Microplastic and Heavy Metals Distributions in Urban Rivers Sediments,China

This study investigated the distribution of microplastics and heavy metals,along with the interaction between the two in the sediments of urban rivers in China.Results showed that the abundance of microplastics ranged from 2412±187.5 to 7638±1312items kg^(-1)dry sediment across different survey stations,with an average abundance at(4388±713)items kg^(-1)dry sediment.Upon further categorization,it was found that transparent fragments were the primary color and type of microplastics present.The potential ecological risk index(RI)of heavy metals in sediments suggested a low level of ecological risk within a majority of the urban rivers studied.Cd was identified as the main potential ecological risk factor in the sediments of the studied areas.There was a relatively good significant linear relationship between the RI of heavy metals and the abundance of microplastics,bolstering the linkage between these two environmental pollutants.However,the concentrations of heavy metals in microplastics were not dependent on their corresponding contents in sediments.In fact,the concentration of Cu,Cd,and As in microplastics were higher than those in the sediments.This finding confirmed that microplastics could serve as carriers of heavy metals and introduce potential risks to aquatic wildlife and human through the food chain.

Progress in the Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution of Water Sediment

In recent years,as China's industrialization process and urban-rural integration strategy have continued to deepen,some industrial and domestic wastewater has been discharged directly into rivers without effective treatment.This has resulted in the continuous accumulation and enrichment of pollutants in water bodies.This phenomenon results in a significant accumulation of heavy metals in the sediment of water bodies,which not only represents a significant threat to the ecological environment but also ultimately poses a risk to human health.The objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive review of the current status of heavy metal pollution in water sediment in China.In addition,this paper analyzes the advantages and limitations of existing techniques for the harmless treatment of heavy metal pollution and forecasts the development direction of this field.

Evaluation of Agricultural Contamination Level by Heavy Metals and Pesticides in Sediments of Rivers and Water Bodies for Shrimp Fishing in the Lower Ouémé: Case of the Aguigadji, Ahlan and Sele Stations in Benin

This study assessed sediment contamination by heavy metals and pesticide active ingredients linked to chemical inputs used in agricultural activities in the lower Ouémé. Pesticide residues from the organochlorine, pyrethroid and organophosphorus families were investigated by gas chromatography, and heavy metals (Cd, Pb, As, Ni, Zn, Fe, Mg, Cr and Hg) by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The metallic pollution indices, the contamination factor (CF) and the ecological risk index were calculated. The results revealed 8 active ingredients in the rainy season and 9 in the dry season. Glyphosate was the active ingredient with the highest concentration at all stations, 9.65 ± 0.84 mg/kg recorded in the dry season at the Aguigadji station. All glyphosate values were above the EQS. DDT, Atrazine and Endosulfan also showed high concentrations in the dry and rainy seasons. Emamectin, Abamectin and Lambda Cyhalothrin also showed high concentrations in the dry season at Aguigadji, Ahlan and Sele. Only glyphosate was recorded at the control station (Toho), but in very low concentrations. Lead showed the highest concentrations at all the stations, 265.96 ± 21.02 mg/Kg in the rainy season and 255.38 ± 79.09 mg/Kg in the dry season, all detected at the Aguigadji station and above the EQS. Zn, Ni, Fe, Cu and Cr were all representative in both the dry and rainy seasons at the contaminated stations. Manganese showed high concentrations in the rainy season. Pb showed very high contamination (FC ≥ 6) at the Aguigadji and Ahlan stations and significant contamination (3 ≤ FC 6) at the Sele station in both the rainy and dry seasons. Ni, Hg and Cd, showed either moderate or significant contamination at the contaminated stations. The risk values showed a considerable ecological Ri (190 ≤ Ri < 380) in the rainy season and a moderate ecological Ri (95 ≤ Ri < 190) in the dry season at these contaminated stations.

