Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Assessing the environmental risk, fractions, and remobilization of copper and zinc in the sediments of the Jialing River—an important tributary of the Yangtze River in China

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) are two heavy metal pollutants that pose a serious risk in the Jialing River. Cu and Zn are transported into the sediment primarily due to the activities of the mining and smelting industries. In this study, we employed the diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT) technique, sequential extraction, and two assessment methods to evaluate the remobilization, fractions, and environmental risk in the downstream section of the Jialing River. The total concentrations of Cu and Zn in the four study areas followed the order S3 > S2 > S4 > S1, and the assessment results indicated that Cu and Zn presented a low environmental risk in the study area. Cu and Zn were primarily bound to the Fe/Mn oxide fraction (F2) and the residual fraction (F4). The results of the DGT probe showed a clear vertical distribution of Cu and Zn in the sediment (from 3 to − 12 cm), and both elements showed obvious increasing trends at the bottom of the probe. The correlation analysis indicated that CDGT-Cu correlated well with CDGT-Zn (r = 0.834, p < 0.01). The flux results showed that the sediment in the downstream section of the Jialing River is a major source of Cu and Zn and that there is a potential risk of release to the overlying water. Further analysis found that CDGT-Fe was negatively correlated with CDGT-Cu and CDGT-Zn, indicating that Fe may influence the remobilization of these metals. In addition, a hotspot of CDGT-Cu and CDGT-Zn at the bottom of the probe corresponded with a dark area in the AgI gel measuring CDGT-S. These results indicate that Fe and S are factors that mitigate the release of Cu and Zn from sediments.

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
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akcay H, Oguz A, Karapire C (2003) Study of heavy metal pollution and speciation in Buyak Menderes and Gediz river sediments. Water Res 37(4):813–822

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Badrzadeh Z, Barrett TJ, Peter JM, Gimeno D, Sabzehei M, Aghazadeh M (2011) Geology, mineralogy, and sulfur isotope geochemistry of the Sargaz Cu–Zn volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit, Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone, Iran. Mineral Deposita 46(8):905–923

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Benjamin MM, Leckie JO (1981) Multiple-site adsorption of Cd, Cu, Zn, and Pb on amorphous iron oxyhydroxide. J Colloid Interface Sci 79(1):209–221

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Buzier R, Charriau A, Corona D, Lenain JF, Fondanèche P, Joussein E, Poulier G, Lissalde S, Mazzella N, Guibaud G (2014) DGT-labile As, Cd, Cu and Ni monitoring in freshwater: toward a framework for interpretation of in situ deployment. Environ Pollut 192:52–58

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Casagrande JC, Alleoni LR, de Camargo OA, Arnone AD (2005) Effects of pH and ionic strength on zinc sorption by a variable charge soil. Commun Soil Sci Plan 35(15–16):2087–2095

    Google Scholar 

  • CEPA (State Environmental Protection Administration of China) (2002) Marine sediment quality (GB 18668e2002). Standards Press of China, Beijing (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dalman Ö, Demirak A, Balcı A (2006) Determination of heavy metals (Cd, Pb) and trace elements (Cu, Zn) in sediments and fish of the southeastern Aegean Sea (Turkey) by atomic absorption spectrometry. Food Chem 95(1):157–162

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dang DH, Lenoble V, Durrieu G, Omanović D, Mullot JU, Mounier S, Garnier C (2015) Seasonal variations of coastal sedimentary trace metals cycling: insight on the effect of manganese and iron (oxy) hydroxides, sulphide and organic matter. Mar Pollut Bull 92(1–2):113–124

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • De Jonge M, Teuchies J, Meire P, Blust R, Bervoets L (2012) The impact of increased oxygen conditions on metal-contaminated sediments part I: effects on redox status, sediment geochemistry and metal bioavailability. Water Res 46(7):2205–2214

    Google Scholar 

  • Di Toro DM, Mahony JD, Hansen DJ, Scott KJ, Carlson AR, Ankley GT (1992) Acid volatile sulfide predicts the acute toxicity of cadmium and nickel in sediments. Environ Sci Technol 26(1):96–101

