, and distance of COG movement. Various characteristics of urbanization in the southern source sub-basin of the Songhua River were explained in relation to the whole Songhua River Basin. Urbanization in the southern source sub-basin of the Songhua River is balanced, relatively advanced, and stable compared to the whole Songhua River Basin. The average eccentric distance between the urbanization COGs in the Songhua River′s south source basin indicated rapid expansion of land urbanization during the span of this study. A basic pattern of urbanization COG in the whole Songhua Basin was observed, but there existed differences among the three aspects of urbanization process. Land urbanization is still in its active stage, so future studies should focus on analysis of such urbanization trends.

Prediction of the environmental fate and aquatic ecological impact of nitrobenzene in the Songhua River using the modified AQUATOX model

An accidental discharge of nitrobenzene happened in November 2005 in the Songhua River,China.The AQUATOX model was modified and adapted to simulate the time-dependent nitrobenzene distribution in this multimedia aquatic system and its potential ecological impacts.Nitrobenzene concentrations in flowing water,sediment,and biota were predicted.Based on the initial concentrations of nitrobenzene observed in the field during the accidental discharge,that is,0.167-1.47 mg/L at different river segments, the predic...

Nitrobenzene biodegradation ability of microbial communities in water and sediments along the Songhua River after a nitrobenzene pollution event

More than 100 t of nitrobenzene (NB) and related compounds were discharged into the Songhua River,the fourth longest river in China,because of the world-shaking explosion of an aniline production factory located in Jilin City on November 13,2005.As one of the efforts to predict the fate of residual NB in the river,NB biodegradation abilities by microbes in the water and sediments from different river sections were evaluated systematically.The results indicated that microbial communities from any section of ...

Assessment of Point and Nonpoint Sources Pollution in Songhua River Basin,Northeast China by Using Revised Water Quality Model

Individual participation of pollutants in the pollution load should be estimated even if roughly for the appropriate environmental management of a river basin.It is difficult to identify the sources and to quantify the load, especially in modeling nonpoint source.In this study a revised model was established by integrating point and nonpoint sources into one-dimensional Streeter-Phelps(S-P) model on the basis of real-time hydrologic data and surface water quality monitoring data in the Jilin Reach of the Songhua River Basin.Chemical oxygen demand(COD) and ammonia nitrogen(NH 3-N) loads were estimated.Results showed that COD loads of point source and nonpoint source were 134 958 t/yr and 86 209 t/yr, accounting for 61.02% and 38.98% of total loads, respectively.NH 3-N loads of point source and nonpoint source were 16 739 t/yr and 14 272 t/yr, accounting for 53.98% and 46.02%, respectively.Point source pollution was stronger than nonpoint source pollution in the study area at present.The water quality of upstream was better than that of downstream of the rivers and cities.It is indispensable to treat industrial wastewater and municipal sewage out of point sources, to adopt the best management practices to control diffuse pollutants from agricultural land and urban surface runoff in improving water quality of the Songhua River Basin.The revised S-P model can be successfully used to identify pollution source and quantify point source and nonpoint source loads by calibrating and validating.

Phototransformation of nitrobenzene in the Songhua River:Kinetics and photoproduct analysis

Nitrobenzene (NB) pollution of the Songhua River caused by an explosion at a petrochemical plant in Jilin City,Jilin Province, China,attracted public concern over the fate of NB in the river.As one of the efforts to predict the fate of residual NB in the river,the kinetics and mechanism of phototransformation of NB in natural water from four sections of the Songhua River were investigated.It was found that photodegradation of NB in water proceeded via pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics under simulated sol...

