Potential Ecological Risk of Heavy Metals in a Typical Tributary of the Three Gorges Reservoir

• Published in: Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology 2021, Vol.106 (1), p.18-23
• Main Authors: Fang, Zhiqing, Wang, Yongmin, Xie, Deti, Wang, Dingyong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Bioavailability; Cadmium; Canyons; China; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental changes; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental quality; Environmental risk; Geologic Sediments; Heavy metals; Humans; Metal concentrations; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Pollution; Quality standards; Reservoirs; Risk Assessment; Rivers; Sediment samplers; Sediments; Soil Science & Conservation; Surface water; Tributaries; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water pollution; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0007-4861; 1432-0800
• DOI: 10.1007/s00128-020-03014-5

Water and sediment samples were collected from a tributary (Ruxi River) of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) to analyze the concentrations of seven heavy metals (HMs) and their fractions for better understanding the migration, bioavailability and potential environmental risk of HMs. The results indicated that the concentrations of HMs in water were lower than the Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water Class I standards, except for Ni. Cd in sediment was found to be more sensitive to environmental changes, as the acid-soluble fraction of Cd accounted for about 40% of total Cd, and the sediment–water partition coefficient of Cd was the smallest among all the HMs. Meanwhile, multiple risk assessment methods of HMs indicated that sediment Cd in most sampling sites, significantly influenced by human activities, exhibited heavy pollution, suggesting that the Cd pollution should be attached great importance in the Ruxi River.