Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Speciation characteristics and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments from Caohai Lake, Guizhou Province

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Caohai Lake in Guizhou Province is a plateau wetland lake within a karst geological topography. It is in the lead–zinc enrichment zone in northwestern Guizhou. The potential environmental risk of heavy metals, with high geological background levels, has been attracting attention. In this study, sediments in Caohai Lake were investigated to analyse the overall levels and chemical speciation of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn). In addition, the potential ecological risk of environmentally active heavy metals was investigated from the perspective of heavy metal speciation using the ratio of the secondary phase to primary phase combined with the ecological risk assessment code. The results showed that the overall levels of heavy metals in sediments in Caohai Lake were several to hundreds of times higher than the background values. However, the chemical speciation of heavy metals was mostly residual. Among heavy metals, Cd is a typical pollution stress factor in the region, with high total levels and a high proportion of environmentally unstable forms. The mean sediment quality guideline quotient of heavy metals in sediments ranged between 0.2 and 1.6, indicating mild to moderate toxic effects on benthic organisms. From the analysis of the forms that migrate in the environment, the heavy metals in sediments were mostly at the pollution-free or low-risk levels. Cd poses a high environmental risk, with an extremely high regional risk level. Therefore, different forms of heavy metals have different environmental risks. In the environmental impact assessment of heavy metals, it is necessary to consider the environmental activity and bioavailability of different chemical forms of heavy metals. Stability and passivation of Cd forms with high environmental activity should be the focus in the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution in Caohai Lake.

Graphical abstract

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adamo P, Iavazzo P, Albanese S (2014) Bioavailability and soil to plant transfer factors as indicators of potentially toxic element contamination in agricultural soils. Sci Total Environ 500–501:11–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahn Y, Yun HS, Pandi K (2020) Heavy metal speciation with prediction model for heavy metal mobility and risk assessment in mine-affected soils. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 27(3):3213–3223

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bao K, Liu JL, You XG (2017) A new comprehensive ecological risk index for risk assessment on Luanhe River, China. Environ Geochem Health 40(5):1965–1978

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bi XY, Feng XB, Yang Y (2007) Heavy metals in an impacted wetland system: a typical case from south western China. Sci Total Environ 387(1–3):257–268

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bochatay L, Persson P, Sjöberg S (2000) Metal ion coordination at the water manganite (γ-MnOOH) interface: I. An EXAFS study of cadmium(II). Colloid Interface Sci 229:584–592

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Campana O, Blasco J, Simpson SL (2013) Demonstrating the appropriateness of developing sediment quality guidelines based on sediment geochemical properties. Environ Sci Technol 47:7483–7489

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen JJ, Liu B, Cai LG (2018) Comparison of risk assessment based on the various methods of heavy metals in soil: a case study for the typical field areas in the Jianghan Plain. Hydrogeol Eng Geol 45(6):164–172

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • China National Environmental Monitoring Centre (2014) Background values of soil elements in China. China Environment Publishing Group

  • Ciszewski D, Grygar TM (2016) A Review of flood-related storage and remobilization of heavy metal pollutants in river systems. Water Air Soil Pollut 227(7):239

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davutluoglu OI, Seckin G, Ersu CB (2015) Assessment of metal pollution in water and surface sediments of the Seyhan River, Turkey, using different indexes. Soil, Air, Water 39(2):185–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han CM, Wang LS, Gong ZQ (2005) Chemical forms of soil heavy metals and their environmental significance. Chin J Ecol 24(12):1499–1502

    Google Scholar 

  • Hao YP, Miao XY, Liu HW (2021) The variation of heavy metals bioavailability in sediments of Liujiang river basin, SW China associated to their speciations and environmental fluctuations, a field study in typical Karstic river. Int J Environ Res Public Health 18(8):3986–4014

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hu J, Zhou SQ, Wu P (2017) Assessment of the distribution, bioavailability and ecological risks of heavy metals in the lake water and surface sediments of the Caohai plateau wetland. China Plos One 12(12):e189295

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu J, Long YC, Zhou W (2020) Influence of different land use types on hydrochemistry and heavy metals in surface water in the lakeshore zone of the Caohai Wetland. China. Environ Pollut 267:115454

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hu B, Guo PY, Su HT (2021) Fraction distribution and bioavailability of soil heavy metals under different planting patterns in mangrove restoration wetlands in Jinjiang, Fujian. China. Ecol Eng 166:106242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang L, Pu X, Pan JF (2013) Heavy metal pollution status in surface sediments of Swan Lake lagoon and Rongcheng Bay in the northern Yellow Sea. Chemosphere 93(9):1957–1964

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Impellitteri CA, Saxe JK, Cochran M (2010) Predicting the bioavailability of copper and zinc in soils: modeling the partitioning of potentially bioavailable copper and zinc from soil solid to soil solution. Environ Toxicol Chem 22(6):1380–1386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kasem R, Karbassi AR, Omidvar B (2020) Stability and speciation of heavy metals and metalloids in Tajan River water, North of Iran. Int J Environ Sci Technol 17(4):1899–1906

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ke X, Gui S, Huang H (2017) Ecological risk assessment and source identification for heavy metals in surface sediment from the Liaohe River protected area, China. Chemosphere 175:473–481

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lao QB, Su QZ, Liu GQ (2019) Spatial distribution and historical changes in heavy metal in the surface seawater and sediments of Beibu Gulf, China. Mar Pollut Bull 146:427–434

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li HY, Shi AB, Li MY (2013) Effect of pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and flow rate of overlying water on heavy metals release from storm sewer sediments. J Chem 2013:1–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Liang P, Wu SC, Zhang J (2016) The effects of mariculture on heavy metal distribution in sediments and cultured fish around the Pearl River Delta region, south China. Chemosphere 148:171–177