Spatial Distribution and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Paddy Soils of Yongshuyu Irrigation Area from Songhua River Basin,Northeast China

There is an increasing concern for potentially hazardous metals pollution, which can threaten crops production and human health. In this study, the spatial distribution and environmental risks of eight heavy metals in surface soil samples collected from the paddy fields in Yongshuyu irrigation area, Northeast China were investigated. The mean concentrations of Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd, Hg and As were 34.6 ± 4.67, 82.8 ± 9.51, 17.3 ± 4.09, 21.2 ± 12.0, 88.6 ± 17.9, 0.18 ± 0.15, 0.22 ± 0.07 and 8.77 ± 2.47 mg/kg, respectively, which were slightly higher than their corresponding background values of Jilin Province, indicating enrichment of these metals in the paddy soils, especially for Ni, Cd and Hg. The spatial distribution of heavy metals was closely correlated with local anthropogenic activities, such as agricultural production, mining and transportation. The hot-spot areas of As and Cd were mainly concentrated in the up-midstream where were associated with agricultural activities. Cr and Cu showed similar spatial distributions with hot-spot areas distributed the whole irrigation area uniformly. Ni was mainly distributed in the downstream where Ni quarries concentrated, while the spatial distribution patterns of Hg was mainly located in the upstream and downstream where the soil was significantly influenced by irrigation and coal mining emission. The spatial distributions of Pb and Zn were mainly concentrated along the highway side. The pollution levels of Yongshuyu irrigation area were estimated through index of geo-accumulation(Igeo), Nemerow integrated pollution index(NIPI) and potential ecological risk index(PERI). The results showed that Cd and Hg were the main pollutants in the study area. Health risk assessment results indicated that children were in higher non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks than adults with the carcinogenic metal of As. Ingestion was the main exposure pathway to non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk for both adults and children. Principal component analysis(PCA) indicated that Cr and Cu were mainly from parent materials, while Cd and As were mainly affected by agricultural activities. Pb and Zn were controlled by traffic activities, and the accumulations of Ni and Hg were associated with mining activities. This study would be valuable for preventing heavy metals inputs and safety in rice production of the Songhua river basin.

Mechanism and Forecasting Methods for Severe Droughts and Floods in Songhua River Basin in China

The influence of various factors, mechanisms, and principles affecting runoff are summarized as periodic law, random law, and basin-wide law. Periodic law is restricted by astronomical factors, random law is restricted by atmospheric circulation, and basin-wide law is restricted by underlying surface. The commensurability method was used to identify the almost period law, the wave method was applied to deducing the random law, and the precursor method was applied in order to forecast runoff magnitude for the current year. These three methods can be used to assess each other and to forecast runoff. The system can also be applied to forecasting wet years, normal years and dry years for a particular year as well as forecasting years when floods with similar characteristics of previous floods, can be expected. Based on hydrological climate data of Baishan (1933-2009) and Nierji (1886-2009) in the Songhua River Basin, the forecasting results for 2010 show that it was a wet year in the Baishan Reservoir, similar to the year of 1995; it was a secondary dry year in the Nierji Reservoir, similar to the year of 1980. The actual water inflow into the Baishan Reservoir was 1.178 × 10 10 m 3 in 2010, which was markedly higher than average inflows, ranking as the second highest in history since records began. The actual water inflow at the Nierji station in 2010 was 9.96 × 10 9 m 3 , which was lower than the average over a period of many years. These results indicate a preliminary conclusion that the methods proposed in this paper have been proved to be reasonable and reliable, which will encourage the application of the chief reporter release system for each basin. This system was also used to forecast inflows for 2011, indicating a secondary wet year for the Baishan Reservoir in 2011, similar to that experienced in 1991. A secondary wet year was also forecast for the Nierji station in 2011, similar to that experienced during 1983. According to the nature of influencing factors, mechanisms and forecasting methods and the service objects, mid-to long-term hydrological forecasting can be divided into two classes:mid-to long-term runoff forecasting, and severe floods and droughts forecasting. The former can be applied to quantitative forecasting of runoff, which has important applications for water release schedules. The latter, i.e., qualitative disaster forecasting, is important for flood control and drought relief. Practical methods for forecasting severe droughts and floods are discussed in this paper.