Distribution Pattern of Heavy Metals in the Surface Sediments of the Jiaozhou Bay

Grain size analysis and chemical analysis of heavy metals are made for 312 surface samples of the Jiaozhou Bay. Nineteen samples of the waste water taken from the sewage discharge outlets along the eastern coast of the bay are also analyzed for heavy metals. Results show that heavy metals are richer in the east and poorer in the west of the bay. Sedimentary dynamic studies reveal that the distribution of heavy metals in the surface sediments of the Jiaozhou Bay is under the control of hydrodynamics.

Ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments of Xiawan Port based on modified potential ecological risk index

Modified potential ecological risk index （MRI） was proposed based on the potential ecological risk index （RI） and risk assessment code （RAC） by modifying an index. The modified index was relevant to the chemical speciation of heavy metals. Xiawan Port, a typical region contaminated by industrial production, was selected as a case study area. The total concentrations and chemical speciation of heavy metals in sediments of Xiawan Port were analyzed. The experimental data indicate that Xiawan Port is seriously polluted by heavy metals, especially by Cd. The risks of heavy metals are evaluated by RI, RAC and MRI, respectively. The resluts of MRI show that the risks of heavy metals are in the decreasing order of Cd〉Pb〉Cu〉Zn. Comparison of results by different methods reveals that MRI integrates the characters of RI and RAC. MRI is recognized to be useful for risk managemnt of heavy metals in sediments.

Bioleaching of heavy metals from contaminated alkaline sediment by auto- and heterotrophic bacteria in stirred tank reactor

Bioleaching Xiangjiang River alkaline sediment contaminated by multiple heavy metals was investigated. Multiple metals in alkaline sediment possess significant toxicity to aquatic organisms or humans and will greatly inhibit bioleaching. The bioleaching method using autotrophic bacteria mixed with heterotrophic bacteria can solve this problem successfully. The experiment results showed that bioleaching efficiencies of Zn, Mn, Cu, and Cd were 95.2 %, 94.2 %, 90.1 %, and 84.4 %, respectively. Moreover, the changes of heavy metal concentrations in different fractions in contaminated sediment before and after bioleaching were analyzed by selective sequential extraction, and it was discovered that the main fractions of Zn, Mn, Cu and Cd after bioleaching are Fe-Mn oxide, organic associated form and a residual form. Its biotoxicity decreased greatly. The bioleaching heavy metals from sediment using autotrophic bacteria combined with heterotrophic bacteria can effectively improve the bioleaching efficiency and reduce toxicity.

Potential toxic risk of heavy metals from sediment of the Pearl River in South China

Based on the monitoring of five heavy metal elements in the surface sediments of the Pearl River in South China, potential toxicity of the heavy metals was assessed using consensus-based sediment quality guidelines （SQGs） method and geo-accumulation （Igeo） index method. The monitoring results showed the heavy metal concentrations were significantly and positively correlated with each other, demonstrating a common trend in variation of concentration in the surface sediments. The assessment using the consensus-based SQGs method showed the potential toxicity of Cu was the highest, and Cd was the lowest. The evaluation based on mean probable effect concentration （PEC） quotient showed the region was seriously polluted with high toxicity heavy metals. Correlation analysis revealed a significant and positive correlation between the mean PEC quotient and the average of Igeo with a correlation coefficient of 0.926 （n = 23, P 〈 0.01）. In conclusion, the consensus-based SQGs and mean PEC quotient are applicable to assess potential toxicity risks of heavy metals in freshwater sediments in the Pearl River.

