A review of non-point source water pollution modeling for the urban–rural transitional areas of China: Research status and prospect

China has experienced a rapid period of urbanization since the 1980s. Many traditional agricultural areas were transformed into the urban-rural transitional areas, in which both urban and rural characteristics exist. Non-point source pollution (NPSP) has become a major side effect of urbanization and agricultural production which caused wide public concerns. It is crucial to carry out research on identifying the spatiotemporal variation in NPSP in the urban-rural transitional area (especially in developing countries, e.g., in China), which is a prerequisite for improving water quality and guiding NPSP control efforts. Modeling approaches are great tools to provide quantitative information on NPSP and optimize the best management practices for NPSP control. We reviewed over twenty years of publications on NPSP modeling and applications in urban, rural and its transitional areas. The strengths and limitations of 20 commonly used NPSP models in China were concluded based on a brief introduction and the evolution history. Reporting the strengths and weaknesses of each NPSP model could enhance its utility in practice. In terms of the unique characteristics of urban-rural transitional areas, which are neither strictly urban nor rural, non-point source pollutants are often distinctly different between traditional pollutants from urban and agricultural areas since the great differences in the hydrological processes, and none of existing NPSP models are fully applicable to urban-rural transitional areas. Based on limited NPSP modeling studies in urban-rural transitional areas, the existing research insufficiency were technical and mechanism limitations of the model despite of numerous improvements in the past, concerns about simulation accuracy, limited investigations on new pollutants, and lack of monitoring data. Future development trend and concerns of NPSP models for urban-rural transitional areas were discussed, which could be of great help to the development of NPSP models and their applications in water quality management in the rapid urbanized China.