    Google Scholar 

  • Ding S, Han C, Wang Y, Yao L, Wang Y, Xu D, Sun Q, Williams PN, Zhang C (2015) In situ, high-resolution imaging of labile phosphorus in sediments of a large eutrophic lake. Water Res 74:100–109

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Equeenuddin SM, Tripathy S, Sahoo PK, Panigrahi MK (2013) Metal behavior in sediment associated with acid mine drainage stream: role of pH. J Geochem Explor 124:230–237

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Feng H, Jiang H, Gao W, Weinstein MP, Zhang Q, Zhang W, Yu L, Yuan D, Tao J (2011) Metal contamination in sediments of the western Bohai Bay and adjacent estuaries, China. J Environ Manag 92(4):1185–1197

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher-Power LM, Cheng T, Rastghalam ZS (2016) Cu and Zn adsorption to a heterogeneous natural sediment: influence of leached cations and natural organic matter. Chemosphere 144:1973–1979

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gao Y, van de Velde S, Williams PN, Baeyens W, Zhang H (2015) Two-dimensional images of dissolved sulfide and metals in anoxic sediments by a novel diffusive gradients in thin film probe and optical scanning techniques. TrAC Trend Anal Chem 66:63–71

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gao L, Gao B, Zhou H, Xu D, Wang Q, Yin S (2016) Assessing the remobilization of antimony in sediments by DGT: a case study in a tributary of the Three Gorges Reservoir. Environ Pollut 214:600–607

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gao B, Gao L, Zhou Y, Xu D, Zhao X (2017a) Evaluation of the dynamic mobilization of vanadium in tributary sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir after water impoundment. J Hydrol 551:92–99

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gao L, Gao B, Xu D, Peng W, Lu J, Gao J (2017b) Assessing remobilization characteristics of arsenic (As) in tributary sediment cores in the largest reservoir, China. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 140:48–54

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guan DX, Williams PN, Xu HC, Li G, Luo J, Ma LQ (2016) High-resolution measurement and mapping of tungstate in waters, soils and sediments using the low-disturbance DGT sampling technique. J Hazard Mater 316:69–76

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Islam MS, Ahmed MK, Habibullah-Al-Mamun M, Hoque MF (2015) Preliminary assessment of heavy metal contamination in surface sediments from a river in Bangladesh. Environ Earth Sci 73(4):1837–1848

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ke X, Gui S, Huang H, Zhang H, Wang C, Guo W (2017) Ecological risk assessment and source identification for heavy metals in surface sediment from the Liaohe River protected area, China. Chemosphere 175:473–481

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Long ER, MacDonald DD (1998) Recommended uses of empirically derived, sediment quality guidelines for marine and estuarine ecosystems. Hum Ecol Risk Assess 4(5):1019–1039

    Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald DD, Ingersoll CG, Berger TA (2000) Development and evaluation of consensus-based sediment quality guidelines for freshwater ecosystems. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 39(1):20–31

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Motelica-Heino M, Naylor C, Zhang H, Davison W (2003) Simultaneous release of metals and sulfide in lacustrine sediment. Environ Sci Technol 37(19):4374–4381

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ndiba P, Axe L, Boonfueng T (2008) Heavy metal immobilization through phosphate and thermal treatment of dredged sediments. Environ Sci Technol 42(3):920–926

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen SS, Kjeldsen P, Hansen HCB, Jakobsen R (2014) Transformation of natural ferrihydrite aged in situ in As, Cr and Cu contaminated soil studied by reduction kinetics. Appl Geochem 51:293–302

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pardo R, Barrado E, Lourdes P, Vega M (1990) Determination and speciation of heavy metals in sediments of the Pisuerga river. Water Res 24(3):373–379

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peng JF, Song YH, Yuan P, Cui XY, Qiu GL (2009) The remediation of heavy metals contaminated sediment. J Hazard Mater 161(2–3):633–640

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Perin G, Craboledda L, Lucchese M, Cirillo R, Dotta L, Zanetta ML, Oro AA (1985) Heavy metal speciation in the sediments of northern Adriatic Sea. A new approach for environmental toxicity determination. In: Lakkas TD (ed) Heavy metals in the environment, vol 2. CEP Consultants, Edinburg

