Carbon distribution and fluxes of 16 rivers discharging into the Bohai Sea in summer

Riverine carbon input is closely related to the inshore aquatic environment, the marine carbon pool and climate change. Samples were synchronously obtained from 16 rivers discharging into the Bohai Sea (China) in 1-5 July 2005. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations of the 16 rivers were mainly controlled by anthropogenic activities. The particulate organic carbon (POC) of the Haihe, Luanhe, Ziyaxinhe, Chaobaixinhe, Xiaoqinghe, Xiaolinghe, Duliujianhe, Jiyunhe, and Majiahe Rivers mainly originated from pollutants discharged by human, while that of the Huanghe River (Yellow River), Daliaohe, Shuangtaizihe, Tuhaihe, Dalinghe, Daqinghe, and Liuguhe Rivers were generated mainly by soil erosion. Higher dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations in the 16 rivers were detected, which were influenced by the large amounts of carbonate and industrial pollution. The estimated DOC, POC and DIC fluxes from the 16 rivers discharging into the Bohai Sea in summer, 2005 were 0.91× 105, 1.23× 105 and 6.31× 105t, respectively.