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Metal accumulation by submerged macrophytes in eutrophic lakes at the watershed scale

  • Processes and Environmental Quality in the Yangtze River System
  • Published:
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Abstract

Metal concentrations (Al, Ba, Ca, K, Li, Mg, Na, Se, Sr and Ti) in submerged macrophytes and corresponding water and sediments were studied in 24 eutrophic lakes along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (China). Results showed that these eutrophic lakes have high metal concentrations in both water and sediments because of human activities. Average concentrations of Al and Na in tissues of submerged macrophytes were very high in sampled eutrophic lakes. By comparison, Ceratophyllum demersum and Najas marina accumulated more metals (e.g. Ba, Ca, K, Mg, Na, Sr and Ti). Strong positive correlations were found between metal concentrations in tissues of submerged macrophytes, probably because of co-accumulation of metals. The concentrations of Li, Mg, Na and Sr in tissues of submerged macrophytes significantly correlated with their corresponding water values, but not sediment values.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful for Prof. Phil Baker and anonymous reviewers in developing and editing this paper. This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (31000163), the National S & T Major Project (2012ZX07103003) and Youth Innovation Promotion Association of CAS.

Author contributions

WX and GL designed the study and analysed the data; WX wrote the manuscript; all authors contributed substantially to revisions; WX, HW, and BH collected and determined samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

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

    Wei Xing, Haoping Wu, Beibei Hao & Guihua Liu

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

    Haoping Wu & Beibei Hao

Authors
  1. Wei Xing
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  2. Haoping Wu
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  3. Beibei Hao
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  4. Guihua Liu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Guihua Liu.

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Responsible editor: Céline Guéguen

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Xing, W., Wu, H., Hao, B. et al. Metal accumulation by submerged macrophytes in eutrophic lakes at the watershed scale. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 6999–7008 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1854-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1854-z

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