Journal
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
Volume 196, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110529
Keywords
Cadmium pollution; North river; Sediment profile; Geochemical distribution; Pb-Zn smelter
Categories
Funding
- National Key Research & Development Program of China [2017YFD0800302]
- Natural Science Foundation of China [41873015, U1612442, 41773011]
- Guangdong Provincial Natural Science Foundation [2017A030313247]
- Research Fund Program of Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Radionuclides Pollution Control and Resources [2017B030314182]
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Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic element and non-essential to human. Herein, the source and fate of Cd were examined in a typical sediment profile from the North River, South China, which was affected by the massive Pb-Zn smelting activities for decades. An exceptionally high enrichment of Cd, 107-441 mg/kg, was observed across the whole profile. Approximately 50-75% of Cd was retained in the weak acid soluble fraction. Risk assessment based on geoaccumulation index (I-geo), potential ecological risk index (E-r(i)), bioavailable metal index (BMI) and toxic risk index (TRI) further indicated an extremely strong degree of potential ecological pollution and high toxic risks. The mineralogical composition of particles from the sediment profile exhibited the presence of pyrite, magnetite, wurtzite and greenockite. This further confirmed that Cd was migrated from smelting slags to the North River basin and enriched in sediment profile. Sediment Cd speciation analysis also implied a possible transformation of Cd from metal oxides in smelting slags to adsorbed phases and carbonates, which enhances the bioavailability of Cd. The findings indicate proper countermeasures or remediation approaches should be promptly taken towards high ecological risks of Cd arising from the depth profile extending nearly 1 m, due to lead-zinc smelting related activities.
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