Assessing water quality in the Dong Nai River (Vietnam): implications for sustainable management and pollution control

• Published in: Water science and technology Vol. 87; no. 11; pp. 2917 - 2929
• Main Authors: Thi Thu Huong, Tran, Quan, Tran Anh, Hanh, Nguyen Thi Hong, Tong, Nguyen Xuan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England IWA Publishing 01-06-2023
• Subjects: agricultural activities; Chemical oxygen demand; Climate change; Coliforms; Dissolved oxygen; domestic activities; dong nai river; Factor analysis; infrastructure planning and management; Pollution control; Pollution sources; Principal components analysis; Provinces; Quality assessment; River water; Rivers; Stream pollution; Surface water; Sustainability management; Water analysis; Water pollution; Water quality; Water quality assessments; water quality index (wqi); Water quality standards; Water resources; Water sampling; Vietnam
• ISSN: 0273-1223; 1996-9732
• DOI: 10.2166/wst.2023.151

Dong Nai River provides essential water resources for millions of people across 11 provinces and cities in Vietnam. However, the different pollution sources such as household, farming, and industrial operations have caused the river water quality to deteriorate over the past decade. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the river's surface water quality, this study employed the water quality index (WQI) across 12 different sampling sites. In total,144 water samples with 11 parameters were analyzed in accordance with the Vietnamese standard 08:2015/MONRE. Results revealed a range of surface water quality, from poor to good according to the VN-WQI (Vietnamese standard), and a medium even bad level in some months according to the NS-WQI (American standard). The study also identified temperature, coliform, and dissolved oxygen (DO) as strong contributors to WQI values (VN_WQI standard). Principal component analysis/factor analysis was used to determine pollution sources, with the results highlighting agricultural and domestic activities as the main contributors to river pollution. In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of effective planning and management of infrastructure zoning and local activities to improve the river's surface water quality and surrounding areas, as well as safeguard the well-being of the millions who depend on it.