Assessing Non-Point Source Pollution Models: a Review

Skip to content

About the Journal In Memory of Professor Jerzy Radecki Ownership and Management Statement Editorial Office Editorial Board Scope Impact Factor Indexed by Journal Impact Factor contributing items Publication Frequency Revenue Sources & Business Model Contact Subscription Current issue Online first Instructions for Authors Copyright & Licensing Publication Fees Editorial policies Publication Policy Overview Peer Review Policy Research Ethics and Malpractice Policy Plagiarism Policy Conflict of Interest Policy Open Access Policy Instructions for Reviewers Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies Policy Advertising Policy Direct Marketing & Manuscript Solicitation Digital Archiving and Preservation Policy CrossMark, Correction, and Retraction Policy Archive Publication Fees Copyright & Licensing

SEARCH

Current issue

Online first

Archive

About the Journal In Memory of Professor Jerzy Radecki Ownership and Management Statement Editorial Office Editorial Board Scope Impact Factor Indexed by Journal Impact Factor contributing items Publication Frequency Revenue Sources & Business Model Contact Subscription

Current issue

Online first

Instructions for Authors Copyright & Licensing Publication Fees

Editorial policies Publication Policy Overview Peer Review Policy Research Ethics and Malpractice Policy Plagiarism Policy Conflict of Interest Policy Open Access Policy Instructions for Reviewers Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies Policy Advertising Policy Direct Marketing & Manuscript Solicitation Digital Archiving and Preservation Policy CrossMark, Correction, and Retraction Policy

Archive

Publication Fees

Copyright & Licensing

REVIEW PAPER

Assessing Non-Point Source Pollution Models: a Review

Joy Tuoyo Adu ¹

,

Muthukrishna Vellaisamy Kumarasamy ¹

1

Civil Engineering Programme, School of Engineering, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

Submission date: 2017-06-05

Final revision date: 2017-08-18

Acceptance date: 2017-08-19

Online publication date: 2018-05-09

Publication date: 2018-05-30

Corresponding author

Muthukrishna Vellaisamy Kumarasamy

Civil Engineering Programme, School of Engineering, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa, 214, Centenary Building, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 4041 Durban, South Africa

Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2018;27(5):1913-1922

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15244/pjoes/76497

KEYWORDS

non-point source pollution

hydrological processes

water quality models

water quality degradation

TOPICS

ABSTRACT

Although access to clean and potable water is a requirement for healthy living, the constant release of non-point source pollutants into water bodies has resulted in water quality degradation. In a bid to curb this situation, water quality models are used as a tool. This study reviews 10 non-point source models, namely: AGNPS, ANSWERS, CREAMS, SWRRB, HSPF, SWAT, EPD RIV1, DMA, CMBA, and MA, giving consideration to their nature, components, area of use, strengths, and limitations. Our review indicated that hydrological processes and mechanisms involved in the movement of non-point source pollutants have not been completely developed in these models. However, HSPF and EPD RIV1 models (which have in-stream process components) are limited due to limitations in their operations and computational difficulties. Further research would seek to develop a non-point source pollutant model that would not only adequately and effectively simulate non-point source pollutants in water bodies, but would also be easy to assess, user-friendly, and time-efficient.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

CITATIONS (81):

1.

Factors That Influence Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Agricultural Soils as Well as Their Representation in Simulation Models: A Review
Cong Wang, Barbara Amon, Karsten Schulz, Bano Mehdi
Agronomy

2.

Spatial‐temporal evolution and influence factors of China’s agricultural non‐point source pollution discharge intensity in recent 40 years
Lilin Zou, Xumin Zheng, Yongsheng Wang
Growth and Change

3.

Artificial Intelligence Application in Nonpoint Source Pollution Management: A Status Update
Almando Morain, Ryan Nedd, Kevin Poole, Lauren Hawkins, Micala Jones, Brian Washington, Aavudai Anandhi
Sustainability

4.

