Quantitative assessment and spatial characteristic analysis of agricultural drought risk in China

Based on the natural disaster analysis theory, the spatial characteristics of agricultural drought risk in China were investigated at 10 × 10 km grid scale. It shows that agricultural drought risk in China has a clear southeast–northwest spatial pattern. High and very high risk mainly occur in the eastern part of Northeast Plain, the central of Inner Mongolian Plateau, the Loess Plateau, north Xinjiang, the north and south of Yangtze Plain, and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Statistics also show that 19.5 % of the main crop planting area is exposed to low risk, 35.1 % of the area to moderate risk, 39.8 % of the area to high risk, and 5.6 % of the area to very high risk. Further investigation shows that 23 % of total wheat growing areas is located in high and very high risk class; corn and rice are 16 % and 14 % respectively. Comprehensive analysis shows that severely affected areas by drought in the history are mainly located in the high and very high risk areas.     

The distribution and risk assessment of heavy metals in water,sediments, and fish of Chaohu Lake,China

In this study, the concentrations of seven heavy metals (As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the water, sediments, and nine tissues of eight fish species in Chaohu Lake were detected. And the ecological risk of sediments and food safety caused by heavy metals were evaluated. The mean concentrations of metals (As: 8.21, Cd: 0.58, Cu: 2.56, Cr: 0.50, Ni: 26.47, Pb: 3.51, Zn: 23.05 μg/L) in the water were found lower than the threshold values for the first-grade water quality (China environmental quality standards for surface water). The mean concentrations of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the sediments were 41.79, 19.31, 7.61, 7.09, and 102.85 μg/g, respectively, while the concentration of As and Cd was recorded below the detection limit. The ecological risk assessment demonstrated that metals in the sediments posed low ecological risk. The bioaccumulation of metals in fish tissues showed relatively high concentrations in liver, brain, kidney, and intestines while low levels of metals were detected in muscle. A fascinating phenomenon was firstly noticed that all metals highly existed in fish brain and exhibited an especially significant positive correlation with the metal concentrations in sediment, indicating a health risk for Chinese due to their consumption favor of fish head.     

Study on comprehensive early warning of drinking water sources for the Gucheng Lake in China

Comprehensive early warning of drinking water sources is a multi-target, multi-level and multi-factor system. The complex nonlinear relationship between early-warning indicators and warning limit levels has not been founded. In the present study, the combination weight of early-warning indicators was first determined by combining Delphi–Analytic Hierarchy Process subjective weight and entropy objective weight. For uncertain characteristics of qualitative indicators, the grey weight matrix is obtained through grey evaluation theories. The grey-fuzzy comprehensive early-warning model was established based on advantages of combination weights, grey evaluation and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation theories. Then, a multi-factor and multi-level warning system, of which results were represented by ambiguity warning level, was put forward and applied to Gucheng Lake. The results showed that the comprehensive security degree of Gucheng Lake is 5.43, which is between warning level (degree is 6) and heavy warning level (degree is 4). This indicated that Gucheng Lake needs to improve protection measures and enhance the safety of drinking water source.     

Seasonal and spatial changes in water and sediment quality variables in Bafa Lake

The brackish Bafa Lake located in the southwestern part of Turkey is under stress because of both natural and untreated wastewater effluents. The purpose of this research is to determine spatiotemporal distributions of some physicochemical variables in water column (temperature, salinity, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, NH₄–N, NO₂–N, NO₃–N, oPO₄–P, TPO₄–P, chlorophyll-a, total suspended solids) and sediment (TN, TC, TOC, TP) and their relationships at coastal stations. In the water column, nitrate and phosphate concentrations showed seasonal variations with high values recorded in winter period. Ammonium was determined as a main source of TIN component. During summer period, a large amount of total phosphorus was found as dissolved organic form. However, in the winter period, inorganic phosphate levels increased at sampling stations. N limitation was a common feature throughout the lake where P-limitation was only observed in summer period. The total phosphorus levels which showed hypereutrophic condition at the western part of the lake changed between 1.55 and 4.99 μM and did not remain in the range for uncontaminated condition. In the lake sediment, a strong relationship was found between TOC and TC levels. Generally, the mean TOC concentrations constitute small amount of TC values in the sampling stations. The results also indicated that a strong correlation exists between TOC and TN values, and TN was greatly regulated by organic sources. In the lake, TOC:TN ratios changed between 5 and 13; the ratio greater than 10 could be an indicator of algal and land plant sources mixing as an organic matter.     

