The bioavailability and potential ecological risk of copper and zinc in river sediment are affected by seasonal variation and spatial distribution
Journal
Aquatic Toxicology
Journal Volume
227
Date Issued
2020
Author(s)
Abstract
River sediment is the ultimate sink for heavy metal pollution. Copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) are consistently found at environmentally significant levels in sediments worldwide. We hypothesized that the bioavailability and potential ecological risk of Cu and Zn in river sediments may be affected by seasonal variations and spatial distribution. In this study, we tested our hypothesis using highly industrialized river sediments (Laojie River) as an example. The concentration of heavy metals, pollution indexes, and risk indexes were evaluated and multivariate statistical analyses were performed. We found that seasonal variations affect heavy metal contamination, pollution indexes, and potential ecological risk in sediments and this effect was more severe in the dry season. In addition, higher levels of metal contamination, pollution indexes, and potential ecological risk were observed midstream and downstream of the Laojie River. We found that Cu and Zn were the primary contaminants in Laojie River sediments and may originate from common anthropogenic sources. Analysis of the chemical fractions further revealed that Cu and Zn exhibited high mobility and potential bioavailability risk. In addition, a high percentage and amount of Cu and Zn were found in exchangeable fractions, suggesting they pose a great risk to aquatic organisms. Our results indicate that seasonal variations and spatial distribution affect the bioavailability and potential ecological risk of Cu and Zn in river sediments. These findings suggest that seasonal variations and spatial distribution are important parameters to consider for environmental monitoring and environmental management in aquatic environments. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.
Subjects
Bioavailability; Ecological risk assessment; Heavy metals; Laojie River; Seasonal variation; Sediment; Spatial distribution characteristics
Other Subjects
arsenic; cadmium; chromium; copper; lead; mercury; nickel; zinc; copper; heavy metal; zinc; bioavailability; copper; fluvial deposit; risk factor; seasonal variation; sediment pollution; spatial distribution; zinc; aquatic species; Article; bioavailability; concentration (parameter); dry season; ecology; pollution; pollution index; priority journal; rainy season; risk assessment; river; scoring system; seasonal variation; sediment; analysis; bioavailability; chemistry; China; environmental monitoring; risk assessment; river; season; sediment; toxicity; water pollutant; Biological Availability; China; Copper; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollution; Geologic Sediments; Metals, Heavy; Risk Assessment; Rivers; Seasons; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Zinc
Type
journal article