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Human Activities Aggravate VOC Pollution in the Huangshui River of the Tibetan Plateau

Author

Listed:
  • Xi Yang

    (State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China)

  • Xuwei Deng

    (Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China)

  • Guangxin Li

    (State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China)

  • Yu Liu

    (State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China)

  • Qiang Gao

    (State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China)

Abstract

Many xenobiotic compounds can threaten human health and natural ecosystems. The ability to predict the level of human activities and identify major impact factors is crucial for the design of pollutant risk-reduction plans. In this study, a total of 25 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including eight alkenes, six alkanes, and eleven aromatics were identified at 11 monitoring locations along the Huangshui River of the Tibetan Plateau. GC-MS analysis was applied to detect the concentrations of the VOCs. The results showed that the alkene, alkane, and aromatic concentrations in the sediment were significantly higher than in the water in all seasons ( p < 0.001). The VOC concentrations in summer were significantly higher than in spring and winter ( p < 0.01). In addition, several VOCs were found to surpass the national standard, i.e., bromoform reached 312.43 μg/L in water during the summer (the national standard is 100 μg/L), carbon tetrachloride was 209.58 μg/L (the national standard is 2 μg/L), and vinyl chloride was 10.99 μg/L (the national standard is 5 μg/L), which were all related to human activities. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to comprehensively evaluate the water quality and the VOCs. The total organic carbon (TOC) was found to be responsible for the presence of the VOCs in the river, accounting for 77.93%, 81.97%, and 82.13% of the total variance in the datasets in spring, summer, and winter, respectively.

Suggested Citation

  • Xi Yang & Xuwei Deng & Guangxin Li & Yu Liu & Qiang Gao, 2022. "Human Activities Aggravate VOC Pollution in the Huangshui River of the Tibetan Plateau," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-9, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:19:p:11983-:d:922224
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Asma Akter Parlin & Monami Kondo & Noriaki Watanabe & Kengo Nakamura & Mizuki Yamada & Jiajie Wang & Takeshi Komai, 2021. "Water-Enhanced Flux Changes under Dynamic Temperatures in the Vertical Vapor-Phase Diffusive Transport of Volatile Organic Compounds in Near-Surface Soil Environments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-13, June.
    2. Hui Wei & Changhe Lu & Yaqun Liu, 2021. "Farmland Changes and Their Ecological Impact in the Huangshui River Basin," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-15, October.
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