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Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering

ISSN 2095-2201

ISSN 2095-221X(Online)

CN 10-1013/X

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Front. Environ. Sci. Eng.    2015, Vol. 9 Issue (2) : 240-249    https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-014-0646-0
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Analysis and assessment of heavy metal contamination in surface water and sediments: a case study from Luan River, Northern China
Zhaoming WANG1,2,Ranhao SUN1,Haiping ZHANG1,2,Liding CHEN1,*()
1. State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Abstract

Concentrations of the heavy metals Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Cd, and Cr were examined in surface water and sediment from the Luan River inChina,. With a decline in Cu and Ni concentration found in surface water at downstream stations. This finding suggests that water currents are a major explanatory factor in heavy metal contamination. The abundance of Cr, Pb, and Cd observed in the middle reaches of the river indicates heavy metal contamination in local areas, although there was an obvious decrease in concentrations in the water downstream of the Daheiting Reservoir. The significant rising trend in Cu, Pb, and Ni seen the sediment farther away from the river also suggests that anthropogenic activities contribute to heavy metal pollution Sediments were therefore used as environmental indicators, with sediment assessment was conducted using the geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and the potential ecological risk index (RI). The Igeo values revealed that Cd (3.13) and Cr (2.39) had accumulated significantly in the Luan River. The RI values for most (89%) of the sampling stations were higher than 300, suggesting that sediment from the Luan River poses a severe ecological risk, with the potential ecological risks downstream higher than that in the upper and middle streams. Good correlations among Pb/Ni, Pb/Cd, Cu/Pb, and Cu/Cd in the water and Cr/Ni in the sediment were observed. Cluster analysis suggested that Cd may have various origins, being derived from anthropogenic sources.
Keywords heavy metal      water      sediment      geo-accumulation index      Luan River     
Corresponding Author(s): Liding CHEN   
Online First Date: 18 February 2014    Issue Date: 13 February 2015
 Cite this article:   
Zhaoming WANG,Ranhao SUN,Haiping ZHANG, et al. Analysis and assessment of heavy metal contamination in surface water and sediments: a case study from Luan River, Northern China[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2015, 9(2): 240-249.
 URL:  
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/10.1007/s11783-014-0646-0
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/Y2015/V9/I2/240
Fig.1  Map showing sampling stations (1 through 19) on the mainstream of Luan River
reach statistics Cu Ni Pb Zn Cd Cr CON pH
I min 6.66 2.54 6.53 78.02 0.86 9.47 166.9 7.8
max 20.10 13.89 11.16 176.30 1.14 38.54 439.0 9.0
mean 14.34 6.66 8.65 119.64 0.95 16.79 284.7 8.2
S.D. 5.97 4.82 1.95 41.88 0.11 12.31 104.5 0.5
CV /% 41.65 72.29 22.57 35.00 11.96 73.30 36.7 6.1
II min 6.89 4.73 8.72 67.60 0.85 12.42 317.9 7.4
max 29.36 12.02 15.14 149.56 1.02 89.28 583.0 8.2
mean 12.63 7.29 11.53 99.36 0.94 39.88 438.1 8.0
S.D. 6.25 2.26 2.07 22.21 0.05 26.96 109.3 0.3
CV /% 49.48 31.03 17.95 22.35 5.23 67.60 24.9 3.4
