[Screening of Characteristic Pollutants and Risk Pollutants in Different Media in the Yangtze River Basin Using...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Ecotoxicology
• Water Quality Assessment

Context:

• Rapid economic development, population increase, and urbanization in the Yangtze River Basin have led to widespread pollutant detection.
• These pollutants threaten the integrity of the aquatic ecosystem and pose risks to human health.
• Existing data on pollutant characteristics and risks in the basin require comprehensive analysis.

Purpose:

• To identify characteristic pollutants using a multi-criteria comprehensive evaluation method.
• To determine risk pollutants in water and sediment samples via the risk quotient (RQ) method.
• To provide data for effective monitoring and management programs for the Yangtze River Basin.

Summary:

• A total of 155 pollutants were identified, with 43 classified as characteristic pollutants (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, heavy metals).
• Risk assessment identified 38 risky pollutants in water and 15 in sediment, including eight high-risk pollutants in water (e.g., benzo[a,h]-anthracene, cadmium) and 15 in sediment (e.g., anthracene, cadmium, lead, norfloxacin, bisphenol A).
• Emerging pollutants, particularly antibiotics, were significantly represented among the risk pollutants in both water and sediment.

Impact:

• The findings offer crucial information for environmental monitoring agencies to develop targeted management strategies for the Yangtze River Basin.
• This research contributes to the ecological environmental protection and sustainable management of the region.
• Identifies specific high-risk contaminants, enabling focused remediation efforts.