Research Development on Water Quality Criteria

Water quality criteria (WQC) is based on the results of scientific experiments and inferences, which prescribe a limit threshold value to pollutants and other harmful factors in water. The system of water quality criteria study is basically a blank circumstance. It’s urgent to establish water quality criteria to adapt with the characters of China water environment to supply theoretic bases for revising water quality standards and managing environment. In this paper, an overview of the water quality criteria, as well as domestic and foreign research progress in theoretical methodology are systematically discussed, furthermore, considering current status of water quality criteria, comprehensive research were pointed out to be done in the future.