Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
Home> Volumes> Volume CHR Vol.112> Article
Research Article

Structural Shift in Water Pollution Sources in China: A Provincial Comparative Study of Agricultural and Domestic Contributions

Zihe WangUniversity of Washington*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

Industrialization has long been regarded as the dominant driver of water pollution in China. However, the 2024 national pollution-source statistical survey shows that the industrial share of total chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) discharge has fallen to about 1%, leaving agricultural and domestic sources as the absolute majority. Using these data, this paper quantifies provincial variations in the contributions of COD, NH₃-N, TN, and TP from the agricultural and domestic sectors. In 2024, agricultural sources contributed 67.5% of national COD discharge, and domestic sources contributed 71.3% of NH3-N discharge. Between 2022 and 2024, domestic NH₃-N emissions surged by 43.8%, increasing their national share from 64.0% to 71.3%. Provinces reliant on agriculture (e.g., Hunan and Henan) exhibit elevated TN and TP loads, whereas highly urbanized provinces (e.g., Guangdong and Jiangsu) are dominated by domestic NH₃-N and COD. Key constraints include diffuse non-point pollution, lagging urban sewer infrastructure, and spatially mismatched governance investments. Targeted strategies—ranging from nutrient management to interregional ecological compensation—are proposed to optimize environmental fiscal allocations.

Keywords: Non-point Source Pollution; Domestic Wastewater; Source Apportionment; Provincial Heterogeneity; Ecological Compensation
Published: August 18, 2026
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2026.36157
Volume: CHR Vol.112
pp. 56-67
Download PDF

References

  1. An, Z., Suo, L., & Liu, B. (2024). Prospect and research on agricultural non-point source pollution in China.Journal of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizers, 30(7), 1422-1436.
  2. Zhao, Z., & Ru, S. (2024). Spatiotemporal pattern, regional differences and distributional dynamic evolution of ecological compensation in the Yellow River Basin.Environmental Science, 45(10), 5853-5867.
  3. Deng, O., Wang, S., Ran, J., et al. (2024). Managing urban development could halve nitrogen pollution in China.Nature Communications, 15: 401.
  4. Zhang, C., Liu, Y., Lan, L., et al. (2025). Influencing effects and spatiotemporal differentiation of pollutant discharge from industrial wastewater and domestic sewage in China.Frontiers in Environmental Science, 13: 1576420.
  5. Zhu, M., Yu, X., Chen, K., et al. (2024). Spatiotemporal characteristics and driving factors of chemical oxygen demand emissions in China's wastewater: an analysis based on spatial autocorrelation and geodetector.Ecological Indicators, 166: 112308.
  6. Li, C., Cai, M., & Wang, X. (2025). Assessment and analysis of agricultural non-point source pollution loads in Henan, China: 2001-2023.PLOS One, 20(12), e0336116.
  7. Li, T., Niu, Y., Pang, J., et al. (2024). Temporal and spatial characteristics of agricultural non-point source pollution in Hebei Province from 2000 to 2021.Frontiers in Environmental Science, 12, 1439806.
  8. Yu, Y., & Chen, W. (2024). Simulation and attribution analysis of agricultural nitrogen non-point source pollution in Huang-Huai-Hai Plain based on the InVEST model.Frontiers in Environmental Science, 12, 1415215.
  9. Liu, X., Beusen, A. H. W., van Puijenbroek, P. J. T. M., et al. (2024). Exploring wastewater nitrogen and phosphorus flows in urban and rural areas in China for the period 1970 to 2015.Science of the Total Environment, 907, 168091.
  10. Gong, S., Zhai, Z., & Ding, W. (2025). Non-point source pollution characteristics and potential of alternative fertilizers of livestock and poultry manure in middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project water source areas.Chinese Journal of Eco-Agriculture, 33(2), 324−337.
  11. Xiao, Y., Liu, Y., & Cai, W. (2024). Spatial and temporal evolution and drivers of GHG emissions from urban domestic wastewater treatment in China: A review at the provincial level.Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 31(14), 21028-21043.
  12. Luo, E., Ouyang, J., Zhang, X., Lu, Q., Wei, D., Wang, Y., et al. (2024). Study on the enhancement of low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio urban wastewater pollutant removal efficiency by adding sulfur electron acceptors.PLOS One, 19(10), e0310222.
  13. Hu, H., Tian, G., Wu, Z., & Xia, Q. (2023). Cross-regional ecological compensation under the composite index of water quality and quantity: A case study of the Yellow River Basin.Environmental Research, 238, 117152.
  14. Shang, W., Gong, Y., Wang, Z., & Stewardson, M. J. (2018). Eco-compensation in China: Theory, practices and suggestions for the future.Journal of Environmental Management, 210, 162-170.
  15. Liu, Y., & Yuan, L. (2023). Study on the influencing factors and profitability of the horizontal ecological compensation mechanism in the Yellow River Basin of China.Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(37), 87353-87367.