Sensitivity analysis for the total nitrogen pollution of the Danjiangkou Reservoir based on a 3-D water quality model

doi:10.1007/s11707-017-0650-3

Front. Earth Sci.

2017, Vol. 11

Issue (4) : 609-619 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-017-0650-3

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Sensitivity analysis for the total nitrogen pollution of the Danjiangkou Reservoir based on a 3-D water quality model

Libin CHEN^1,², Zhifeng YANG¹(

), Haifei LIU¹

¹. State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
². Key Laboratory of Ministry of Water Resources for Ecological Impacts of Hydraulic-projects and Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystem, Institute of Hydroecology, Ministry of Water Resources & Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430079, China

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Abstract

Inter-basin water transfers containing a great deal of nitrogen are great threats to human health, biodiversity, and air and water quality in the recipient area. Danjiangkou Reservoir, the source reservoir for China’s South-to-North Water Diversion Middle Route Project, suffers from total nitrogen pollution and threatens the water transfer to a number of metropolises including the capital, Beijing. To locate the main source of nitrogen pollution into the reservoir, especially near the Taocha canal head, where the intake of water transfer begins, we constructed a 3-D water quality model. We then used an inflow sensitivity analysis method to analyze the significance of inflows from each tributary that may contribute to the total nitrogen pollution and affect water quality. The results indicated that the Han River was the most significant river with a sensitivity index of 0.340, followed by the Dan River with a sensitivity index of 0.089, while the Guanshan River and the Lang River were not significant, with the sensitivity indices of 0.002 and 0.001, respectively. This result implies that the concentration and amount of nitrogen inflow outweighs the geographical position of the tributary for sources of total nitrogen pollution to the Taocha canal head of the Danjiangkou Reservoir.

Keywords nitrogen pollution 3-D water quality model sensitivity analysis Danjiangkou Reservoir South-to-North Water Diversion Project

Corresponding Author(s): Zhifeng YANG

Just Accepted Date: 26 April 2017 Online First Date: 07 June 2017 Issue Date: 10 November 2017

Cite this article:

Libin CHEN,Zhifeng YANG,Haifei LIU. Sensitivity analysis for the total nitrogen pollution of the Danjiangkou Reservoir based on a 3-D water quality model[J]. Front. Earth Sci., 2017, 11(4): 609-619.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/10.1007/s11707-017-0650-3
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/Y2017/V11/I4/609

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