Basin-Scale Pollution Loads Analyzed Based on Coupled Empirical Models and Numerical Models
Man Zhang, Xiaolong Chen, Shuihua Yang, Zhen Song, Yonggui Wang, Qing Yu
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

5.

Time Series Analysis of Water Quality Factors Enhancing Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs): A Study Integrating In-Situ and Satellite Data, Vaal Dam, South Africa
Altayeb A. Obaid, Elhadi M. Adam, K. Adem Ali, Tamiru A. Abiye
Water

6.

Coupled analysis on land use, landscape pattern and nonpoint source pollution loads in Shitoukoumen Reservoir watershed, China
Lei Zhang, Wenxi Lu, Guanglei Hou, Huiyan Gao, Hongquan Liu, Yining Zheng
Sustainable Cities and Society

7.

Improving the accuracy of nonpoint-source pollution estimates in inland waters with coupled satellite-UAV data
Changsen Zhao, Maomao Li, Xuelian Wang, Bo Liu, Xu Pan, Haiyan Fang
Water Research

8.

Assessment of long-term phosphorus budget changes influenced by anthropogenic factors in a coastal catchment of Osaka Bay
Kunyang Wang, Shin-ichi Onodera, Mitsuyo Saito, Takuya Ishida
Science of The Total Environment

9.

Efficiency analysis of best management practices under climate change conditions in the So-okcheon watershed, South Korea
Yoonji Kim, Jieun Yu, Sangchul Lee, Seongwoo Jeon
Frontiers in Environmental Science

10.

长江流域洞庭湖区出入湖磷通量模拟及水质预测：机器学习与传统水文模型耦合方法
Jie Liu, Qian Chen, Yan Xu, Xini Zha, Meiyi Zhang, Xiaokang Xin, Wenzhong Tang, Hong Zhang
Earth Science-Journal of China University of Geosciences

11.

Farmland nutrient pollution and its evolutionary relationship with plantation economic development in China
Di Chang, Yaxian Zhang
Journal of Environmental Management

12.

Simulation of Nitrogen Migration and Output Loads Under Field Scale in Small Watershed, China
Yixiao Song, Ling Jiang, Ming Liang
Land

13.

Research on Spatial–Temporal Differences and Convergence Characteristics of Ecological Total Factor Productivity of Cultivated Land Use in China
Shanwei Li, Yongchang Wu, Guangxuan Dai, Xueyuan Chen
Agriculture

14.

Evaluation of management practices on agricultural nonpoint source pollution discharges into the rivers under climate change effects
Nasrin Badrzadeh, Jamal Mohammad Vali Samani, Mehdi Mazaheri, Alban Kuriqi
Science of The Total Environment

15.

Analytical model for degradable contaminant transport through a cutoff wall-aquifer system under time-dependent point source pollution
Xiang-Hong Ding, Shi-Jin Feng
Computers and Geotechnics

16.

A Comparison Study of Runoff Characteristics of Non-Point Source Pollution from Three Watersheds in South Korea
Minji Park, Young Soon Choi, Hyung Jin Shin, Inhong Song, Chun Gyeong Yoon, Joong Dae Choi, Soon Ju Yu
Water

17.

Effect of an improved agricultural irrigation scheme with a hydraulic structure for crop cultivation in arid northern Afghanistan using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT)
Wahidullah Hussainzada, Han Soo Lee
Scientific Reports

18.

Potential hydropower estimation for the Mindanao River Basin in the Philippines based on watershed modelling using the soil and water assessment tool
Ismail Adal Guiamel, Han Soo Lee
Energy Reports

19.

A mathematical guidance on river water pollution management strategies using ordinary differential equations
Changying Hu
Ecological Modelling

20.

Examining the drivers of grain production efficiency for achieving energy transition in China
Lin Shen, Ruxue Sun, Wenchao Liu
Environmental Impact Assessment Review

21.

Evaluation of nitrogen loading in the last 80 years in an urbanized Asian coastal catchment through the reconstruction of severe contamination period
Kunyang Wang, Shin-ichi Onodera, Mitsuyo Saito
Environmental Research Letters

22.

