Pollution in the Yangtze River

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Pollution in the Yangtze River

Methods to Resolve Issue

Despite the high acidity of the river, it also appears to have a high buffering capacity

Having a high buffering capacity means that the river can sustain higher acidity than normal rivers, however, this trait should not be exploited and/or pushed for the sake of the ecosystem and conditions of the river, and those who rely off of it

Some propose that a dam be build to protect homes against flooding.

they will be released in certain periods of time to account for fish breeding seasons.

Some organizations such as WWF (world wide fund for nature) have agreed to contribute to cleaning and aiding the regrowth of the river

The government of China has allowed and will contribute to the cleaning of the Yangtze River

Chemical Components

Because of acid rain, the pH of the water increases dramatically as the river proceeds downstream.

The pH of the water even before polluted areas is already relatively high, with 8.3-9.3 pH

The relative oxidizing power of the Yangtze River (ORP) was shown to have all negative values, meaning that the marine ecology is possibly being reduced severely

ANIONS

NO3- : ranges from 0.1 - 2.9 mg / L

Average levels in rivers worldwide - 0.1 - 3 mg / L

HCO3- : ranges from 25 - 175 mg / L

Average levels in rivers worldwide - 264 mg / L

severely below average

SO2(2-) : ranges from 50 - 250 mg / L

Average levels in rivers worldwide - 250 mg / L

Mostly does not meet average levels

F- : ranges from 0.12 - 0.27 mg / L

Average levels in rivers worldwide - 0.01 - 0.02 mg / L

Severely above average

Cl- : ranges from 40 - 1200 mg / L

Average levels in rivers worldwide - 40 mg / L

CATIONS

K+ : ranges from 2.3 - 285 mg / L

Na+ : ranges from 70 - 650 mg / L

Average levels in river - 50 - 270 mg / L

Mg(2+): ranges from 15- 45 mg / L

Average levels in river - less thatn 20 mg / L

severely above average

Ca(2+): ranges from 42- 72 mg / L

Average levels in river - 1-135 mg / L

Meets average levels

Images

Smog over the Yangtze River

Satellite imagery of the Yangtze River (barely distinguishable from Earth's terrain

Shores/Banks of the Yangtze River

Sources

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844020304552

https://allthatsinteresting.com/yangtze-river-pollution#7

https://factsanddetails.com/china/cat10/sub66/item391.html

https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1006706/forever-chemicals-found-in-tap-water-along-yangtze-river

Reasons For Pollution

The River floods into populated areas, and can bring materials from urban environments into the Yangtze River in large quantities.

Infrastructure and collateral pollution (collateral pollution being the unavoidable waste product into the river)

The collateral pollutIon is likely higher in the Yangtze River, as more people are likely to output more waste product into the river, however, this is likely not a significant amount compared to avoidable waste products being dumped into the river.

chemical output of waste can pollute the river and damage the ecosystem inside of it.

Chemical makeup of the water changes with a severe increase of certain anions and some cations with levels of mg/L well above what should be in natural rivers worldwide.

This makes it difficult for fish and other marine life to reproduce and start the next generation in the river.

This causes population to decrease dramatically

Reduced population decreases the health of the ecosystem

As the air around the cities situated on the Yangtze River has incredibly low quality, whatever chemicals such as CO2 are dissolved into the river

This decreases the quality of living for any Marine life inside