Lake water quality assessment: a case study of Shahu Lake in the semiarid loess area of northwest China

A comprehensive assessment on lake water quality was carried out in Shahu Lake, northwest China, to provide valuable information about present lake water quality for decision making. Major ions, general parameters, bacteriological parameters, organics and trace metals monitored monthly in 2014 were considered. Monitored parameters were compared with quality criteria for surface water of China, and overall water quality assessment was carried out using an entropy weighted water quality index (EWQI) based on 20 selected parameters. Lake water quality was also assessed for irrigation purpose. The results show that the lake water is of Cl·SO₄–Na facies with high salinity and COD. The geochemistry of the lake water is regulated by intense evaporation and human activities. TP, TN and F^? are major inorganic contaminants, with over 50% of the water samples polluted by them. Oil, mainly attributed by leaky motor tourist boats, is the major organic pollutants in the lake water, with 10 samples (37.04%) showing higher oil content than the permissible limit. The concentrations of other inorganic and organic contaminants as well as trace metals are well below the permissible limits. The present study indicates that inorganic contamination in the lake water is more severe than organic pollution. The overall lake water quality, assessed by EWQI, is poor and very poor with SO₄ ^2?, TDS, TH and Cl^? being the dominant contributing factors. The lake water is suitable for irrigation in terms of alkalinity, but is unsuitable for irrigation from the salinity point of view. Accelerating the circulation and replenishment of the lake water is an important way of reducing contaminant concentrations. This study is important in providing comprehensive information on lake water quality for decision makers and valuable reference for international lake water researchers.     

Mechanism of Seasonal Deterioration of Water Quality in Lake Baihua,China

Water quality of Lake Baihua was found worsening in the autumn of 1994.Studies have shown that the decomposition of organic matter in the upper-level sediments resulted in seasonal anoxia with the release of P,Mn,and S^2- from the sediments to the overlying water column,and the increase of NO2^- concentration led to blackening of the water column,deat of fishes and secondary Mn pollution.     

Identification of temporal and spatial variations of water quality in Sanya Bay,China by three-way principal component analysis

A large data set obtained by a 1-year monthly determination of water quality from Sanya Bay, South China Sea, was treated by three-way principal component analysis aimed at exploring the spatial and temporal patterns of water quality in Sanya Bay. Tucker3 model of optimum complexity (2, 2, 1) explaining 33.18% of the data variance, allowed interpretation of the data information in three modes. The model explained spatial and temporal variation trends in terms of water quality variables during the study period. Water quality in sampling station (S2) Sanya River was mainly influenced by Sanya River, and water quality in other stations (S1, S3–S10) were mainly influenced by the waters in South China Sea. The results delineated the mouth of Sanya River as critical from pollution point of view. The dry season from October to the next April and rainy season from May to September have different influences on water quality in Sanya Bay. The information extracted by the three-way models would be very useful to regional agencies in developing a strategy to carry out scientific plans for resource use based on marine system functions.     

Impact of transferred water on the hydrochemistry and water quality of surface water and groundwater in Baiyangdian Lake,North China

The hydrochemical composition of surface water and groundwater is a key parameter for understanding the evolution of water and its quality.In particular, little is known about the impact of transferred water on surface water and groundwater.In this study, Baiyangdian Lake was selected as a typical area for extensive groundwater exploration and surface water transfer in the North China Plain.Surface water and groundwater samples were sampled in dry/wet seasons and then analyzed before/after the water transfer, respectively.Generally, surface water and groundwater are extensively hydrologically connected based on hydrochemical evidence.It was found that the hydrochemical composition of the shallow groundwater is affected by the surface water and that the water quality of the deep groundwater is stable.However, inter-aquifer recharge processes from the shallow groundwater to the deep groundwater existed in the anthropogenic region impacted with high nitrate-ion concentrations.Also, the hydrochemical composition of the surface water and groundwater was dominated by rock-weathering and evaporation-precipitation processes.Due to the existence of the deep vadose zone in the alluvial fan, Na~+was exchanged into soil matrices during the leakage of the surface water.In addition, the transferred water resulted in surface water with good quality, and it also played as an important recharge source to groundwater.As the most important water resource for irrigation and drinking, deep groundwater should be paid more attention in the alluvial fan with frequent water transfer and extensive groundwater exploration.     

