Journal
ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCES
Volume 71, Issue 9, Pages 3945-3951Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s12665-013-2779-z
Keywords
Heavy metals; River sediments; Potential ecological risk; Agricultural intensification
Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [21107126]
- Research Subject of the State Key Laboratory on Environmental Aquatic Chemistry [10Y05ESPCR]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The enrichment characteristics and risk of heavy metals were studied in the sediments of Liucha River in Chao Lake Valley, where agricultural intensification has developed rapidly since the 1980s. The results revealed that Cd, Pb and Zn showed the lowest levels in the upper reaches and peak values in the lower reaches, increasing from 0.064, 7.75 and 59.75 mg/kg to 0.176, 12.33 and 96.82 mg/kg on average, respectively. Enrichment factor (EF) analysis showed that the EF values of Cd, Pb and Zn (maximum 4.76, 2.51 and 2.74, respectively) all increased from the upper reaches to the lower reaches (> 1.5), while correlation analysis and cluster analysis showed that they primarily originated from the extensive use of phosphate fertilizer. In addition, the comprehensive potential ecological risk due to Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in the sediments showed low degree, but Cd showed moderate and high risk at some sites. Therefore, heavy metal pollution due to agricultural intensification in the agricultural regions of Chao Lake Valley should be given great attention during management of the water environment.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available