Abstract
The Han River is an important water source in Seoul and neighbouring districts, for public and industrial supply, and for agriculture and fishery. Nowadays, more than six million inhabitants are supplied withe water from this river. The total length of the river is 470km, and has 17 10$\^$9/㎥ an average annual flow. The hydrographic characteristics at Seoul are 653㎥/sec in an average flow, 4,608㎥/sec in the maximum average flow, and 201㎥/sec in the minimum average flow. These are influenced in some degree by snowmelt in early spring, and greatly by the flood during summer. For the pollution problems, the periods of low flow are critical ones. As a rule they occur around the months November through June. Nowadays, most of the sewage from towns and industries is discharged untreated. Apart from domestic and industrial sewages, there are some discharges of mineral matter by mines in the upriver region. In general, water quality of the Han River is kept very clean and healthy until Kwangnaru of the upper region of Seoul. A large pollution, however, is received in the downstream by the domestic and industrial sewages of Seoul. It can be seen that dissolved oxygen, COD and BOD$\sub$5/ diminish markedly, and the intensity of almost every water parameter of the river continues to increase. Comparison of the figures for 1971 derived from a sampling point 40km downstream of Kwangnaru leads to the conclusion that hardness, Ca and Mg were no changed; alkalinity, Si and soluble- Fe were slightly increased; CO$\sub$2/, acidity, Cl, NO$\sub$2/-N, Cu, Zn and Al were increased in 2 and 3 times; total residue, total ignitious residue, COD, BOD$\sub$5/, NH$\sub$4/-N, PO$\sub$4/-P, Mn, Pb and total-Fe were increased in 4 to 7 times; and SO$\sub$4/, particulate-Fe and Cd were increased in 10 to 11 times. On the other hand, coliforms were increased in 650 times; fecal coliforms in 365 times; enterococci and total plate counts in 30 times, respectively. In view points of water quality standards, the down Han River water is now leveling out in Cd, coliforms and fecal coliforms for the agricultural use; in dissolved oxygen and some trace elements (Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd) for the fishery use; in ammonia, COD, BOD$\sub$5/, and Cd for the drinking use.