Available online at www.sciencedirect.

com

Procedia Environmental Sciences 2 (2010) 1770–1774

International Society for Environmental Information Sciences 2010 Annual Conference (ISEIS)

The Simulation Research on Agricultural Non-point Source

Pollution in Yongding River in Hebei Province
Ding Xiaowen*
Research Academy of Energy and Environmental Studies, North China Electric Power Uinversity, Beijing 102206, China,

Abstract

In order to reveal agricultural non-point source(NPS) pollution in Yongding river in Hebei province, the resource, loading and
distribution of agricultural NPS pollution is analyzed in the paper based on remoting sense and geographic information system by
export coefficient model. The result indicates that, temporal distribution of agricultural NPS pollution is concentrates on high
flow seasos/years. As far as the spaceial distribution of agricultural NPS pollution load is concerned, it concentrates on infield
(sloping land especially), economic crop plantations, high fertilizer distribution area and villages. In the conclusion, it is
suggested that the methods of agricultural land use, crop plantation should be improved and the treatment efficiency of waster
water and solid waste should be increased.

© 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.

Keywords: Yongding river in Hebei province; Agricultural non-point source pollution; Simulation research

1. Introduction

Non-point source (NPS) pollution has become an important issue for aquatic environments and has therefore
received increased attention in recent decades[1]. NPS inputs, especially from agricultural activity, have resulted in
large amounts of nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) being input into aquatic environments, which cause a wide range
of problems such as toxic algal blooms, oxygen depletion and loss of biodiversity. In addition, nutrient enrichment
seriously degrades aquatic ecosystems and decreases the quality of water used for drinking, industry, agriculture,
recreation, and other purposes[2].
Many studies have focused on NPS pollution load modeling[3]. In principle, hydrological models provide essential
tools for the management of river catchments because they enable simulation of potential pollution management

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +86-010-51971370; fax: +86-010-51971255.

E-mail address: binger2000dxw@163.com.

1878-0296 © 2010 Published by Elsevier Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.

doi:10.1016/j.proenv.2010.10.189
 Ding Xiaowen / Procedia Environmental Sciences 2 (2010) 1770–1774 1771

strategies, climate change effects and land use change effects on water quality and quantity. The results of these
simulations can be used to guide decision makers before plans are implemented[4].
Simulation models can be classified into physical-based models and empirical models. There are various
physical-based models designed to simulate hydrological processes, nutrient transport through surface runoff,
interflow, and groundwater flow, as well as further in-stream nutrient turnover on a small or large scale. These
models include ANSWERS[5], SWRRB[6], SWAT[7], HSPF[6], AGNPS[8] and BASINS[9], etc. Although these models
can provide accurate results, the values of a large number of parameters can not be obtained from field data and
must instead be determined through model calibration. Thus, the demand for parameters and computation efficiency
due to the complexity of the models hinder the application to some extent[10].
In contrast, empirical models have the advantage of requiring less data and having fewer parameters. The Export
Coefficient Model (ECM) has been recognized as reliable for modeling NPS pollution[11,12]. The earliest ECM,
which was proposed by Omernik, was used for predicting eutrophication in stable water bodies[13]. Specifically,
Omernik collected NPS pollution data from 928 watersheds and established the relationship between N and P loads
and land use types by multiple linear regression analysis. Based on this method, Noverll et al. developed a relatively
simpler ECM to predict the effect of N and P input on eutrophication in 33 rivers and lakes in Connecticut[14]. They
found that the relative error between simulations and observations was less than 13%. Since then, the ECM has been
continuously improved in order to obtain more accurate results. A remarkably advanced ECM was developed by
Johnes that is based on the idea that the nutrient loads exported from a watershed is the sum of the losses from
individual sources, such as land use, livestock and rural living[15]. Different export coefficients are adopted for
different crops, as well as for different types of livestock. The export coefficients for rural living are then determined
based on the discharge and treatment efficiency of domestic sewage. This model also takes into account the input
from nutrient fixation by plants and atmospheric deposition. Although the ECM disregards the complex processes
involved in NPS pollution and requires less data input, it has acceptable precision, especially suitable for areas
where little data are available, and can meet the needs of long-term NPS pollution load simulation. Indeed, the ECM
has been used successfully in many studies[16~19].
The Yongding river , located in north China, covers a drainage area of 47016 km2. It refers to Beijing City
(capital of China), Tianjing City and Hebei, Neimeng, Shanxi province. As far as Hebei province is concerned,
Because of agricultural activities and increasing rural population, Agricultural NPS pollution has become the
dominant factor affecting water quality of the Yongding river.

