•The impacts of scarce measured data on NPS predictions were quantified.•Rainfall patterns was found as a key variable of event-based NPS simulation.•Peak measured data and threshold of scarce data rate were highlighted.•NPS-P model performs worse than NPS-N model in ungauged catchments.•A new method was proposed for peak value prediction.Quantifying the rainfall-runoff-pollutant (R-R-P) process is key to regulating non-point source (NPS) pollution; however, the impacts of scarce measured data on R-R-P simulations have not yet been reported. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive study of scarce data that addressed both rainfall-runoff and runoff-pollutant processes, whereby the impacts of data scarcity on two commonly used methods, including Unit Hydrograph (UH) and Loads Estimator (LOADEST), were quantified. A case study was performed in a typical small catchment of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region (TGRR) of China. Based on our results, the classification of rainfall patterns should be carried out first when analyzing modeling results. Compared to data based on a missing rate and a missing location, key information generates more impacts on the simulated flow and NPS loads. When the scarcity rate exceeds a certain threshold (20% in this study), measured data scarcity level has clear impacts on the model’s accuracy. As the model of total nitrogen (TN) always performs better under different data scarcity conditions, researchers are encouraged to pay more attention to continuous the monitoring of total phosphorus (TP) for better NPS-TP predictions. The results of this study serve as baseline information for hydrologic forecasting and for the further control of NPS pollutants.Download high-res image (117KB)Download full-size image

Pathogens in manure can cause waterborne-disease outbreaks, serious illness, and even death in humans. Therefore, information about the transformation and transport of bacteria is crucial for determining their source. In this study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was applied to simulate fecal coliform bacteria load in the Miyun Reservoir watershed, China. The data for the fecal coliform were obtained at three sampling sites, Chenying (CY), Gubeikou (GBK), and Xiahui (XH). The calibration processes of the fecal coliform were conducted using the CY and GBK sites, and validation was conducted at the XH site. An interval-to-interval approach was designed and incorporated into the processes of fecal coliform calibration and validation. The 95% confidence interval of the predicted values and the 95% confidence interval of measured values were considered during calibration and validation in the interval-to-interval approach. Compared with the traditional point-to-point comparison, this method can improve simulation accuracy. The results indicated that the simulation of fecal coliform using the interval-to-interval approach was reasonable for the watershed. This method could provide a new research direction for future model calibration and validation studies.

Pathogenic bacteria are a serious public health concern. Exposure to these microorganisms can result in illnesses or even death. Therefore, it is important to control pathogenic bacteria sources, transport mechanisms and fate. Best management practices proved to be very effective in the control of non-point source pollution. In this study, the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) was modified and used to simulate the fecal coliform in Chao River of Miyun Reservoir watershed, China. The model was then used to explore the effectiveness of vegetative filter strips (VFS) in reducing fecal coliform abundance throughout the watershed. The water temperature equation within the SWAT was modified to align the model more closely with the characteristics of the study area and generate a more accurate simulation. The DAFSratio (20, 50, 80, 120 and 150) and DFcon (0.25, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.75) parameters were considered for VFS to see their effects on removal efficiency. The results show that calibration and validation results for fecal coliform and flow can be accepted. Different values for DAFSratio and DFcon have great influence on VFS. Increasing values resulted in a decrease in the removal efficiency of VFS.

The efficacy of traditional effluent trading systems is questionable due to their neglect of seasonal hydrological variation and the creation of upstream hot spots within a watershed. Besides, few studies have been conducted to distinguish the impacts of each influencing factor on effluent trading systems outputs. In this study, a water environmental functional zone-based effluent trading systems framework was configured and a comprehensive analysis of its influencing factors was conducted. This proposed water environmental functional zone-based effluent trading systems was then applied for the control of chemical oxygen demand in the Beiyun River watershed, Beijing, China. Optimal trading results highlighted the integration of water quality constraints and different hydrological seasons, especially for downstream dischargers. The optimal trading of each discharger, in terms of pollutant reduction load and abatement cost, is greatly influenced by environmental and political factors such as background water quality, the location of river assessment points, and tradable discharge permits. In addition, the initial permit allowance has little influence on the market as a whole but does impact the individual discharger. These results provide information that is critical to understanding the impact of policy design on the functionality of an effluent trading systems.

A qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 92 farmers and 42 policy managers in Wuxi County, the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, was conducted to identify stakeholder preferences for alternative best management practices (BMPs) and to determine the factors that affect their acceptance. Policy manager support for most of the practices was relatively stronger than support by farmers, except for the grade stabilization structure (GSS), hillside ditch (HD) and constructed wetland alternative, owing to their perceptions of soil benefits, economic advantages and environmental advantages. Farmers opposed those practices that occupied cultivated lands or changed the conventional planting methods, such as field border, conservation tillage (CT) and contour buffer strips. They tended to accept the BMPs with off-farm pollution reduction, such as GSS, riparian forest buffer and HD, and the BMPs associated with soil benefits, such as nutrient management and Terrace. The result that almost all respondents did not accept CT differed from reports in the existing literature. There is a significant correlation between the acceptance of some BMPs and the townships where the farmers lived (P ≤ 0.05). The environmental conditions and social factors would affect farmer support for BMPs, including local soil conditions, farming methods, economic income, education level and age. The economic advantages of the BMPs were the main motivation for farmers to accept the practices. Furthermore, intensive education efforts, financial incentives or economic subsidies may promote the adoption of the BMPs in our study area.

Parameter uncertainty involved in hydrological and sediment modeling often refers to the parameter dispersion and the sensitivity of the parameter. However, a limitation of the previous studies lies in that the assignment of range and specification of probability distribution for each parameter is usually difficult and subjective. Therefore, there is great uncertainty in the process of parameter calibration and model prediction. In this study, the impact of probability parameter distribution on hydrological and sediment modeling was evaluated using a semi-distributed model—the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Monte Carlo method (MC)—in the Daning River watershed of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region (TGRA), China. The classic types of parameter distribution such as uniform, normal and logarithmic normal distribution were involved in this study. Based on results, parameter probability distribution showed a diverse degree of influence on the hydrological and sediment prediction, such as the sampling size, the width of 95% confidence interval (CI), the ranking of the parameter related to uncertainty, as well as the sensitivity of the parameter on model output. It can be further inferred that model parameters presented greater uncertainty in certain regions of the primitive parameter range and parameter samples densely obtained from these regions would lead to a wider 95 CI, resulting in a more doubtful prediction. This study suggested the value of the optimized value obtained by the parameter calibration process could may also be of vital importance in selecting the probability distribution function (PDF). Such cases, where parameter value corresponds to the watershed characteristic, can be used to provide a more credible distribution for both hydrological and sediment modeling.

With the development of technology for controlling point source pollution, non-point source (NPS) pollution issues have become increasingly prominent worldwide. Because of the wide range, difficult control and complex uncertainties involved in simulation processes, NPS pollution control has become a hotspot in the area of water pollution control. In China, NPS pollution control will be one of the most important issues in water environmental protection in the next several decades. To control NPS pollution, it is important to know how much there is. In this paper, the authors provide an overview of the current NPS pollution modelling technology in China. We first compared several methods used for estimation of the NPS pollution load in China. We next discussed the advantages and disadvantages of these methods in detail, both from the method itself and the simulation results. We found that most of these methods are derived directly from models developed by several developed countries, especially the USA. Although these models may be suitable to the situation of the country they were designed in, they may not be suitable to the actual situation of China. Other methods have been developed by scholars in China, but these are all very simple and may not provide a good estimation. Finally, we point out that we can only determine if a NPS model is good or bad according to the actual conditions of the study area and the available data for this area. Overall, the results of this study indicated that digesting and absorbing foreign NPS models, modifying the related processes and using related key parameters with Chinese characteristics are the future research direction for NPS pollution modelling in China.Research highlights► Compared existing exotic and native NPS models, discussed their advantages and disadvantages, proposed further improvements. ► Discussed the limited applications, inefficient calibration and validation, and incomplete mechanism description in China's NPS modelling. ► Recommend future studies to investigate the model mechanism, as well as methods of improvement, causes of uncertainty and integration.

Stormwater runoff from three types of urban surfaces, a parking lot, a street, and a building roof, was monitored during four rainfall events that occurred in the one-year period from June 2009 to June 2010. The event mean concentrations (EMC) of dissolved copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe) exceeded China’s National Water Quality Standards for Surface Water. The degree of heavy metal contamination was related to the type of underlying surfaces. Additionally, the concentration of dissolved heavy metals peaked shortly after the runoff began and then declined sharply as a result of adequate flushing. First flush effects of varying degrees were also observed during all of the monitored rainfall events based on the first flush ratio (FF25). Redundancy analysis revealed that four environmental variables (rainfall depth, intensity, antecedent dry weather period and type of underlying surface) had significant effects on the strengths of the first flush effects, accounting for 72.9% of the variation in the FF25. Dissolved metals presented varying first flush effects on different underlying surfaces that occurred in the following relative order: parking lot>roof>road for low intensity and high runoff volume rainfall events; parking lot>road>roof for high intensity and low runoff volume events. The relative strength of the first flush for dissolved heavy metals was Fe, Mn>Cu, Zn>Pb.

