Water In China Research Articles

Screening and Sequencing High-risk Antibiotics in China's Water Environment Based on Ecological Risks

In view of the lack of ecotoxicological data for most antibiotics in China's water environment, national-scale ecological risk assessment of antibiotics remains impossible. This study determined the exposure index values for antibiotic products in the National Medical Products Administration based on quantity and average daily dose data for all antibiotics in the market alongside exposure modeling. The risk scores were calculated using data on the ecotoxicological effects of the antibiotics, and the species sensitivity distributions (SSD) method and apical effects. Priorities for control were identified based on the findings. Approximately 105 antibiotics were screened, and 53 were identified as candidate drugs with high national usage. Twenty antibiotics were identified for priority risk evaluation using a joint probabilistic model, with clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin, amoxicillin, cefaclor, and oxyfloxacin highlighted as presenting a high ecological risk. This study provides a scientific basis for the quantitative assessment of antibiotic risk prevention and control in China's aquatic environment.

Dynamic analysis of residential and enterprise water supply and leakage efficiencies.

With per capita water resources at only around a quarter of the world average, China's water resources are limited and unevenly distributed. Past research on water resource utilization has mainly focused on industrial water use (agriculture and industry), water plant ownership efficiencies (private or public operation), or water resources and economic production; however, there have been few studies focused on water supply livelihood. Therefore, this paper considered both industrial production water services, non-production water services (public sector and residential water use), and water leakage losses, which is a water supply problem seldom mentioned in other studies. An undesirable directional distance function (DDF) dynamic data envelopment analysis (DEA) model was employed for the dynamic analysis as it was able to deal with both desirable and undesirable outputs at the same time. The model examined collected water supply and water leak efficiency data from 30 Chinese provinces/municipalities from 2007 to 2018, from which it was found that (1) Beijing, Gansu, Guangdong, and Ningxia had efficient water supply and water leak losses from 2007 to 2018 and the most improved province was Jiangxi; (2) the eastern provinces, in general, had better water efficiencies and the central and western provinces needed greater improvements; and (3) the lowest water leakage loss efficiencies were in Inner Mongolia, Jiangxi, and Heilongjiang, all of which required significant improvements.

Does economic growth help reduce inequality of water consumption? Insight from evolution and drivers of inequality in water consumption in China.

Achieving equality in water usage is part of the sixth goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. A comprehensive understanding evolution of inequality in water use and the driving factors behind the inequality can facilitate to implement equality in water consumption. In this work, the inequality index was used to measure China's water consumption inequality from 2004 to 2018 and the decomposition technique was used to decompose the status of inequality and the evolution of inequality. The results show the inequality in its water consumption was not reduced obviously despite China's rapid economic growth. There were 38.71% of provinces in China whose per capita water consumption was greater than the national average, mainly in the western region. For the three regions of China, the intraregional inequality was much greater than the interregional inequality. The western index was the largest and the eastern was the smallest. Among the factors that cause the inequality in water consumption, no one factor has been dominant at all times. Moreover, the effects of different factors changed over time. It is almost impossible to reduce inequality in water consumption through policy adjustment to several factors. China's example show that economic development cannot reduce the inequality in water consumption. More targeted policies and more efforts are required to reduce the inequality in water consumption.

Will China's water resources be safe in 2030?

Abstract This paper is distinct from existing studies on water resources carrying capacity which usually use dimensionless data to represent trend and status of water resources carrying capacity. Here, on the grounds of the most stringent water resource management system and following the principles of water determining population, water determining city scale, water determining production and so on, water resources carrying capacity prediction model was established. The water resources carrying capacity was represented by population, which can directly reflect the status of water resources. Under the rigid constraints of water use quantity and water use efficiency, six scenarios were set to predict China's maximum population in 2030. The results demonstrated that the maximum population in each scenario is close to 1.45 billion of National Population Development Plan. It means water resources rigid constraints can support population and economic growth at the socio-economic development current pace and path. Total water use quantity will not break through the limit of 800–900 billion m3 when achieving the expected goals of social and economic development, not even more than 700 billion m3. Meanwhile, in order to relieve water resources stress, to improve water resources carrying capacity, and to accelerate construction of a water-saving society, some suggestions were put forward.

