Evaluation of Water Quality and Heavy Metals in Wetlands along the Yellow River in Henan Province

Zhendong Hong, Qinghe Zhao, Jinlong Chang, Li Peng, Shuoqian Wang, Yongyi Hong, Gangjun Liu and Shengyan Ding
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Zhendong Hong: Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Jinming Road, Kaifeng 475004, China
Qinghe Zhao: Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Jinming Road, Kaifeng 475004, China
Jinlong Chang: Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Jinming Road, Kaifeng 475004, China
Li Peng: Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Jinming Road, Kaifeng 475004, China
Shuoqian Wang: Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Jinming Road, Kaifeng 475004, China
Yongyi Hong: Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Jinming Road, Kaifeng 475004, China
Gangjun Liu: College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, 124 LaTrobe Street, Melbourne 3000, Australia
Shengyan Ding: Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Jinming Road, Kaifeng 475004, China

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 4, 1-19

Abstract: Assessing spatiotemporal variation in water quality and heavy metals concentrations in wetlands and identifying metal contamination source are crucial steps for the protection and sustainable utilization of water resources. Using the water quality identification index (I wq ), heavy metal pollution index (HPI), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and redundancy analysis (RDA), we evaluated spatiotemporal variation in water quality and heavy metals concentrations, and their interrelation in wetlands along the middle and lower Yellow River. The average I wq was highest during flood season but the average HPI was lowest in the same season. Meanwhile, the trend in mean HPI across three hydrological seasons was the opposite to that of mean I wq . There was significant variation in wetlands water pollution status across seasons. During the flood season, the wetlands in the affected area with hanging river were seriously polluted. In other seasons, pollution in the artificial wetlands was even more severe. Moreover, serious pollution of wetlands in belt transect #03 (Yuanyang-Zhongmu) was more frequent. Dissolved oxygen and chemical oxygen demand strongly influenced heavy metal concentrations, while other water quality parameters had different influences on heavy metal concentrations in different hydrological seasons. The causes of water pollution were divided into natural factors and human disturbance (with potential relationships between them). The polluted wetlands were greatly affected by the Yellow River during the flood season while they were more impacted by agricultural and domestic sewage discharge in other seasons. However, heavy metal deposition and leaching into riparian wetlands were still affected by diverse channel conditions. If this trend is allowed to continue unabated, wetlands along the middle and lower Yellow River are likely to lose their vital ecological and social functions.

Keywords: water quality; heavy metals; Riparian wetlands; middle and lower Yellow River; Henan Province (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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