1. School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China; 2. School of Life &Environmental Sciences, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin 541004, China; 3. Research Center for Eco-Environmental Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China
Abstract：Selecting Pearl River as a typical case, over a decade of data tracking and investigation was conducted. Simulated using the analytical data as well as future scenarios of climate warming and river acidification, this study predicted the evolution of nutrient element ratios and trace metal concentrations over the next 80 years. Three significant changes in natural water bodies were suggested: firstly, insufficient carbon source allocation and nutrient accumulation leading to decreased biochemical efficiency; secondly, elevated ion exchange due to acidification, resulting in higher background concentrations of trace elements; lastly, water quality fluctuation inducing the co-release of heavy metals and toxic organic micropollutants and phase distribution shifts, forming a multi-loop feedback of pollution sources. Our study suggests that changes in aqueous solution properties of water bodies are driven by the results of simultaneous occurrence of concentration resonance and convergence effects, which are crucial factors of the physical fields. Combined pollution irreversibly changes the physicochemical properties of water bodies, resulting in a rapid fluctuation of geological background baseline values over decades. Consequently, this necessitates epochal adjustments to the evaluation of natural water body thresholds. A new emergence of water environmental challenges may include element exposure and fate changes caused by the natural evolutions, water quality structure conflicts from continuous inputs and emissions, and the approaching demands for species equity in ecological era.
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