Modes of exploitation of atmospheric water resources in the Qinghai–Tibet plateau

AbstractKnown as “China's Water Tower,” the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) becomes warm and humid in the short term but faces drought in the long term because of global climate change. Atmospheric water resources seem to be the only choice in the QTP region to alleviate drought conditions. Analysis of water vapour distribution and evaluation of exploitation modes of atmospheric water resources are carried out in this study. Different exploitation modes of atmospheric water resources including routine, selective, and emergency‐oriented exploitation are distinguished using water vapour budget and its distribution entropy. Zoning of the QTP indicates that routine exploitation, that is, long‐term, continuous, and fixed‐point exploitation, can only be carried out in its eastern part, while the middle and western parts are suitable for selective exploitation. Such entropy‐based assessment and zoning can be used as a reference for the exploitation of atmospheric water in the QTP in the future. Furthermore, the proposed zoning criteria can be used to estimate the exploitability of atmospheric water resources.

Investigation and evaluation of water literacy of urban residents in China based on data correction method

Abstract This study proposes an evaluation index system of water literacy levels. Thirty-one provincial capitals in mainland China were selected for the survey. The preliminary evaluation results were revised to obtain the comprehensive evaluation value of water literacy. The results of the questionnaire show that the water literacy score is relatively high, but the water behavior score is relatively low; the modified evaluation results are closer to the actual water literacy level of urban residents; and the comprehensive evaluation value of water literacy has a certain correlation with the distribution of water resources in China. The research results can provide theoretical support for China's future work to improve citizens’ water literacy, and the water sector can formulate policies that are more in line with China's water resource status based on the level of water literacy, differences in water behavior, and water resource distribution.

Evaluation of the construction of water rights transaction system in the Yellow River Basin

The water rights market has not yet been developed, water rights transaction system has not yet been formed in China. To solve these problems, the current states of water rights in China are outlined at first. At second, taking the Yellow River Basin of Inner Mongolia as a case study, the water rights transaction system in the Yellow River Basin of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is introduced. At last, the system are evaluated from the aspects such as water rights transaction parties, tradable water rights, transaction procedure, transaction price and transaction period. It is conducive to promoting the construction of a fair and orderly water rights transaction market with Chinese characteristics, and provides decision-making reference for improving China's water rights management system.

Has the water rights system reform restrained the water rebound effect? Empirical analysis from China's agricultural sector

Improving water-saving irrigation technology and water use efficiency are often regarded as effective ways to control the amount of agricultural water consumption, but the rebound effect may offset this effort in practice. Based on the sample of 30 provinces in China from 2000 to 2017, this paper applies the meta frontier data envelopment analysis method to measure agricultural water efficiency, and then estimates the rebound rate of agricultural water resource applying difference-generalized method of moments and elasticity analysis formula. Further, the difference-in-difference model is used to test the effectiveness of China's water rights reform on China’s agricultural water rebound rate in recent years. The results show that: (1) Within the survey period, the average agricultural water rebound rate of China in short-term and long-term were 0.49 and 0.66 respectively, and the water rebound rate in all provinces were positive, indicating that water rebound effect was widespread in China’s agricultural water market; (2) Agricultural water rebound rates were significantly different among regions, which was higher in western region while were comparatively smaller in the eastern and central regions; (3) The water rights pilot project failed to restrain the rebound of agricultural water use, but promoted it, which may be resulted from the market frictions of water trade. According to the results, recommendations are put forward for the governments to reinforce management of water, improve water rights system and reduce trade costs, in order to reduce the friction of agricultural water market and the effective use of water resource.