Classification of rivers based on water quality assessment using factor analysis in Taizi River basin, northeast China

A method for river classification based on water quality assessment (WQA) was introduced using factor analysis (FA) in this paper. Sixty-nine sampling sites and 20 water quality parameters in Taizi River basin were selected for monitoring and analysis. Five factors were determined in FA, denoted as general, hardness, trophic, nitrogen pollution, and physical factors. The total factor scores (TFSs) of the WQA results from all sampling sites were calculated by the eigenvalue and factor score of each factor. The TFSs of 69 sites were interpolated with the measure of inverse distance weighted in the river buffer zone generated by ArcGIS 9.2 software to form a continuous spatial distribution along river channels. All streams were divided into five classes marked “excellent”, “good”, “fair”, “poor”, and “seriously polluted”. The classification result showed that the water quality of Taizi River basin deteriorated gradually from the mountain area to the plain area. Sewage and intensive human activities contributed to the deterioration of water quality since towns and farmland were dotted densely along the river basin.     

Correlations between algae and water quality: factors driving eutrophication in Lake Taihu, China

Rapid population increase and economic growth in eastern China has lead to the degradation of many water bodies in the region, such as Lake Taihu, the third largest freshwater lake in China. Using data from recent investigations, the correlations between algae (measured as chlorophyll-a) and water quality indices in Lake Taihu were described by multivariate statistical analyses, and the key driving factors for the lake eutrophication were identified by principal component analysis. Results revealed strong spatiotemporal variation in the correlations between algae and water quality indices, suggesting that the limiting factor for the dominant algae growth depends on seasonality and location and it is necessary to reduce both nitrogen and phosphorus inputs for a long-term eutrophication control in this hyper-eutrophic system. Water temperature was another important controlling factor for algal growth in the lake. Using principal component analysis, nutrient contaminations from anthropogenic and natural inputs were identified as the key driving factor for the water quality problems of the lake. Moreover, five principal components were extracted and characterized with high spatial and seasonal variations in Lake Taihu. The key driving factors were believed to influence spatial variations including heavily polluted areas located in the northern and northwestern parts of the lake, where many manufacturing factories were built and wastewater from domestic and industrial plants was discharged. Based on this analysis, attention should be paid to effective land management, industrial wastewater treatment, and macrophytic vegetation restoration to reduce the pollutant loads and improve water quality. Principal component analysis was found to be a useful and effective method to reduce the number of analytical parameters without notably impairing the quality of information in this study.     

Potentially toxic metal concentration,spatial distribution,and health risk assessment in drinking groundwater resources of southeast Iran

In this study, the concentration and spatial distribution of potentially toxic metals(PTMs), including arsenic(As), cadmium(Cd), chromium(Cr), lead(Pb), copper(Cu), iron(Fe), manganese(Mn), and magnesium(Mg) in 23 wells and drinking groundwater distribution networks of Rafsanjan, located in southeast Iran were evaluated. Moreover, the assessment of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks was estimated by Monte Carlo simulation(MCS). The results showed that the concentrations of As and Pb in more than 99% and 23.46% of the study area, respectively, were higher than the maximum concentration level(10 μg/L). The mean concentration of other metals, including Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, and Mn in all drinking water resources was within the WHO standard level. The mean hazard quotient(HQ) for As in the age group of children was 9.246 and adults 2.972, indicating high non-carcinogenic risk of As in the study area. The lifetime cancer risk(LTCR) of As was 1.36 E-3 for adults and 1.52 E-2 for children, indicating high non-carcinogenic risk of As. The level of HQ and LTCR for Pb in both age groups was in the acceptable range. The results of sensitivity analysis showed that the most effective variables were pollutant concentration and body weight(BW), respectively. Finally, it can be concluded that exposure to PTMs, especially As through drinking water in the study area can have significant effects on people’s health living in the area;therefore, it is necessary to treat and remove As from groundwater resources before drinking or using for domestic purpose.     

Flood loss analysis and quantitative risk assessment in China

Risk assessment is a prerequisite for flood risk management. Practically, most of the decision making requires that the risks and costs of all risk mitigation options are evaluated in quantified terms. Therefore, a quantitative assessment of possible flood loss is very important, especially for emergency planning and pre-disaster preparedness. This paper presents a preliminary methodology and an operational approach for assessing the risk of flood loss to the population, crops, housing, and the economy at county level in China. The present work assesses the risk of loss for each element (people, crops, and so on) under low-, moderate-, and high-intensity flood using intensity-loss curves and loss rates based on historical flood data from 1990 to 2008. Results show that the counties with high flood risk are primarily located in North, East, Central, and South China, particularly in the lower reaches of rivers. On the other hand, the risk of most counties in the western region is generally lower than that of counties in the eastern region. However, for the entire country, the high-risk regions have both a substantial amount of rainfall and low terrain, making such regions highly prone to flooding. Moreover, these high-risk regions present both high population and wealth density.     