Source Identification and Control of Eutrophication in Large Shallow Freshwater Lakes: A Case Study of Lake Taihu
Ke Cui, Bo Xing, Yuchen Li, Ran Zhu, Xiaozhong Gao, Xiang Cheng, Dezhi Sun, Kai Huang
Water

23.

Spatial optimization of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for nonpoint source pollution mitigation in agricultural watersheds
Yujiao Wu, Yu Li, Yiding Men, Zhe Zhu, Yan Sun, Changchun Song
Journal of Hydrology

24.

Contribution of non-point source pollution that migrated with underground runoff process based on the SWAT model and a digital filter algorithm
Ruimin Liu, Yue Wang, Yuexi Miao, Lin Li, Leiping Cao, Yunan Wang
Environmental Science and Pollution Research

25.

Spatiotemporal response pattern of nutrient loss to rainfall–runoff dynamics across different timescales
Di Chang, Shuo Li, Zhengqing Lai
CATENA

26.

A novel framework for dynamic critical source area identification in mosaic agricultural micro-watersheds under rainfall-driven variability
Tian Huang, Jingjun Su, Hongtao Zhao, Xuyong Li
Journal of Hydrology

27.

Comprehensive Statistical Analysis for Characterizing Water Quality Assessment in the Mekong Delta: Trends, Variability, and Key Influencing Factors
Vu Thanh Doan, Chinh Cong Le, Hung Van Tien Le, Ngoc Anh Trieu, Phu Le Vo, Dang An Tran, Hai Van Nguyen, Toshinori Tabata, Thu Thi Hoai Vu
Sustainability

28.

Groundwater Resource Management Planning Strategies
Gagan Matta, Gaurav Pant, Sushil B. Kapoor, Reetesh Sah, Kanchan Deoli Bahukhandi, D. P. Uniyal, Pawan Kumar, Anjali Nayak, Ujjwal Gulaiya

29.

Modelling the impact of the agricultural holdings and land-use structure on the quality of inland and coastal waters with an innovative and interdisciplinary toolkit
Lidia Dzierzbicka-Glowacka, Dawid Dybowski, Maciej Janecki, Ewa Wojciechowska, Beata Szymczycha, Dawid Potrykus, Artur Nowicki, Adam Szymkiewicz, Piotr Zima, Beata Jaworska-Szulc, Stefan Pietrzak, Grażyna Pazikowska-Sapota, Dominika Kalinowska, Nicole Nawrot, Paweł Wielgat, Grażyna Dembska, Karolina Matej-Łukowicz, Katarzyna Szczepańska, Tadeusz Puszkarczuk
Agricultural Water Management

30.

An optimized machine learning approach to water pollution variation monitoring with time-series Landsat images
Yi Lin, Lang Li, Jie Yu, Yuan Hu, Tinghui Zhang, Zhanglin Ye, Awase Syed, Jonathan Li
International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation

31.

Inverse identification of multiple contaminant sources and pollution states using future spatial-temporal information
Xudong Wang, Daqian Zhang
Journal of Cleaner Production

32.

Assessment of nitrogen budget in detailed spatial pattern using high precision modeling approach with constructed accurate agricultural behavior
Kunyang Wang, Shin-ichi Onodera, Mitsuyo Saito, Yuta Shimizu
Science of The Total Environment

33.

Spatial-temporal evolution of agricultural ecological risks in China in recent 40 years
Lilin Zou, Yongsheng Wang, Yansui Liu
Environmental Science and Pollution Research

34.

A review on curbing non-point source pollution in watershed—the answer lies at the root
Yuekui Ding, Zhaoxin Song, Yan Hu, Shiyang Zhang, Minjing Zhang, Wenqiang Zhang, Suirong Xiao
Environment, Development and Sustainability

35.

Capturing the extent of climate's dynamic effects on runoff and nutrient yields across short- and long-term scales
Di Chang, Shuo Li
Agricultural Water Management

36.

Spatiotemporal evolution and convergence of agricultural eco-efficiency in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River
Tiangui Lv, Shufei Fu, Xinmin Zhang, Han Hu, Yanwei Zhang
Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C

37.

Assessment and driving factor analysis of total nitrogen loads: a case study of counties from 2000 to 2020 in Henan Province, China
Xingming Li, Ling Li, Shuaiqi Chen, Yuanyi Shang, Yong Wu, Donghao Li, Xiuli Wang
Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment

38.

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Retention Risk Assessment in a Drinking Water Source Area under Anthropogenic Activities
Yuexin Zheng, Qianyang Wang, Xuan Zhang, Jingshan Yu, Chong Li, Liwen Chen, Yuan Liu
Remote Sensing

39.

Pollutants Source Assessment and Load Calculation in Baiyangdian Lake Using Multi-Model Statistical Analysis
Guangwei Wang, Cuicui Lv, Congke Gu, Yang Yu, Zhenglun Yang, Zhixiong Zhang, Changyuan Tang
Water

40.

Balancing river water pollution and agricultural development: A tradeoff threshold approach
Weixian Wang, Yiwei Fan, Guixin Chen, Lijuan Liu, Rongjia Wang, Xiangyu Tang, Yan Li, Xiaoyu Li
Journal of Environmental Management

41.

Water resource management for improved crop cultivation and productivity with hydraulic engineering solution in arid northern Afghanistan
Wahidullah Hussainzada, Jonathan Salar Cabrera, Ahmad Tamim Samim, Han Soo Lee
Applied Water Science

42.

Resource-based agricultural non-point source pollution control using biological agents
Delong Kan, Pengfei Duan
Water Supply

43.

Transboundary river catchment areas of developing countries: Potential and limitations of watershed models for the simulation of sediment and nutrient loads. A review
Kongmeng Ly, Graciela Metternicht, Lucy Marshall
Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies

44.

Evaluation and Changes in the Comprehensive Ecological Effects of Agriculture in Urbanizing Areas: A Case Study of the Xi'an Metropolitan Zone, China
Zhongxue Zhou, Fangze Zhao, Bingjie Song
Ecological Indicators

45.

Mekân Tabanlı Toprak Erozyonu Tahmin Modelleri: Bildiklerimiz Değişiyor Mu?
Çağan ALEVKAYALI, Bedran ABI
Coğrafi Bilimler Dergisi

46.

Predicting non-point source of pollution in Maithon reservoir using a semi-distributed hydrological model
Arabinda Sharma, K. N. Tiwari
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

47.

Assessment of non-point source of pollution using chemical mass balance approach: a case study of River Alaknanda, a tributary of River Ganga, India
M. K. Sharma, Pradeep Kumar, Kunarika Bhanot, Parul Prajapati
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

48.

Analysis of the Water Quality Characteristics of Urban Streams Using the Flow–Pollutant Loading Relationship and a Load Duration Curve (LDC)
Ji-Yun Jang, Dae-Woong Kim, Ye-Ji Choi, Dong-Woo Jang
Applied Sciences

49.

Development and Assessment of a New Framework for Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Control
Lili Zhou, Runzhe Geng
Water

50.

Analysis of total nitrogen pollution load and identification of key pollution sources in Futuan River basin based on SWAT model
Yanjing Li, Hui Peng, K. Muda, R. Harun, G. Pei Sean, N. Yusof
E3S Web of Conferences

51.

Atmospheric Deposition of Multi-Class Substances into the Ocean: Synthesis of Fluxes, Seasonal Spatial Patterns and Ecological Risks
Qinghao Lin, Xianliang Yi, Junyi Wang, Yiwen Zhang, Jingjing Zhan
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering

52.

Effects of urban stormwater pollution on watershed diffuse loads under extreme precipitation conditions
Jingyi Hu, Wei Ouyang, Congyu Hou, Kaiyue Ji, Zhifeng Yang
Journal of Hydrology

53.

Development and Application of an Interactive Coupling Rainfall-Runoff Model According to Soil Texture
Chang-Jae Kwak, Jung-Soo Kim
Water

54.