Nomenclature
NPS non-point source
N nitrogen
P phosphorous
ECM export coefficient model

2. Materials and methods

2.1. Research Site

The Yongding river, located in Hebei province is selected as the research area. which is 17662 km2. It covers part
of Zhangjiakou City, Baoding City, as well as Langfang City. The research area is between Neimenggu high plateau
and North China plain,where torrential rain occurs frequently on June, July and August in each year. Angriculture is
one of the most important industries of Hebei province, and Angriculture activities is the primary source of NPS
pollution.In recent decades, due to its special geographic location and atmospheric circulation pattern, torrential rain
occurs frequently over the mountainous regions, causing water and soil erosion become a major environmental
problem. In addition, extensive cultivation and stockbreeding as well as long-term improper land use also lead to
1772 Ding Xiaowen / Procedia Environmental Sciences 2 (2010) 1770–1774

severe soil loss and NPS pollution. Presently, 70 percents of the Yongding river is polluted, the Bad Effects of
which for the local residents is increasing serious.

2.2. Source and Processing of data

As Table 1 shows, the study used data includes 1:200 000 land use map, 1:250 000 digital elevation model (DEM)
map, 1:1 000 000 administrative division map, social as well as economics information of the study area and so on.
Satellite remote sensing images were interpreted to acquire the land use data, basin boundary, river map, watershed
map were then obtained according to DEM map through ArcGIS, district bound atlas of the study area based on
national district bound atlas and basin boundary of the study area was subsequently generated, and under the GIS
platform, as well as loadings and spatio-temporal distributions of NPS-N and NPS-P in the study area were
simulated, using importing basic data and export coefficients of Table 3.All digital maps were projected in Albers
conical equal-area. And the dual standard latitude were 25 and 47 degree respectively, the central longitude was
105°E, the coordinate origin latitude was zero degree, the spheroid was Krassovsky one, and the unit was meter. In
result analysis, the boundary of Sichuan Province and Chongqing City, redistricted in 1997, are defined as present.

Table 1. Source and description of basic data

Type Scale Description Source

RS image digitalizing and interpreting,
Land use 1˖200 000 Land use in the Institute of Geographical and Natural Resources
Research, CAS
Landform National Geomatics
1˖250 000 Forming basin boundary
Center of China
Administrative Provinces, autonomous regions National Geomatics
1˖1 000 000
division and municipalities of study area Center of China
Social Population, livestock feeding National Bureau of
each city
economics and fertilizer application Statistics of China
The export the losses of various nutrient
30m Statistical data and field monitoring
coefficient sources

2.3. Export Coefficient Model (ECM)

The ECM, which is based on the idea that the nutrient loads exported from a watershed equals the sum of the
losses from individual sources, has been used in many studies. The individual sources consist of land use, livestock,
rural living and atmospheric deposition. The model allows accurate estimation and analysis of nutrient pollutants[15].
The ECM is outlined as:
n
L ¦ E [ A ( I )]  p
i i i
i 1 (1)

where L is loss of nutrients (kg), Ei is export coefficient for nutrient source i (kg/ca·yr or kg/km2·yr), Ai is area of
the catchment occupied by land use type i (km2), or number of livestock type i, or of people, Ii is the input of
nutrients to source i (kg), and p is the input of nutrients from precipitation (kg). It should be noted that the land use
type should include the dominant vegetation type in an area, which may impact runoff in the area.
 Ding Xiaowen / Procedia Environmental Sciences 2 (2010) 1770–1774 1773

3. Results and discussion

3.1. The time Distribution of Agricultural NPS pollution in Yongding river in Hebei province

In terms of the hydrological year scale, agricultural NPS pollution loads vary evidently in different year
Pollution occurs under the condition of stormwater runoff, which changes widely in different hydrologic year
Agricultural NPS pollution of the wet year is serious and in contrast, loading of dry year is small.
In terms of the hydrological term scale, 80 percents of the agricultural NPS pollution concentrated in wet perio
(June, July and August), because annual rainfall is also concentrated on this time. In all, the loss of agricultural NP
pollution is positive correlation with the rainfall, which indicates that agricultural NPS pollution accumulates in t
dry season, and occurs in wet one with rainfall and soil erosion.

3.2. The space distribution of Agricultural NPS pollution in Yongding river in Hebei province

As far as the space distributions of Agricultural NPS pollution in study area is concerned , major source
agricultural NPS pollution is land use, followed by hoggery and rural villages.
Among various land use types, cultivated land, sloping land especially, contributed the most. Conventional tilla
is just the primary tillage pattern in thestudy area. Moreover, in the vast mountainous area of the study area, dow
slope cultivation has been a common practice for years. Although down slope cultivation is considered to be easi
for plowing fields, it also facilitates the downward movement of water during cultivation. Additionally, down slop
cultivation promotes soil erosion in response to every rainfall event during the growing season.
In different cultivated lands, wheat cultivated area is the dominant Agricultural NPS. For the economic yield fro
this crop, the use of fertilizers may have raised environmental contamination. Furthermore, crop residue, which
not systematically managed, is a N-rich pollution source. It has been documented that regardless of the residual lev
conventional tillage is less effective at reducing N in water and sediments than no-till systems.
Besides land use, another improtant angricultural NPS is hoggery, where various types of livestock are bred.
Meantime, rural living is also one cann’t be ignored for its domestic sewage and solid waster with scarcely efficien
treatment.

