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Health and ecological risks assessment of heavy metals and metalloids in surface sediments of Urmia Salt Lake, Northwest of Iran

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Abstract

Urmia Lake, in the northwest of Iran, is the largest body of saline water in the Middle East, which has been desiccated in recent decades. To investigate the pollution status and ecological-health risks of heavy metals and metalloids in the surface sediments of this lake, 26 sediment samples were collected along the salt marshes of the lake and were analyzed for heavy metals and metalloid concentrations. The potential ecological risk assessment was carried out using enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), contamination factor (CF), and potential ecological risk (Eri) standard indices. The average concentrations (mg kg−1) of heavy metals and metalloids were as follows: Fe (11,714) > Sr (320.8) > Mn (274.3) > V (28.5) > Cu (24.7) > Zn (21.2) > As (17.3) > Ni (14.8) > Cr (12.6) > Pb (11) > Co (4.0) > U (1.7), Hg (0.6) > Mo (0.36). The concentrations of As, Hg, and Sr in lake sediments were higher than geochemical background values. The non-carcinogenic risks caused by heavy metals and metalloids were insignificant regarding health risks. Levels of carcinogenic risk for metal(loid)s were in the acceptable ranges (10−6–10−4). The ecological risk was low, except for As, Sr, and Hg which showed moderate to significant EF, Igeo, and CF values. Arsenic and Sr were enriched in the surface sediments in desiccated parts of the lake due to complete lake water evaporation. It seems that further drying of the lake increases the potential ecological risk of heavy metals and metalloids in the surface sediments of Urmia Lake.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the environmental chemistry laboratory of the health faculty for helping us prepare the sediment samples.

Funding

This research was financially supported by Tabriz University of Medical Sciences under grant number 61750 and Research Ethics Certificate IR. TBZMED.RES. 1397,326. This grant was received by professor Mohammamd Mosaferi.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

    Roghayeh Khosravi

  2. Health and Environment Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Sepideh Nemati Mansour & Mohammad Mosaferi

  3. Health Faculty, Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Sepideh Nemati Mansour & Jahangir Ekrami

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  1. Roghayeh Khosravi
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  2. Sepideh Nemati Mansour
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Roghayeh Khosravi: conceptualization, visualization, writing original draft, writing—review and editing. Sepideh Nemati Mansour and Jahangir Ekrami: formal analysis, conceptualization, sample collection, writing—review and editing. Mohammad Mosaferi: conceptualization, methodology, sample collection, formal analysis, investigation, supervision.

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Correspondence to Mohammad Mosaferi.

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Khosravi, R., Nemati Mansour, S., Ekrami, J. et al. Health and ecological risks assessment of heavy metals and metalloids in surface sediments of Urmia Salt Lake, Northwest of Iran. Environ Monit Assess 195, 403 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-10946-y

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