Study on Temporal and Spatial Distribution Characteristics of Biogenic Pollutant Fluxes in Ten Main Rivers Discharging into the Sea in Eastern China

Lu Wang, Shuqin Ma, Shuo Liu, Yan Chen, Wei Gao () and Yuan Zhang ()
Additional contact information
Lu Wang: Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Shuqin Ma: Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Shuo Liu: School of Statistics, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
Yan Chen: Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
Wei Gao: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Quality Improvement and Ecological Restoration for Watersheds, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Yuan Zhang: Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Quality Improvement and Ecological Restoration for Watersheds, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-23

Abstract: Rapid economic development, accelerated urbanization, and agricultural modernization in eastern China have exacerbated pollution in rivers discharging into the sea, challenging regional ecological security and water resource sustainability. This study investigates ten main rivers in eastern China using monthly water quality and hydrological data from 2021 to 2023. Pollutant fluxes for permanganate index ( COD Mn ), ammonia nitrogen (AN), total phosphorus (TP), and total nitrogen (TN) were calculated, and their temporal and spatial variations were analyzed using descriptive statistics, two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and principal component analysis (PCA). Results show significant spatial heterogeneity, with the Yangtze (YAR) and Pearl Rivers (PER) exhibiting the highest fluxes due to high basin runoff and intense human activities. Seasonal variations significantly affect COD Mn , TP, and TN fluxes, with summer runoff and agricultural activities enhancing pollutant transport. Moreover, flood periods markedly increase pollutant fluxes compared to non-flood periods. PCA further reveals that the pollutant flux patterns of YAR and PER are clearly distinct from those of the other rivers, indicating the joint influence of geographic conditions and anthropogenic activities. This study provides quantitative evidence for regional water environment management and offers crucial guidance for developing sustainable, differentiated pollution control strategies.

Keywords: river; water quality; pollutant flux (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/9/4239/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/9/4239/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:9:p:4239-:d:1650960

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().