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Journal of Arid Land
Journal of Arid Land  2025, Vol. 17 Issue (9): 1234-1251    DOI: 10.1007/s40333-025-0086-7     CSTR: 32276.14.JAL.02500867
Research article     
Spatial and temporal characterization of water quality in Bosten Lake, China based on comprehensive water quality index
GUO Mengjing1,*(), BAI Zichen1, YUAN Bo2, WANG Wen1, ZHANG Tiegang3, XIANG Ke1, ZHANG Jiao1, ZHAO Huiyizhe1
1State Key Laboratory of Eco-hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an 710048, China
2College of Geology and Environment, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710054, China
3Institute of Water Resources for Pastoral Area, Ministry of Water Resources, Hohhot 010020, China
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Abstract  

Water quality is a pressing issue affecting the sustainable development of lakes. To elucidate the spatial and temporal characteristics of water quality in Bosten Lake, China, this study constructed a comprehensive water quality index (CWQI) based on key water quality indicators, utilizing water quality data collected from 17 sampling sites spaning from 2011 to 2019. Key water quality indicators were determined using factor analysis, and the spatial and temporal characteristics of key water quality indicators and the CWQI were examined using multivariate statistical analysis. The key water quality indicators included pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), water transparency (SD), NO3-, total dissolved solids (TDS), Cl-, SO42-, and electrical conductivity (EC). Furthermore, the contribution rates of all water quality indicators to the water quality were quantitatively elucidated using the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) values, thereby validating the factor analysis outcomes. Among the eight key water quality indicators, the COD had the most significant influence on the water quality of Bosten Lake. The water quality condition of Bosten Lake has remained at Class III from 2011 to 2019 (CWQI ranging from 3.19 to 3.90). The water quality of Bosten Lake was characterized by distinct regional differences that arose from hydrodynamic processes within the lake and upstream water quality. The southwestern region exhibited the best water quality (mean CWQI of 3.47), whereas the northwestern region exhibited the worst (mean CWQI of 3.58). It is crucial to acknowledge that alongside the increase in industrial and agricultural effluent discharge monitoring, a series of ecological restoration projects for the lake basin have been initiated. Over time, the water quality of Bosten Lake showed gradual improvement (improvement rate of CWQI at 0.05/a). This study provides a critical scientific basis for enhancing the understanding and effective management of water quality in the Bosten Lake Basin through a comprehensive analysis of its spatial and temporal evolution and driving mechanisms.

Key words： water quality      chemical oxygen demand (COD)      comprehensive water quality index (CWQI)      multivariate statistical analysis      SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP)      Bosten Lake     
Received: 20 January 2025      Published: 30 September 2025
Corresponding Authors: *GUO Mengjing (E-mail: guomengjing263@163.com)
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GUO Mengjing
BAI Zichen
YUAN Bo
WANG Wen
ZHANG Tiegang
XIANG Ke
ZHANG Jiao
ZHAO Huiyizhe
Cite this article:

GUO Mengjing, BAI Zichen, YUAN Bo, WANG Wen, ZHANG Tiegang, XIANG Ke, ZHANG Jiao, ZHAO Huiyizhe. Spatial and temporal characterization of water quality in Bosten Lake, China based on comprehensive water quality index. Journal of Arid Land, 2025, 17(9): 1234-1251.

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http://jal.xjegi.com/10.1007/s40333-025-0086-7     OR     http://jal.xjegi.com/Y2025/V17/I9/1234

Fig. 1 Overview of the Bosten Lake Basin based on elevation (a) and the distribution of sampling sites in Bosten Lake (b)
CWQI [1, 2] (2, 3] (3, 4] (4, 5] (5, 6] >6
CWQL I II III IV V Inferior V
Table 1 Water quality classification
Fig. 2 Correlation between different water quality indicators. DO, dissolved oxygen; CODMn, permanganate index; COD, chemical oxygen demand; BOD5, five days' biochemical oxygen demand; TN, total nitrogen; SD, water transparency; Chl-a, chlorophyll-a; TDS, total dissolved solids; EC, electrical conductivity. * indicates significant difference at P<0.05 level.
Fig. 3 Temporal variations of the eight key water quality indicators from 2011 to 2019. (a), pH; (b), COD; (c), SD; (d), NO3-; (e), TDS; (f), Cl-; (g), SO42-; (h), EC. The upper and lower horizontal lines represent the maximum and minimum values of the indicator, respectively; the bottom and top lines of the box represent the 25th and 75th percentile quartiles, respectively; the point and the line in the box represent the average and median of the indicator, respectively; the right-hand dots represents the data points. The Kruskal-Wallis test result (P value) for each year indicates whether there are significant differences in water quality indicators among different sampling sites in that year at P<0.05 level.
Fig. 4 Variations in each key water quality indicator among different sampling sites during 2011-2019. (a), pH; (b), COD; (c), SD; (d), NO3-; (e), TDS; (f), Cl-; (g), SO42-; (h), EC. The upper and lower horizontal lines represent the maximum and minimum values of the indicator, respectively; the bottom and top lines of the box represent the 25th and 75th percentile quartiles, respectively; the point and the line in the box represent the average and median of the indicator, respectively; the right-hand dots represents the data points. The Kruskal-Wallis test result (P value) for each sampling site indicates whether there are significant differences in water quality indicators among different years at the same sampling site at P<0.05 level.
Fig. 5 SWQI values for key water quality indicators from 2011 to 2019
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
CWQI 3.75 3.75 3.90 3.82 3.53 3.42 3.33 3.19 3.35
CWQL III III III III III III III III III
Table 2 Water quality assessment results for Bosten Lake from 2011 to 2019
Fig. 6 Variations in single water quality index (SWQI) values for key water quality indicators at different sampling sites during 2011-2019
Site S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16 S17
CWQI 3.46 3.49 3.52 3.52 3.57 3.55 3.67 3.58 3.61 3.60 3.59 3.58 3.52 3.24 3.56 3.57 3.58
CWQL III III III III III III III III III III III III III III III III III
Table 3 Water quality assessment results at the 17 sampling sites
Fig. 7 Results of water quality assessment in the three regions of Bosten Lake from May to November
Fig. 8 SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) values (a) and mean absolute SHAP values (b) for various water quality indicators
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