    Google Scholar 

  • Pueyo M, Mateu J, Rigol A, Vidal M, López-Sánchez JF, Rauret G (2008) Use of the modified BCR three-step sequential extraction procedure for the study of trace element dynamics in contaminated soils. Environ Pollut 152(2):330–341

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ščančar J, Milačič R, Horvat M (2000) Comparison of various digestion and extraction procedures in analysis of heavy metals in sediments. Water Air Soil Poll 118(1–2):87–99

  • Schaanning MT, Hylland K, Eriksen DØ, Bergan TD, Gunnarson JS, Skei J (1996) Interactions between eutrophication and contaminants. II. Mobilization and bioaccumulation of Hg and Cd from marine sediments. Mar Pollut Bull 33(1–6):71–79

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Seidel H, Wennrich R, Hoffmann P, Löser C (2006) Effect of different types of elemental sulfur on bioleaching of heavy metals from contaminated sediments. Chemosphere 62(9):1444–1453

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shen F, Liao R, Ali A, Mahar A, Guo D, Li R, Zhang Z (2017) Spatial distribution and risk assessment of heavy metals in soil near a Pb/Zn smelter in Feng County, China. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 139:254–262

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shi H, Sun Y, Zhao X, Qu B (2013) Influence on sorption property of Pb by fractal and site energy distribution about sediment of Yellow River. Procedia Environ Sci 18:464–471

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Simpson SL, Apte SC, Batley GE (2000) Effect of short-term resuspension events on the oxidation of cadmium, lead, and zinc sulfide phases in anoxic estuarine sediments. Environ Sci Technol 34(21):4533–4537

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh KP, Mohan D, Singh VK, Malik A (2005) Studies on distribution and fractionation of heavy metals in Gomti river sediments—a tributary of the Ganges, India. J Hydrol 312(1–4):14–27

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stockdale A, Davison W, Zhang H (2009) Micro-scale biogeochemical heterogeneity in sediments: a review of available technology and observed evidence. Earth-Sci Rev 92(1–2):81–97

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tang W, Shan B, Zhang H, Zhang W, Zhao Y, Ding Y, Rong N, Zhu X (2014) Heavy metal contamination in the surface sediments of representative limnetic ecosystems in eastern China. Sci Rep 4:7152

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tang Q, Bao Y, He X, Fu B, Collins AL, Zhang X (2016) Flow regulation manipulates contemporary seasonal sedimentary dynamics in the reservoir fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China. Sci Total Environ 548:410–420

    Google Scholar 

  • Tankere-Muller S, Zhang H, Davison W, Finke N, Larsen O, Stahl H, Glud RN (2007) Fine scale remobilisation of Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu and Cd in contaminated marine sediment. Mar Chem 106(1–2):192–207

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tsai LJ, Yu KC, Chen SF, Kung PY, Chang CY, Lin CH (2003) Partitioning variation of heavy metals in contaminated river sediment via bioleaching: effect of sulfur added to total solids ratio. Water Res 37(19):4623–4630

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ullman WJ, Aller RC (1982) Diffusion coefficients in nearshore marine sediments 1. Limnol Oceanogr 27(3):552–556

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vodyanitskii YN (2010) Iron hydroxides in soils: a review of publications. Eurasian Soil Sci 43(11):1244–1254

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang S, Jia Y, Wang S, Wang X, Wang H, Zhao Z, Liu B (2010) Fractionation of heavy metals in shallow marine sediments from Jinzhou Bay, China. J Environ Sci 22(1):23–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Chen J, Guo J, Dai Z, Yang H, Song Y (2017a) Speciation and transformation of sulfur in freshwater sediments: a case study in Southwest China. Water Air Soil Pollut 228(10):392

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang G, Zhang S, Xiao L, Zhong Q, Li L, Xu G, Deng O, Pu Y (2017b) Heavy metals in soils from a typical industrial area in Sichuan, China: spatial distribution, source identification, and ecological risk assessment. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24(20):16618–16630

