Abstract
Non-point source (NPS) pollution simulation in control units can identify critical pollution source areas and make Best Management Practices (BMPs) more effective for the responsible parties. In this study, the control unit division method is introduced, and the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of NPS pollution in the Guishui River Basin of Northern China are analyzed using the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. In addition, five BMP scenarios were designed for environmental and cost-benefit analyses. The results show that the loss of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) is concentrated in the rainy season, and the loss of TN and TP is mainly distributed in the middle and lower reaches of the main stream of the Guishui River. This area accounts for 22.34% of the basin area. The vegetated filter strips (VFS) scenario had the best environmental benefits with average TN and TP reduction efficiencies of 63.4% and 62.6%, respectively. The Grassed Waterway was the most cost-effective scenario measure, cost-benefit (CE) values of TN and TP were 1798.13 g/€ and 601.56 g/€. Generally, research on NPS pollution using control units can more clearly identify the critical source areas of pollution than other methods, and provides technical support for watershed management decision makers.
Highlights
At present, most river and lake ecosystems worldwide have encountered problems such as water pollution and degradation of ecological functions, that have seriously affected the sustainable development of economic societies [1]
Agency showed that non-point source (NPS) pollution caused ~60% of rivers and lakes water quality to be substandard [2]
Point source pollution has been gradually controlled, and it was found that the main cause of the deterioration of water environmental quality is the increasing NPS, especially NPS pollution caused by human agricultural activities [4,5]
Summary
Most river and lake ecosystems worldwide have encountered problems such as water pollution and degradation of ecological functions, that have seriously affected the sustainable development of economic societies [1]. A survey by the United States Environmental Protection. Agency showed that non-point source (NPS) pollution caused ~60% of rivers and lakes water quality to be substandard [2]. Surveys in the United States, Japan, and other countries show that even if all point source pollution achieved zero emissions, the river water, lake water, and sea water quality compliance rates would only be 65%, 42%, and 78%, respectively. Point source pollution has been gradually controlled, and it was found that the main cause of the deterioration of water environmental quality is the increasing NPS, especially NPS pollution caused by human agricultural activities [4,5]. The composition of pollution sources is currently rapidly changing in China, and the proportion of NPS pollution load is gradually increasing [6]. Public Health 2020, 17, 868; doi:10.3390/ijerph17030868 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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