Assessing the total factor performance of wastewater treatment in China: A city-level analysis

China is currently facing huge challenges in mitigating water shortages and protecting water bodies. The inferior wastewater treatment of the country has become the main barrier impeding regional water pollution control and sustainable economic development. Therefore, creating an overview of the current performance and weaknesses of city-level wastewater treatment is crucial and beneficial for exploring the driving factors for improvement. This study employed the slack-based measure and improved Luenberger productivity indicator decomposition method to investigate wastewater treatment performance in Chinese cities from static and dynamic perspectives. Results showed that pollutants were the main factors leading to wastewater treatment inefficiency. The total factor productivity of wastewater treatment (WTFP) of Chinese cities demonstrated an increasing trend from a temporal perspective and distinct spatial heterogeneity. An in-depth decomposition revealed that the most influential factor leading to WTFP growth was efficiency improvement rather than technical progress, pollutants discharge reduction rather than intensification of inputs. Given the varied types of cities, corresponding optimal and differentiated strategies, including source-oriented controls and end-of-pipe-led regulations, were provided to improve the overall performance of wastewater treatment. The findings of this study can help decision makers design specific policies for wastewater governance, which would be beneficial for achieving the green and high-quality development targets.

Large-Scale Membrane Bioreactors for Industrial Wastewater Treatment in China: Technical and Economic Features, Driving Forces, and Perspectives

Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) have been and will continue playing an important role in industrial wastewater treatment and reuse in China. The sustainable development of MBR technology in its mature-application stage requires reciprocal interactions between engineering and research participants. Thus, in this study, a total of 182 large-scale MBR projects treating industrial wastewater (with individual treatment capacities ≥ 5000 m 3 ·d −1 ) commissioned and under construction from 2003 to 2019 were analyzed comprehensively. Fast growth of the cumulative treatment capacity was observed, with extension to diverse industries, and the super large-scale was enhanced recently. The treatment processes, pollutant removal efficiencies, and actual operational parameters were summarized regarding the particularity of industrial wastewater compared to municipal wastewater. Economic features including the total investment costs of the projects, their total footprint, and their operational energy consumption were analyzed as well. A vigorous MBR market has formed in China with the fast development of membrane elements and engineering suppliers, continuously increasing official oriented projects, and responsive and innovative business modes. MBR technology has been mostly applied in specific economic zones and water-deficient areas, but its widespread use all over China is foreseeable considering the vast future market for industrial wastewater treatment and recycling. The policy–economy and market–technology driving forces revealed that MBR is consistent with the national development demand. According to the survey and analysis, prospective development in both engineering and research aspects of MBR is proposed to maintain its competitive edge.

Towards the formulation of rural sewage discharge standards in China

In China, most rural areas lack specific sewage discharge standards. Even though China governments proposed a series of local standards, the most of the existing China's rural sewage discharge standards are still similar to urban discharge standards. This research analyses comprehensively the data of rural sewage discharge standards in the 31 provinces and cities in China in terms of grade and indicator, and forms a structural framework for the formulation and revised standards in rural areas of China. In the formulation, we use 2 components, end-use and environmental capacity, to reflect local characteristics of the grades and indicators, and also propose the methods of combining discharge standards with relevant water quality standards to save energy. And we also use the mathematical model to illustrate environmental capacity in different regions. The paper shows the great potential in guiding the design of discharge standards formulation and revision for rural wastewater treatment in China and other developing countries as well.

Three-River-Source National Park System Pilot Area's steps toward cohesive conservation and management

The Three-River-Source is regarded as China's water tower. The protection of the source of three rivers, the Lancang River, the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, is related to the overall situation of China ecological security. It has been attached so much significance to the long-term interests and sustainable development of China. Since the construction of Three-River-Source National Park System Pilot Area was incorporated into the national strategy of China, outstanding achievements have been obtained. This paper has analyzed the path to constructing Three -River-Source National Park System Pilot Area. It has been concluded that Three -River-Source National Park System Pilot Area has provided much replicable and referential experiences on management system, operation mechanism and ecological protection.