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Warnken KW, Davison W, Zhang H (2008) Interpretation of in situ speciation measurements of inorganic and organically complexed trace metals in freshwater by DGT. Environ Sci Technol 42(18):6903–6909

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Williams PN, Islam S, Islam R, Jahiruddin M, Adomako E, Soliaman ARM, Rahman GKMM, Lu Y, Deacon C, Zhu Y, Meharg AA (2009) Arsenic limits trace mineral nutrition (selenium, zinc, and nickel) in Bangladesh rice grain. Environ Sci Technol 43(21):8430–8436

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu Z, Wang S, Jiao L (2015) Geochemical behavior of metals–sulfide–phosphorus at SWI (sediment/water interface) assessed by DGT (diffusive gradients in thin films) probes. J Geochem Explor 156:145–152

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu D, Gao B, Gao L, Zhou H, Zhao X, Yin S (2016) Characteristics of cadmium remobilization in tributary sediments in three gorges reservoir using chemical sequential extraction and DGT technology. Environ Pollut 218:1094–1101

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yan C, Zeng L, Che F, Yang F, Wang D, Luo Z, Wang Z, Wang X (2018) High-resolution characterization of arsenic mobility and its correlation to labile iron and manganese in sediments of a shallow eutrophic lake in China. J Soils Sediments 18(5):2093–2106

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yin H, Zhu J (2016) In situ remediation of metal contaminated lake sediment using naturally occurring, calcium-rich clay mineral-based low-cost amendment. Chem Eng J 285:112–120

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yin H, Fan C, Ding S, Zhang L, Zhong J (2008) Geochemistry of iron, sulfur and related heavy metals in metal-polluted Taihu Lake sediments. Pedosphere 18(5):564–573

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang H, Davison W (1995) Performance characteristics of diffusion gradients in thin films for the in situ measurement of trace metals in aqueous solution. Anal Chem 67(19):3391–3400

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang ZW, Zheng GD, Shozugawa K, Matsuo M, Zhao YD (2013) Iron and sulfur speciation in some sedimentary-transformation-type of lead–zinc deposits in West Kunlun lead–zinc ore deposit zone, Northwest China. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 297(1):83–90

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang C, Yu ZG, Zeng GM, Jiang M, Yang ZZ, Cui F, Zhu M, Shen L, Hu L (2014) Effects of sediment geochemical properties on heavy metal bioavailability. Environ Int 73:270–281

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Z, Li J, Mamat Z, Ye Q (2016) Sources identification and pollution evaluation of heavy metals in the surface sediments of Bortala River, Northwest China. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 126:94–101

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang T, Zeng X, Zhang H, Lin Q, Su S, Wang Y, Bai L (2018) Investigation of synthetic ferrihydrite transformation in soils using two-step sequential extraction and the diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique. Geoderma. 321:90–99

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang T, Zeng X, Zhang H, Lin Q, Su S, Wang Y, Bai L, Wu C (2019) The effect of the ferrihydrite dissolution/transformation process on mobility of arsenic in soils: investigated by coupling a two-step sequential extraction with the diffusive gradient in the thin films (DGT) technique. Geoderma. 352:22–32

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu C, Liao S, Wang W, Zhang Y, Yang T, Fan H, Wen H (2018) Variations in Zn and S isotope chemistry of sedimentary sphalerite, Wusihe Zn-Pb deposit, Sichuan Province, China. Ore Geol Rev 95:639–648

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This study was financially supported by the National Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (Project No. 41907132) and the Innovation Team Program of China West Normal University (Project No. CXTD-201813).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Environmental Science & Engineering, China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009, Sichuan, China

    Tuo Zhang, Fei Xu, Xiangyu Chen, Li Du & Yunxiang Li

  2. Institute of Agricultural Environment and Sustainable Development, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China

    Lijuan Li

Authors
  1. Tuo Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lijuan Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Fei Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Xiangyu Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Li Du
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Yunxiang Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tuo Zhang.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Philippe Garrigues

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhang, T., Li, L., Xu, F. et al. Assessing the environmental risk, fractions, and remobilization of copper and zinc in the sediments of the Jialing River—an important tributary of the Yangtze River in China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 39283–39296 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09963-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09963-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation