Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Hydrochemical characteristics and controlling factors of natural water in the border areas of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

  • Published:
Journal of Geographical Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The special geography and human environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has created the unique hydrochemical characteristics of the region’s natural water, which has been preserved in a largely natural state. However, as the intensity of anthropogenic activities in the region has continued to increase, the water environment and hydrochemical characteristics of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have altered. In this study, water samples from the western, southern, and northeastern border areas of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, where human activities are ongoing, were collected, analyzed, and measured. The regional differences and factors controlling them were also investigated. The key results were obtained as follows. (1) Differences in the physical properties and hydrochemical characteristics, and their controlling factors, occurred in the different boundary areas of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. These differences were mainly the consequence of the geographical environment and geological conditions. (2) The water quality was good and suitable for drinking, with most samples meeting GB (Chinese national) and WHO (World Health Organization) drinking water standards. (3) The chemical properties of water were mainly controlled by the weathering of carbonates and the dissolution of evaporative rocks, with the former the most influential. (4) The biological quality indicators of natural water in the border areas were far superior to GB and WHO drinking water standards.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahmad T, Khanna P P, Chakrapani G J et al., 1998. Geochemical characteristics of water and sediment of the Indus river, Trans-Himalaya, India: Constraints on weathering and erosion. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 16(2/3): 333–346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cao D, 2013. Yangtze River source area water environment and hydrochemistry background characteristic [D]. Beijing: Engineering China University of Geosciences (Beijing). (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Cao J, Zhao Y, Liu J et al., 2000. Fluoride concentrations of water sources in Tibet. Fluoride, 33(4): 205–209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang H, Xu W, Yuan J et al., 2012. Current situation of grassland resources and grazing capacity in Ali, Tibet. Pratacultural Science, 29(11): 1660–1664. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen J, Wang F, Xia X et al., 2002. Major element chemistry of the Changjiang (Yangtze River). Chemical Geology, 187(3/4): 231–255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cruz J V L, Amaral C S, 2004. Major ion chemistry of groundwater from perched-water bodies of the Azores (Portugal) volcanic archipelago. Applied Geochemistry, 19(3): 445–459.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dalai T K, Krishnaswami S, Sarin M M, 2002. Major ion chemistry in the headwaters of the Yamuna river system: Chemical weathering, its temperature dependence and CO2 consumption in the Himalaya. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 66(19): 3397–3416.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deng W, 1988. Research on fundamental characteristic of hydrochemistry in the region of the Changjiang River headwater. Scientia Geographica Sinica, 8(4): 363–370. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gao T, Kang S, Zhang Q et al., 2008. Major ionic features and their sources in the Nam Co Basin over the Tibetan Plateau. Environmental Science, 29(11): 3009–3016. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibbs R J, 1970. Mechanisms controlling world water chemistry. Science, 170(3962): 1088–1090.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grange M L, Mathieu F, Begaux F et al., 2001. Kashin-Beck disease and drinking water in Central Tibet. International Orthopaedics, 25(3): 167–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo J, Kang S, Zhang Q et al., 2012. Temporal and spatial variations of major ions in Nam Co Lake water, Tibetan Plateau. Environmental Science, 33(7): 2295–2302. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo Q, Wang Y, 2012. Hydrochemical anomaly of drinking waters in some endemic Kashin-Beck disease areas of Tibet, China. Environmental Earth Sciences, 65(3): 659–667.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holloway J M, Dahlgren R A, Hansen B et al., 1998. Contribution of bedrock nitrogen to high nitrate concentrations in stream water. Nature, 395(395): 785–788.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hou S, Xu H, An Z, 2009. Major ion chemistry of waters in Lake Qinghai catchment and the possible controls. Earth & Environment, 37(1): 11–19. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jin Z, Yu J, Wang S et al., 2009. Constraints on water chemistry by chemical weathering in the Lake Qinghai catchment, northeastern Tibetan Plateau (China): Clues from Sr and its isotopic geochemistry. Hydrogeology Journal, 17(8): 2037–2048.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ju J, Zhu L P, Wang J et al., 2010. Water and sediment chemistry of Lake Pumayum Co, South Tibet, China: Implications for interpreting sediment carbonate. Journal of Paleolimnology, 43(3): 463–474.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katz B G, Böhlke J K, Hornsby H D, 2001. Timescales for nitrate contamination of spring waters, northern Florida, USA. Chemical Geology, 179(1–4): 167–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li S, Wang M, Yang Q et al., 2012. Enrichment of arsenic in surface water, stream sediments and soils in Tibet. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 135(6): 104–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li S, Yang L, Wang W et al., 2006. Study on the relationship between selenium concentrations in drinking water and Kaschin-Beck Disease in Tibet. Chinese Journal of Endemiology, 25(4): 428–429. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Li S, Zhang Q, 2008. Geochemistry of the upper Han River basin, China, 1: Spatial distribution of major ion compositions and their controlling factors. Applied Geochemistry, 23(12): 3535–3544.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu Y, Li Y, Mimapuchi et al., 2016. Evolution of structural geology and metallogenic unite, Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region. Geological Review, 62(b11): 219–220. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Meenakshi, Maheshwari R C, 2006. Fluoride in drinking water and its removal. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 137(1): 456–463.