Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Partitioning pattern of metals onto sediment particles in shallow lakes: an exponential decrease with increased particle size and its environmental implications

  • Sediments, Sec 2 • Physical and Biogeochemical Processes • Research Article
  • Published:
Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

This research attempts to describe the partitioning pattern of metals with particle size distribution and to reveal its underlying mechanisms in natural sediments, in order to explain the variability of metal spatial patterns and its potential environmental implications at a large spatial scale.

Materials and methods

A set of individual sediment samples from two shallow lakes was separated into size-grouped particles ranging from 1 to 50 μm and was analyzed to determine the concentrations of iron (Fe) oxides, aluminum (Al) oxides, arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd). The adsorption isotherms of the metals on sediments, with Cu and Pb as representatives, were used to explain the underlying mechanisms of this proposed exponential partitioning pattern.

Results and discussion

The ranges of trace metals in sediment samples are 18.0–40.3 mg kg−1 for As, 81.3–141.4 mg kg−1 for Cr, 18.2–33.7 mg kg−1 for Cu, 74.7–249.1 mg kg−1 for Zn, 23.2–47.4 mg kg−1 for Ni, 22.0–51.4 mg kg−1 for Pb, and 0.20–0.70 mg kg−1 for Cd. We propose the equation cx = c0 + cmexp(− kdx), in which the metal concentration (cx) of sediment particles decreases exponentially with increase in particle size (x). The c0 is a constant based on the background concentration, cm represents the maximum metal concentration of the finest particles reflecting metal pollution degree, and kd is a constant describing the decrease rate with particle size (x). The partitioning amount is proportional to the sorption affinity of particles, which is a comprehensive parameter dependent on the amount of metal adsorbents including organic matter, Fe, and Al (hydr)oxides contained in particles.

Conclusion

The exponential equation separated the affecting factors of metal concentration into metal pollution level and particle size with environmental implications. This partition pattern can be well explained by adsorption isotherms conducted on size-fractionated particles.

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
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

References

  • Akcil A, Erust C, Ozdemiroglu S, Fonti V, Beolchini F (2015) A review of approaches and techniques used in aquatic contaminated sediments: metal removal and stabilization by chemical and biotechnological processes. J Clean Prod 86:24–36

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bradl HB (2004) Adsorption of heavy metal ions on soils and soils constituents. J Colloid Interf Sci 277:1–18

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll SA, O’Day PA, Piechowski M (1998) Rock-water interactions controlling zinc, cadmium, and lead concentrations in surface waters and sediments, U.S. Tri-State Mining District. 2. Geochemical Interpretation Environ Sci Technol 32:956–965

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen M, Ding S, Li C, Tang Y, Fang X, Xu H, Tsang DCW, Zhang C (2021) High cadmium pollution from sediments in a eutrophic lake caused by dissolved organic matter complexation and reduction of manganese oxide. Water Res 190:116711

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dang DH, Layglon N, Ferretto N, Omanovic D, Mullot JU, Lenoble V, Mounier S, Garnier C (2020) Kinetic processes of copper and lead remobilization during sediment resuspension of marine polluted sediments. Sci Total Environ 698:134120

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dendievel AM, Grosbois C, Ayrault S, Evrard O, Coynel A, Debret M, Gardes T, Euzen C, LaurentSchmitt L, Chabaux F, Winiarski T, Perk MVD, Mourier E (2022) Key factors influencing metal concentrations in sediments along Western European Rivers: a long-term monitoring study (1945–2020). Sci Total Environ 805:149778

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Deng P, Yi Q, Zhang J, Wang C, Chen Y, Zhang T, Shi W (2022) Phosphorous partitioning in sediments by particle size distribution in shallow lakes: from its mechanisms and patterns to its ecological implications. Sci Total Environ 814:152753

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fan X, Ding S, Chen M, Gao S, Fu Z, Gong M, Tsang DCW, Wang Y, Zhang C (2019) Peak chromium pollution in summer and winter caused by high mobility of chromium in sediment of a eutrophic lake: in situ evidence from high spatiotemporal sampling. Environ Sci Technol 53(9):4755–4764

  • Feng C, Guo X, Yin S, Tian C, Li Y, Shen Z (2017) Heavy metal partitioning of suspended particulate matter, water and sediment-water in the Yangtze Estuary. Chemosphere 185:717–725

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fulda B, Voegelin A, Maurer F, Christl I, Kretzschmar R (2013) Copper redox transformation and complexation by reduced and oxidized soil humic acid. 1. X-ray absorption spectroscopy study. Environ Sci Technol 47:10903–10911

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gao Y, Kan AT, Tomson M (2003) Critical evaluation of desorption phenomena of heavy metals from natural sediments. Environ Sci Technol 37:5566–5573