Non-point source (NPS) pollution has been increasingly recognized as a major contributor to the declining quality of aquatic environment in recent years. Because of the data shortage, the non-point source loads estimation in the large-scale watershed is always difficult in most developing countries. In this study, small-scale watershed extended method (SWEM) was introduced with a case study in the middle part of Three Gorges Reservoir Region (TGRR). Small-scale watershed extended method is the method which uses physical-based models in some small typical catchments of the targeted large watershed, and then the parameters obtained from those small catchments are extended to the surrounding area until the non-point source pollution loads in the entire watershed or region are obtained. The selected small catchments should have sufficient data. Here, the middle part of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, about 12,500 km2, was chosen as the targeted region for the case study. In this region, considering the data availability, Xiaojiang River was screened as a typical watershed and was simulated with Soil and Water Assessment Tool model through accurate parameter calibration and validation. And then the parameter group obtained in Xiaojiang River Watershed was extended to the entire study area to quantify the total non-point source pollution loads. After which, the spatio-temporal characteristics of the non-point source pollution in the middle part of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region were analyzed, as well as the pollution from each tributary and different under layer surface conditions. The small-scale watershed extended method provides a practical approach for non-point source pollution loads estimation in the large-scale watershed or region.

In this study, key uncertainty sources analysis was undertaken for a dynamic water model using a First order error analysis method. First, a dynamic water quality model for the Three Gorges Reservoir Regions was established using data after impoundment by the environmental fluid dynamics code model package. Model calibration and verification were then conducted using measured data collected during 2004 and 2006. Four statistical indices were employed to assess the modeling efficiency. The results indicated that the model simulated the variables well, with most relative error being less than 25 %. Next, input and parameter uncertainty analysis were conducted for ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, total nitrogen, and dissolved oxygen at 3 grid cells located in the upper, middle and downstream portions of the research area. For the nitrogen related variables, input from Zhutuo Station, the Jialingjiang River, and the Wujiang River were the main sources of uncertainty. Point and nonpoint sources also accounted for a large ratio of uncertainty. Moreover, nitrification contributed some uncertainty to the estimated ammonia nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen. However, reaeration was found to be a key source of uncertainty for dissolved oxygen, especially at the middle and downstream reaches. The analysis conducted in this study gives a quantitative assessment for uncertainty sources of each variable, and provides guidance for further pollutant loading reduction in the Three Gorge Reservoir Region.

Emission trading is one of the most effective alternatives to controlling water pollution. Water environmental functional zone (WEFZ) is used to determine the water quality standard and identify the zone boundary for each river or reach. In this study, a new emission trading scheme was addressed based on WEFZ, accounting for both the temporal dimension and water quality control. A temporal factor of emission trading was proposed based on variations in the environmental capacity within a year by dividing the year into three periods, including high, normal, and low periods of environmental capacity. During each period, emission trading was implemented exclusively. A water quality-control scheme was suggested based on the water quality requirement in the water functional zone, in which the water quality at the downstream boundary of the zone was required to meet the water standard following auto-purification in the stream. Two methods of calculating water quality control are addressed for point-source pollution and non-point-source pollution. The calculated temporal dimension and water quality control were located in Dongxi River of the Daning Watershed in the Three Gorges Watershed. The high period was during June, July, and August, the normal period was during April, May, September, and October, and the low period was during January, February, March, November, and December. The results from the water quality calculation demonstrated that the discharge of point-source and non-point-source pollutions led to an excess of common contaminants at the downstream boundary of WEFZ. The temporal and spatial factors above should be incorporated into the emission trading scheme based on WEFZ.

Rapid and efficient methods to assess nanoparticle toxicity are desired in current research. Here we showed that Escherichia coli labeled by green fluorescent protein can be a good model bacterium for assessing acute toxicity of TiO2 (about 50% inhibition ratios after 135 min exposure). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed that TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) can influence certain protein expression in the recombinant bacterium, and the obvious effects in repressed expression and elevated expression were observed in 30/40, 10/20 μg mL−1 treated cells, respectively. However, the GFP expression (27 kD) was not influenced by introduced TiO2 NPs. The change of the fluorescence intensity may be caused by the damage in folding and chromophore formation of the GFP post-translational modification due to generated reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, TiO2 NPs at higher concentrations decreased their toxicity because of aggregation. 20 μg mL−1 humic acid (HA) introduced to the medium can decrease the fluorescent inhibition owing to the barrier of steric hindrance it provides between NPs and cells.

