ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Distribution, Bioavailability and Ecological Risk
of Heavy Metals in Surface Sediments from
the Wujiang River Basin, Southwest of China
More details
Hide details
1
College of Resources and Environment, Zunyi Normal University, Zunyi, China
2
Guizhou Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China
3
State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Building Science, School of Environment and Energy,
South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
Submission date: 2021-01-25
Final revision date: 2021-04-22
Acceptance date: 2021-04-27
Online publication date: 2021-09-17
Publication date: 2021-12-02
Corresponding author
Shenwen Cai
Zunyi Normal University, Pingan Road, Zunyi, Guizhou, People's Re, 563000, Zunyi, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2021;30(6):5479-5491
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Chemical speciation of Cu, Zn, Mn, Pb, Cd, As, and Hg in surface sediments from the Wujiang
River Basin was analyzed by using modified BCR sequential extraction procedure. The results indicated
that the mean total concentrations of all heavy metals except As were higher than their background
values. Cu, Zn, Pb, As, and Hg mostly exist in a residual fraction. The Mn and Cd were dominated by
the reducible fraction and exchangeable fraction, respectively. According to the risk assessment code
(RAC) classification, Cu, Zn, Pb, As, and Hg posed a relatively low risk in this study area, while Mn and
Cd posed a high risk in most sampling sites. The Igeo classification manifested that Cd has the highest
environmental risk and the pollution levels of heavy metals in the surface sediments were generally in
the sequence of Cd>Zn>Cu>Pb>Hg>Mn>As. The potential ecological risk index (PERI) was classified
as considerable risk in two sampling sites and moderate risk in ten sampling sites. It should pay much
attention to the ecological risk of heavy metals from the Wujiang River Basin which will influence the
Yangtze River ecosystem eventually.