Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Characterization and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in River Sediments on the Western Bank of Taihu Lake, China

  • Published:
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this study, nine heavy metals (Cd, Cr, As, Hg, Pb, Cu, Ni, Be, and Sb) in the sediments of 17 typical rivers on the western bank of Taihu Lake were determined. Several statistical methods were applied to analyze the distribution, sources, pollution status, and potential ecological risk of these metals. The mean concentrations of heavy metals in sediments other than Be exceeded their local background values. Geoaccumulation index and potential ecological risk index analyses demonstrated that most sediment samples were contaminated and may pose ecological risks, especially those from the Taihu Lake estuary. In particular, Cd concentrations indicated moderate contamination and potentially serious to severe ecological risk. Principal component, cluster, and correlation analyses demonstrated that Ni, Sb, Cr, and Cu were derived from industrial sources, whereas the other metals had complex origins.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bengrane K, Marhaba TF (2003) Using principal component analysis to monitor spatial and temporal changes in water quality. J Hazard Mater 100:179–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen Y, Fan C, Teubner K et al (2003) Changes of nutrients and phytoplankton chlorophyll-a in a large shallow lake, Taihu, China: an 8-year investigation. Hydrobiologia 506:273–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen C, Zheng B, Jiang X et al (2013) Spatial distribution and pollution assessment of mercury in sediments of Lake Taihu, China. J Environ Sci 25(2):316–325

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • China Environmental Monitoring Station (CEMS) (1990) Natural background values of soil elements in China. China Environmental Science Press, Beijing (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dong B, Renzhi Z, Yandong G et al (2019) Multiple methods for the identification of heavy metal sources in cropland soils from a resource-based region. Sci Total Environ 651:3127–3138

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hai X, Paerl HW, Qin B et al (2010) Nitrogen and phosphorus inputs control phytoplankton growth in eutrophic Lake Taihu, China. Limnol Oceanogr 55:420–432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hakanson L (1980) An ecological risk index for aquatic pollution control. A sedimentological approach. Water Res 14:975–1001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hong Y, Jian L, Xin Y et al (2014) Concentrations, bioavailability, and spatial distribution of soil heavy metals in a long-term wastewater irrigation area in North China. Clean Soil Air Water 42:331–338

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jang CS, Liu CW, Lin KH et al (2006) Spatial analysis of potential carcinogenic risks associated with ingesting arsenic in aquacultural Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) in blackfoot disease hyperendemic areas. Environ Sci Technol 40:1707–1713

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krishna AK, Satyanarayanan M, Govil PK (2009) Assessment of heavy metal pollution in water using multivariate statistical techniques in an industrial area: a case study from Patancheru, Medak District, Andhra Pradesh, India. J Hazard Mater 167:366–373

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li J, Ming H, Han W et al (2009) Analysis and assessment on heavy metal sources in the coastal soils developed from alluvial deposits using multivariate statistical methods. J Hazard Mater 164:976–981

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Mei L, Zhou S et al (2018) Analysis of historical sources of heavy metals in Lake Taihu based on the positive matrix factorization model. Int J Environ Res Public Health 15:1540

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu H, Liqing LI, Yin C et al (2008) Fraction distribution and risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments of Moshui Lake. J Environ Sci 20:390–397

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu J, Li Y, Bao Z, Cao J et al (2009) Ecological risk of heavy metals in sediments of the Luan River source water. Ecotoxicology 18:748–758

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muller G (1969) Index of geoaccumulation in sediments of the Rhine River. GeoJournal 2:109–118

    Google Scholar 

  • Mwanamoki PM, Devarajan N, Thevenon F et al (2015) Trace metals and persistent organic pollutants in sediments from river-reservoir systems in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): spatial distribution and potential ecotoxicological effects. Chemosphere 119:466

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Niu Y, Jiang X, Wang K et al (2019) Meta analysis of heavy metal pollution and sources in surface sediments of Lake Taihu, China. Sci Total Environ 700:134509

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qin B, Xu P, Wu Q et al (2007) Environmental issues of Lake Taihu, China. Hydrobiologia 581:3–14

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qu W, Dickman M, Wang S (2001) Multivariate analysis of heavy metal and nutrient concentrations in sediments of Taihu Lake, China. Hydrobiologia 450:83–89

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Suthar S, Nema AK, Chabukdhara M et al (2009) Assessment of metals in water and sediments of Hindon River, India: impact of industrial and urban discharges. J Hazard Mater 171:1088–1095

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tokalioglu S, Yilmaz V, Kartal S et al (2015) An assessment on metal sources by multivariate analysis and speciation of metals in soil samples using the BCR sequential extraction procedure. Clean Soil Air Water 38:713–718

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tume P, Roca N, Rubio R et al (2018) An assessment of the potentially hazardous element contamination in urban soils of Arica, Chile. J Geochem Expl 184:345–357

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xie Q (2011) Pollution and the potential ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in the sediment of Dadong River. Ind Saf Environ Prot 10:24–26 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Yao S, Xue B (2010) Nutrients and heavy metals in multi-cores from Zhushan Bay at Taihu Lake, the largest shallow lake in the Yangtze Delta, China. Quat Int 226:23–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ying C, Zhang W, Zhou M et al (2016) Comprehensive assessment of heavy metal contamination in surface sediments from the inflow rivers of Taihu Basin. Clean Soil Air Water 43:1582–1591

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang YP, Qu WC (2001) Determination of heavy metals in sediments of Taihu Lake and its environmental significance. Rock Miner Anal 20(1):34–36 (in Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang JC, Lin CH, Lin SX et al (2014) Characteristics of migration and accumulation of heavy metals in soil-plant system in different functional areas of Caohai Watershed in Guizhou. J Soil Water Conserv 2:169–174 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhuang P (2009) Health risk from heavy metals via consumption of food crops in the vicinity of Dabaoshan mine, South China. Sci Total Environ 407:1551–1561

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhuang W, Wang Q, Tang L et al (2018) A new ecological risk assessment index for metal elements in sediments based on receptor model, speciation, and toxicity coefficient by taking the Nansihu Lake as an example. Ecol Ind 89:725–737

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Open Research Fund of Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering (ZX2018001), and the Taihu Water Pollution Control Fund (TH2018404).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Environmental Science, Nanjing, 210036, People’s Republic of China

    Fei Wang, Xiaoming Ren & Yang Qiu

  2. Jiangsu Environmental Engineering Technology Co. Ltd, Nanjing, 210019, People’s Republic of China

    Fei Wang, Jiade Cheng, Yan Chen, Lingling Wang, Limin Zhang, Shanshan Zhao & Xiaoping Wang

  3. School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, People’s Republic of China

    Chen Sun

Authors
  1. Fei Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xiaoming Ren
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yang Qiu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jiade Cheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yan Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Lingling Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Limin Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Shanshan Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Xiaoping Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Chen Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiaoming Ren.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

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

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 469 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, F., Ren, X., Qiu, Y. et al. Characterization and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in River Sediments on the Western Bank of Taihu Lake, China. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 109, 609–615 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-021-03430-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-021-03430-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation