Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Heavy metal distribution and water quality characterization of water bodies in Louisiana’s Lake Pontchartrain Basin, USA

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment volume 188, Article number: 628 (2016) Cite this article

Abstract

The seasonal variation in physico-chemical properties, anions, and the heavy metal (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) concentration was evaluated in water from nine different rivers in Lake Pontchartrain Basin, Louisiana, USA. The water quality parameters were compared with toxicity reference values (TRV), US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) drinking/aquatic life protection, and WHO standards. Among physico-chemical properties, pH, DO, and turbidity were high during spring, while, EC, temperature, and DOC were high during summer and vice versa. The anion study revealed that the concentrations of F−, Cl−, and NO3 − were higher during summer and Br− and SO4 − were higher during spring. Our research findings showed anion concentration decreased in the order of Cl− > SO4 − > NO3 − > Br− > F−, in accordance with the global mean anion concentration. The dissolved heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb) except Zn were higher during spring than summer. None of the rivers showed any Cd pollution for both seasons. Co showed higher concentrations in Amite River, Mississippi River, Industrial Canal, and Lacombe Bayou during summer. The Cr concentration was higher than WHO drinking water standards, implicating water unsuitability for drinking purposes in all the rivers associated with the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. Cu showed no pollution risk for the study area. Mn and Co were similar to concentration in Lacombe Bayou, Liberty Bayou, Blind River, and Industrial Canal. Mn levels were greater than WHO standards for the Tickfaw River, Tangipahoa River, and Blind River in both seasons. Blind River, Tangipahoa River, Tickfaw River, and Amite River will require more monitoring for determining possible Mn pollution. Ni content in river water during both seasons showed low pollution risk. Liberty Bayou and Industrial Canal concentrations were closer to the WHO regulatory standards, indicating possible risk of Pb pollution in these water bodies. The Zn content was near the USEPA aquatic life standards in summer for all water bodies. None of the rivers showed any risk associated with Cd, Co, Cu, and Ni levels but medium to higher risk to aquatic life from Cr and Zn for both seasons for most of the rivers. Metal fractionation revealed the decreasing order of inert > labile > organic. The high inert fraction in the rivers under study reflects the major contribution of natural sources in Lake Pontchartrain Basin. The labile and organic forms of Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn pose potential higher risk to the aquatic life in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

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

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abel, P. D. (1998). Water pollution biology. London: Taylor and Francis Ltd..

    Google Scholar 

  • Ali, Z., Malik, R.N., & Qadir, A. (2013). Heavy metals distribution and risk assessment in soils affected by tannery effluents. Chemistry and Ecology, 1–17.

  • Alonso, E., Santos, A., Callejon, M., & Jimenez, J. C. (2004). Speciation as a screening tool for the determination of heavy metal surface water pollution in the Guadiamar River basin. Chemosphere, 56, 561–570.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arain, M. B., Kazi, T. G., Jamali, M. K., Jalbani, N., Afridi, H. I., & Shah, A. (2008). Total dissolved and bioavailable elements in water and sediment samples and their accumulation in Oreochromis mossambicus of polluted Manchar Lake. Chemosphere, 7, 1845–1856.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Byrne, J. C., & DeLeon, I. R. (1987). Contributions of heavy metals from municipal runoff to the sediments of Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana. Chemosphere, 16, 2579–2583.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • CCME (2007). For the protection of aquatic life. In Canadian environmental quality guidelines, 1999, Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, 1999, Winnipeg.

  • DeLaune, R. D., Wang, J. J., & Jugsujinda, A. (2009). Copper in Lake Pontchartrain bottom sediment: relationship to sediment properties. Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management, 12, 456–460.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dhanakumar, S., Solaraj, G., & Mohanraj, R. (2015). Heavy metal partitioning in sediments and bioaccumulation in commercial fish species of three major reservoirs of river Cauvery delta region, India. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 113, 145–151.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Facetti, J., Dekov, V. M., & Van Grieken, R. (1998). Heavy metals in sediments from the Paraguay River: a preliminary study. Science of the Total Environment, 209(1), 79–86.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Flocks, J., Kindinger, J., Marot, M., & Holmes, C. (2009). Sediment characterization and dynamics in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana. Journal of Coastal Research., 54, 113–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Florence, T. M. (1986). Electrochemical approaches to trace element speciation in waters: a review. Analyst, 111, 489–505.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Florence, T. M. (1992). Trace-element speciation by anodic-striping voltammetry. Analyst, 117, 551–553.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Garrett, R. G. (2000). Natural sources of metals to the environment. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, 6, 945–963.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harguinteguy, C. A., Cirelli, A. F., & Pignata, M. L. (2014). Heavy metal accumulation in leaves of aquatic plant Stuckenia filiformis and its relationship with sediment and water in the Suquía River (Argentina). Microchemical Journal, 114, 111–118.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Herndon, E. M., & Brantley, S. L. (2011). Movement of manganese contamination through the critical zone. Applied Geochemistry, 26, S40–S43.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hou, D., He, J., Lü, C., Ren, L., Fan, Q., Wang, J., & Xie, Z. (2013). Distribution characteristics and potential ecological risk assessment of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd) in water and sediments from Lake Dalinouer, China. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 93, 135–144.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Islam, M. S., Ahmed, M. K., Raknuzzaman, M., Mamun, M. H. A., & Islam, M. K. (2015). Heavy metal pollution in surface water and sediment: a preliminary assessment of an urban river in a developing country. Ecological Indicators, 48, 282–291.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Islam, M. S., Han, S., & Masunaga, S. (2014). Assessment of trace metal contamination in water and sediment of some rivers in Bangladesh. Journal of Water and Environment Technology, 12, 109–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Islam, E., Yang, X., He, Z. L., & Mahmood, Q. (2007). Assessing potential dietary toxicity of heavy metals in selected vegetables and food crops. Journal of Zhejiang University Science B., 8, 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jain, C. K. (2004). Metal fractionation study on bed sediments of river Yamuna, India. Water Research, 38, 569–578.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, L., Yao, Z., Liu, Z., Wang, R., & Wu, S. (2015). Hydrochemistry and its controlling factors of rivers in the source region of the Yangtze River on the Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 155, 76–83.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jiann, K. T., & Presley, B. J. (2002). Preservation and determination of trace metal partitioning in river water by a two-column ion exchange method. Analytical Chemistry, 74, 4716–4724.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kannel, P. R., Lee, S., Lee, Y. S., Kanel, S. R., & Khan, S. P. (2007). Application of water quality indices and dissolved oxygen as indicators for river water classification and urban impact assessment. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 132, 93–110.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kansal, A., Siddiqui, N. A., & Gautam, A. (2013). Assessment of heavy metals and their interrelationships with some physicochemical parameters in eco-efficient rivers of Himalayan region. Environmental Monitoring Assessment, 185, 2553–2563.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klavins, M., Briede, A., Rodinov, V., Kokorıte, I., Parele, E., & Klavin, I. (2000). Heavy metals in rivers of Latvia. Science of the Total Environment, 262, 175–183.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kong, X., & Ye, S. (2014). The impact of water temperature on water quality indexes in north of Liaodong Bay. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 80, 245–249.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Larocque, A. C. L., & Rasmussen, P. E. (1998). An overview of trace metals in the environment from mobilization to remediation. Environmental Geology, 33, 85–90.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meador, J. (2006). Rationale and procedures for using the tissue-residue approach for toxicity assessment and determination of tissue, water, and sediment quality guidelines for aquatic organisms. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, 12, 1018–1073.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mohiuddin, K. M., Otomo, K., Ogawa, Y., & Shikazono, N. (2012). Seasonal and spatial distribution of trace elements in the water and sediments of the Tsurumi River in Japan. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 184, 265–279.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mona, R., & Shuchi, M. (2012). Analysis of various physicochemical parameters for the water quality assessment of central region. Asian Journal of Engineering Management, 1, 4–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nazeer, S., Hashmi, Z. M., & Malik, R. N. (2014). Heavy metals distribution, risk assessment and water quality characterization by water quality index of the River Soan, Pakistan. Ecological Indicators, 43, 262–270.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Perdue, E. M. (1997). In H. E. Allen, W. A. Garrison, & G.W. Luther (Ed.), Metals in surface waters. CRC Press.