Impact of China's water pollution on agricultural economic growth: an empirical analysis based on a dynamic spatial panel lag model.

The average annual growth rate of China's waste emissions from 2007 to 2017 was 2.3%. The main pollutants in the wastewater are chemical oxygen demand, ammonia nitrogen, total ammonia, total phosphorus, and so on which pollute groundwater and destroy ecosystems. Poor water quality reduces the edible value of agricultural products and has an impact on human health. Based on the panel data of 31 provinces in China from 2007 to 2017, this paper uses a dynamic spatial panel lag model to study the impact of China's water pollution on agricultural economic growth. The results show that the impact of China's water pollution on agricultural economic growth is significant. If the intensity of wastewater discharge is taken as an input factor in the process of agricultural production, the growth of agricultural economy tends to decline with the increase of water pollution. In the effect analysis, the short-term and long-term effects are significant. The absolute value of the long-term total effect is far greater than the short-term total effect, indicating that the inhibitory effect of water pollution on agricultural economic growth is more obvious. The cumulative effect of water pollution on agricultural economic growth continues to expand, resulting in more and more economic losses. The central and local governments should take various measures to reduce water pollution, guide the green development of agriculture, and increase farmers' income to realize the rural revitalization plan.

Performance evaluation for urban water supply services in China

Abstract Performance evaluation of water supply has become one of the hot issues of continuous concern in the water industry in recent years. Based on advanced international experience and the actual situation of China's water supply operation management, this paper combined quantitative indicator evaluation with the qualitative evaluation of good practices, and established a comprehensive performance evaluation method, which is suitable for China's national conditions. The system carried out a regional demonstration study and achieved good results, which will lay the foundation for the application of performance assessment of water supply in China.

Prediction of Major Pollutants Discharge from Wastewater in 31 Cities of China

A large amount of wastewater discharge has seriously damaged China's water environment, so it is very significant to accurately predict the future trend of wastewater discharge and pollutants discharge in wastewater. In this paper, the grey prediction model with fractional order accumulation is adopted to predict the discharge of wastewater, chemical oxygen demand and ammonia nitrogen from wastewater in 31 cities of China from 2020 to 2030. The predictive results indicate that the discharge of industrial wastewater, chemical oxygen demand and ammonia nitrogen will decrease in more than 50% of the cities. However, domestic sewage discharge in more than 50% of the cities will show an upward trend. According to the predictive results, reasonable suggestions can be put forward for the effective control of wastewater discharge in China.

Impact of food consumption patterns change on agricultural water requirements: An urban-rural comparison in China

The widening gap between China's urban and rural diets and population size poses new challenges to the sustainable supply of agricultural water, undoubtedly increasing the uncertainty of ensuring China's food security. This study compares water required for food in urban and rural areas from 1981 to 2016 using data collected from multiple sources and projects the water required amount in urban and rural areas based different diet scenarios. The results show that food consumption patterns in both urban and rural areas gradually changed from a vegetable-dominated diet to an animal-dominated one in past decades. During 1981–2016, total agricultural water requirements (AWR) for urban residents increased from 167 to 671 billion m3, whereas the for rural residents decreased from 485 to 403 billion m3 at the same period. The urban and rural irrigation water requirements (IWR) shows similar trend to AWR, and increased animal products consumption and decreased grain consumption are the main reason for IWR change in urban and rural areas, respectively. Furthermore, under current dietary patterns, national IWR will reach to 249 billion m3 when the expected population peak occurs (in 2032). However, if according to the recommended diet, China needs to consume 24–41 billion m³ more irrigation water to meet national food demand, and this value will exceed the upper limit allowed by China’s water policy. This study also proposes some measures to ensure China's agricultural water security based on presented findings.

