A new method for water quality assessment: by harmony degree equation

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Water Resource Management
• Ecological Engineering

Background:

• Water quality assessment is crucial for water resource management and safety.
• Existing methods for water quality assessment have limitations.
• The harmony theory offers a potential framework for novel assessment approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a new water quality assessment method based on the harmony degree equation (WQA-HDE).
• To compare the WQA-HDE method with existing water quality assessment techniques.
• To evaluate the operationality, flexibility, and reliability of the WQA-HDE method.

Main Methods:

• The harmony degree equation (HDE) was adapted to develop the WQA-HDE method.
• WQA-HDE was applied to water quality data from the Shaying River (2013-2014).
• The new method was compared against single factor, mean-type comprehensive index, and multi-level gray correlation assessment methods.

Main Results:

• The WQA-HDE method demonstrated operational advantages over other assessment techniques.
• The method's flexibility was highlighted by adjusting the judgment criteria value (HD0).
• Setting HD0=0.8 yielded realistic and reliable results, while HD0=1 aligned with the stringent single factor assessment.

Conclusions:

• WQA-HDE is a composite water quality assessment method integrating single factor and comprehensive approaches.
• The study expands the application of harmony theory in environmental assessment.
• The WQA-HDE method provides a valuable reference for comprehensive water quality assessments.