Analysis and estimation of nonpoint source pollution under different land use in Anjiagou watershed, Gansu, China
Yanting Hu, Zisheng Xing, Fu Zhang, Qing Tian, Nasem Badreldin, Jinmei Zhao
Environmental Science and Pollution Research

55.

Suitability assessment of water for human consumption using water quality index along the Cubango-Kavango River, in Angola and Namibia
Maurício Honorato Clemente, Hilma Rantilla Amwele, Nicola Fohrer, Edward Smit, Francois Jacobs, Alfredo Noré Saluanja Muacahila, Oluibukun Gbenga Ajayi
Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C

56.

Quantifying and assessing nitrogen sources and transport in a megacity water supply watershed: Insights for effective non-point source pollution management with mixSIAR and SWAT models
Zhuo Hao, Yuanyuan Shi, Xiaoying Zhan, Bowei Yu, Qing Fan, Jie Zhu, Lianhua Liu, Qingwen Zhang, Guangxiang Zhao
Agricultural Water Management

57.

Study on service performance and design method of vertical cutoff wall under multi–time-varying point source conditions
Pengyuan Zhang, Junrui Chai, Jing Cao, Yingcheng Zhao, Zengguang Xu, Yuan Qin, Cheng Cao
Journal of Contaminant Hydrology

58.

Revealing the paleolandscape features around the archaeological sites in the northern Nile Delta of Egypt using radar satellite imagery and GEE platform
Abdelaziz Elfadaly, Ayat Hassan Shams, Walid Elbehery, Mahmoud Elftatry, Osama Wafa, Amira M. A. Hiekl, Penelope Wilson, Jay Silverstein, Mohamed A. R. Abouarab
Archaeological Prospection

59.

Tidal Flooding Contributes to Eutrophication: Constraining Nonpoint Source Inputs to an Urban Estuary Using a Data-Driven Statistical Model
Alfonso Macías-Tapia, Margaret R. Mulholland, Corday R. Selden, Sophie Clayton, Peter W. Bernhardt, Thomas R. Allen
Estuaries and Coasts

60.

A spatially dynamic network algebra
Elizabeth Wentz, Eric Shook, Joanna Merson
Transactions in GIS

61.

Spatial-temporal characteristics and influencing factors of agricultural eco-efficiency in China in recent 40 years
Yansui Liu, Lilin Zou, Yongsheng Wang
Land Use Policy

62.

A review of non-point source water pollution modeling for the urban–rural transitional areas of China: Research status and prospect
Jingyuan Xue, Qiren Wang, Minghua Zhang
Science of The Total Environment

63.

Modelling the impacts of climate and land use changes on soil water erosion: Model applications, limitations and future challenges
Yanrong Guo, Changhui Peng, Qiuan Zhu, Meng Wang, Han Wang, Shushi Peng, Honglin He
Journal of Environmental Management

64.

Assessment and analysis of agricultural non-point source pollution loads in China: 1978–2017
Lilin Zou, Yansui Liu, Yongsheng Wang, Xuedong Hu
Journal of Environmental Management

65.

Water Quality Modeling in Atlantic Region: Review, Science Mapping and Future Research Directions
Hanane Rhomad, Karima Khalil, Khalid Elkalay
Water Resources Management

66.

Transforming Agriculture, Farmland Use and the Environment in China
Zhang Yingnan, Long Hualou

67.

Identifying Surface Runoff Pathways for Cost-Effective Mitigation of Pollutant Inputs to Drinking Water Reservoir
Jolanta Dąbrowska, Paweł B. Dąbek, Iwona Lejcuś
Water

68.

An approach to evaluate non-point source pollution in an ungauged basin: a case study in Xiao'anxi River Basin, China
Li Zhou, Xing Zhang, Lingxue Liu, Ting Chen, Xing Liu, Yufeng Ren, Hairong Zhang, Xiaodong Li, Tianqi Ao
Water Supply

69.

Research Progress and Trend of Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution from Non-Irrigated Farming Based on Bibliometrics
Dan Liu, Zhongkai Yao, Xiaoxia Yang, Chunmei Xiong, Qingyu Nie
Water

70.

Agricultural nonpoint source pollution in urban agricultural areas: An assessment system and mitigation methods
Ya’nan Wang, Wei Shui
Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal

71.

Eco-Compensation Schemes for Controlling Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution in Maoli Lake Watershed
Yumei Zheng, Guangchun Lei, Peng Yu
Water

72.

Stochastic modelling of pesticide transport to drinking water sources via runoff and resulting human health risk assessment
J. Harmon O'Driscoll, J. McGinley, M.G. Healy, A. Siggins, P.-E. Mellander, L. Morrison, E. Gunnigle, P.C. Ryan
Science of The Total Environment

73.

The global progress on the non-point source pollution research from 2012 to 2021: a bibliometric analysis
Zi-jian Xie, Chun Ye, Chun-hua Li, Xiao-gang Shi, Ying Shao, Wei Qi
Environmental Sciences Europe

74.

Spatial–temporal characteristics of corrected total phosphorus pollution loads from agricultural non-point sources in Tuojiang River watershed, Sichuan Province of southwestern China
Jing Yao, Min Fan, Yuting Xiao, Xiaoying Liang, Can Cai, Yuanzhe Wang
Environmental Science and Pollution Research

75.

Nitrogen and phosphorus losses via surface runoff from tea plantations in the mountainous areas of Southwest China
Xingcheng Huang, Darong Zhen, Xiaona Lu, Yarong Zhang, Yanling Liu, Yu Li, Taiming Jiang, Steven Arthur Loiselle
PLOS ONE

76.

Rainfall-driven dissolved reactive phosphorus pulses: identifying landscape vulnerabilities for eutrophication control under climate variability
Kunyang Wang, Shin-ichi Onodera, Mitsuyo Saito, Sharon Bih Kimbi, Takuya Ishida
Environmental Research Letters

77.

Response Model for Urban Area Source Pollution and Water Environmental Quality in a River Network Region
Qiuying Lai, Jie Ma, Fei He, Geng Wei
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

78.

Significance of using dynamic land-use data and its threshold in hydrology and water quality simulation models
Qingrui Wang, Ruimin Liu, Lijun Jiao, Lin Li, Yifan Wang, Leiping Cao
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

79.

Agricultural production transition and its environmental effects: Research progress and prospect
Ying-nan ZHANG, Hua-lou LONG
JOURNAL OF NATURAL RESOURCES

80.

Spatial Pattern Evolution and Influencing Factors on Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution in Small Town Areas under the Background of Rapid Industrialization
Mingtao Yan, Jianji Zhao, Jiajun Qiao, Dong Han, Qiankun Zhu, Yang Yang, Qi Liu, Zhipeng Wang
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

81.

Assessment of physicochemical parameters and metal contents of Mansagar lake of Jaipur
Yuvraj Singh, Manish Kumar Jain
Environmental Earth Sciences

Submit your paper

Instructions for Authors

Copyright & Licensing

Publication Fees

Share

RELATED ARTICLE

Monitoring the Behavior of Physicochemical Parameters in Tilapia Ponds Using a Prototype of a Semi-Automatic Water and Sediment Sampling System

A Path to Agricultural Fertilizer Non-Point Source Pollution Control Enabled by Big Data and Machine Learning

Ecological Health Assessment of the Mekong River and Its Tributaries: Challenges and Future Perspective – A Review

Wetlands in Saudi Arabia: Review and Assessment of the Environmental Hazards in Al-Asfar Lake

A Bibliometric Analysis of Water Pollution with Nutrients and Water Quality

Indexes

eISSN:	2083-5906
ISSN:	1230-1485

2026 PJOES. This is an open-access journal. All articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0)
owned by HARD sc publishing company Wengris 71 10-765 Olsztyn Poland Tax number 7391837147

© 2006-2026 Journal hosting platform by Bentus

Scroll to top