Table 1 Chemical composition of average river water
By continent
River water concentration
a (mg l
À1 )
Water discharge
(10
3 km
3 yr
À1
)
Runoff
ratio
c
Ca
2 þ
Mg
2 þ
Na
þ
K
þ
Cl
À
SO
2À
4
HCO
À
3
SO 2
TDS
b
TOC
b
TDN
b
TDP
b
Africa
Actual
5.7
2.2
4.4
1.4
4.1
4.2
36.9
12.0
60.5
3.41
0.28
Natural
5.3
2.2
3.8
1.4
3.4
3.2
26.7
12.0
57.8
Asia
Actual
17.8
4.6
8.7
1.7
10.0
13.3
67.1
11.0
134.6
12.47
0.54
Natural
16.6
4.3
6.6
1.6
7.6
9.7
66.2
11.0
123.5
S. America
Actual
6.3
1.4
3.3
1.0
4.1
3.8
24.4
10.3
54.6
11.04
0.41
Natural
6.3
1.4
3.3
1.0
4.1
3.5
24.4
10.3
54.3
N. America
Actual
21.2
4.9
8.4
1.5
9.2
18.0
72.3
7.2
142.6
5.53
0.38
Natural
20.1
4.9
6.5
1.5
7.0
14.9
71.4
7.2
133.5
Europe
Actual
31.7
6.7
16.5
1.8
20.0
35.5
86.0
6.8
212.8
2.56
0.42
Natural
24.2
5.2
3.2
1.1
4.7
15.1
80.1
6.8
140.3
Oceania
Actual
15.2
3.8
7.6
1.1
6.8
7.7
65.6
16.3
125.3
2.40
Natural
15.0
3.8
7.0
1.1
5.9
6.5
65.1
16.3
120.3
World average
Actual
14.7
3.7
7.2
1.4
8.3
11.5
53.0
10.4
110.1
12.57
0.574
0.053
37.40
0.46
Natural (unpolluted)
13.4
3.4
5.2
1.3
5.8
5.3
52.0
10.4
99.6
9.89
0.386
0.027
37.40
0.46
Pollution
1.3
0.3
2.0
0.1
2.5
6.2
1.0
0.0
10.5
2.67
0.187
0.027
World % pollutive
9%
8%
28%
7%
30%
54%
2%
0%
10%
21%
33%
50%
a Actual concentrations include pollution. Natural concentrations are corrected for pollution.
b TDS, total dissolved solids; TOC, total organic carbon; TDN, total dissolved nitrogen; TDP, total dissolved phosphorus.
c Runoff ratio ¼ average runoff per unit area/average rainfall.
Revised after Meybeck M (1979) Concentrations des eaux fluviales en elements majeurs et apports en solution aux oceans. Revue de Geologie Dynamique et de Geographie Physique 21:
215–246; Meybeck M (1982) Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus transport by world rivers. American Journal of Science 282: 401–450; Meybeck M (1983) C, N, P and S in rivers: From
sources to global inputs. In: Wollast R, Mackenzie FT, and Chou L (eds.) Interactions of C, N, P and S Biogeochemical Cycles and Global Change, pp. 163–193. Berlin: Springer.
486 LAND–SEA GLOBAL TRANSFERS
By continent
River water concentration
a (mg l
À1 )
Water discharge
(10
3 km
3 yr
À1
)
Runoff
ratio
c
Ca
2 þ
Mg
2 þ
Na
þ
K
þ
Cl
À
SO
2À
4
HCO
À
3
SO 2
TDS
b
TOC
b
TDN
b
TDP
b
Africa
Actual
5.7
2.2
4.4
1.4
4.1
4.2
36.9
12.0
60.5
3.41
0.28
Natural
5.3
2.2
3.8
1.4
3.4
3.2
26.7
12.0
57.8
Asia
Actual
17.8
4.6
8.7
1.7
10.0
13.3
67.1
11.0
134.6
12.47
0.54
Natural
16.6
4.3
6.6
1.6
7.6
9.7
66.2
11.0
123.5
S. America
Actual
6.3
1.4
3.3
1.0
4.1
3.8
24.4
10.3
54.6
11.04
0.41
Natural
6.3
1.4
3.3
1.0
4.1
3.5
24.4
10.3
54.3
N. America
Actual
21.2
4.9
8.4
1.5
9.2
18.0
72.3
7.2
142.6
5.53
0.38
Natural
20.1
4.9
6.5
1.5
7.0
14.9
71.4
7.2
133.5
Europe
Actual
31.7
6.7
16.5
1.8
20.0
35.5
86.0
6.8
212.8
2.56
0.42
Natural
24.2
5.2
3.2
1.1
4.7
15.1
80.1
6.8
140.3
Oceania
Actual
15.2
3.8
7.6
1.1
6.8
7.7
65.6
16.3
125.3
2.40
Natural
15.0
3.8
7.0
1.1
5.9
6.5
65.1
16.3
120.3
World average
Actual
14.7
3.7
7.2
1.4
8.3
11.5
53.0
10.4
110.1
12.57
0.574
0.053
37.40
0.46
Natural (unpolluted)
13.4
3.4
5.2
1.3
5.8
5.3
52.0
10.4
99.6
9.89
0.386
0.027
37.40
0.46
Pollution
1.3
0.3
2.0
0.1
2.5
6.2
1.0
0.0
10.5
2.67
0.187
0.027
World % pollutive
9%
8%
28%
7%
30%
54%
2%
0%
10%
21%
33%
50%
a Actual concentrations include pollution. Natural concentrations are corrected for pollution.
b TDS, total dissolved solids; TOC, total organic carbon; TDN, total dissolved nitrogen; TDP, total dissolved phosphorus.
c Runoff ratio ¼ average runoff per unit area/average rainfall.
Revised after Meybeck M (1979) Concentrations des eaux fluviales en elements majeurs et apports en solution aux oceans. Revue de Geologie Dynamique et de Geographie Physique 21:
215–246; Meybeck M (1982) Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus transport by world rivers. American Journal of Science 282: 401–450; Meybeck M (1983) C, N, P and S in rivers: From
sources to global inputs. In: Wollast R, Mackenzie FT, and Chou L (eds.) Interactions of C, N, P and S Biogeochemical Cycles and Global Change, pp. 163–193. Berlin: Springer.
486 LAND–SEA GLOBAL TRANSFERS