Abstract
Previous investigations on heavy metals in the water–sediment compartment focused on their spatial distribution, and the influence of sediment pH and organic matter (OM) on metal environmental occurrences. However, there are limited studies on the effects of physicochemical properties on the migration and transformation of heavy metals in the water–sediment compartments. This study investigated the relationship between the physicochemical properties of sediments and the distribution and chemical speciation of heavy metals, and the potential environmental risk of heavy metals in water and sediment using Risk Assessment Code (RAC) values and the Tessier five-step extraction method. Adsorption and desorption experiments showed that the sediment had weak adsorption and the strongest desorption capacity for Cd. Results of the pH, OM, surface element content, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns suggested that cadmium (Cd) was more likely to partition into the water phase from the sediment during the flooding and water storage periods. When pH was 7–8 and OM content was 3.6–5.9%, the sediment–water distribution coefficient of Cd was low due to its large ionic radius, and the surface adsorption sites were saturated by other elements. These studies can provide a theoretical basis for the management and pollution control of the Three Gorges Reservoir.
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The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request.
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Funding
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 31670467, 51808089), the Science and Technology Research Program of Chongqing Municipal Education Commission (grant no. KJZD-K201801202), and the Open Fundamental Theory Research Project of Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratory of Universities on Water Environment Evolution and Pollution Prevention in Three Gorges Reservoir Area (no. WEPKL2016LL-07).
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C. L. 1 and Q. L. wrote the manuscript. C. L. 2, J. W., and S. L. conducted experiments. B. Y. and Y. Z. analyzed the results, and H. W. prepared the figures and tables. C. F. and Y. W. revised the manuscript.
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Liu, C., Lan, Q., Yan, B. et al. Spatio-temporal variation and hazard assessment of potentially toxic metal element contamination in sediments and water before and after a water-level fluctuation cycle in the Three Gorges Reservoir, Wanzhou, China. Environ Monit Assess 195, 920 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11457-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11457-6