Effects of dam construction on arsenic mobility and transport in two large rivers in Tibet, China

Abstract Construction of dams on the Singe Tsangpo (ST) and the Yarlung Tsangpo (YT) Rivers, the upper stretch of the Indus and the Brahmaputra Rivers, respectively, are expected to affect material transport. To evaluate the effects of dam construction on arsenic (As) mobility and transport in the ST River and the YT River in Tibet and the downstream river basins, water column and sediment core samples in the Shiquan Reservoir of the ST River and in the Zam Reservoir of the YT River were obtained in August 2017, and January and May 2018, and additionally, at the inflows and outfalls of the reservoirs. The seasonal variation of dissolved As contents in the inflow water of the Zam Reservoir and the Shiquan Reservoir was regulated by the mixing between the low-As river runoff and the high-As hot spring input. Water residence time (WRT) is a key variable regulating the variation of dissolved As contents in reservoirs and outflow waters with time. The absence of the oxic layer at the sediment-water interface reduced the accumulation of As in surface sediments under high-flow conditions. Arsenic mobility in sediment of the two reservoirs was mainly controlled by Mn oxides and organic matter. Reservoirs with long water residence time are more favorable for As retention. Sedimentation was the main mechanism of As retention. The Shiquan Reservoir with a longer WRT of 385 days can effectively retain 55% of the total arsenic load from upstream, while the Zam Reservoir has no effective retention of arsenic due to the very short WRT of 1.1 days. These have important implications on the geochemical and ecological environments of the downstream river basins.