Application of positive matrix factorization to identify potential sources of water quality deterioration of Huaihe River, China

• Published in: Applied water science Vol. 9; no. 3; pp. 1 - 14
• Main Authors: Jiang, Jiping, Khan, Afed U., Shi, Bin, Tang, Sijie, Khan, Jehanzeb
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.04.2019; Springer Nature B.V; SpringerOpen
• Subjects: Agricultural management; Ammonia; Anthropogenic factors; Aquatic Pollution; Cluster analysis; Comparative Law; Deterioration; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Factorization; Huaihe River; Hydrogeology; Hydrologic regime; Hydrology; Identification; Industrial and Production Engineering; Industrial pollution; International & Foreign Law; Land pollution; Land use; Monitoring; Monitoring systems; Nanotechnology; Nonpoint source pollution; Original Article; Pollution sources; Positive matrix factorization; Private International Law; River basins; River water; Rivers; Stations; Surface water; Urban agriculture; Waste Water Technology; Water Industry/Water Technologies; Water Management; Water pollution; Water Pollution Control; Water quality; China; Huaihe River; Cluster analysis; Nonpoint source pollution; Water quality; Positive matrix factorization; Huaihe River
• DOI: 10.1007/s13201-019-0938-4
• ISSN: 2190-5487

Identification of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is essential for effective water management. In this study we used a combined approach of hierarchal cluster analysis (HCA) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) to identify NPS pollution for Huaihe River basin in China. NH 3 -N, COD, DO and pH were regularly monitored weekly over 2 years (2011–2012) from 27 monitoring stations subjected to high anthropogenic and natural changes. As identified by multiple correspondence analyses, the monitoring stations #3, #9 and #21 are located away from the rest of sites. HCA classified all the stations into 4 groups. PMF identified four factors on each group and each season. They were associated with the major causes of Huaihe River water quality deterioration resulted by discharges inputs from urban, agricultural and industrial land uses. Seasonal NPS pollution variation was found, and it is possibly linked with natural processes, for instance hydrological regime. This research work demonstrates the usefulness of PMF model for the identification of NPS pollution in surface waters. Furthermore, our study also shows that urban, agricultural and industrial land uses were the main factors impairing surface water quality, and limiting NPS pollution would be critical for enhancing surface water quality in the study area.