Source analysis and ecological risk assessment for heavy metals in the sediments of the Yangshan Deepwater Harbor in autumn and winter

Temporal and spatial variations of concentrations of heavy metals including mercury （Hg）, zinc （Zn）, lead （Pb）, arsenic （As）, copper （Cu）, and cadmium （Cd） in the sediments of the Yangshan Deepwater Harbor were determined based on 6 cruises in autumn and winter, respectively, from 2010 to 2013. The results demonstrated that the overall concentrations of heavy metals were low and distributed in uniform patterns. The concentrations of Hg, Zn, Pb, and Cd in autumn were significantly higher than those in winter with small fluctuations for As and Cu in terms of seasonal variations. Results of factor analysis showed that Pb, Cd, and Zn were derived from inland industrial and shipping discharges as well as the degradation of organic pollutants in marine environment. While agricultural pollutions, cargo shifting and construction debris from reclamation projects contributed to the sources of Cu, As, and Hg. Ecological risk assessment by Mean Sediment Quality Guideline Quotient （SQG-Q） revealed that the degree for eco-risk of the sediments was low-and-moderate in autumn, higher than that in winter. Hg and Cu were the dominant eco-risk factors. The results of Index of geoaccumulation （Igeo） showed that the whole sites of the sea area were barely influenced by Hg, As, Zn, and Pb, and the extents of Cd and Cu contaminations were in low grade. Contamination degree of all the six heavy metals could be ranked as the following： Cd〉Pb〉Zn〉Hg〉As. According to the results of integrated score of factor analysis, the contamination degree for heavy metals in sediments of the Yangshan Deepwater Harbor was low, despite sites No.5, No.4 and No.3, which were heavily contaminated compared with others.

Source analysis and risk evaluation of heavy metal in the river sediment of polymetallic mining area:Taking the Tonglüshan skarn type Cu-Fe-Au deposit as an example,Hubei section of the Yangtze River Basin,China

In this paper,25 sampling points of overlying deposits in Tonglushan mining area,Daye City,Hubei Province,China were tested for heavy metal content to explore pollution characteristics,pollution sources and ecological risks of heavy metals in sediments.A geo-accumulation index method was used to evaluate the degree of heavy metal pollution in the sediment.The mean sediment quality guideline quotient was used for evaluating the ecological risk level of heavy metal in the sediment.And a method of correlation analysis,clustering analysis,and principal component analysis was used for preliminary analysis on the source of heavy metal in the sediment.It was indicated that there was extremely heavy metal pollution in the sediment,among which Cd was extremely polluted,Cu strongly contaminated,Zn,As,and Hg moderately contaminated,and Pb,Cr,and Ni were slightly contaminated.It was also indicated by the mean sediment quality guideline-quotient result that there was a high ecological risk of heavy metals in the sediment,and 64%of the sample sites had extremely high hidden biotoxic effects.For distribution,the contamination of branches was worse than that of the main channel of Daye Dagang,and the deposition of each heavy metal was mainly influenced by the distance from this sample site to the sewage draining exit of a tailings pond.The source analysis showed that the heavy metals in the sediment come from pollution discharging of mining and beneficiation companies,tailings ponds,smelting companies,and transport vehicles.In the study area,due to the influence of heavy metal discharging from these sources,the ecotoxicity of heavy metals in the sediment was extremely high,and Cd was the most toxic pollutant.The research figured out the key restoration area and elements for ecological restoration in the sediment of the Tonglüshan mining area,which could be referenced by monitoring and governance of heavy metal pollution in the sediment of the polymetallic mining area.

Geochemical Assessment of Heavy Metals in Surface Sediments： A Case Study of the Tema Port, Ghana

Ten trace and heavy metals （Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn, Cu, Cd, As, Co, Cr and V） were analysed in sediments collected from nine stations at the Tema Port of Ghana, during the dry and wet seasons. Analysis of samples was done using INAA （instrumental neutron activation analysis） for Mn, V, Cu, As and Cd, and AAS （atomic absorption spectrophotometry） for Fe, Cr, Zn, Ni and Co. The concentrations of metals in sediments followed the orders Fe 〉 V〉 Mn 〉 Cd 〉 Ni 〉 Zn 〉 Cu 〉As, for the dry season and Fe 〉 V 〉 Ni 〉 Cu 〉 Zn 〉 Mn 〉 Cd 〉As, for the wet season. Concentrations of Co and Cr were below detection limit, whiles Cu, Cd and Ni were found to be above the TELs （threshold effect levels） of NOAA＇s （National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration＇s） SQuiRTs （screening quick reference tables） at most sites. Estimated enrichment factors for individual metals showed very high contamination of the port＇s sediments, with Cd occurring at all sites, and Cu, As, V and Ni occurring at some sites for both dry and wet seasons. Although sediments from the Tema Port were highly enriched with Cd, Cu, Ni and V above natural background levels, the overall PLI （pollution load index） per sampling station considering background values of the analysed elements indicated that metal pollution in the port＇s sediment is below 1, indicating relatively unpolluted sediment.

