태화강 수계의 중금속 농도 분포와 오염도 평가

Abstract

Ulsan, a representative industrial city in South Korea, has various sources of heavy metals. The upstream of the Taehwa River in Ulsan is used to supply drinking water, but heavy metal pollution in this area has not been studied yet. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the levels and patterns of heavy metals in the Taehwa River including the upstream. We also evaluated water quality using the water pollution index. We collected water samples at 18 sites of the Taehwa River in February and May 2011. Target heavy metals were cadmium,chromium, lead, nickel, and zinc, which were analyzed by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The concentration of heavy metals increased from the upstream to downstream, and the highest concentration was detected in the downstream nearby an industrial complex. The spatial distribution of heavy metals and water pollution indexes indicated that some urban sites and most industrial sites were artificially polluted, and non-point sources might play an important role in water pollution of the Taehwa River.