III. SHENYANG CITY: CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION

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B. Assessment and changing trends of environmental quality in Shenyang City

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2. Surface water

The quality of surface water is below the State quality standard for various areas in Shenyang. Surface water is mainly polluted by organic materials, the key pollutants being NH₃-N, COD, BOD, oil and volatile phenolphthalein. The major rivers are seriously polluted, but the rising trend of the pollution has been brought under control.

a. Shenyang section of the Hunhe River

In 1995, the environmental quality of surface water in the Shenyang section of the Hunhe River was serious. The pollutants which exceeded the national standards were oil, NH₃-N, volatile phenolphthalein and COD. From 1991 to 1995, COD and BOD in the Shenyang section of the Hunhe River showed a decreasing trend, whereas any change in the levels of the other pollutants were not obvious.

Note: the values on the graph of COD and BOD = the measuring values in 1991.

Figure 11. Changes in the COD and BOD levels in the Shenyang section of the Hunhe River

Note: the values on the graph, of oil and volatile phenolphthalein = the measuring values in 1991.

Figure 12. Changes in the annual averages of oil and volatile phenolphthalein in the Shenyang section of the Hunhe River

b. Shenyang section of the Liaohe River

The characteristics of water pollution in the Shenyang-section of the Liaohe River are: organic pollutants are dominant; heavy metal pollutants do not exceed the national standards; and the water quality is classified as polluted. The key pollutants that exceed the standards are NH₃-N, COD and BOD.

Note: the values on the graph, of BOD = the measuring values in 1991.

Figure 13. Changes in BOD in the Mahu part of the Shenyang section of the Hunhe River

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