Water quality criteria and ecological risk assessment for ammonia in the Shaying River Basin, China

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety Vol. 215; p. 112141
• Main Authors: Ding, Ting-Ting, Du, Shi-Lin, Huang, Zi-Yan, Wang, Ze-Jun, Zhang, Jin, Zhang, Ya-Hui, Liu, Shu-Shen, He, Lian-Sheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.06.2021; Elsevier
• Subjects: Ammonia; Ammonia - analysis; Ammonia - toxicity; Aquatic Organisms; China; Ecological risk assessment; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Nitrogen; Risk Assessment - methods; Rivers - chemistry; Seasons; Shaying River Basin; Total ammonia nitrogen; Toxicity Tests; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Water Quality - standards; Water quality criteria; China; Ammonia; Total ammonia nitrogen; Shaying River Basin; Water quality criteria; Ecological risk assessment
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112141

Current Chinese surface water environmental quality standard GB3838-2002 for ammonia fails to take water quality factors and native organism distributions in different basins into consideration. In this study, ammonia toxicity tests were performed using three aquatic organisms native to the Shaying River Basin (China). Published ammonia toxicity data with pH and temperature, and toxicity data acquired in this study were used to establish water quality criteria. The final criterion maximum concentration (CMC) and criterion continuous concentration (CCC) for the Shaying River Basin were 5.09 and 1.36 (mg total ammonia nitrogen (TAN))/L (pH 7 and 20 °C), respectively. In addition, based on the corresponding relationship between ammonia toxicity and temperature and pH, the ecological risk assessment of ammonia was conducted in different seasons for the Shaying River using a tiered approach of both hazard quotient (HQ) and the joint probability (JPC) methods. Two methods gave consistent results: the ecological risks of ammonia to aquatic species in the Shaying River Basin were severe and the risk could be ranked as wet season > flat season > dry season. It is therefore indicating that monitoring, evaluation, and early warning of ammonia pollution need to be taken to prevent and control the risks posed by ammonia pollution, especially for wet season (because of high temperatures and pH) or flat season (because of high pH values). We hope the present work could provide valuable information to manage and control ammonia pollution in the Shaying River Basin. [Display omitted] •Local aquatic life criteria are important because of difference in water environment.•WQC of ammonia (TAN) for local species from the Shaying River Basin was derived.•Two risk assessment methods were used to assess the risks posed by ammonia (TAN).•Exposure concentrations of ammonia were standardized based on temperature and pH.