Temporal and spatial characteristics of surface water quality by an improved universal pollution index in red soil hilly region of South China: a case study in Liuyanghe River watershed

Selecting the Liuyanghe River watershed as an example, using monitoring data of water quality of nearly 10 years and the improved synthesis pollution index method to evaluate the water quality, the research studied the temporal and spatial characteristics of surface water quality of a typical basin in the red soil hilly region, and analyzed reasons for the surface water quality change. The results indicated the improved synthesis pollution index had a better serviceability than other methods, such as, Pollution Index method, Fuzzy Evaluation method, Grey-System method etc. As for the temporal characteristic, because of no-point source pollution, the water quality of Liuyanghe River watershed had become a more and more serious problem over a ten-year period. The spatial characteristic indicated that the pollution degree increased from upstream to downriver. Water quality upstream was better, and the content of the heavy metals was higher in the middle of the river, and the pollution of ammonia nitrogen intensified downriver. The result suggested the improved universal pollution index could be used in the assessment of the water environment.