Hollow sphere-like and other shaped mesoporous silicas were prepared using reformer naphtha as a swelling agent via a hydrothermal synthesis process. The mesoporous silicas underwent a complicated process in which their morphology was transformed from a red blood cell-like shape to a golf-ball sphere-like shape, and then from a golf-ball-like shape to a hollow sphere-like shape in response to various synthesis temperatures. Under the control of using reformer naphtha, the mesoporous silica was transformed from a wheat-like shape to a sphere-like shape, and then from a sphere-like shape to a hollow sphere-like shape. The effects of temperature and the swelling agent may have contributed to the formation of reformer naphtha microemulsions in the copolymer aqueous solution, followed by the self-assembly of block copolymer micelles and silica around the emulsions.

Rainfall is regarded as the most important input for the hydrology and nonpoint source (H/NPS) models and uncertainty related to rainfall is generally recognized as a major challenge in watershed modeling. In this paper, we focus on the impact of spatial rainfall variability on H/NPS modeling of a large watershed. The uncertainty introduced by spatial rainfall variability was determined using a number of commonly-used interpolation methods: (1) the Centroid method; (2) the Thiessen Polygon method; (3) the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) method; (4) the Dis-Kriging method; and (5) the Co-Kriging method. The Soil and Water Assessment tool (SWAT) was used to quantify the effect of rainfall spatial variability on watershed H/NPS modeling of the Daning watershed in China. Results indicated that these interpolation methods could contribute significant uncertainty in spatial rainfall variability and the carry-magnify effect caused even larger uncertainty in the H/NPS modeling. This uncertainty was magnified from hydrology modeling (stream flow) into NPS modeling (sediment, TP, organic nitrogen (N) and dissolved N). This study further suggested that H/NPS prediction uncertainty relating to spatial rainfall variability was scale-dependent due to the averaging effect of spatial heterogeneity. From a practical point of view, a global interpolation method, such as IDW and Kriging, as well as elevation data derived from a digital elevation model (DEM), should be included into the H/NPS models for reliable predictions in larger watersheds.Highlights► The impact of spatial rainfall variability on H/NPS modeling was evaluated. ► The uncertainty of rain input would ne magnified into H/NPS modeling. ► The spatial interpolation method is highlighted in large-scale watersheds. ► Global interpolation method and DEM data could benefit H/NPS modeling. ► The selection of interpolation methods for H/NPS models is scale-dependent.

•Parameter sensitivity varies notably depending on catchment conditions.•Evaluation scales affect the distribution of parameter sensitivity.•Combined consideration improves the understanding of watershed processes.•Selection of BMPs for sediment control should be storm-dependent.Environmental models can be used to better understand the hydrologic and sediment behavior in a watershed system. However, different processes may dominate at different time periods and timescales, which highly complicate the model interpretation. The related parameter uncertainty may be significant and needs to be addressed to avoid bias in the watershed management. In this study, we used the time-varying and multi-timescale (TVMT) method to characterize the temporal dynamics of parameter sensitivity at different timescales in hydrologic and sediment modeling. As a case study, the first order sensitivity indices were estimated with the Fourier amplitude sensitivity test (FAST) method for the Hydrological Simulation Program - Fortran (HSPF) model in the Zhangjiachong catchment in the Three Gorge Reservoir Region (TGRR) in China. The results were compared to those of the traditional aggregate method to demonstrate the merits of the TVMT method. The time-varying nature of the hydrologic and sediment parameters was revealed and explained mainly by the variation of hydro-climatic conditions. The baseflow recession parameter, evapotranspiration (ET) parameter for the soil storage, and sediment washoff parameter showed high sensitivities almost across the whole period. However, parameters related to canopy interception and channel sediment scour varied notably over time due to changes in the climate forcing. The timescale-dependent characteristics was observed and was most evident for the baseflow recession parameter and ET parameter. At last, the parameters affecting the sediment export and transport were discussed together with the inferred conservation practices. Reasonable controls for sediment must be storm-dependent. Compared to management practices on the land surface, practices affecting channel process would be more effective during storm events. Our results present one of the first investigations for sediment modeling in terms of the importance of parameter sensitivity in both time periods and evaluation timescales for the model calibration, diagnostic evaluation, and prioritizing efforts for conservation practices.Download high-res image (170KB)Download full-size image

•The temporal-spatial variability of PCBs were illustrated in the Yangtze estuary.•The transportation mechanism of PCBs were explored by numerical simulation.•The impacts of upstream Dam on estuarine PCBs were quantified.•The importance of hydro-sediment conditions on PCBs pattern were highlighted.Although the variability of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is strongly dependent on the hydro-sediment pattern, the quantification of this interaction is still not well described, especially for estuary areas. In this study, both chemical analyses and numerical simulation were conducted to explain the temporal-spatial variability and transportation mechanism of PCBs in the Yangtze River Estuary (YRE). The impacts of the upstream Three Gorges Dam (TGD) on estuarine PCBs were also addressed with a simulated scenario. The results showed that the PCBs levels in the YRE were relatively low or moderate and the highest levels were related to the maximum turbidity zone. The spatial variability of PCBs is strongly dependent on the hydrological circulation, which resulted in a declining trend from the inner YRE to the adjacent sea. The seasonal variability of PCBs could be due to the joint influence of the current and the erosion/deposition environment. The opposite temporal trends of the overlaying water and sediment are driven by the seasonal characteristics of hydro-sediment patterns. The simulated results also indicated that the distribution, fluxes and transport ability of PCBs in the South Branch changed as a result of the sediment discharge reduction after construction of the TGD.Download high-res image (258KB)Download full-size image

•The tidal forcing has deep impact on the hypoxia distribution morphology and structure in the Yangtze Estuary.•The hypoxic areal extent during neap tide is unexpected larger than that in the absence of tidal forcing.•The hypoxic water first appeared to the southeast of Hangzhou Bay during the neap tide.The influence of tide on the distribution of hypoxia adjacent to the Yangtze Estuary was investigated using a three-dimensional hydrodynamic eutrophication model. In the absence of tide, the hypoxic areal extent increased from 5226.75 km2 in the base model run to 19,514.25 km2, and it mainly occurred in the inner shelf region near the mouth of the Yangtze Estuary and in the inner part of Hangzhou Bay. During neap tide, the hypoxic areal extent further increased to cover 20,704.50 km2. Hypoxia first appeared to the southeast of Hangzhou Bay. During the neap to spring tide transition, the hypoxic areal extent decreased to 2430.00 km2 due to reduced stratification (2.65 × 10− 3 S–2) and the direction of the current. The hypoxic areal extent further decreased to 2319.75 km2 during spring tide along with increased current and reduced stratification. Also, hypoxia mainly appeared in the submarine valley.

Experimental plots were constructed in the Zhangjiachong Watershed of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area to evaluate soil erosion of traditional slope land farming and effects of soil conservation measures. Surface runoff and sediment from the watershed and each plot were collected and measured during 2004–2007. Field investigations indicated that hedgerows were the best for soil erosion control, followed by stone dike terraces and soil dike terraces. The Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model was used to simulate erosion of annual and rainfall events both at the watershed and plot levels. The low deviation, high coefficient of determination and model efficiency values for the simulations indicated that the WEPP model was a suitable model. The soil erosion rate distribution was modeled to determine where serious erosion would occur during rainfall events in the Zhangjiachong Watershed and so control measures can be taken.

•The hypoxia in the Yangtze Estuary was sensitive to wind forcing, either wind speed or direction.•The Yangtze River discharge has unexpected minor impact on the hypoxia in the Yangtze Estuary.•The subtidal residual in hypoxic area usually smaller than its surrounding areas.A three-dimensional circulation model (the Environmental Fluid Dynamic Code) was used to examine the role that physical forcing (river discharge, wind speed and direction) plays in controlling hypoxia in waters adjacent to the Yangtze Estuary. The model assumes that the biological consumption of oxygen is constant in both time and space, which allows the role of physical forcing in modulating the oxygen dynamics to be isolated. Despite of the simplicity of this model, the simulation results showed that it can reproduce the observed variability of dissolved oxygen in waters adjacent to the Yangtze Estuary, thereby highlighting the important role of changes in physical forcing in the variation of hypoxia. The scenarios tested revealed appreciable changes in the areal extent of hypoxia as a function of wind speed and wind direction. Interestingly, well-developed hypoxia was insensitive to river discharge.

Rapid and efficient methods to assess nanoparticle toxicity are desired in current research. Here we showed that Escherichia coli labeled by green fluorescent protein can be a good model bacterium for assessing acute toxicity of TiO2 (about 50% inhibition ratios after 135 min exposure). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed that TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) can influence certain protein expression in the recombinant bacterium, and the obvious effects in repressed expression and elevated expression were observed in 30/40, 10/20 μg mL−1 treated cells, respectively. However, the GFP expression (27 kD) was not influenced by introduced TiO2 NPs. The change of the fluorescence intensity may be caused by the damage in folding and chromophore formation of the GFP post-translational modification due to generated reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, TiO2 NPs at higher concentrations decreased their toxicity because of aggregation. 20 μg mL−1 humic acid (HA) introduced to the medium can decrease the fluorescent inhibition owing to the barrier of steric hindrance it provides between NPs and cells.