Abstract
The concentrations of nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) species and relevant hydrographic parameters were determined in main stream and tributary waters of the Nakdong River system during the periods of May through October 1994. During the entire period, the total N (TN) and total P (TP) concentrations in surface waters were found within the ranges of 0.4–7.0 (N=241) and 0.02–1.536 mg L-1 (N=241), respectively. To help derive meaningful interpretations of temporal and geographical variabilities in the nutrient bahavior, the entire data were evaluated for each individual parameter after employing several different grouping schemes. The results of this comparative analysis can be expressed in terms of: (1) high summer/fall ratios for most of nutrient species; and (2) low summer/fall ratios for most of nutrient-to-nutrient ratios and relevant hydrographic parameters. Interestingly, while the former case was found to be more significant in tributary waters than main stream waters, such geographical dependence was not strongly evident for the latter case. A z-statistic test, conducted to check the significance of temporal (between summer and fall) and spatial (between tributary and main stream regions) differences, confirm that the observed variabilities are in most cases strong enough for most of variables studied – nutrient species, their ratios, and relevant hydrographic parameters. In addition, comparison of nutrient species between dissolved and particulate phases reveals several interesting features. Unlike dissolved nutrient species, the concentrations of particulate N or P (PN or PP) exhibited quite extraoridanry behavior. While PN appears to be rather minor component of the total N budget for the Nakdong river, PP seems to make rather strong contributions to its total P budgets with its strong input from tributary waters during rainy summer season. Through an application of correlation analysis, relationships between different parameters were investigated for both before and after the grouping of data sets. The overall picture of this analysis showed that nutrient species were strongly correlated with each other, while the strongest correlations were among such hydrographic parameters as DO, BOD, COD, and conductivity. This analysis was further conducted to more deliberately divided data groups. The results of analyses on these sub-grouped data sets indicate that the occurrences of significant corelations were common from tributary waters relative to main streams for both (1) between different nutrient species and (2) between nutrient and hydrographic parameters. Using the line of evidence gathered from the statistical tests and from the correlation analysis, we conclude that the environmental health of the Nakdong river system is affected by the combined effects of various factors and processes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
APAH, AWWA,WPCF: 1989, Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 15th ed., New York, U.S.A.
CHO, K. S., Kim, B. and Heo, W.M.: 1990, Physiol. Ecol. Japan. 27, 81.
Dillon, P. J. and Rigler, F. H.: 1974, J. Fish. Res. Bd. Can. 31, 1771.
Hecky, R. E. and Kilham, P.: 1988, Limnol. Oceanogr. 33, 796.
Heo, W.M.: 1992, A Study of the Eutrophication and the Cyanobacterial Bloom in Lake Soyang, PhD dissertation, Kang Won National University, Korea, August 1993.
Heo, W.M and Kim, B.: 1995, J. Kor. Environ. Sci. Soc. 4(3), 187.
Heo, W.M., Kim, B., Ahn, T. S. and Lee, K. J.: 1992, Kor. J. Limnol. 25, 207.
Howarth, R. W.: 1988, Ann. Rev. Ecol. 19, 89.
Kim, B., Cho., K. S., Heo, W.M and Kim, D. S.: 1989, Kor. J. Limnol. 22, 151.
Kim, B. and Cho, K. S.: 1989, Kor. J. Limnol. 22, 159.
Lebo, M. E.: 1991, Mar. Chem. 34, 225.
Schindler, D.: 1978, Limnol. Oceanogr. 23, 478.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kim, KH., Heo, WM. & Kim, B. Spatial and Temporal Variabilities in Nitrogen and Phosphorous in the Nakdong River System, Korea. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 102, 37–60 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004973616860
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004973616860