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Particulate heavy metal transport in the lower Paraíba do Sul River basin, southeastern, Brazil
Author(s) -
Salomão M. S. M. B.,
Molisani M. M.,
Ovalle A. R. C.,
Rezende C. E.,
Lacerda L. D.,
Carvalho C. E. V.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
hydrological processes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.222
H-Index - 161
eISSN - 1099-1085
pISSN - 0885-6087
DOI - 10.1002/hyp.168
Subject(s) - tributary , particulates , hydrology (agriculture) , surface runoff , environmental science , drainage basin , discharge , sediment , suspended load , wet season , sediment transport , geology , geography , geomorphology , ecology , geotechnical engineering , cartography , biology
In the present study an attempt has been made to calculate the mass transfers of suspended particulate matter and associated heavy metal within the lower portion of the Paraíba do Sul River drainage basin and the contribution of its tributaries. The highest metal loads were related with the highest water flows and, consequently, with the highest suspended particulate matter loads, which increased both by surface runoff and sediment resuspension. The highest flow month for the total transported load contributed between 34 and 66% of the total metal transported per year. The total load transported during the entire rainy season ranges from 82 to 93% of the total transported load. The importance of the tributary input for the total transported load of the Paraíba do Sul River was generally lower than 10%, although in some months, when the Paraíba do Sul River had low water discharge and strong local rain occurred, this increased upto 40%. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.