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hassellöv M, Lyvén B, Beckett R (1999) Sedimentation field-flow fractionation coupled online to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry new possibilities for studies of trace metal adsorption onto natural colloids. Environ Sci Technol 33(24):36–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He D, Shi X, Wu D (2016) Particle-size distribution characteristics and pollution of heavy metals in the surface sediments of Kuitun River in Xinjiang. China Environ Earth Sci 75:104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hierro A, Olias M, Canovas CR, Martin JE, Bolivar JP (2014) Trace metal partitioning over a tidal cycle in an estuary affected by acid mine drainage (Tinto estuary, SW Spain). Sci Total Environ 497:18–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang B, Yuan Z, Li D, Zheng M, Nie X, Liao Y (2020) Effects of soil particle size on the adsorption, distribution, and migration behaviors of heavy metal(loid)s in soil: a review. Environ Sci-Proc Imp 22:1596

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jayarathne A, Egodawatta P, Ayoko GA, Goonetilleke A (2017) Geochemical phase and particle size relationships of metals in urban road dust. Environ Pollut 230:218–226

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lanzerstorfer C (2018) Heavy metals in the finest size fractions of road-deposited sediments. Environ Pollut 239:522–531

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liang X, Song J, Duan L, Yuan H, Li X, Li N, Qu B, Wang Q (2018) Metals in size-fractionated core sediments of Jiaozhou Bay, China: records of recent anthropogenic activities and risk assessments. Mar Pollut Bull 127:198–206

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu C, Fan C, Shen Q, Shao S, Zhang L, Zhou Q (2016) Effects of riverine suspended particulate matter on post-dredging metal re-contamination across the sediment–water interface. Chemosphere 144:2329–2335

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu E, Shen J, Yang X, Yang X, Zhang E (2012) Spatial distribution and human contamination quantification of trace metals and phosphorus in the sediments of Chaohu Lake, a eutrophic shallow lake, China. Environ Monit Assess 184:2105–2118

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu G, Wang J, Liu X, Liu X, Li X, Ren Y, Wang J, Dong L (2018) Partitioning and geochemical fractions of heavy metals from geogenic and anthropogenic sources in various soil particle size fractions. Geoderma 312:104–113

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu G, Wang J, Xue W, Zhao J, Wang J, Liu X (2017) Effect of the size of variable charge soil particles on cadmium accumulation and adsorption. J Soil Sediment 17:2810–2821

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu Q, Yang P, Hu Z, Shu Q, Chen Y (2022) Identification of the sources and influencing factors of the spatial variation of heavy metals in surface sediments along the northern Jiangsu coast. Ecol Indic 137:108716

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lu R (1999) Methods of soil agricultural chemistry analysis. China Agricultural Science and Technology Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • Luo X, Shen Y, Li X (2011) Distribution, availability, and sources of trace metals in different particle size fractions of urban soils in Hong Kong: implications for assessing the risk to human health. Environ Pollut 159:1317–1326

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murray K, Cauvet D, Lybeer M, Thomas JC (1999) Particle size and chemical control of heavy metals in bed sediment from the Rouge River, Southeast Michigan. Environ Sci Technol 33:987–992

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • O’Day PA, Carroll SA, Waychuna GA (1998) Rock-water interactions controlling zinc, cadmium, and lead concentrations in surface waters and sediments, U.S. Tri-State Mining District. 1. Molecular identification using X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Environ Sci Technol 32:943–955

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qu WC, Mike D, Wang SM (2001) Multivariate analysis of heavy metal and nutrient concentrations in sediments of Taihu Lake, China. Hydrobiologia 450:83–89

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts DR, Scheidegger AM, Sparks DL (1999) Kinetics of mixed Ni-Al precipitate formation on a soil clay fraction. Environ Sci Technol 33:3749–3754

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schroeder H, Duester L, Fabricius AL, Ecker D, Breitung V, Ternes TA (2020) Sediment water (interface) mobility of metal(loid)s and nutrients under undisturbed conditions and during resuspension. J Hazard Mater 394:122543

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shen J, Liu E, Zhu Y, Hu S, Qu W (2007) Distribution and chemical fraction of heavy metals in recent sediments from Lake Taihu, China. Hydrobiologia 581:141–150

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Simonin J (2016) On the comparison of pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order rate laws in the modeling of adsorption kinetics. Chem Eng J 300:254–263

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Strawn DG, Scheidegger AM, Sparks D (1998) Kinetics and mechanisms of Pb(II) sorption and desorption at the aluminum oxide-water interface. Environ Sci Technol 32:2596–2601

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tang Y, Zhang M, Sun G, Pan G (2019) Impact of eutrophication on arsenic cycling in freshwaters. Water Res 150:191–199

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tessier A, Campbell PGC, Bisson M (1979) Sequential extraction procedure for the speciation of particulate trace metals. Anal Chem 51:844–850

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Uddin MK (2017) A review on the adsorption of heavy metals by clay minerals, with special focus on the past decade. Chem Eng J 308:438–462