III min 3.65 1.34 6.57 55.84 0.82 7.90 194.2 7.9
max 5.54 3.70 9.17 131.54 0.99 12.64 666.0 8.6
mean 4.70 2.33 7.72 96.52 0.88 9.99 581.5 8.2
S.D. 0.80 0.88 1.27 29.26 0.07 2.14 99.9 0.3
CV /% 16.98 37.59 16.44 30.31 8.04 21.41 17.2 3.4
total average 10.56 5.43 9.30 105.17 0.92 22.22 434.77 8.13
Tab.1  Summary statistics of heavy metals and nutrition elements in water (μg·L-1)
Fig.2  Significance analysis of heavy metals in different sections: (a) significance analysis of heavy metals in water in different sections; (b) significance analysis of heavy metals in sediment in different sections
Fig.3  Local distribution of Cd concentrations in sediment: (a) local distribution of heavy metals (Cu, Ni) concentrations in surface water; (b) local distribution of heavy metals (Pb, Cr, Cd) concentrations in surface water; (c) local distribution of heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Pb) concentrations in sediment; (d) local distribution of Cd concentrations in sediment
reach statistics Cu Ni Pb Zn Cd Cr
I min 4.82 4.09 11.54 75.52 0.69 65.34
max 14.76 21.19 25.15 278.60 1.28 98.10
mean 8.78 11.52 19.20 160.90 0.98 85.99
S.D. 4.26 7.41 5.86 93.13 0.24 14.56
CV /% 48.51 64.32 30.54 57.88 24.42 16.93
II min 7.83 8.83 16.03 58.68 0.92 61.60
max 29.57 50.42 29.65 155.20 1.09 275.39
mean 14.87 21.92 21.18 114.01 0.99 128.94
S.D. 7.81 13.42 3.83 34.23 0.06 74.21
CV /% 52.49 61.22 18.10 30.03 6.32 57.56
III min 8.24 17.58 22.62 114.32 0.97 67.35
max 37.51 58.82 54.41 150.87 1.12 203.80
mean 21.12 29.55 32.01 137.85 1.04 106.58
S.D. 11.50 17.03 13.27 16.51 0.07 56.36
CV /% 54.45 57.62 41.48 11.98 7.05 52.88
total average 14.92 21.00 24.13 137.59 1.00 107.17
Tab.2  Summary statistics of heavy metal concentrations in sediments (mg·kg-1)
heavy metals Cu Ni Pb Zn Cd Cr
water(19) Cu 1.000 0.827** 0.510* 0.202 0.515* 0.252
Ni 1.000 0.706** 0.223 0.696** 0.427
Pb 1.000 0.207 0.521* 0.462*
Zn 1.000 0.498* 0.120
Cd 1.000 0.276
Cr 1.000
sediment(19) Cu 1.000 0.212 0.386 -0.230 0.226 -0.113
Ni 1.000 0.158 -0.146 0.116 0.698**
Pb 1.000 -0.195 0.467* -0.091
Zn 1.000 -0.454 0.051
Cd 1.000 -0.013
Cr 1.000
Tab.3  Correlation between concentrations of different heavy metals in water, sediment
Fig.4  Cluster analysis dendrogram dendrogram showing clustering of heavy metals
stations Igeo RI
Cu Ni Pb Zn Cd Cr
1 -1.35 -0.50 -0.45 -0.50 2.73 0.84 319.73
2 -2.96 -2.87 -1.38 1.39 2.24 0.32 225.10
3 -2.15 -1.21 -0.73 0.85 2.74 0.72 317.50
4 -2.40 -1.94 -0.25 -0.12 3.13 0.90 409.45
5 -1.84 -1.26 -0.02 0.31 2.72 0.90 317.08
6 -1.99 0.75 -0.75 0.52 2.89 2.16 368.46
7 -1.95 0.16 -0.56 0.54 2.65 2.39 315.40
8 -2.26 -1.76 -0.40 -0.23 2.89 0.78 349.49
9 -2.00 -1.43 -0.46 0.49 2.80 0.67 329.48
10 -1.66 -1.01 -0.90 -0.37 2.70 0.23 306.87
11 -0.53 -0.99 -0.77 0.29 2.66 1.75 310.25
12 -0.34 -0.18 -0.36 -0.15 2.77 0.70 331.21
13 -1.50 -1.13 -0.56 -0.86 2.66 0.41 299.63
14 -0.82 0.12 -0.45 -0.22 2.74 1.12 326.57
15 -0.50 -0.04 0.86 0.25 2.92 1.00 373.87
16 0.00 -0.33 -0.31 0.47 2.93 0.36 369.07
17 -0.90 -0.71 0.18 0.50 2.83 0.43 344.27
18 -1.51 0.97 -0.26 0.10 2.73 1.96 334.99
19 -2.19 -0.77 -0.41 0.50 2.71 0.71 314.18
max 0.00 0.97 0.86 1.39 3.13 2.39 409.45
min -2.96 -2.87 -1.38 -0.86 2.24 0.23 225.10
mean -1.52 -0.74 -0.42 0.20 2.76 0.97 329.61
S.D. 0.80 0.94 0.46 0.52 0.17 0.64 37.72
Tab.4  Geoaccumulation indices (Igeo), potential ecological risk indices (RI) of heavy metals for sediments
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