4. Conclusions

In this study, angricultural NPS pollution in Yongding river in Hebei province is simulation by ECM based o
remoting sense and geographic information system. The result indicates that pollution is concentrates on high flo
seasos/year. As far as the spaceial distribution of the load is concerned, it concentrates on plain, infield (sloping lan
especially), wheat cultivated area, hoggery and villages. In the conclusion, it is suggested that the methods
agricultural land use, crop plantation should be improved and the treatment efficiency of waster water and sol
waste should be increased.

Acknowledgements

This research work was funded by the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province(D2009001375) and t
Doctorial Faculty Research Foundation of North China Electric Power University (200822018). The RS an
geography data were supplied by national satellite meteorological center (NSMC), Institute of Geographical an
Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and National fundamental geograph
information center (NFGIC). The authors gratefully acknowledge the valuable datum provided by the agencies.
1774 Ding Xiaowen / Procedia Environmental Sciences 2 (2010) 1770–1774

References

[1] Edwards AC, Withers PJA. Transport and delivery of suspended solids, nitrogen and phosphorus from various sources to freshwaters
the UK. Journal of Hydrology 2008;350: 144-153.
[2] Farenga SJ, Daniel N. Making a community information guide about nonpoint source pollution. Science Scope 2007; 30: 12-15.
[3] Bowes MJ, Hilton J, Irons GP, Hornby DD. The relative contribution of sewage and diffuse phosphorus sources in the River Avo
catchment, southern England: Implications for nutrient management. Science of The Total Environment 2005; 344: 67-81.
[4] Hunter HM, Walton RS. Land use effects on fluxes of suspended sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus from a river catchment of the Gre
Barrier Reef, Australia. Journal of Hydrology 2008; 356: 131-146.
[5] Beasley DB, Huggins LF, Monke EJ. ANSWERS: A model for watershed planning. Transactions of the ASAE 1980; 23: 938-944.
[6] Williams JR, Nicks AD, Arnold JG. Simulator for water resources in rural basins. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering 1985;111: 970-986.
[7] Arnold JG, Allen PM, Bernhardt G. A comprehensive surface-groundwater flow model. Journal of Hydrology 1993;142: 47-69.
[8] Yong RA, Onstad CA, Bosch DD, Anderson WP. AGNPS: A nonpoint-source pollution model for evaluating agricultural watershed
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 44, 1989;168-173.
[9] Whittemore RC. The BASINS model. Water Environment & Technology 1998;10: 57-61.
[10] Singh J, Knapp HV, Arnold JG, Demissie M. Hydrological modeling of the Iroquois River watershed using HSPF and SWAT. Journal
the American Water Resources Association 2005;41: 343-360.
[11] Worrall F, Burt TP. The impact of land use change on water quality at the catchment scale: the use of export coefficient and structur
models. Journal of Hydrology 1999; 221: 75-90.
[12] Ierodiaconou D, Laurenson L, Leblanc M, et al. The consequences of land use change on nutrient exports: a regional scale assessment
south-west Victoria, Australia. Journal of Environmental Management 2005; 74: 305-316.
[13] Omernik JM. The influence of land use on stream nutrient levels. Report EPA 600/3-76-014, 1976; Oregon.
[14] Norvell WA, Frink CR, Hill DE. Phosphorus in Connecticut Lakes predicted by land use. Proceedings of the National Academy
Sciences of the United States of America 1979;76: 5426-5429.
[15] Johnes PJ. Evaluation and management of the impact of land use change on the nitrogen and phosphorus load delivered to surface wate
the export coefficient modelling approach. Journal of Hydrology 1996; 183: 323-349.
[16] Mattikalli NM, Richards KS. Estimation of surface water quality changes in response to land use change: Application of the expo
coefficient model using remote sensing and Geographical Information System. Journal of Environmental Management 1996;48: 263-282.
[17] Soranno PA, Hubler SL, Carpenter SR, et al. Phosphorus loads to surface waters: A simple model to account for spatial pattern of lan
use. Ecological Applications 6, 1996; 865-878.
[18] Bowes MJ, Smith JT, Jarvie HP, et al. Modelling of phosphorus inputs to rivers from diffuse and point sources. Science of The Tot
Environment 2008;395: 125-138.
[19] Shrestha S, Kazama F, Newham LTH, et al. Catchment scale modelling of point source and non-point source pollution loads usin
pollutant export coefficients determined from long-term in-stream monitoring data. Journal of Hydro-environment Research 2008;2: 134-147.