Speciation of dissolved selenium in the Kaoping and Erhjen rivers and estuaries, southwestern Taiwan

Abstract

Analytical methods of dissolved Se species in river water and seawater were established and applied to study dissolved Se speciation in the Kaoping and Erhjen rivers and estuaries, southwestern Taiwan. The Kaoping and Erhjen rivers and estuaries were respectively in relatively oxygenated and oxygen-deficient conditions as revealed from the distributions of dissolved oxygen, DOC, nutrients, and dissolved Mn. Concentrations of dissolved total Se increased downstream in the riverine sections, ranging from 0.6 nM to 1.2 nM for the Kaoping River and from 0.8 nM to 1.05 nM for the Erhjen River. The dissolved total Se was only slightly higher in the Erhjen middle estuary than in the Kaoping middle estuary in spite of heavier pollution in the former. The dissolved total Se behaved rather conservatively in the Kaoping estuary but nonconservatively in the Erhjen estuary resulting from anthropogenic inputs, and in this respect showed similarities with the behavior of redox-sensitive Mn. The predominant species of selenium were Se(VI) and organic Se in the Kaoping River and Se(VI) in the Kaoping estuary. The elevated concentration of Se(VI) in the Kaoping estuary may stem from the degradation of organic Se and oxidation of Se(IV). On the other hand, Se(IV) and organic Se were equally dominant in the Erhjen River, and Se(IV) was predominant through most of the Erhjen estuary. The elevated distribution of Se(IV) in the Erhjen middle estuary may result mostly from partial decomposition of organic Se, but further oxidation of Se(IV) was inhibited in reducing waters. However, Se(VI) became dominant at Erhjen outer estuary where water was oxygenated by the replacement of intruded coastal seawater. Apparently, the speciation of dissolved Se was mainly controlled by the biological and redox processes in the Kaoping and Erhjen rivers and estuaries.