Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, People's Republic of China.
Environ Monit Assess. 2014 Apr;186(4):2121-33. doi: 10.1007/s10661-013-3522-7. Epub 2013 Nov 9.
Qinghai Lake, situated on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, is the largest lake in China. In this study, the water and sediment quality were investigated in Qinghai Lake, three sublakes, and five major tributaries. Both Na(+) and Cl(-) were found to be the major ions present in Qinghai Lake and the three sublakes, while Ca(2+) and HCO(3-) dominated the tributaries. Compared with historical data from the 1960s, the concentrations of NH4(+), NO3(-), and soluble reactive silica have increased considerably, likely caused by increased human activities in the area. Compared to the historical data, chemical oxygen demand has increased and lake water transparency has decreased, likely related to an increase in nutrient levels. Relatively high concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) were observed in Qinghai Lake sediments, although P fraction types and low water concentrations of these two indicate low possibility of transfer into the water column. The ratios of C/N suggest that the organic matter in the sediments are primarily from autochthonous sources. TN and total organic carbon in the sediment cores increased slowly up the core while TP and total inorganic carbon have been fairly constant.
青海湖位于青藏高原上，是中国最大的湖泊。本研究调查了青海湖、三个子湖和五条主要支流的水质和沉积物质量。青海湖和三个子湖中主要存在的离子是 Na(+) 和 Cl(-)，而 Ca(2+) 和 HCO(3-) 则是支流中的主要离子。与 20 世纪 60 年代的历史数据相比，NH4(+)、NO3(-) 和可溶性反应硅的浓度显著增加，可能是由于该地区人类活动的增加所致。与历史数据相比，化学需氧量增加，湖水透明度降低，可能与营养水平的提高有关。青海湖沉积物中总氮 (TN) 和总磷 (TP) 的浓度相对较高，尽管磷的形态类型和这两种元素在水中的低浓度表明它们向水柱转移的可能性较低。沉积物中 C/N 的比值表明，沉积物中的有机物主要来自于自生来源。沉积物中 TN 和总有机碳在核心向上缓慢增加，而 TP 和总无机碳则保持相对稳定。
