River water quality across the Himalayan regions: elemental concentrations in headwaters of Yarlung Tsangbo, Indus and Ganges River

To study the water quality across the Himalayan region, a total of 43 river water samples were collected in September 2012 from the Yarlung Tsangbo (Brahmaputra), Indus and Ganges basins. We measured the common water quality parameters (pH, EC, TDS, and water temperature) and analyzed the element concentrations (As, Cr, S, Sr, Tl, B, Ba, Ca, Al, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, and Ti) using ICP-AES. The results show that all the rivers have an alkaline environment with pH from 7.9 to 8.9. TDS has a positive relationship with Ca and Mg concentrations. The elemental contents are comparable among the samples from different river basins. The enrichment factor of As in river water across Himalayas showed a high value at 30, indicating the impacts of anthropogenic activities. The river water quality in this region is under the influence of climate change on the glacier melting, which will affect the water chemistry and the seasonal discharge of river runoff.