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<p>The Tibetan Plateau, considered the headwater source of Asia's major river systems, including the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers, ensures freshwater security for billions of individuals downstream. Timely assessments of its aquatic environmental dynamics are highly important for disaster prediction and proactive ecological management. This study systematically evaluated the water quality trends in the Lhasa River Basin, using a multi-metric approach incorporating the Water Quality Index, Heavy-metal Evaluation Index, and Environmental Kuznets Curve model. Comprehensive monitoring data were analyzed for 15 physicochemical parameters across three state-controlled river sections, complemented by investigations of the pollution source at nine industrial enterprises, one landfill site, six wastewater treatment facilities, and seven medical institutions. The results indicated generally favorable water quality conditions, with all monitored sections meeting Class-II surface-water standards except for those of mercury. Notably, the midstream Dongga section exhibited significant heavy-metal accumulation (particularly of Cu, Zn, and Pb) driven by anthropogenic discharges, in contrast to the stable upstream and downstream conditions. Spatiotemporal analysis revealed an emerging deterioration pattern in the anthropogenically stressed mid-reaches, while other segments maintained baseline quality. Furthermore, the EKC analysis demonstrated an incomplete decoupling between economic growth and environmental pressure, emphasizing the urgency for enhanced regulatory control of industrial effluents, particularly metallic contaminants. These findings support the prioritization of monitoring for heavy-metal fluxes, as well as stricter enforcement of emission standards in developing plateau regions, providing critical insights for balancing watershed conservation with socioeconomic development in fragile high-altitude ecosystems.</p>

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Assessments of Water Quality in Tibetan Plateau Require Focus on Heavy-Metal Indicators: Evidence from the Lhasa River

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年6月5日

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  • Bingdan Jiang,
  • Yiming Tang,
  • Yinjie Zhang,
  • Wenhui Ju,
  • Aijun Lin

摘要

The Tibetan Plateau, considered the headwater source of Asia's major river systems, including the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers, ensures freshwater security for billions of individuals downstream. Timely assessments of its aquatic environmental dynamics are highly important for disaster prediction and proactive ecological management. This study systematically evaluated the water quality trends in the Lhasa River Basin, using a multi-metric approach incorporating the Water Quality Index, Heavy-metal Evaluation Index, and Environmental Kuznets Curve model. Comprehensive monitoring data were analyzed for 15 physicochemical parameters across three state-controlled river sections, complemented by investigations of the pollution source at nine industrial enterprises, one landfill site, six wastewater treatment facilities, and seven medical institutions. The results indicated generally favorable water quality conditions, with all monitored sections meeting Class-II surface-water standards except for those of mercury. Notably, the midstream Dongga section exhibited significant heavy-metal accumulation (particularly of Cu, Zn, and Pb) driven by anthropogenic discharges, in contrast to the stable upstream and downstream conditions. Spatiotemporal analysis revealed an emerging deterioration pattern in the anthropogenically stressed mid-reaches, while other segments maintained baseline quality. Furthermore, the EKC analysis demonstrated an incomplete decoupling between economic growth and environmental pressure, emphasizing the urgency for enhanced regulatory control of industrial effluents, particularly metallic contaminants. These findings support the prioritization of monitoring for heavy-metal fluxes, as well as stricter enforcement of emission standards in developing plateau regions, providing critical insights for balancing watershed conservation with socioeconomic development in fragile high-altitude ecosystems.