Dissolved and total organic and inorganic carbon in some British rivers

Abstract

Rivers transport both organic and inorganic carbon from their sources to the sea. Results of ∼800 organic and inorganic analyses from various British rivers of contrasting size and land use are presented here: (1) the headwater River Tern, a rural river of 852 km2 catchment; (2) the Ouseburn, a small urban 55 km2 catchment; (3) the River Tyne, a larger river system of ∼3000 km2 catchment; (4) a spatial survey from 205 sample sites on ∼60 rivers from SW England. We found that, with the exception of peat-rich headwaters, DIC concentration is always greater than DOC. DIC is primarily in the form HCO3-, with DIC concentrations highest in highly urbanised catchments, typically greater than those observed in catchments with carbonate bedrock, demonstrating a significant and previously unrecognised anthropogenic inorganic carbon input to urban rivers. © The Author. Journal compilation © Royal Geographical Society (with The Institute of British Geographers) 2007.