[Characteristics of sediment heavy metal pollution in three water supply reservoirs in Huizhou, Guangdong Province of South China].
To understand the present status of the heavy metal (Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and Hg) pollution of the sediments in water supply reservoirs in Huizhou, sediment cores were sampled from three representative reservoirs. The heavy metal concentrations were analyzed by ICP-MS, and the pollution status was assessed by geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and potential ecological risk index (RI). In the meantime, the possible sources of the heavy metals were analyzed by the principal component analysis (PCA). In the sediments of the three reservoirs, the test heavy metals had different vertical distribution, some had less change, the others decreased or increased with depth, and the distribution patterns differed with the reservoirs. According to the Igeo, the sediments in the reservoirs were seriously polluted by Zn and Pb (Zn: 49.98-640.29 mg x kg(-1); Pb: 21.94-300.66 mg x kg(-1)), reaching slight to high pollution, and the middle or bottom part of the sediments was slightly polluted by Cu (16.85-45.46 mg x kg(-1)). On the whole, the sediments were not polluted by Cr, Cd and Hg. According to the RI and the potential ecological risk coefficient [Er(i)], the sediments in the three reservoirs were under low potential ecological risk. Based on the PCA and relevant information, the human activities such as mining and smelting, urbanization, and agriculture and forestry had great contribution to the heavy metal pollution. The Zn and Pb pollution mainly originated from mining and smelting, Pb pollution also came from motor vehicle exhaust emission and domestic wastes, and Cu pollution mainly derived from agriculture and forestry.
Institute of Hydrobiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China. chenqiang861023@163.com
Xiu-Kang
XK
Chen
Hua-Jun
HJ
Zhang
Ji-Guang
JG
Gu
Ren
R
Hu
Hao-Wen
HW
Yang
Jing-An
JA
Chen
D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis*
D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical