In order to explore the mutual influence between pollutant discharge and environment quality, relation models of pollutant discharge and environmental quality were established, and the relationship was divided into four types, low pollutant discharge-high environmental quality, high pollutant discharge-high environmental quality, high pollutant discharge-low environmental quality, and low pollutant discharge-low environmental quality. The evolution paths from one type into another were also discussed. The regional data in 2005 and 2010 was used to validate the pollutant discharge-environmental quality models. The results showed that most regions of China belonged to the high pollutant discharge-low environmental quality type, and the pollutant discharge- environmental quality type didn't vary too much during the 2005-2010 period. In the majority of provinces, the environmental quality index was higher than the pollutant discharge index, and the pollutant discharge quantity overflowed the environmental capacity. The reduction of pollutant discharge quantity should be the most important environmental problem in China. At present, China is in a critical period of environmental governance, and excessive disturbance from economic system to the environment system should be prevented. The results should be helpful for understanding the regional environmental quality situation, on the implementation of pollutant discharge reduction, and the improvement of environmental quality.
China Environmental Pollution