The source of heavy metals and its indication to the sediment transfer in the Hangzhou Bay

-Suspended matters are important carriers of heavy metals in the hydrocycle.In this paper, the field investigation , lab. experiment and 'corresponding analysis' were made to study sources of the heavy metals and the transfer of suspended matters from the Hangzhou Bay.This conclusion shows that the contents of heavy metals in this area are the natural background values ; the distributions of heavy metals are controlled by the plume front.

A study on chemical forms of heavy metals in the sediments of Zhujiang River and its estuary

The five chemical bound forms of Fe, Al and Mn in sediments in the main channel of the Zhujiang River.and its estuary, namely, exchangeable, carbonic, oxidative, organic and residual (in crystal) forms, were determined. The method of sequential extraction was used for separating the five bound forms.The main chemical form of the three elements in the sediments of the Zhujiang River and its estuarine zone is the residual one. The exchangeable form exists only in a small fraction.Correlationships between the concentration of a certain form of heavy metals and Eh. pH and salinity were discussed. The principles of geochemistry are used to explain the mechanism of heavy metal transport in the river.It was also found that the distribution rule of the chemical forms of Fe, Al and Mn in sediments in the lower reaches of the Zhujiang River was similar to the one in the lower reaches of the Yamaska River.

Fraction distribution and risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments of Moshui Lake

To examine the status and risk of heavy metal pollution in urban lakes, in China, the distribution of several heavy metals （e.g., Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn） in the sediment of Moshui Lake, Hangyang District, Wuhan City, was characterized. The process of rapid urbanization and industrialization of the district was also studied to find out its relationship with the metal accumulation profile in the sediment. It was found that the total concentration of heavy metals in the sediment was higher than the severe effect level （SEL）, at all sampling sites, except those in the riparian zone. The Cr and Cu maximum concentrations were 1,780 and 1,250 mg/kg, approximately 16 and 11 times as much as the SEL values, and they appeared as deep as 32 cm in one sample. The carbonate and exchangeable fractions of Zn were more than 50% of the total Zn content, resulting in very high risk according to the Risk Assessment Code （RAC）. For Cu and Ni, a medium RAC value was found for carbonate and exchangeable fractions of 11%-20%. As sensitive indicators of contaminants in aquatic systems, heavy metals in the sediment reflect the outcome of regional urbanization, industrialization, and environmental management. With rapid urbanization, sedimentary Pb and Zn concentrations increased. The experimental results showed that high sedimentary heavy metal concentrations had resulted from rapid urbanization and industrialization, which would absolutely lead to substantial aquatic environmental decline in urban lakes.

Fractionation of heavy metals in shallow marine sediments from Jinzhou Bay,China

This work investigated the distribution and speciation of Cd, Cu, Pb, Fe and Mn in the shallow sediments of Jinzhou Bay, Northeast China, which has been heavily contaminated by nonferrous smelting activities. The concentrations of Cd, Cu and Pb in sediments were found to be 100, 13 and 7 times, respectively, being higher than the national guideline （GB 18668-2002）. Sequential extraction test showed that 39%-61% of Cd were exchangeable fractions, indicating that Cd in the sediments posed a high risk to local environments. While Cu and Pb were at moderate risk levels. According to the relationships between percentage of metal speciation and total metal concentration, it was concluded that the distributions of Cd, Cu and Pb in some geochemical fractions were dynamic in the process of pollutants migration and the stability of metals in sediments of Jinzhou Bay decreased in the order of Pb 〉 Cu 〉 Cd.

