Keqiang Li

Environmental capacity of nitrogen and phosphorus pollutions in Jiaozhou Bay, China: modeling and assessing.

In recent years, with the development of society and economy of Qingdao, environment and ecosystem problems, for instance, red ties, become more and more serious in Jiaozhou Bay, China, because of the increasing pollutants discharged into it. In order to solve these problems, an eco-hydrodynamic model is constructed to estimate the marine environmental capacity of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients in Jiaozhou Bay, whose simulation results are rational for the bay. According to the model, if the target is set to achieve water quality (grade II) in Jiaozhou Bay, the environmental capacity of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus in one year are approximately 7800 and 840 tons, respectively. Thus our research offers necessary scientific foundation to the total loads control efforts in this area.

A three-dimensional water quality model to evaluate the environmental capacity of nitrogen and phosphorus in Jiaozhou Bay, China

Jiaozhou Bay has recently suffered from serious problems with pollution and eutrophication. Thus, land-based pollutant load must be reduced through a national control program. In this study, we developed a 3D water quality model to determine the environmental capacity of nitrogen and phosphorus in Jiaozhou Bay. A 3D hydrodynamic model (the estuarine, coastal, and ocean modeling system with sediments) was coupled with a water quality model, which was adapted from the dynamic model of nitrogen and phosphorus for a mesocosm near Jiaozhou Bay. The water quality model is divided into seven components: dissolved inorganic nitrogen, phosphate, phytoplankton, zooplankton, detritus, dissolved organic nitrogen, and dissolved organic phosphorus. Furthermore, it was calibrated based on data collected from Jiaozhou Bay in 2003. The proposed model effectively reproduced the spatiotemporal variability in nutrient concentration, thus suggesting that a reasonable numerical representation of the prototype system must be developed for further evaluation of environmental capacity.

An ecosystem model of the phytoplankton competition in the East China Sea, as based on field experiments

An ecological dynamic model for the simulation of two pelagic phytoplankton groups is developed in this article. Model parameters were adjusted and validated based on the light-limited field culture experiments and the mesocosm experiments in the East China Sea (ECS). The calculation comparisons from the proposed model, along with field experiment observations, show that the model simulate the datasets very well, qualitatively and quantitatively. The parameters’ sensitivity analysis indicates that the competition between the diatoms and dinoflagellates is most sensitive to the photosynthetic process, followed by the exudation process of the phytoplankton, while the autolysis and respiration processes of phytoplankton and the grazing and exudation processes of zooplankton can also influence this competition to some extent. The sensitive parameters include: the photosynthetic optimal specific rate; the optimal irradiance and optimal temperature for phytoplankton growth; and the half-saturation constant for limiting nutrients, etc. Results of the sensitivity analysis also indicate that light, temperature and limiting nutrients are the controlling environmental factors for the competition between the diatoms and dinoflagellates in the ECS. In order to explore the effects of light and nutrients on the phytoplankton competition, simulations were carried out with varying light and nutrient conditions. Model simulations suggest that the diatoms favor higher irradiance, lower DIN/PO4–P ratios, higher SiO4–Si/DIN ratios and higher nutrient concentrations, as compared to the dinoflagellates. These results support the speculation that the increase in the DIN/PO4−P ratio and the decrease in the SiO4–Si/DIN ratio in the ECS may be responsible for the composition change in the functional Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) groups from the diatom to the dinoflagellate communities over the last two decades.

Modeling total maximum allocated loads for heavy metals in Jinzhou Bay, China.

With the recent development of society and economy in the cities of Huludao and Jinzhou, Liaoning Province, China, environment and ecosystem problems have become increasingly serious in Jinzhou Bay, China, because of the increasing amount of heavy metal pollutants being discharged. To solve these problems, a water quality model of heavy metals coupled with a 3D hydrodynamic model is constructed to estimate the environmental capacity (EC) and total maximum allocated loads (TMALs) for Zn and Cd of three river catchments in Jinzhou Bay. According to the model, the ECs for Zn and Cd are approximately 17 and 8 tons per month, respectively, if the criterion obtained from HC5 values (fifth percentile of the SSD) is set as the control criterion (8.24 μg/L for Zn and 3.83 μg/L for Cd) in Jinzhou Bay, and the TMALs of the three river catchments are 4 and 1.7 tons per month.

Environmental capacity of petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants in Jiaozhou Bay, China: Modeling and calculation

An environmental capacity model for the petroleum hydrocarbon pollutions (PHs) in Jiaozhou Bay is constructed based on field surveys, mesocosm, and parallel laboratory experiments. Simulated results of PHs seasonal successions in 2003 match the field surveys of Jiaozhou Bay resaonably well with a highest value in July. The Monte Carlo analysis confirms that the variation of PHs concentration significantly correlates with the river input. The water body in the bay is reasonably subjected to self-purification processes, such as volatilization to the atmosphere, biodegradation by microorganism, and transport to the Yellow Sea by water exchange. The environmental capacity of PHs in Jiaozhou Bay is 1500 tons per year IF the seawater quality criterion (Grade I/II, 0.05 mgL−1) in the region is to be satisfied. The contribution to self-purification by volatilization, biodegradation, and transport to the Yellow Sea accounts for 48%, 28%, and 23%, respectively, which make these three processes the main ways of PHs purification in Jiaozhou Bay.

A coastal three-dimensional water quality model of nitrogen in Jiaozhou Bay linking field experiments with modelling.

With anthropogenic changes, the structure and quantity of nitrogen nutrients have changed in coastal ocean, which has dramatically influenced the water quality. Water quality modeling can contribute to the necessary scientific grounding of coastal management. In this paper, some of the dynamic functions and parameters of nitrogen were calibrated based on coastal field experiments covering the dynamic nitrogen processes in Jiaozhou Bay (JZB), including phytoplankton growth, respiration, and mortality; particulate nitrogen degradation; and dissolved organic nitrogen remineralization. The results of the field experiments and box model simulations showed good agreement (RSD=20%±2% and SI=0.77±0.04). A three-dimensional water quality model of nitrogen (3DWQMN) in JZB was improved and the dynamic parameters were updated according to field experiments. The 3DWQMN was validated based on observed data from 2012 to 2013, with good agreement (RSD=27±4%, SI=0.68±0.06, and K=0.48±0.04), which testifies to the models credibility.

Effects of pH on the growth and NH4-N uptake of Skeletonema costatum and Nitzschia closterium

Ocean acidification (OA) and eutrophication intensifies in coastal sea under anthropogenic impact. OA coupled with the NH4-N source effect in coastal water is likely to affect the planktonic ecosystem. In this work, Skeletonema costatum and Nitzschia closterium were chosen as typical species of diatom in Chinese coastal ecosystems to test the potential effect of OA and NH4-N. Results showed that the growth and NH4-N uptake of S. costatum and N. closterium were significantly inhibited by pH decline. The maximum uptake rate is higher than the maximum growth rate, implying that NH4-N was assimilated faster for S. costatum and N. closterium with decreasing pH. Therefore, the inhibition rate of the growth of the two diatoms by the coupling effect of OA and eutrophication (pH7.45) is higher that than in the coastal sea by the end of the 21st century (pH7.71).

Three-dimensional water quality model based on FVCOM for total load control management in Guan River Estuary, Northern Jiangsu Province

Guan River Estuary and adjacent coastal area (GREC) suffer from serious pollution and eutrophicational problems over the recent years. Thus, reducing the land-based load through the national pollutant total load control program and developing hydrodynamic and water quality models that can simulate the complex circulation and water quality kinetics within the system, including longitudinal and lateral variations in nutrient and COD concentrations, is a matter of urgency. In this study, a three-dimensional, hydrodynamic, water quality model was developed in GREC, Northern Jiangsu Province. The complex three-dimensional hydrodynamics of GREC were modeled using the unstructured-grid, finite-volume, free-surface, primitive equation coastal ocean circulation model (FVCOM). The water quality model was adapted from the mesocosm nutrients dynamic model in the south Yellow Sea and considers eight compartments: dissolved inorganic nitrogen, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), phytoplankton, zooplankton, detritus, dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP), and chemical oxygen demand. The hydrodynamic and water quality models were calibrated and confirmed for 2012 and 2013. A comparison of the model simulations with extensive dataset shows that the models accurately simulate the longitudinal distribution of the hydrodynamics and water quality. The model can be used for total load control management to improve water quality in this area.

Degradation dynamics and bioavailability of land-based dissolved organic nitrogen in the Bohai Sea: Linking experiment with modeling

Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) is the major nitrogen form in the Bohai Sea. Land-based DON is released into the nitrogen pool and degraded by planktonic microbiota in coastal ocean. In this study, we evaluated the degradation of land-based DON, particularly its dynamics and bioavailability, in coastal water by linking experiment and modeling. Results showed that the degradation rate constant of DON from sewage treatment plant was significantly faster than those of other land-based sources (P<0.05). DON was classified into three categories based on dynamics and bioavailability. The supply of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) pool from the DON pool of Liao River, Hai River, and Yellow River was explored using a 3D hydrodynamic multi-DON biogeochemical model in the Bohai Sea. In the model, large amounts of DIN were supplied from DON of Liao River than the other rivers because of prolonged flushing time in Liaodong Bay.

Estimation of the Maximum Allowable Loading Amount of COD in Luoyuan Bay by a 3-D COD Transport and Transformation Model

The rapid economic and social developments in the Luoyuan and Lianjiang counties of Fujian Province, China, raise certain environment and ecosystem issues. The unusual phytoplankton bloom and eutrophication, for example, have increased in severity in Luoyuan Bay (LB). The constant increase of nutrient loads has largely caused the environmental degradation in LB. Several countermeasures have been implemented to solve these environmental problems. The most effective of these strategies is the reduction of pollutant loadings into the sea in accordance with total pollutant load control (TPLC) plans. A combined three-dimensional hydrodynamic transport-transformation model was constructed to estimate the marine environmental capacity of chemical oxygen demand (COD). The allowed maximum loadings for each discharge unit in LB were calculated with applicable simulation results. The simulation results indicated that the environmental capacity of COD is approximately 11×104 t year−1 when the water quality complies with the marine functional zoning standards for LB. A pollutant reduction scheme to diminish the present levels of mariculture- and domestic-based COD loadings is based on the estimated marine COD environmental capacity. The obtained values imply that the LB waters could comply with the targeted water quality criteria. To meet the revised marine functional zoning standards, discharge loadings from discharge units 1 and 11 should be reduced to 996 and 3236 t year−1, respectively.