Rights statement: This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Environmental Pollution. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Environmental Pollution, 272, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.116032
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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Emerging water pollution in the world's least disturbed lakes on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
AU - Wu, Y.
AU - Wang, S.
AU - Ni, Z.
AU - Li, H.
AU - May, L.
AU - Pu, J.
N1 - This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Environmental Pollution. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Environmental Pollution, 272, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.116032
PY - 2021/3/1
Y1 - 2021/3/1
N2 - Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) Lake Region has largest abundance and size distribution of lakes in China. Being relatively away from major human activities, the water quality of these lakes has not attracted concerns in the past. However, dramatic climate change and intensified anthropogenic activities over the past 30 years have exerted multiple pressures on the water environment of the lakes, resulting in elevated nutrient concentrations in major freshwater lakes of the region. Rapid water quality deterioration and eutrophication of the lakes were first found in Lake Hurleg in the northeast of the plateau. Analyses of driving forces associated with these changes indicate that both the intrinsic characteristics of the QTP lakes and climate change were responsible for the vulnerability to human activities than other lakes in different regions of China, with accelerated urbanization and extensive economic development in the lake basin playing a decisive role in creating water pollution events. Under combination pressures from both natural and anthropogenic effect, the increasing rate of nutrient concentrations in Lake Hurleg has been 53–346 times faster than in Lake Taihu and Lake Dianchi during the deterioration stage. The result suggests the current development mode of Lake Hurleg basin is not suitable for setting protection targets for the QTP lake region more broadly due to its extremely poor environmental carrying capacity. To stop worsening the lake water environment condition, it is necessary to review the achievements made and lessons learned from China's fight against lake pollution and take immediate measures, inform policies into the development mode in the QTP lake region, and avoid irreversible consequences and ensure good water quality in the “Asian Water Tower.” Decline of water quality occurred in QTP lakes, current regional development mode is unsuitable for the protection of these lakes.
AB - Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) Lake Region has largest abundance and size distribution of lakes in China. Being relatively away from major human activities, the water quality of these lakes has not attracted concerns in the past. However, dramatic climate change and intensified anthropogenic activities over the past 30 years have exerted multiple pressures on the water environment of the lakes, resulting in elevated nutrient concentrations in major freshwater lakes of the region. Rapid water quality deterioration and eutrophication of the lakes were first found in Lake Hurleg in the northeast of the plateau. Analyses of driving forces associated with these changes indicate that both the intrinsic characteristics of the QTP lakes and climate change were responsible for the vulnerability to human activities than other lakes in different regions of China, with accelerated urbanization and extensive economic development in the lake basin playing a decisive role in creating water pollution events. Under combination pressures from both natural and anthropogenic effect, the increasing rate of nutrient concentrations in Lake Hurleg has been 53–346 times faster than in Lake Taihu and Lake Dianchi during the deterioration stage. The result suggests the current development mode of Lake Hurleg basin is not suitable for setting protection targets for the QTP lake region more broadly due to its extremely poor environmental carrying capacity. To stop worsening the lake water environment condition, it is necessary to review the achievements made and lessons learned from China's fight against lake pollution and take immediate measures, inform policies into the development mode in the QTP lake region, and avoid irreversible consequences and ensure good water quality in the “Asian Water Tower.” Decline of water quality occurred in QTP lakes, current regional development mode is unsuitable for the protection of these lakes.
KW - Anthropogenic activities
KW - Climate change
KW - Nutrient retention efficiency
KW - Qinghai-tibet plateau lakes
KW - Water quality decline
KW - Deterioration
KW - Eutrophication
KW - Lakes
KW - Nutrients
KW - Regional planning
KW - Water quality
KW - Water towers
KW - Anthropogenic activity
KW - Anthropogenic effects
KW - Environmental carrying capacities
KW - Intrinsic characteristics
KW - Lake water environments
KW - Nutrient concentrations
KW - Qinghai-Tibetan plateau
KW - Water quality deterioration
KW - Lake pollution
U2 - 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.116032
DO - 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.116032
M3 - Journal article
VL - 272
JO - Environmental Pollution
JF - Environmental Pollution
SN - 0269-7491
M1 - 116032
ER -