Fractionation of Heavy Metals in Sediments from Dianchi Lake,China

Fractionation of heavy metals in sediments can help in understanding potential hazards of heavy metals. The present study analyzed total concentrations and fractions of selected heavy metals （Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn） in surface sediments from Dianchi Lake, Yunnan Province, China, as well as factors that may affect distributions of the various heavy metal fractions. Total concentrations of the heavy metals decreased in the order Zn 〉 Cu 〉 Pb 〉 Cr 〉 Cd. These heavy metals, except Cr, were much higher than their background levels, indicating that Dianchi Lake was polluted by Cd, Zn, Pb, and Cu. Cadmium occurred mainly as the non-residual fraction （sum of the HOAc-soluble, reducible, and oxidizable fractions） （97.6%）, and Zn （55.7%） was also predominantly found in the non-residual fraction. In contrast, most of the Cr （88.5%）, Pb （81.8%）, and Cu （59.2%） occurred in the residual fraction. Correlation analysis showed that total heavy metal concentrations, organic matter and reducible Fe were the main factors affecting the distributions of the various heavy metal fractions. In the Walhai section of Dianchi Lake （comprising 97% of the lake area）, the concentrations of Cd, Zn, Pb, and Cu in the non-residual fraction were significantly lower （P ≤ 0.01 or 0.05） than those of the Caohal section （3% of the lake area）. This indicated that potential heavy metal hazards in the Caohai section were greater than the Waihai section.

Impact of anions on the heavy metals release from marine sediments

Marine sediments from Lianshan Bay in Huludao, China, were studied in laboratory. A series of simulated experiments were carried out to investigate the influences of three kinds of anions CL^-, SO4^2- and HCO3^- on the release ofCd, Pb, Cu and Zn from the sediments. The results showed that the sequences about the impact of the three anions were Cl^-〉HCO3^-〉SO4^2＋. The release potential of heavy metals in the presence of each anions was in the following order： Cd≥Cu 〉Zn≈Pb. The correlations were positive between CI content and the quantity of Cd released from the marine sediment, whereas there was no significant relationship between CI content and amount of Cu and Zn released. For SO4^2- and HCO3^-, the release of the heavy metals from marine sediments was not obvious.

Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution in Estuarine Surface Sediments of Tangxi River in Chaohu Lake Basin

A total of 30 surface sediments samples from the estuary wetland of the Tangxi River, Chaohu Lake Basin were obtained and tested. Enrichment factor （EF） and geoaccumulation index （Igeo） as well as multivariate statistical analysis methods including Factor Analysis （FA） and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis （HCA） were applied for the assessment of heavy metal pollution in surface sediments. The results of EF values show that the pollution of copper （Cu） and cadmium （Cd） occurs in the estuarine sediments, and that zinc （Zn）, lead （Pb） and chrome （Cr） may originate from crustal materials or natural weathering process. The mean EF values of the five heavy metals are in the decreasing order： Cu〉Cd）Zn〉Pb〉Cr. Based on the lgeo of target heavy metals, the surface sediments collected from the study area can be approximately categorized as unpolluted with Zn, Pb and Cr, and moderately polluted with Cu and Cd. The degree of heavy metal pollution decreases in the order of Cu〉Cd〉Zn〉Pb〉Cr. Three groups of pollution factors are presented from FA： Zn-TOC, Cu-Cd and Cr-Pb, which respectively accounte for 27.22%, 25.20% and 21.05% of variance. By means of HCA, a total number of seven groups are distinguished from 30 sampling sites. Results indicate that Cu and Cd are the prior controlled pollutants in the estuarine sediments of the Tangxi River.

