PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF DISSOLVED AND PARTICULATE HEAVY METALS TRANSPORTED BY THE RED RIVER AT THE SONTAY STATION

Abstract

This study  is  based  on the  experimental  results  obtained  from  analysis  of suspended  and  dissolved  heavy  metal
concentrations (V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Mo, Cd, Sb, Pb and Th) in the Red River at the SonTay station during 2011.
The results showed that for the dissolved phase, heavy metal concentrations were relatively stable, whatever the water
discharges.  In  contrast,  the  concentration  of  suspended  heavy  metals  tended  to  decrease  with  increasing  of  water discharge. Moreover, the results indicated also that the transfert of heavy metals by the Red River was mainly in the suspended phase (up to 99 %). If the water quality of the Red River can be classified as good (column A - QCVN08: 2008/BTNMT) in term of dissolved heavy metal concentrations; the suspended heavy metal concentrations were higher than  the  ecological  indicators  PEC  (Probable  Effect  Concentration),  suggesting  the  effect  of  this  heavy  metal
contamination on the ecology and environment in the Red River basin is extremely high (over 50% ). Finally, this study estimated the contribution of the Red River on the global flux from 0.1 to 0.4% for dissolved phase and from 0.4% to 2.2  for suspended phase.

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