Numerous index decomposition analysis approaches have been reported in the past 30 years. However, the selection of different methods appears to be arbitrary, and little consensus has been reached on which is the superior method. Between 2001 and 2009, 10 different methods have been used to identify the factors (i.e. production effect, structural effect and intensity effect) influencing on China’s industrial wastewater pollutant (Chemical Oxygen Demand, COD) discharges. From the aspect of theoretical foundation, adaptability, ease of use, and ease of result interpretation, these methods are compared. Results show that: (1) LMDI 1 is a superior approach because of zero residual error in decomposition, no zero values problem in data set, simplicity in formula, and wide range in usage situations. (2) the average effect changes of industrial wastewater changes of COD discharges in China is 14.89 ×104 t with production effect, structural effect, and intensity effect were 72.97×104 t, -6.93×104 t and -80.94×104 t, respectively. (3) production effect was the major factor responsible for the rise of COD discharges, accounting for 45% of the total contribution. (4) structural effect contributed to the decrease of COD discharges with a small effect of 4% in total contribution. (5) intensity effect had an dominant decremental effect in COD discharges.