Microplastics pollution in China water ecosystems: a review of the abundance, characteristics, fate, risk and removal.

Microplastics pollution has been a focus for researchers in recent years worldwide, for the large quantities of plastics in production and the resistance to degradation. China's microplastics pollution attracts much attention because of its long coastline, large population and rapid economic development. This review addresses the widespread microplastics pollution in China's water ecosystems through available research results from recent years and analyses the abundance, characteristics, fate and risk of microplastics. This paper also discusses the current treatment technology of microplastics. The conclusions show that estuaries are severely affected by microplastics pollution; the accumulation of microplastics and adsorption of contaminants by microplastics could also lead to serious risks besides ingestion; there are few technologies that can efficiently remove microplastics pollution in sewage treatment plants. Finally, this review suggests directions for future research trends.

Associated Effects and Efficiency Evaluation between Wastewater Pollution and Water Disease Based on the Dynamic Two-Stage DEA Model.

The lack of basic water supply and treatment facilities during China’s urbanization and industrialization process has resulted in a large amount of wastewater pollution, with the most serious water diseases being water-borne endemic fluorosis and arsenic poisoning, which have affected more than 20 million people. This research therefore uses the improved modified undesirable dynamic network model to analyze data of 31 provincial administrative regions to focus on the associated effects and efficiency evaluation between wastewater pollution and water disease in China. The results show that the efficiency of water pollution disease in all four regions of the country and the total efficiency in the east, west, and central regions all show a decreasing trend, while the efficiency scores and rankings of all provinces and cities within the region fluctuate greatly. The eastern region with the most developed economy has the best overall performance, with higher efficiency in water consumption and water disease control. However, the efficiency of wastewater treatment in northeast China is stable and better. Given the high level of the nation’s economic development and the results of efficiency in water pollution and water diseases, improving the efficiency and quality of wastewater treatment in China is regarded as an important factor for achieving the strategic goal of green growth.

How the Evolution of Water Transportation Conditions and Port Throughput Affected Agricultural Products Logistics Industry

Wang, J.; Li, H.C., and Wang, X.C., 2020. How the evolution of water transportation conditions and port throughput affected agricultural products logistics industry. In: Qiu, Y.; Zhu, H., and Fang, X. (eds.), Current Advancements in Marine and Coastal Research for Technological and Sociological Applications. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 107, pp. 328-333. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.This research is conducted to reveal the impact of the evolution of China's water transportation condition and port throughput on the development of agricultural products logistics industry. By using SPSS software and data related to China's economic and social development from 2006 to 2018. Based on logistic model, the future development level of China's water transportation condition is forecasted; with STRIPAT model, using partial correlation and linear regression method, the marginal contribution of water transportation condition, port throughput, economic growth and urbanization level to the change of agricultural products logistics industry are revealed. The impact of future evolution of China's water transportation condition and port through put on agricultural products logistics industry is estimated.

Watering Down Environmental Regulation in China*

AbstractThis article estimates the effect of environmental regulation on firm productivity using a spatial regression discontinuity design implicit in China's water quality monitoring system. Because water quality readings are important for political evaluations and the monitoring stations only capture emissions from their upstream regions, local government officials are incentivized to enforce tighter environmental standards on firms immediately upstream of a monitoring station, rather than those immediately downstream. Exploiting this discontinuity in regulation stringency with novel firm-level geocoded emission and production data sets, we find that immediate upstream polluters face a more than 24% reduction in total factor productivity (TFP), and a more than 57% reduction in chemical oxygen demand emissions, as compared with their immediate downstream counterparts. We find that the discontinuity in TFP does not exist in nonpolluting industries, only emerged after the government explicitly linked political promotion to water quality readings, and was predominantly driven by prefectural cities with career-driven leaders. Linking the TFP estimate with the emission estimate, a back-of-the-envelope calculation indicates that China's water regulation efforts between 2000 and 2007 were associated with an economic cost of more than 800 billion Chinese yuan.