Assessment of Organic Matter Sources in the Singil Stream Flowing into Lake Shihwa, South Korea

Abstract

The Singil Stream, flowing into an artificial lake, Lake Shihwa (South Korea), experiences a strong anthropogenic pressure with continuous organic matter (OM) inputs from rural, urban, and industrial areas. In this study, we investigated suspended particulate matter (SPM) and streambed sediments collected along the Singil Stream in 2014 and 2016, by applying a dual element approach (δ13C and δ15N) to identify OM sources. The SPM and streambed sediment samples from the indusrial area showed higher organic carbon and nitrogen concentrations (or contents) than those from the other areas, with distinctively lower δ15N values. Accordingly, our dual element approach indicates that the industrial area was the predominant OM source influencing OM quality and thus water quality of the Singil Stream flowing into Lake Shihwa during the study periods. However, further studies are necessary to better constrain OM sources in the Singil Stream since OM sources from the industrial area appear to be complex.