Water-quality and chemical loads of the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, April 1980 to March 1981

Book · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:6898335

Fishel, D K

Water samples were analyzed for 42 chemical constituents to determine the water quality of the Susquehanna from April 1, 1980 to March 31, 1981. Stream flow and sediment discharge at Harrisburg during the study were 77% and 72%, respectively, of the average annual discharges. Approximately 2,300,000 tons of suspended sediment and 2,990,000 tons of dissolved solids were transported during the study. About 76% of the 42,000 ton nitrogen load was dissolved. Nearly 84% of the 2,930 ton phosphorus load and 95% of the 111,000 ton iron, aluminum and manganese loads were associated with suspended sediment. The herbicides atrazine and 2,4-Dichloro-phenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) were the only pesticides measured in significant concentrations during the study period. Seasonal variations for other constituent concentrations and loads were directly related to stream-flow. Maximum concentrations of suspended sediment differed between the east and west channels and fluctuated for one channel to the other. Specific conductance, dissolved nutrients, and dissolved major ions were consistently higher along the east and west banks. Dissolved nitrate concentrations were significantly higher in the vertical sections closest to the west bank of the river. 32 refs., 35 figs., 14 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 6898335
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540320* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ALUMINIUM
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FEDERAL REGION III
HERBICIDES
MANGANESE
METALS
MONITORING
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PENNSYLVANIA
PESTICIDES
PHOSPHORUS
POLLUTION
RIVERS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
SUSQUEHANNA RIVER
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
USA
WATER POLLUTION
WATER QUALITY