Abstract
Abstract The chloride ion (Cl−) can adversely affect an aquatic ecosystem, but it is not clear how Cl− moves with runoff and how its transport processes are related to land uses and land cover. This study investigated how the loading characteristics of Cl− vary depending on storm events and land cover in a temperate region. We monitored Cl− concentrations in three study watersheds that have different compositions of urban and agricultural land uses. In addition, a Mass First Flush ratio (MFFn) was determined to quantify the effect of first flush on Cl− loading. Overall, the observed concentrations and loadings in this study were found to be less than those reported in cold northern regions. The monitoring data showed that Cl− concentrations and loads observed in an urban watershed were significantly larger than those of a rural watershed. The results suggest water management plans should focus on urbanized areas and their storm water to efficiently reduce chloride loading to downstream waterbodies. However, a further study is recommended to identify the sources and pathways of Cl− loaded to waterbodies.
Highlights
Chloride ions are toxic to aquatic life and highly mobile; they are transported from source to downstream waterbodies, adversely affecting aquatic ecosystems
Stream water was sampled at the outlets of three watersheds with different compositions of urban and agricultural land uses during and between storm events
The chloride ion concentrations of the water samples were statistically analyzed to quantify the impacts of the land uses and rainfall events
Summary
Chloride ions are toxic to aquatic life and highly mobile; they are transported from source to downstream waterbodies, adversely affecting aquatic ecosystems. Acute and chronic exposure to ClÀ can have deleterious effects on aquatic flora (Panno et al ) and fauna As a non-point source (NPS) pollutant, ClÀ is difficult to quantify due to its temporal and spatial variations, and its loading characteristics are dependent on land uses (Deletic )
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