Distribution and Accumulation Characteristics of Heavy Metals in Sediments in Southern Sea Area of Huludao City, China

The southern sea area of the Huludao City, Liaoning Province might be polluted by heavy metals because it is close to the Jinzhou Bay, one of the heaviest sea area polluted by heavy metals in China. The undisturbed modem sediment core can be used to analyze the accumulation and source of the pollutants using 137Cs and 21pbex. Thirty-five samples of surface sediment and two core sedi- ments were collected from the southern sea area of Huludao City. The concentrations of copper （Cu）, lead （Pb）, chrome （Cr）, zinc （Zn）, arsenic （As） and mercury （Hg） in the surface sediments as well as Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, 137Cs and 2~~pbex in the core sediments were deter- mined to research the spatial distribution and accumulation characteristics, and to analyze the sources and the potential risks of heavy metals. The results show that the pollution levels of Zn and Hg are serious, and 26 stations are at moderate or heavy ecological risks. The concentrations of the heavy metals increase from east to west, as well as from open sea to offshore marine area. The concentrations of heavy metals are not high in the sediments adjacent to the Jinzhou Bay, and the influence caused by the seawater exchange with the Jinzhou Bay is little. The concentrations of the heavy metals in the core sediments show low-high-low characteristic, and it coincides with the pollution history of Huludao City. The atmospheric deposition of heavy metals from the Huludao Zinc Plant is likely to be the main source of pollution without direct discharge of wastewater. The high concentrations of heavy metals appear on the upper sediment of 20 cm. The shallow sediment with high heavy metal contents might be exposed to surface when it was disturbed by the ocean engineering and big storm surge, then cause risk to the safety of aouaculture and human honlthy.

In-situ stabilisation followed by ex-situ composting for treatment and disposal of heavy metals polluted sediments

An innovative in-situ stabilisation treatment followed by ex-situ sediment composting was tested for its ability to treat and dispose of heavy-metal-polluted sediments in a river near the Chinese Pearl Delta. First, polluted sediments were treated in-situ to stabilise the heavy metals. Then the treated sediments were dredged, dewatered and sent for high temperature aerobic composting （HTAC） treatment. Finally, the compost products were used as a fertiliser for fiver bank plants. The stabilisation efficiency of heavy metals during the process was investigated and the results are as follows： （1） using in-situ stabilisation, the extraction concentrations of Cu, Zn and Pb were reduced by 65.0%, 82.2% and 90.0%, respectively, which are much lower than the national standard given in the Identification Standard for Hazardous Waste （GB5085.3-1996）; （2） chemical fraction analysis showed that heavy metals were further stabilized during the HTAC treatment; （3） the concentrations of Cu, Zn and Pb in rainwater leachate through the river bank met the level of class V in the Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water in China （GB3838-2002）. Therefore, using this new process, the toxicities of heavy metals in sediments were reduced markedly.

Distribution and their pollution assessment of heavy metals in the sediments of the Yalu River Estuary and its adjacent coastal waters

The present paper deals with the distribution patterns of heavy metals and the associated influenc- ing factors in the Yalu River Estuary and its adjacent coastal waters. Based upon the analysis of the surficial and core sediments measurements, the pollution of heavy metal and potentiM ecological risk were evaluated. The burial flux and contents of heavy metals （except for copper） have been continuously increasing since the 1920s. Therefore, the gross potential ecological risk for the sedi- ments was high or very high, and the study area was endangered by heavy metals contamination. Heavy metals originated mainly from upstream pollutant input, correlation analysis showed that chromium, nickel, zinc~ cadmium, lead, arsenic, and mercury in the sediments of the middle and west channels as well as the sea area of the western Yalu River Estuary concentrations were most probably derived from similar sources. In contrast, the metal of copper most probably originated from sources different from the other metals. Preliminary studies indicate that copper contamina- tion was most likely the result of emission from mining activities situated at the upstream of the river. The contents of heavy metals in the sediments of estuarine turbidity maximum zone of Yalu River were larger than those of any other areas in the middle channel. With large portion of fine sediments, weaker hydrodynamics, and richer sources of heavy metals, the sediments of the west channel, were even more enriched with heavy metals than those of the middle channel.