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vareda JP, Valente AJM, Durães L (2019) Assessment of heavy metal pollution from anthropogenic activities and remediation strategies: a review. J Environ Manage 246:101–118

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Voegelin A, Pfister S, Scheinost AC, Marcus M, Kretzschmar B (2005) Change in zinc speciation in field soil after contamination with zinc oxide. Environ Sci Technol 39:6616–6623

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Voegelin A, Scheinost AC, Bühlmann K, Barmettler K, Kretzschmar B (2002) Slow formation and dissolution of Zn precipitates in soil: a combined column-transport and XAFS study. Environ Sci Technol 36:3749–3754

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vosoogh A, Saeedi M, Lak R (2017) Metal fractionation and pollution risk assessment of different sediment sizes in three major southwestern rivers of Caspian Sea. Environ Earth Sci 76(7):292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang F, Chen J, Forsling W (1997) Modeling sorption of trace metals on natural sediments by surface complexation model. Environ Sci Technol 31:448–453

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang S, Wang W, Chen J, Zhao L, Zhang B, Jiang X (2019) Geochemical baseline establishment and pollution source determination of heavy metals in lake sediments: a case study in Lihu Lake, China. Sci Total Environ 657:978–986

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xie M, Jarrett BA, Da Silva-Cadoux C, Fetters KJ, Burton GA Jr, Gaillard JF, Packman AI (2015) Coupled effects of hydrodynamics and biogeochemistry on Zn mobility and speciation in highly contaminated sediments. Environ Sci Technol 49(9):5346–5353

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu H, Ji L, Kong M, Xu M, Lv X (2019) Abundance, chemical composition and lead adsorption properties of sedimentary colloids in a eutrophic shallow lake. Chemosphere 218:534–539

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yao Q, Wang X, Jian H, Chen H, Yu Z (2015) Characterization of the particle size fraction associated with heavy metals in suspended sediments of the Yellow River. Int J Env Res Pub He 12:6725–6744

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yu J, Chen Q, Zhang J, Zhong J, Fan C, Hu L, Shi W, Yu W, Zhang Y (2018) In situ simulation of thin-layer dredging effects on sediment metal release across the sediment-water interface. Sci Total Environ 658:501–509

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu T, Zhang Y, Zhang Y (2012) Distribution and bioavailability of heavy metals in different particle-size fractions of sediments in Taihu Lake. China, Chem Spec Bioavailab 24:205–215

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang L, Liao Q, Shao S, Zhang N, Shen Q, Liu C (2015) Heavy metal pollution, fractionation, and potential ecological risks in sediments from Lake Chaohu (Eastern China) and the Surrounding Rivers. Int J Environ Res Pub He 12:14115–14131

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang J, Wang K, Yi Q, Zhang T, Shi W, Zhou X (2022) Transport and partitioning of metals in river networks of a plain area with sedimentary resuspension and implications for downstream lakes. Environ Pollut 294:118668

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang S, Yi Q, Buyang S, Cui H, Zhang S (2020) Enrichment of bioavailable phosphorus in fine particles when sediment resuspension hinders the ecological restoration of shallow eutrophic lakes. Sci Total Environ 710:135672

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Y, Hu X, Tao Y (2012) Distribution and risk assessment of metals in sediments from Taihu Lake, China using multivariate statistics and multiple tools. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 89(5):1009–1015

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao H, Li X (2013) Understanding the relationship between heavy metals in road-deposited sediments and washoff particles in urban stormwater using simulated rainfall. J Hazard Mater 246–247:267–276

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu H, Bing H, Wu Y, Zhou J, Sun H, Wang J, Wang X (2019) The spatial and vertical distribution of heavy metal contamination in sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir determined by anti-seasonal flow regulation. Sci Total Environ 664:9–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This research was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (No. ZR2021MD017), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41807398; 51579001).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering, Yantai University, Qingquan Road 30, Yantai, 264005, China

    Conghui Wang, Qitao Yi & Jin Zhang

  2. School of Earth and Environment, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, 232001, China

    Conghui Wang & Keke Wan

Authors
  1. Conghui Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Qitao Yi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Keke Wan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jin Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Conhui Wang: methodology, investigation, data curation, visualization, formal analysis. Qitao Yi: conceptualization; writing—original draft; writing—review and editing; validation; funding acquisition; supervision. Keke Wan: methodology, investigation, data curation. Jin Zhang: funding acquisition, writing—review and editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qitao Yi.

Ethics declarations

Competing interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Shiming Ding

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 919 KB)

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, C., Yi, Q., Wan, K. et al. Partitioning pattern of metals onto sediment particles in shallow lakes: an exponential decrease with increased particle size and its environmental implications. J Soils Sediments 23, 483–495 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-022-03389-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-022-03389-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation