title: Heavy metals and nutrients (carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus) in sediments: relationships to land uses, environmental risks, and management.
abstract: Management of sediments in polluted rivers requires an inventory of sediment quantities as well as their nutrient and metal contents and the chemical forms of pollutants. We investigated the influence of three major land uses (i.e., orange plantation-OP, OP + residential + industrial-OPRI, and residential + industrial-RI) on the quality of surface sediments (0-20 cm below water/sediment interface) at the Sanyang Wetland (China). The total contents of metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and nutrients (C, N, and P) as well as metal speciation in sediments were examined. GIS technology was used to estimate the volume of sediments needed to calculate the amounts of stored nutrients and metals in sediments. The surface sediments in the 3.2-km2study area contain more than 2800 Mg C, 200 Mg N, and 100 Mg P. OPRI and RI land uses contribute more total C, N, P, Zn, and Cd to sediments than OP land use. High contents of C, N, and P may provide options to recycle the sediments as fertilizer but must be used with caution due to high levels of metals. Total Cd in sediments is at an order of magnitude (up to 59 mg kg-1) higher than the Level III criterion in the Chinese Environmental Quality Standards for Soil. Sediments in all land uses have very high risks due to >50% exchangeable + carbonate-bound Zn, Ni, and Cd. It is suggested that toxicity tests be conducted to better assess the environmental risks associated with any potential use of sediments.
authors.affiliation: Joint Research Institute of Ecology and Environment, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China. yubao@wzu.edu.cn.|Joint Research Institute of Ecology and Environment, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, Canada. yubao@wzu.edu.cn.|College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325025, China. yubao@wzu.edu.cn.|Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Subtropical Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China. yubao@wzu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yubao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Joint Research Institute of Ecology and Environment, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China.|Joint Research Institute of Ecology and Environment, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, Canada.|College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325025, China.|Environmental Science and Engineering Programs, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, V2N 4Z9, Canada.
authors.forename: Joselito M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Arocena
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Material Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325025, China.
authors.forename: Qiao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Joint Research Institute of Ecology and Environment, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China.|Joint Research Institute of Ecology and Environment, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, Canada.|College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325025, China.|Environmental Science and Engineering Programs, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, V2N 4Z9, Canada.
authors.forename: Ronald W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Thring
authors.affiliation: Joint Research Institute of Ecology and Environment, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China.|Joint Research Institute of Ecology and Environment, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, Canada.|College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325025, China.|Environmental Science and Engineering Programs, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, V2N 4Z9, Canada.
authors.forename: Jianbing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D010758:Phosphorus; D002244:Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Digital elevation model; Metal speciation; Nutrients; Sedimentation rate; Toxicity