Water quality analysis of Puzhehei Lake, China

Abstract

With the development of urbanization, a decline in water quality has become a major problem all over the world. The present study is conducted in Puzhehei Lake, a soul constituent of the Puzhehei Scenic Area, known for its beautiful scenery and karstic landscapes. Water samples were collected from the upstream, midstream and downstream of Puzhehei Lake, with concentrations of total nitrogen, total phosphorous, lead, cadmium, chromium, mercury and some other major pollutants measured. The results showed that water quality of the upstream of Puzhehei Lake is the worst, which belongs to the category of Grade V. By contrast, the downstream reaches of Puzhehei Lake have the best water quality, which belongs to the category of Grade I, and water quality of the middle reach is in between. Culprits for water pollution include wetland destruction, aquaculture development and agricultural practice. We further put together some suggestions, including the construction of domestic sewage and garbage treatment facilities, the control of pollution load into the lake, the optimization and adjustment of agricultural industry structure, long-term water quality monitoring of Puzhehei Lake, and the encouragement of public participation and involvement in water management.