Water 2022, 14, x 5 of 12

downstream area within the same river (ANOVA, p < 0.05 in Shenzhen River, and p > 0.05
in the other four rivers). The reason was primarily related to urbanization, such as the low
Water 2022, 14, 2102 urbanization level in the upstream basin (53%, 22%, 31%, and 29% of urbanization level 5 of 11
in the Buji River, Dasha River, Shawan River, and Xinzhou River, respectively) and the
high urbanization level in the downstream basin (64%, 43%, 45%, and 62% of urbanization
level in the Buji River, Dasha River, Shawan River, and Xinzhou River, respectively). Fur-
River (urbanization
thermore, high urbanization leveldegree
43%)basins,
and Shawan
such as theRiver (urbanization
Buji River (urbanization level
level45%).
64%) Our results
support
and that the
the Xinzhou urbanization
River (urbanization process increased
level 62%), the TOC
have higher (ANOVA,load,pwhich
< 0.05) is TOCconsistent with
the report that
concentrations thethe
than development of urbanization
Dasha River (urbanization level induces
43%) andthe increasing
Shawan water consumption
River (urbani-
zation level 45%). Our
and discharge, results resulting
generally support that inthe urbanization
higher process increasedand
TOC concentrations the TOC
increased carbon
load,
export which
[37].is Figure
consistent with the
3 shows thereport that the development
river-averaged of urbanization
TOC concentration induces
during the
different sampling
increasing water consumption and discharge, generally resulting in higher TOC concen-
periods. Averaged TOC concentrations in the wet season were 11.44, 9.86, and 13.70 mg/L
trations and increased carbon export [37]. Figure 3 shows the river-averaged TOC concen-
for Shenzhen
tration River, sampling
during different Dasha River, periods.and Xinzhou
Averaged TOCRiver, respectively,
concentrations in the wet which
sea- were higher
than
son (ANOVA,
were 11.44, 9.86, p and
< 0.05)
13.70that
mg/L offor
8.76, 7.60, and
Shenzhen River,11.06
Dashamg/L
River, inandthe dry season
Xinzhou River, for the three
rivers, respectively.
respectively, which wereIn addition,
higher TOC concentration
than (ANOVA, p < 0.05) that of was 12.25and
8.76, 7.60, mg/L in the wet season
11.06 mg/L
in
andthe16.18
dry season
mg/Lfor inthe
thethree rivers, respectively.
dry season for Buji River In addition, TOC concentration
due to intense was
human activities. Seasonal
12.25 mg/L inwere
variations the wet season and
obvious 16.18 mg/L
(ANOVA, p< in 0.05)
the dryinseason
the TOCfor Buji River due to intense
concentration of the above four
human activities. Seasonal variations were obvious (ANOVA, p < 0.05) in the TOC con-
rivers during the study period, possibly due to the combined influence of the natural–social
centration of the above four rivers during the study period, possibly due to the combined
water cycle on TOC concentration [28,29]. Our results were consistent with the findings
influence of the natural–social water cycle on TOC concentration [28,29]. Our results were
of [2,38,39]
consistent with andthepartly
findings supported
of [2,38,39]theandfindings of Davies
partly supported the(2013),
findingswhich
of Daviesreported
(2013), that the TOC
concentration
which reported thatin the
the wet
TOCseason significantly
concentration in the wet exceeded that of theexceeded
season significantly dry season that in the Bonny
Estuary,
of the dry Nigeria
season in[40]. The result
the Bonny Estuary,of TOC
Nigeriaconcentration
[40]. The resultinofthis
TOC study was higher
concentration in than that of
this study was
the Pearl River higher
(6.65than
mg/L)that [2],
of the PearlRiver
urban River Kelvin
(6.65mg/L) [2], UK
in the urban River
(8.28 Kelvin[41],
mg/L) in and close to
the UK (8.28 mg/L) [41], and close to that of the Manatee River watershed
that of the Manatee River watershed in Florida, USA (12.52 mg/L) [22] but lower than that in Florida, USA
(12.52 mg/L) [22] but lower than that of Chongqing City (>43.6mg/L) [42], Sacramento
of Chongqing City (>43.6 mg/L) [42], Sacramento River, California (26.5 mg/L) [4], and the
River, California (26.5mg/L) [4], and the urban river Ouseburn in the UK (14.11 mg/L) [7].
urban
The aboveriver Ouseburn
analyses in thethat
also showed UKthe(14.11
TOCmg/L) [7]. The
concentrations above waters
in surface analyses varyalso
by showed that
the TOC concentrations in surface waters vary by natural
natural conditions and anthropogenic activities [10,21,43–46]. In recent decades, urbani-conditions and anthropogenic
activities
zation and [10,21,43–46].
its induced landIn recent
uses havedecades, urbanization
been the most important and itsthat
factors induced
increasedlandtheuses have been
the most important
concentration of TOC infactors
our studythatarea.
increased the concentration of TOC in our study area.

30
Concentration of TOC in differet sites (mg/L)

25

20

15

10

0
SZ1 SZ2 SZ3 SZ4 SZ5 SZ6 BJ1 BJ2 BJ3 BJ4 BJ5 DS1 DS2 DS3 DS4 DS5 SW1 SW2 SW3 XZ1 XZ2 XZ3 XZ4 XZ5
Water 2022, 14, x Location
6 of 12

TOC
Figure2.2.TOC
Figure concentration
concentration at different
at different sites in sites in the Shenzhen
the Shenzhen River and Bay.
River and Bay.

45 Shenzhen river Buji river Dasha river Shawan river Xinzhou river
Concentration of TOC in different months (mg/L)

40

35 rainy season
rainy season
30

25

20

15

10

0
20-Jun 13-Jul 22-Jul 5-Aug 19-Aug 23-Sep 1-Nov 16-Dec 22-Mar 22-May 28-Aug 14-Dec
2011 2012

Figure
Figure3.3.
TOC concentrations
TOC in the
concentrations inShenzhen River River
the Shenzhen and Bay in different
and months. months.
Bay in different

3.2. TOC Concentrations in Rainwater

The TOC concentration in rainwater ranged from 0.58 to 14.41 mg/L, with an average
of 4.12 mg/L in 2011 and 3.96 mg/L in 2012 (Figure 4). The highest value of 14.41 mg/L
appeared on September 1 of the dry year 2011. There was no antecedent rainfall for a long