Water quality assessment of Wei River, China using fuzzy synthetic evaluation

Wei River is the major source of water for the urban residents, industrial production and agricultural activities in the central Shaanxi plain of China. Water quality of the Wei River was determined by collecting water samples from 25 locations along the Baoji Xi’an reach and analyzing for pH, EC, BOD5, DO, COD, F, Se, As, and Hg. Fuzzy synthetic evaluation with the entropy method for weight determination was used to assess the water quality of the river. Results indicate that the water quality of 23 sampling sites fall into the fifth grade (bad level), whereas two sampling sites are in the fourth grade (poor level). The comparison of this method with the typical fuzzy synthetic evaluation shows that it is effective in water quality assessment. The assessment results indicate that the Wei River is heavily polluted at most of the sampling locations, with mercury as the major pollutant. Strict enforcement of the regulations for domestic and industrial wastewater discharges is vital to avoid damage to the water environment and to protect human and ecological health.