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Effect of submerged macrophytes on metal and metalloid concentrations in sediments and water of the Yunnan Plateau lakes in China

  • Sediments, Sec 4 • Sediment-Ecology Interactions • Research Article
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

Submerged macrophytes have an ability to absorb metals and metalloids either from the sediments via the roots, from the water by the leaves, or from both sources. The objectives of this study were (1) to test the hypothesis that metal and metalloid concentrations in water and sediments from sampling sites with submerged macrophytes are significantly lower than those from sampling sites without submerged macrophytes, (2) to explore the accumulation potential for metals and metalloids of different submerged macrophyte species, and (3) to discuss the relationships among submerged macrophytes, water, and sediments in the Yunnan Plateau lakes.

Materials and methods

Twenty Yunnan Plateau lakes with different trophic levels were selected. Concentrations of 16 metals and metalloids (Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, and Zn) in submerged macrophytes, water, and sediments were determined by using ICP-AES. Relationships among metal and metalloid concentrations in water, sediments, and submerged macrophytes were carried out by Pearson correlation analysis. The enrichment factor was calculated as the ratio between the concentration of metals and metalloids in a sediment sample and the soil background value.

Results and discussion

No significant differences were found in metal and metalloid concentrations in water and sediments between sampling sites with submerged macrophytes and sampling sites without submerged macrophytes. Moreover, lake water and sediments were mainly contaminated by As, Cr, and Pb. Potamogeton distinctus is a hyperaccumulator of Fe according to the threshold value for Fe hyperaccumulation. Many significantly positive correlations were found among metals and metalloids in submerged macrophytes due to co-accumulation. We found significant correlation between Cr in submerged macrophytes and Cr in water, and strong positive correlations between As, Cd, and Cu in submerged macrophytes and As, Cd, and Cu in corresponding sediments in the Yunnan Plateau lakes.

Conclusions

Submerged macrophytes have no significant effects on metal and metalloid concentrations in sediments and water in all the 20 Yunnan Plateau lakes in the study. However, further studies are necessary to understand the interactions of metals and metalloids in submerged macrophytes, water, and sediments.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (31370479) and National Science and Technology Major Project of China (2012ZX07103003, 2013ZX07102005).

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Author notes

  1. Wei Xing and Guoliang Bai contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, People’s Republic of China

    Wei Xing, Guoliang Bai, Haoping Wu, Han Liu & Guihua Liu

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People’s Republic of China

    Haoping Wu & Han Liu

Authors
  1. Wei Xing
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  2. Guoliang Bai
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  3. Haoping Wu
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  4. Han Liu
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  5. Guihua Liu
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Correspondence to Guihua Liu.

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Responsible editor: Sabine Ulrike Gerbersdorf

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Xing, W., Bai, G., Wu, H. et al. Effect of submerged macrophytes on metal and metalloid concentrations in sediments and water of the Yunnan Plateau lakes in China. J Soils Sediments 17, 2566–2575 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-017-1731-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-017-1731-3

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