Estimation of concentrations of the semi-volatile organic chemicals and corresponding economic losses in the Jiangsu reach of the Huaihe river

In order to detect the aquatic organic pollutants in the Huaihe river and assess their impacts on human health and local economy, a series of methods including the concentration analysis, the health damage and the economical loss are conducted. The river analysis method is to find out the semi-volatile organic chemicals (SVOC) from the water samples of the surface water in the Jiangsu reach of Huaihe river. Results show altogether there are thirty-three SVOCs, while the concentration levels of some polyaromatic heterocycles(PAHs) and substituted benzenes are relatively high. All these chemicals are in the list of USEPA s priority pollutants. Then, a new method for predicting the probability of disease and mortality, supposed to occur due to these kinds of toxic priority pollutants, is put forward. The economical losses caused by them and ratios of the costs of GDPs are calculated. Result shows that the economical losses from GDPs of 2002 and 2003 are 0.876‰-2.22‰ and 0.684‰-2.25‰, respectively. Then some suggestions on how to reduce the losses of this kind are advanced.