A water quality management strategy for regionally protected water through health risk assessment and spatial distribution of heavy metal pollution in 3 marine reserves

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 599-600; pp. 721 - 731
• Main Authors: Zhang, Yinan, Chu, Chunli, Li, Tong, Xu, Shengguo, Liu, Lei, Ju, Meiting
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.12.2017
• Subjects: arsenic; cadmium; China; chromium; cluster analysis; Clustering analysis; computer software; conservation areas; Conservation of Natural Resources; Environmental Monitoring; geographic information systems; GIS visualization; Heavy metal Nemerow index; heavy metals; human health; Humans; issues and policy; lead; marine ecosystems; mercury; Metals, Heavy - analysis; monitoring; pollutants; risk; Risk Assessment; United States Environmental Protection Agency; USEPA model; Water; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; water pollution; Water Quality; Watershed management; Wetlands; China; Watershed management; Clustering analysis; USEPA model; Heavy metal Nemerow index; GIS visualization
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.232

•A watershed management method is explored to assess the heavy metal pollution and human health risk in water.•Nemerow and USAEPA models were used to evaluate the pollution and health risk of three natural reserves in Tianjin.•Cluster analysis and GIS can determine the sequence and location of pollution treatment.•Reserves are subject to varying degrees of pollution or health risks.•A new perspective of water quality oriented watershed management is advised at the regional scale. [Display omitted] Severe water pollution and resource scarcity is a major problem in China, where it is necessary to establish water quality-oriented monitoring and intelligent watershed management. In this study, an effective watershed management method is explored, in which water quality is first assessed using the heavy metal pollution index and the human health risk index, and then by classifying the pollution and management grade based on cluster analysis and GIS visualization. Three marine reserves in Tianjin were selected and analyzed, namely the Tianjin Ancient Coastal Wetland National Nature Reserve (Qilihai Natural Reserve), the Tianjin DaShentang Oyster Reef National Marine Special Reserve (DaShentang Reserve), and the Tianjin Coastal Wetland National Marine Special Reserve (BinHai Wetland Reserve) which is under construction. The water quality and potential human health risks of 5 heavy metals (Pb, As, Cd, Hg, Cr) in the three reserves were assessed using the Nemerow index and USEPA methods. Moreover, ArcGIS10.2 software was used to visualize the heavy metal index and display their spatial distribution. Cluster analysis enabled classification of the heavy metals into 4 categories, which allowed for identification of the heavy metals whose pollution index and health risks were highest, and, thus, whose control in the reserve is a priority. Results indicate that heavy metal pollution exists in the Qilihai Natural Reserve and in the north and east of the DaShentang Reserve; furthermore, human health risks exist in the Qilihai Natural Reserve and in the BinHai Wetland Reserve. In each reserve, the main factor influencing the pollution and health risk were high concentrations of As and Pb that exceed the corresponding standards. Measures must be adopted to control and remediate the pollutants. Furthermore, to protect the marine reserves, management policies must be implemented to improve water quality, which is an urgent task for both local and national governments.