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Level, source identification, and risk analysis of heavy metal in surface sediments from river-lake ecosystems in the Poyang Lake, China

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Abstract

The concentrations, sources, and risks of heavy metals (Fe, Al, Mn, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, W, Pb, and Tl) in sediments in five river-lake ecosystems in the Poyang Lake region were studied. The concentrations of the heavy metals varied spatially, with most of the highest concentrations in the Raohe river-lake ecosystem (RH). All heavy metals except As, Cd, W, and Tl were enriched in sediments possessing high total organic carbon contents or in finer sediments. Based on enrichment factors and statistical methods, it was found that Cd in sediments in the Xiushui (XS), Ganjiang (GJ), Xinjiang (XJ) river-lake ecosystems, and RH; Mn in the XS, GJ, and RH; and W in the XS and GJ were greatly affected by anthropogenic inputs. Moreover, the origins of Cu, Zn, and As require more attention due to the high concentrations found. The high enrichment factor of Cd in the sediments indicated that this metal might cause significant pollution in the environment. The results of the modified potential ecological risk index revealed that the XS, GJ, RH, and XJ were at considerable ecological risk, while the sediments in the Fuhe river-lake ecosystem (FH) were at moderate ecological risk, with Cd contributing the highest proportion of risk. The hazard score fundamentally validated the modified potential ecological risk analysis and revealed a mean toxicity of 57.80% to the benthic organisms in the RH.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank three anonymous referees for their helpful comments on the manuscript. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 41401587), the Science and Technology Research Project of Jiangxi Provincial Education Department (grant no. GJJ160276), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province (20171BAB213023), and the Collaborative Innovation Center for Major Ecological Security Issues of Jiangxi Province and Monitoring Implementation (grant no. JXS-EW-00). The authors are grateful to Ms. LING Chunyuan and Ms. XU Xiaoling for their suggestions on the revised manuscript.

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  1. Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education (Jiangxi Normal University), Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330022, China

    Hua Zhang, Mingjun Ding & Zhenglei Xie

  2. School of Geography & Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, No. 99, Ziyang Road, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330022, China

    Hua Zhang, Yinghui Jiang, Mingjun Ding & Zhenglei Xie

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Zhang, H., Jiang, Y., Ding, M. et al. Level, source identification, and risk analysis of heavy metal in surface sediments from river-lake ecosystems in the Poyang Lake, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 21902–21916 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9855-y

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