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Assessing heavy metal contamination and ecological risk in Poyang Lake area, China

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Abstract

Investigating the mechanisms that influence the concentration of heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn, Pb, and Cd) and possible sources of these elements is vital in developing lake management strategies and conserving lake ecosystems. This is the first systematic research focusing on the content, distribution, and origin of heavy metals in Poyang Lake area, the largest freshwater lake in China. Samples were collected, and the concentration of trace elements was measured. The distribution, sources, and potential ecological risk, which has undergone rapid economic development and intensive anthropogenic activity, was evaluated. Multivariate statistical analyses were carried out to determine the relationship between these trace elements and to identify the possible pollution sources. Assessment methods were carried out by applying the geoaccumulation index (I geo) along with potential ecological risk indices (PERI) and USEPA guidelines. The results show that: (1) in comparison to Chinese Soil Standard I, the study area was polluted with Cd and Cr, which had an average concentration that was higher than the Class I criteria. However, the results showed that the heavy metal concentration of Cd was lower than that in other areas. (2) The correlation analysis indicates that Pb and Cd may potentially have the same pollution source. (3) The geoaccumulation (Igeo) and potential ecological risk index (PERI) of these metals were evaluated. The average pollution degree of Igeo decreased in the following order: Cd > Cr > Ni > Cu > Zn > Pb > As, which is similar to that observed from the EF values. PERI varied between 48.64 and 453.45 for all metals, and the general average was calculated as 113.71. Both Igeo and ER indicate that the study area was polluted by Cd. The results of FA show that 87.90 % of the variance could be explained by three factors and an independent variable. The research results obtained from this study can provide the scientific impetus to create policies for the economic development and environmental protection in Poyang Lake and other areas of the world.

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Acknowledgments

This research is founded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41361018, 41401587), the Collaborative Innovation Center for Major Ecological Security Issues of Jiangxi Province and Monitoring Implementation (No. JXS-EW-00), the opening fund (PK2013003) of Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education (Jiangxi Normal University), the open fund of Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Environmental Change and Ecological Construction (Nanjing Normal University). We also like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments, which greatly improved the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland & Watershed Research, Ministry of Education (Jiangxi Normal University), School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, 330022, People’s Republic of China

    Zhenglei Xie, Yinghui Jiang, Hezi Zhang, Dan Wang, Shuhua Qi, Zebing Du & Hua Zhang

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  1. Zhenglei Xie
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  2. Yinghui Jiang
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  3. Hezi Zhang
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  4. Dan Wang
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  5. Shuhua Qi
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  6. Zebing Du
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  7. Hua Zhang
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Correspondence to Hua Zhang.

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The Collaborative Innovation Center for Major Ecological Security Issues of Jiangxi Province and Monitoring Implementation.

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Xie, Z., Jiang, Y., Zhang, H. et al. Assessing heavy metal contamination and ecological risk in Poyang Lake area, China. Environ Earth Sci 75, 549 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-5240-7

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