Speciation, mobility, and risks of heavy metals in sediment and water of a freshwater Lake in Fujian Province, China

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the level of dissolved heavy metals in the water of Longhu Lake and focused on the speciation, mobility, and risks of heavy metals (Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb) in sediment. The levels of heavy metals in the water were found to be below the thresholds set by the Chinese safe drinking water standard. The highest average percentages of Cr, Ni, Zn, and As were bound with residual fractions, while Pb and Cu were bound with reducible fractions. Additionally, the highest percentage of Cd and Mn was bound to the acid-soluble fraction in the sediment. These findings suggest that Cd, Mn, Pb, and Cu likely originated from anthropogenic sources in the lake. There was a strong correlation between total organic carbon (TOC) and metal fractions in the sediment, indicating that TOC may play a role in transporting heavy metal fractions. Risk assessment code values for Cd and Mn indicated higher risks and mobility, while Ni, Cu, and Zn showed medium risks and mobility for aquatic biota. To mitigate heavy metal contamination, it is recommended to improve monitoring and regulation of urban runoff and inlet areas.

KEYWORDS:

• Heavy metal
• sediment
• speciation
• risks
• lake
• China

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The first author is supported by the Boya Postdoctoral Fellowship of the College of Urban and Environmental Sciences at Peking University, China. This study was funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant no: 2018YFC1406306 and 2016YFC502904).

Notes on contributors

Mohammad Mazbah Uddin

Mohammad Mazbah Uddin, Postdoctoral Researcher, College of the Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.

Guogan Peng

Guogang Peng, Postdoctoral Researcher, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.

Fuliu Xu

Fuliu Xu, Professor, College of the Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.

Lingfeng Huang

Lingfeng Huang, a professor of ecology, writes on both marine ecology and on marine ecosystem restoration. Among his recent books are Marine Ecology (3rd edition, Science Press, Beijing, 2010) and Coastal Marine Ecology in China: Research and Management (Science Press, Beijing, 2022).