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meybeck M, 1987. Global chemical weathering of surficial rocks estimated from river dissolved loads. American Journal of Science, 287(5): 401–428.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meybeck M, Helmer R, 1989. The quality of rivers: From pristine stage to global pollution. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology, 75(4): 283–309.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Environment Protection of the People’s Republic of China (MEP), 2002. Methods for Chemical Analysis of Water and Waste Water. Beijing: China Environmental Science Press. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China (MH), 2007. Standards Examination Methods for Drinking Water GB/T 5750-2006. Beijing: China Standards Press. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China (MH), 2007. Standards for Drinking Water Quality GB 5749-2006. Beijing: China Standards Press. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • National Bureau of Statistics of People’s Republic of China (NBS), 2017. China Statistical Yearbook 2017. Beijing: China Statistics Press. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Nemeth A, Paolini J, Herrera R, 1982. Carbon transport in the Orinoco River: The preliminary results. Nairobi, Kenya, Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment/United Nations Environment Programme Sonderband Heft.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nie L, 2011. Analysis of microbial indicators of drinking water in rural areas of six counties in Tibet. Tibet Medical Journal, 32(1): 56–57. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Piper A M, 1944. A graphic procedure in the geochemical interpretation of water-analyses. Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union, 25(6):914–928.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reeder S W, Hitchon B, Levinson A A, 1972. Hydrogeochemistry of the surface waters of the Mackenzie River drainage basin, Canada (I): Factors controlling inorganic composition. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 36(8): 825–865.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roy S, Gaillardet J, Allègre C J, 1999. Geochemistry of dissolved and suspended loads of the Seine River, France: Anthropogenic impact, carbonate and silicate weathering. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 63(9): 1277–1292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarin M M, Krishnaswami S, 1984. Major ion chemistry of the Ganga-Brahmaputra river systems, India. Nature, 312(5994): 538–541.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarin M M, Krishnaswami S, Dilli K et al., 1989. Major ion chemistry of the Ganga-Brahmaputra river system: Weathering processes and fluxes to the Bay of Bengal. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 53(5): 997–1009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen Z, Zhu W, Zhong Z, 1993. Hydrogeochemical Basis. Beijing: Geological Publishing House. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheng Y, Rui Y, Yu Y, 2012. Heavy metal pollution in water of rivers and lake in Tibet by ICP-MS. Asian Journal of Chemistry, 24(11): 5403–5404.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun H, Zheng D, Yao T et al., 2012. Protection and construction of the national ecological security shelter zone on Tibetan Plateau. Acta Geographica Sinica, 67(1): 3–12. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun R, Zhang X, Wu Y, 2012. Major ion chemistry of water and its controlling factors in the Yamzhog Yumco Basin, South Tibet. Journal of Lake Sciences, 24(4): 600–608. (in Chinese)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun R, Zhang X, Zheng D, 2013. Spatial variation and its causes of water chemical property in Yamzhog Yumco Basin, South Tibet. Acta Geographica Sinica, 68(1): 36–44. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tan L, Li F, Li Z et al., 2016. Study on groundwater characteristics and development in permafrost region of Tuotuo River. Yellow River, 38(5): 62–67. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tian Y, Yu C, Luo K et al., 2015. Hydrochemical characteristics and element contents of natural waters in Tibet, China. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 25(6): 669–686.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tian Y, Yu C, Zha X et al., 2016. Distribution and potential health risks of arsenic, selenium, and fluorine in natural waters in Tibet, China. Water, 8(12): 568.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 1993. Determination of inorganic anions by ion chromatography. Cincinnati, Ohio 45268, Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory Office of Research and Decelopment.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Ju J, Zhu L, 2013. Water chemistry variations of lake and inflowing rivers between pre- and post-monsoon season in Nam Co, Tibet. Scientia Geographica Sinica, 33(1): 90–96. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang L, 2016. Study on hydrochemical characteristics and its influencing factors in Yarlung Tsangpo River Basin [D]. Beijing: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang M, Li S, Wang H et al., 2012. Distribution of arsenic in surface water in Tibet. Environmental Science, 33(10): 3411–3416. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (WHO), 2008. Guidelines for drinking-water quality. Geneva, World Health Organization: 186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu W, Yang J, Xu S et al., 2008. Geochemistry of the headwaters of the Yangtze River, Tongtian He and Jinshajiang: Silicate weathering and CO consumption. Applied Geochemistry, 23(12): 3712–3727.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xiao J, Jin Z, Zhang F et al., 2012. Major ion geochemistry of shallow groundwater in the Qinghai Lake catchment, NE Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Environmental Earth Sciences, 67(5): 1331–1344.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yao T, Thompson L G, Qin D et al., 1996. Variations in temperature and precipitation in the past 2000 a on the Xizang (Tibet) Plateau-Guliya ice core record. Science in China (Series D), 39(4): 425–433.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yao Z, Rui W, Liu Z et al., 2015. Spatial-temporal patterns of major ion chemistry and its controlling factors in the Manasarovar Basin, Tibet. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 25(6): 687–700.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang M, Gustafsson J E, 1995. The Tibetan Water Environment: Water Chemistry of Some Surface Waters in Southern Tibet. Ambio, 24(6): 385–387.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang X, He Y, Shen Z et al., 2015. Frontier of the ecological construction support the sustainable development in Tibet Autonomous Region. Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences, (3): 306–312. (in Chinese)

