Temporal trends and source apportionment of water pollution in Honghu Lake, China

Honghu Lake, the largest shallow lake in Jianghan Plain of China, is essential for maintaining ecosystem functioning in this region. However, water pollution and high disturbance are seriously threatening the ecological security of this lake. To explore the causes of water quality fluctuations in Honghu Lake, the water quality index method (CCME-WQI), multivariate statistical, and source apportionment techniques were adopted to characterize temporal trends in lake water quality (2004-2017), identify the main driving factors of water quality indicators, and quantify the contribution of various pollution sources. Besides, the water periods of the lake have been reclassified due to the seasonal variation of rainfall in the study area. The results of CCME-WQI showed that the water quality in Honghu Lake initially improved over 2004-2011, with better water quality in the wet period than in the dry periods, while the results over 2012-2017 were found to be opposite. Correlation analysis identified untreated industrial wastewater (UIW) as the main pollution source affecting CODMn concentrations in Honghu Lake, while untreated domestic sewage discharge (UDS) was identified as the main pollution source affecting BOD and F. coli concentrations. The main pollution sources affecting nutrient indicators were rainfall and enclosure aquaculture (EA). Principal component analysis (PCA) combined with absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression model (APCS-MLR) further appointed the source contribution of each pollution source to water quality indicators. The results showed that EA in 2012 was reduced by 81% compared with 2004, resulting in the contribution of EA to NH3-N, TP, and TN decreased by 0.2 mg L-1, 0.039 mg L-1, and 0.37 mg L-1, respectively. Compared with 2012, UIW was reduced by 65% in 2016, resulting in the contribution of UIW to CODMn decreased by 1.17 mg L-1. In addition, compared with 2004, UDS decreased by 85% in 2016, and the contribution of UDS to BOD and F. coli decreased by 0.7 mg L-1 and 887 cfu L-1, respectively. Based on the results of APCS-MLR, it was predicted that the concentrations of COD and TP in Honghu Lake would meet the water quality requirements after 2017. However, the rainfall non-point source pollution must be further controlled to achieve the desired level of TN concentration. This study provided an accurate method for analyzing lake water pollution, and the results can provide a valuable reference for optimizing water quality management and pollution control strategies within Honghu Lake.