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liao RH, Wu XG, Wang ZD (2020) Spatial distribution and pollution assessment on the main nutrients and heavy metals in sediments of Lake Gehu, Taihu Basin after removing the aquaculture net. J Lake Sci 33(05):1436–1447

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin SJ (1987) New progress of neozoic study in Guizhou. Guizhou Geol 4:29–37

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin SX, Zhang QH, Guo Y (2012) Pollution characteristics and potential ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments of Caohai in Guizhou Province, China. J Agro-Environ Sci 31(11):2236–2241

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin SX, Liu XL, Zhang ZL (2021) Heavy metal pollution characteristic and source apportionment in overlying deposits of Caohai Lake, Guizhou Province. J Agro-Environ Sci 40(2):390–399

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu JL, Li YL, Zhang B (2009) Ecological risk of heavy metals in sediments of the Luan River source water. Ecotoxicology 18(6):748–758

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Long ER, Field LJ, MacDonald DD (1998) Predicting toxicity in marine sediments with numerical sediment quality guidelines. Environ Toxicol Chem 17:714–727

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lu SY, Jiao W, Jin XC (2010) Heavy metals pollution and its stability assessment of sediments in flowing rivers around lake Taihu. Environ Sci 31(10):2311–2314

    Google Scholar 

  • Ma XL, Zuo H, Tian MJ (2016) Assessment of heavy metals contamination in sediments from three adjacent regions of the Yellow River using metal chemical fractions and multivariate analysis techniques. Chemosphere 144:264–272

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald DD, Ingersoll CG, Berger TA (2002) Development and evaluation of consensus-based sediment quality guidelines for freshwater ecosystems. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 39:20–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marrugo-Negrete J, Pinedo-Hernández J, Díez S (2017) Assessment of heavy metal pollution, spatial distribution and origin in agricultural soils along the Sinú River Basin, Colombia. Environ Res 154:380–388

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Perin G, Craboledda L, Lucchese L (1985) Heavy metal speciation in the sediments of Northern Adriatic sea: a new approach for environ mental toxicity determination. Heavy Metal Environ 2:454–456

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rauret G, LópezSánchez JF, Sahuquillo A (1999) Improvement of the BCR three step sequential extraction procedure prior to the certification of new sediment and soil reference materials. J Environ Monit 1(1):167–183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen Q, Xiang JM, Zhang MK (2020) Distribution and chemical speciation of heavy metals in various size fractions of aggregates from zonal soil. Int J Environ Analyt Chem. https://doi.org/10.1080/03067319.2020.1781840

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Song YL, Zeng Y, Yang HQ (2016) Spatiotemporal distribution and potential ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in the sediments of Lake Caohai, Guizhou, China. Chin J Ecol 35(07):1849–1856

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun RR, Chen HQ, Li DK (2015) Comparison of ecological risk assessment methods based on the chemical forms of lead in soil. J Saf Environ 22(5):47–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun JW, Yu RL, Hu GR (2017) Assessment of heavy metal pollution and tracing sources by Pb & Sr Isotope in the soil profile of woodland in Quanzhou. Environ Sci 38(4):1566–1575

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang Y (2005) Comparison of element abundances between the exposed crust of the continent of China and the global average continental upper crust. Geol Bull China 24(10–11):906–915

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang SH, Wang WW, Jiang X (2013) Heavy metal speciation and stability in the sediment of Lihu Lake. Environ Sci 34(09):3562–3571

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang K, Zeng XL, Xu DY (2020) Chemical fractions, diffusion flux and risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in sediments of Baiyangdian Lake, China. Sci Total Environ 724:138046

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xia PH, Ma L, Sun RG (2020) Evaluation of potential ecological risk, possible sources and controlling factors of heavy metals in surface sediment of Caohai Wetland, China. Sci Total Environ 740:140231–140253

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yu Y, Lv YN, Wang WJ (2020) Spatio-Temporal distribution and risk assessment of heavy metals in middle and lower reaches of Le’an river. Environ Sci 41(2):691–701

    Google Scholar 

  • Yuan GL, Liu C, Chen L (2011) Inputting history of heavy metals into the inland lake recorded in sediment profiles: Poyang Lake in China. J Hazard Mater 185(1):336–345

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang FY, Yan BX, Zhu LL (2010) Speciation of heavy metals in sediment of the Songhua River northeast of China. J Agro-Environ Sci 29(1):163–167

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang ZL, Tan H, He JL (2018) Distribution characteristics and source identification of heavy metals in surface sediments of Caohai lake in Guizhou. Ecol Environ Sci 27(12):2314–2320

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21767006, 42167054).

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21767006,42167054).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550014, China

    Shaoxia Lin

  2. The Key Laboratory of Chemistry for Natural Products of Guizhou Province and Chinese Academy of Science, Guiyang, 550014, China

    Shaoxia Lin & Xiaolan Liu

  3. Guizhou Academy of Testing and Analysis, Guiyang, 550014, China

    Zhuanling Zhang

  4. Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, China

    Qinghai Zhang

Authors
  1. Shaoxia Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xiaolan Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zhuanling Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Qinghai Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Shaoxia Lin: Original draft/paper writing/funding acquisition. Xiaolan Liu: Data curation. Zhuanling Zhang: Samples collection, analysis. Qinghai Zhang: Writing, review and editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shaoxia Lin.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

All authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lin, S., Liu, X., Zhang, Z. et al. Speciation characteristics and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments from Caohai Lake, Guizhou Province. Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess 36, 3929–3944 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-022-02236-9

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-022-02236-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation