Dissolved and total organic and inorganic carbon in some British rivers

Rivers transport both organic and inorganic carbon from their sources to the sea. Results of similar to 800 organic and inorganic analyses from various British rivers of contrasting size and land use are presented here: (1) the headwater River Tern, a rural river of 852 km(2) catchment; (2) the Ouseburn, a small urban 55 km(2) catchment; (3) the River Tyne, a larger river system of similar to 3000 km(2) catchment; (4) a spatial survey from 205 sample sites on similar to 60 rivers from SW England. We found that, with the exception of peat-rich headwaters, DIC concentration is always greater than DOC. DIC is primarily in the form HCO3-, with DIC concentrations highest in highly urbanised catchments, typically greater than those observed in catchments with carbonate bedrock, demonstrating a significant and previously unrecognised anthropogenic inorganic carbon input to urban rivers.