Abstract:
This paper is the result of environmental geological survey engineering.
Objective The exogenous acids accelerate rock weathering in karst basins and influence the carbon sink effect. The Chishui River Basin has typical karst landform features, and studying its hydrochemical characteristics, solute sources, and the effect of exogenous acids is of great significance for accurately assessing the carbon sink effect in karst regions.
Methods The major ion concentrations in the mainstream of the Chishui River were determined in this study. Combined with the ion ratio method, the Galy model, and mass balance model, the characteristics of rock weathering in the basin, the contribution of solute sources, and the proportion of carbonate rock dissolution under the effect of exogenous acids were identified and estimated.
Results The results showed that the pH range in the Chishui River was 7.4~9.5, with total dissolved solids (TDS) varying between 261 and 365 mg/L. Cations were dominated by Ca2+and Mg2+, while anions included HCO3–, SO42– and NO3–. Specifically, Ca2+and Mg2+ accounted for 92.3% of the total cations, HCO3– accounted for 60.3% of the total anions, SO42– and NO3– accounted for 28.9% and 6.6%, respectively. The hydrochemical type was primarily HCO3––Ca2+ or HCO3––(Ca·Mg)2+.
Conclusions The solute composition in the Chishui River is mainly controlled by the combined effects of water-rock interactions and human activities. Among them, Ca2+, Mg2+, and HCO3– mainly come from the weathering of carbonate rocks and silicate rocks, while the concentrations of Na+, NO3–, and SO42– are mainly affected by human activities such as domestic sewage, agricultural nitrogen fertilizers and mining activities. The upper reaches of the Chishui River Basin are characterized by typical karst features, and the river water chemistry shows a high degree of carbonate rock dissolution characteristics. In addition, under the influence of exogenous acids, the carbonate rock weathering rate in the Chishui River Basin increased by 60.7%, and the carbon sink flux decreased by 45.0%. Therefore, when evaluating the dissolution rate of carbonate rocks and carbon sink processes in the basin, the influence of human activities and the role of exogenous acids cannot be ignored.