  • Pourang, N., Nikouyan, A., & Dennis, J. H. (2005). Trace element concentrations in fish, surficial sediments and water from northern part of the Persian Gulf. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 109, 293–316.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rahman, M. S., Saha, N., & Molla, A. H. (2014). Potential ecological risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in sediment and water body around Dhaka export processing zone, Bangladesh. Environmental Earth Sciences, 71, 2293–2308.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma, P., Meher, P. K., Kumar, A., Gautam, Y. P., & Mishra, K. P. (2014). Changes in water quality index of Ganges river at different locations in Allahabad. Sustainability of Water Quality and Ecology, 3–4, 67–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shomar, B. H., Muller, G., & Yahya, A. (2005). Seasonal variation of chemical composition of water and bottom sediments in the wetland of Wadi Gaza, Gaza strip. Wetlands Ecology and Management, 13, 419–431.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, K. P., Malik, A., Sinha, S., Singh, V. K., & Murthy, R. C. (2005). Estimation of source of heavy metal contamination in sediments of Gomti River (India) using principal component analysis. Water Air and Soil Pollution, 166, 321–341.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • USEPA (1999). Screening level ecological risks assessment protocol for hazardous wastes. Appendix E: toxicity reference values. EPA 530-D99-001C, vol. 3.

  • USEPA. (2006). Drinking water standards and health advisories. EPA 822-R-06-013, Office of Water, U.S. Washington, DC: Environmental Protection Agency.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vega, F. A., & Weng, L. (2013). Speciation of heavy metals in River Rhine. Water Research, 47, 363–372.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vieira, R., Fernandes, J. N., & Barbosa, A. E. (2013). Evaluation of the impacts of road runoff in a Mediterranean reservoir in Portugal. Environmental Monitoring Assessment, 185, 7659–7673.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, J., Liu, G., Lu, L., Zhang, J., & Liu, H. (2015). Geochemical normalization and assessment of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, and Ni) in sediments from the Huaihe River, Anhui, China. Catena, 129, 30–38.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • WHO. (2011). Guidelines for drinking water quality (3rd ed.). Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang, Y. Q., Chen, F. R., Zhang, L., Liu, J. S., Wu, S. J., & Kang, M. L. (2012). Comprehensive assessment of heavy metal contamination in sediment of the Pearl River estuary and adjacent shelf. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 64, 1947–1955.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Y., Guo, F., Meng, W., & Wang, X. Q. (2009). Water quality assessment and source identification of Daliao river basin using multivariate statistical methods. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 152, 105–121.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Z. Q., Wang, J. J., Ali, A., & DeLaune, R. D. (2016). Heavy metals and metalloid contamination in Louisiana Lake Pontchartrain Estuary along I-10 Bridge. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 44, 66–77.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The project was conducted at School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences, Louisiana State University AgCenter. This work was partly supported by a grant through the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation (no. 06-07NOAA-06-A3).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Taicheng Road 3#, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China

    Zengqiang Zhang & Amjad Ali

  2. School of Plant, Environmental, and Soil Sciences, Louisiana State University AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA

    Jim J. Wang

  3. Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, School of Coast and Environment, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803-7511, USA

    Ronald D. DeLaune

Authors
  1. Zengqiang Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jim J. Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Amjad Ali
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ronald D. DeLaune
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Zengqiang Zhang or Jim J. Wang.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interests

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhang, Z., Wang, J.J., Ali, A. et al. Heavy metal distribution and water quality characterization of water bodies in Louisiana’s Lake Pontchartrain Basin, USA. Environ Monit Assess 188, 628 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5639-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5639-y

Keywords

search

Navigation