Application of multivariate statistical techniques in assessment of surface water quality in Second Songhua River basin,China

Multivariate statistical techniques,such as cluster analysis(CA),discriminant analysis(DA),principal component analysis(PCA) and factor analysis(FA),were applied to evaluate and interpret the surface water quality data sets of the Second Songhua River(SSHR) basin in China,obtained during two years(2012-2013) of monitoring of 10 physicochemical parameters at 15 different sites.The results showed that most of physicochemical parameters varied significantly among the sampling sites.Three significant groups,highly polluted(HP),moderately polluted(MP) and less polluted(LP),of sampling sites were obtained through Hierarchical agglomerative CA on the basis of similarity of water quality characteristics.DA identified p H,F,DO,NH3-N,COD and VPhs were the most important parameters contributing to spatial variations of surface water quality.However,DA did not give a considerable data reduction(40% reduction).PCA/FA resulted in three,three and four latent factors explaining 70%,62% and 71% of the total variance in water quality data sets of HP,MP and LP regions,respectively.FA revealed that the SSHR water chemistry was strongly affected by anthropogenic activities(point sources:industrial effluents and wastewater treatment plants;non-point sources:domestic sewage,livestock operations and agricultural activities) and natural processes(seasonal effect,and natural inputs).PCA/FA in the whole basin showed the best results for data reduction because it used only two parameters(about 80% reduction) as the most important parameters to explain 72% of the data variation.Thus,this work illustrated the utility of multivariate statistical techniques for analysis and interpretation of datasets and,in water quality assessment,identification of pollution sources/factors and understanding spatial variations in water quality for effective stream water quality management.

Geochemical Characteristics of Heavy Metals in Riparian Sediment Pore Water of Songhua River, Northeast China

This study reports the geochemical characteristics of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), mercury (Hg), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) in the riparian sediment pore water of the Songhua River, Northeast China. In total, 36 pore water samples and 18 surface water samples from three typical sections were collected and analyzed in June 2009. Cluster analysis of heavy metals was performed to analyze the pollution sources of the metals. Results showed that Hg concentrations in the pore water were greater than those in the surface water, indicating a potential ability of Hg release from riparian sediment system to river water. However, concentrations of Fe and Mn in the surface water were greater than those in the pore water, demonstrating that the microenvironments of riparian and riverbed sediment systems were quite different. Variations of Zn, Cu, Pb and Ni between the surface and the pore water were different in each section. Most metals had similar horizontal and profile distribution characteristics in the three sections except for Zn and Ni. Hg, Fe and Mn concentrations in the pore water increased gradually with the increase in horizontal distance from water body, in contrast to this, Cu decreased, and Pb presented a fluctuating trend. With the increase in depth, Pb and Fe, Cu and Mn showed the same trends, and Hg showed a variable trend. The above distribution characteristics could mainly be attributed to the properties and the interactions of metals, pH and oxidation-reduction conditions, and the complex pollution sources and hydrologic regime in history. The probable sources of metals include the historical and ongoing discharge of industrial wastewater, mining activities, sewage irrigation for agricultural production, and atmospheric deposition from coal-fired plants.

Zooplankton community structure in relation to environmental factors and ecological assessment of water quality in the Harbin Section of the Songhua River

To study the relationship between zooplankton community structure and environmental factors and water quality in the Harbin Section of the Songhua River,investigations were carried out in June,August,and October 2011.Canonical correspondence analysis(CCA) and saprobic indices were used to process and analyze the data.Seasonal variability was identified as a significant source of variation,which explains the fluctuation in zooplankton density.In autumn,the dry season,water residence time increased and zooplankton biomass and abundance accumulated in the slow flowing waters.Zooplankton abundance increased when food conditions improved.Therefore,the total zooplankton abundance in autumn is much higher than that in spring and summer.According to the saprobic indices,all the sample sites had mesosaprobic water and water quality was worse in autumn.CCA revealed that temperature accounted for most of the spatial variation in the zooplankton community.Moreover,pH,dissolved oxygen saturation,and turbidity were important factors affecting zooplankton community distribution.

The responses of hydro-environment system in the Second Songhua River Basin to melt water

Based on the continuous monitoring data of hydrology and water quality in the period from 1972 to 1997, the responses of hydro-environment system to melt water in the Second Songhua River basin were derived. Because of melt water, the water quality in the Second Songhua River is good and changes very except that the contents of Hg and Mn in the water are higher. The contribution of melt water to the water fluxes in the Second Songhua River basin is distinct: the water flow in April increases remarkably, reaches the peak in the upper reaches. The pollutant contributions and water pollution indices (WPIs) of the Second Songhua River in April are high in the upper reaches while that in the lower reaches are low. The responses of hydro-environment system to melt water of that basin are affected by content of packed snow and the underlining surface systems.

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Surface Sediment from Songhua River Basin,Northeast of China

Sixty sediment samples were collected from the main Songhua River in three years. Twelve polybrominated diphenyl ether( PBDE) congeners( BDE17,28,47,66,99,100,153,154,138,183,and BDE-209) were detected to state the pollution situation. The results showed that the total concentration of total PBDEs ranges from 0. 424 to 23. 0 ng / g dry weight,with the mean of 3. 02 ng / g,and the total PBDEs concentration is at relative low level compared with those worldwide. The congener profile showed that BDE-209 is the dominant congener that accounts for more than 80. 1% of total PBDEs in sediments,followed by BDE-47 and BDE-99. These profiles are consistent with a high consumption of Deca-BDEs for the brominated flame retardant market in China. The results of spatial and seasonal observations indicated that local sources,temperature variation, and hydrologic conditions are significant factors on PBDEs concentrations. Hazard quotients suggested that PBDEs pose no potential risk to benthic organisms in detected area at present.

Water Quality Analysis of the Songhua River Basin Using Multivariate Techniques

Multivariate statistical techniques, including cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), factor analysis (FA) and discriminant analysis (DA), were used to evaluate temporal and spatial variations and to interpret a large and complex water quality data sets collected from the Songhua River Basin. The data sets, which contained 14 parameters, were generated during the 7-year (1998-2004) monitoring program at 14 different sites along the rivers. Three significant sampling locations (less polluted sites, moderately polluted sites and highly polluted sites) were detected by CA method, and five latent factors (organic, inor-ganic, petrochemical, physiochemical, and heavy metals) were identified by PCA and FA methods. The re-sults of DA showed only five parameters (temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, ammonia nitrogen, and nitrate nitrogen) and eight parameters (temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, volatile phenols and total arsenic) were necessarily in temporal and spatial varia-tions analysis, respectively. Furthermore, this study revealed the major causes of water quality deterioration were related to inflow of effluent from domestic and industrial wastewater disposal.

Distribution of Methyl Mercury in Rana chensinensis and Environmental Media in Gold-mining Areas of Upper Reaches of Songhua River,China

The distribution characteristics of methyl mercury in Rana chensinensis and water,sediment and soil in gold-mining areas of the upper reaches of the Songhua River,China were studied by field sampling and laboratory testing.The results show that the methyl mercury contents in water,sediment and soil in gold-mining areas are much higher than those in the control site,indicating that gold-mining activities intensify the methyl mercury pollution in the study area.Methyl mercury contents are in a descending order of sediment > soil > water in the environment,and in a descending order of brain > viscera > muscle > skin in Rana chensinensis.There are significant correlation between methyl mercury contents in Rana chensinensis and those in water and sediment.In particular,the methyl mercury content in the skin of Rana chensinensis is positively correlated with those in water and sediment in spring.Therefore,skin is one of main intake pathways for methyl mercury due to its high permeability.

Spatial Distribution and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Surface Sediment of Songhua River,Northeast China

The Songhua River,one of the seven major rivers in China,locates in Northeast China with 1897 km long.This study aims to investigate the concentrations,distribution,source apportionment and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals including copper(Cu),zinc(Zn),cadmium(Cd),lead(Pb),nickel(Ni)and chromium(Cr)in main stream and tributaries of the Songhua River in Jilin Province,Northeast China.Surface sediment samples(0–15 cm)were collected from 39 sampling sites in the Songhua River in July 2012.Concentrations of Cu,Zn,Cd,Pb,Ni and Cr were analyzed.The mean concentrations of heavy metals were(24.0±9.2)mg/kg,(59.3±18.0)mg/kg,(4.0±2.1)mg/kg,(39.0±27.9)mg/kg,(18.5±8.6)mg/kg and(56.1±17.6)mg/kg for Cu,Zn,Cd,Pb,Cr and Ni,respectively.The average contents of Cu,Cd,Pb,Cr and Ni were higher than their background values.Higher concentrations of heavy metals were found in the lower reaches with industrial enterprises and cities along the Songhua River.Zn,Pb and Ni might come from industrial sewage and mineral processing,while Cu and Cd were derived from electroplating wastewater and agricultural non-point source sewage.Cr originated from lithogenic sources.The concentrations of Cu,Zn and Cr were below the effect range low(ERL)at all sites,while Cd,Pb and Ni concentrations were detected ranging from ERL to the effect range median(ERM)at more than 15%of samples.Concentrations of Ni exceeded ERM in more than 50%of samples.The mean toxic units of heavy metals in the Songhua River decreased following the order:Cd(6.7)>Pb(2.2)>Ni(1.6)>Cu(0.7)>Cr(0.5)=Zn(0.5).Potential ecological risk index was found to be higher in middle and lower reaches of the Songhua River,where Cd could impose an extremely high ecological risk.

DYNAMIC VARIATION OF NITROGEN CONTENT IN THE SECOND SONGHUA RIVER

The space time variation laws of nitrogen content in different river sections, water periods and years in the Second Songhua River in China is described in detail. The results show that there is direct relation between the nitrogen content variation in river water and that in wastewater from cities and runoff water of both banks of the river. Nitrate and nitrite contents in water in flood period are higher than that in mid and low water periods. In flood period, nitrate content in water increases gradually with the extension of river section, ammonia content in polluted river section is higher than that in unpolluted river section. Nitrate and nitrite contents in water in the flood, mid and low water periods from 1985 to 1989 were slightly higher than that from 1980 to 1984 and from 1990 to 1994, ammonia content in water increased annually.

THE FLOOD OF THE NENJIANG RIVER AND THE SONGHUA RIVER IN 1998 AND THE COMPREHENSIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE RIVER BASINS

In the summer of 1998, an exceptionally serious flood, with the characteristics of high water level, large volume of flow, long duration and serious losses caused by the disaster, occurred in the Nenjiang River basin and the Songhua River basin. Greater flood peak occurred three times in the trunk stream of the Nenjiang River for the floods occurred in its tributaries one after another. At Jiangqiao Hydrometric Station, the water level was 141.90 m and the rate of flow was 12?000 m 3/s. The flood is ranged to a catastrophic one, which occurs once in 50 years. Ranged to a catastrophic flood at Qiqihar Hydrometric Station that occurs once in 400 years, its water level, 0.89 m higher than the former all time highest, was 149.30?m and the corresponding rate of flow was 14?800?m 3/s. The water level that exceeded the all time highest lasted for 7 days. At Harbin Hydrometric Station, the water level, 0.59?m higher than the former all time highest, was 120.89?m and the corresponding rate of flow was 17?400?m 3/s. The water level that exceeded the all time highest lasted for 9 to 10 days. The flood here is ranged to a catastrophic one, which occurs once in 150 years. The flood of the Nenjiang River damaged 456×10 4?ha of crops and 115×10 4 rooms and the direct loss of economy exceeded 40 billion yuan(RMB). The main reasons of the flood are great rainfall, long flood season, unreasonable land use, regional ecological environment degradation and lack of water control projects. It is obvious that the following measures are greatly needed: the comprehensive management of the river basins; the formulation of development planning of the river basins, especially the water control projects; the development of agriculture based on ecological security.

Current Situation of Fish Resources in the Lower Reaches of the Songhua River

The Songhua River is one of the seven major rivers in China and an important river in Northeast China, with rich fish species and resources. Based on historical data, on-site visits and field investigation, this paper analyzed the changes of fish resources in the lower reaches of the main stream of the Songhua River, so as to understand the current situation of three grounds and one channel and resources of fishes. This study provides reference for fish conservation in the lower reaches.