Environmental quality assessment and spatial pattern of potentially toxic elements in soils of Guangdong Province, China

The spatial distributions of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations in surface soils of Guangdong Province, China, were investigated to evaluate the environmental quality of these potentially toxic elements using 261 samples. The following average concentrations were obtained: Cu, 17.4 mg/kg; Ni, 17.7 mg/kg; Cr, 56.7 mg/kg; Co, 6.8 mg/kg; Mn, 223.2 mg/kg; Pb, 36.6 mg/kg; Hg, 0.10 mg/kg; Cd, 0.09 mg/kg; Zn, 49.8 mg/kg. Correlation analysis was applied to the data matrix to evaluate the results and identify the possible sources of metals. Distribution maps of the elements were created using the inverse distance weighted interpolation method. The nine metals exhibited generally distinct geographical patterns. Results showed that 5,173 km² of the study area presented higher pollution indices and was slightly polluted.     

城市饮用水源地水环境健康风险评价及风险管理

环境健康风险评价是环境科学的一个新兴研究领域,在简要介绍水环境健康风险评价基本方法的基础上,建立了健康风险评价模式,并根据深圳市主要饮用水源地水质监测资料,进行分析与评价。研究结果表明:(1)深圳市7个主要水库由基因毒物质所产生的健康风险的数量级为1 0-5~1 0-4,而由躯体毒物质所产生的健康风险的数量级为1 0-11~1 0-10,因此,基因毒物质为优先控制污染物;(2)对于Cr、As、Cd这三种基因毒物质,这7个水库的优先控制污染物是Cr;(3)对于躯体毒物质,所有水库的优先控制污染物是氨;(4)饮用水源各类污染物所致健康危害的个人年总风险小于国际辐射防护委员会(ICRP)推荐的最大可接受值,但超过瑞典环保局、荷兰建设和环境部推荐的最大可接受水平。目前环境健康风险评价还没有包括在常规环境评价工作中,建议在今后的评价工作中应该逐步开展这方面的工作,以提高供水安全。     

Distribution of AVS-SEM, transformation mechanism and risk assessment of heavy metals in the Nanhai Lake in China

Distribution of AVS (acid volatile sulfide)-SEM (simultaneously extracted metals), transformation mechanism and risk assessment of heavy metals in the Nanhai Lake in Baotou City were discussed in this work. The results showed that the content of heavy metals in sediments increased due to the water pumped from the Yellow River, domestic sewage, municipal runoff and yacht waste release. Increasing water depth, domestic sewage influx and hydrophyte booming made the AVS level higher in downstream than upstream. The vertical distribution of AVS is characterized as multiple-peak in the sediment cores from the studied lake. Comparatively, the control abilities of the carbonate and sulfate to the heavy metals were five orders of magnitude lower than the sulfide phase. Therefore, AVS was the key factor controlling the precipitation of heavy metals in the Nanhai Lake. The ratio of SEM/AVS in the sediments, the acute sediment quality criteria and the chronic sediment quality criteria indicated that no acute toxicity for benthic organisms can be expected, and the AVS plays an important role in controlling the bioavailability and toxicity of heavy metals in the Nanhai Lake.     

Spatial and temporal water quality characteristics of Poyang Lake Migratory Bird Sanctuary in China

Poyang Lake Migratory Bird Sanctuary includes Bang Lake, Sha Lake, Dahu Lake, and estuaries of the Xiu and Gan Rivers in the Migratory Bird Natural Reserve. Water samples were collected and analyzed to study spatial and temporal water quality variation. Strong seasonal variation of water quality was found. The water quality of Bang Lake was relatively poor compared to Sha and Dahu Lakes in the wet season, but better in the normal season. During the dry season, the water quality of Bang Lake is negatively affected by the activity of migratory birds. According to the correlation analysis of monthly concentrations of each parameter, the concentrations of COD, NH?-4–N, and NO3–N were highly correlated. The correlation index was 0.829 and significance index was0.042 \ 0.05. From north to south within Bang Lake, the concentration of TN decreased; however, the concentration of Chl-a increased. From east to west within Bang Lake,concentrations of COD, NH?4–N, NO-3–N, and Chl-a increased. The Xiu and Gan Rivers influence the water quality of Bang Lake, especially in the northeast area of the lake. The water quality of Bang Lake only reached Chinese water quality standard level IV or V according to a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation. The evaluation factors impacting Bang Lake are TN[TP[NH?4–N[COD, in order of decreasing importance. The waters of Poyang Lake Migratory Bird Sanctuary have been polluted; one of the important contributing factors was migratory birds’ disturbance and feces.