  • Zhang X, Li X, Budu et al., 2013. Analysis on sanitary surveillance of drinking water quality in Nyingchi region of Tibet in 2011. Tibet Medical Journal, 34(1): 62–64. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang X, Sun R, Zhu L, 2012. Lake water in the Yamzhog Yumco basin in south Tibetan region: Quality and evaluation. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 34(4): 950–958. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Li B, Zheng D, 2002. A discussion on the boundary and area of the Tibetan Plateau in China. Geographical Research, 21(1): 1–8. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao T, Chen Y, Yao W et al., 2017. The spatiotemporal distribution of two bacterial indexes in a small Tibetan Plateau watershed. Water, 9(11): 823.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhe M, Zhang X, Wang B et al., 2017. Hydrochemical regime and its mechanism in Yamzhog Yumco Basin, South Tibet. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 27(9): 1111–1122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng D, Tan J, Wang W, 2007. Environmental Geosciences Introduction. Beijing: Higher Education Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu B, Yang X, 2007. Chemical characteristics and origin of natural water in the Taklimakan Desert. Chinese Science Bulletin, 52(13): 1561–1566. (in Chinese)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu L, Ju J, Yong W et al., 2010. Composition, spatial distribution, and environmental significance of water ions in Pumayum Co catchment, southern Tibet. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 20(1): 109–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lhasa National Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing, 100101, China

    Yuan Tian, Chengqun Yu & Erfu Dai

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Yuan Tian & Xinjie Zha

  3. State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing, 100101, China

    Xinjie Zha & Xing Gao

Authors
  1. Yuan Tian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chengqun Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xinjie Zha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Xing Gao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Erfu Dai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chengqun Yu.

Additional information

Foundation: Key R&D and Transformation Program of Tibet, No. XZ201901NB08; Major Science and Technology Project of Tibet, No. XZ201901NA03, No. XZ201801NA02

Author: Tian Yuan (1991-), PhD, specialized in Tibet water environment and health.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tian, Y., Yu, C., Zha, X. et al. Hydrochemical characteristics and controlling factors of natural water in the border areas of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. J. Geogr. Sci. 29, 1876–1894 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-019-1994-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-019-1994-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation