Developing Ecological Thresholds for Nitrogen and Phosphorus in the Haihe River Basin in China

Fan Wu, Yuan Fang, Mingfeng Feng (), Zhicheng Xie, Lin Zhu and Jianfeng Feng ()
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Fan Wu: Jinan Environmental Research Academy, Jinan 250000, China
Yuan Fang: Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria of Ministry of Education and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
Mingfeng Feng: Tianjin Huanke Environment Consulting Co., Ltd., Tianjin 300450, China
Zhicheng Xie: Tianjin Academy of Ecological and Environmental Science, Tianjin 300191, China
Lin Zhu: Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria of Ministry of Education and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
Jianfeng Feng: Key Laboratory of Pollution Process and Environmental Criteria of Ministry of Education and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 24, 1-10

Abstract: Many aquatic ecosystems are eutrophicated due to human inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus. Therefore, it is now considered important to establish nutrient criteria to prevent eutrophication. In this study, the water quality and biological data for 26 stations in the lower reaches of the Haihe River Basin were collected. The total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) ecological thresholds were derived from the threshold indicator taxa analysis (TITAN) and frequency distribution approach. The results showed that the TN threshold was 1.8 mg/L based on the TITAN and the TP threshold was 0.039 mg/L based on the frequency distribution approach. The TITAN also identified 29 indicator species of TN and 28 indicator species of TP. Based on these criteria, we found 73% sites with TN concentrations higher than the 1.8 mg/L. As for TP, 58% sites exceeded 0.039 mg/L. This study showed that most of the downstream areas of the Haihe River are subject to relatively serious disturbances. This finding could provide implications for identifying the water quality traits of and generating protection strategies for the Haihe River in Tianjin.

Keywords: total nitrogen; total phosphorus; thresholds; frequency distribution; TITAN (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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