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Watershed Planning within a Quantitative Scenario Analysis Framework
Published on: July 24, 2016
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Urban-impacted river pollutant sources: WQI ranking and PMF analysis
Ming Chen1, Zongpu Xue2, Song Bai1
1Jiangsu Nanjing Environmental Monitoring Center, Nanjing, 210098, People's Republic of China.
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
|September 10, 2025
Summary
A new framework effectively identifies pollution sources in urban rivers using multiple indicators. This approach helps pinpoint non-point, point, and internal sources for better water management.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Water Quality Management
- River Ecology
Background:
- Urban rivers face complex pollution from multiple sources, challenging traditional water quality assessment.
- Existing methods often lack the resolution to differentiate and quantify contributions from various pollution origins.
- Effective management of urban water bodies requires precise identification of pollution sources.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and demonstrate a multi-indicator framework for high-resolution source apportionment in urban rivers.
- To integrate water quality index (WQI) stratification with chemical and optical parameters for source identification.
- To provide a cost-effective and transferable tool for precision watershed management.
Main Methods:
- Developed a multi-indicator framework integrating Water Quality Index (WQI) stratification with dissolved organic matter (DOM) fluorescence, hydrochemical ions, and conventional parameters.
- Applied positive matrix factorization (PMF) for source apportionment and correlation analysis for source composition elucidation.
- Utilized K+, Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ concentrations, DOM fluorescence, and nitrogen species to identify pollution contributors.
Main Results:
- DOM fluorescence showed limited ability to discriminate pollution sources across different water quality levels.
- Increased concentrations of K+, Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ correlated with declining WQI, indicating significant wastewater influence.
- PMF successfully identified distinct contributions from non-point (upstream), point (sewage-dominated degraded reaches), and internal (summer sediment release) sources.
- Wastewater treatment plant effluents were identified as a primary nitrogen source through correlations with nitrate and total nitrogen.
Conclusions:
- The integrated multi-indicator framework provides high-resolution source apportionment for urban rivers.
- This approach offers a cost-effective and transferable solution for precision watershed management and water governance.
- Understanding source-specific contributions is crucial for targeted pollution control and improving urban river health.
