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Geochemical distribution, fractionation, and sources of heavy metals in dammed-river sediments: the Longjiang River, Southern China

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Abstract

In the present study, six sediment cores were collected from six river-dammed reservoirs to reveal the geochemical distribution of heavy metals (As, Cd, Pb, Sb, and Zn) in the Longjiang River, South China, which is highly impacted by nonferrous metal mining and smelting activities. The sediments were geochemically characterized, combining geochemical analysis, sequential extractions, and 210Pb chronology. The results indicated that the river sediments were severely polluted by heavy metals in the order of Cd > Zn ≈ Pb ≈ Sb > As. These heavy metals generally exhibited relatively low enrichment in the upstream sediments because of the limited anthropogenic impact, but their abundances drastically increased in the midstream sediments due to local smelting activities. In downstream sediments, the heavy metal concentrations (except for Cd) decreased, owing to the effect of dam interception and detrital inputs. Cadmium levels tended to increase in downstream sediments, which were attributed to the intensive discharge of Cd during the pollution event in 2012. The sedimentary records were traced back to 1985, and a significant decrease of heavy metal enrichments could be found after the year 2000, suggesting the enhancement of environmental management in this period. The statistical results indicated that local metal smelting and mining activities were the main anthropogenic contributors for the enrichment of heavy metals in the dammed-river sediments. High enrichment factor and non-residual fractions of heavy metals in local sediments may pose a direct threat to aquatic organisms. Cd presents significant danger because of its extreme enrichment and high labile fractions.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41473124, 41673138). The authors thank Yanlong Zhao from Water Resources Protection Bureau of Pearl River for the assistance of field sampling. We also thank Jake Carpenter from UCLA, USA, for language editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China

    Xiaolong Lan, Zengping Ning, Yizhang Liu, Qingxiang Xiao & Haiyan Chen

  2. Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China

    Enzong Xiao & Tangfu Xiao

  3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Xiaolong Lan, Qingxiang Xiao & Haiyan Chen

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  1. Xiaolong Lan
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Correspondence to Tangfu Xiao.

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Lan, X., Ning, Z., Liu, Y. et al. Geochemical distribution, fractionation, and sources of heavy metals in dammed-river sediments: the Longjiang River, Southern China. Acta Geochim 38, 190–201 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11631-019-00313-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11631-019-00313-5

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