scholarly journals Heavy metal and metalloid contamination in the sediments of the Spekboom River, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abraham Addo-Bediako ◽  
Sophy Nukeri ◽  
Millicent Kekana
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Heavy Metal Contamination ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Sediment Quality ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Emission Spectrometry ◽  
Secondary Source ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe impact of anthropogenic activities such as mining, agriculture and urbanization is causing heavy metal contamination in many freshwater ecosystems. The concentrations of eight elements (As, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in the Spekboom River, South Africa, were studied using enrichment factor (EF) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) to assess the extent of pollution in the river. Sediment samples were collected and analyzed using sequential inductively coupled plasma—optical emission spectrometry. The results showed deterioration of the sediment quality with high concentration of Cr and Ni at all the sites, this is a reflection of contamination from the various anthropogenic activities in the area. The current levels of Cr and Ni could be detrimental to the river and may pose a serious threat to the aquatic organisms and humans, as the sediment could act as a secondary source of metal pollution in the water. It is therefore recommended that urgent action should be taken to control effluents from anthropogenic activities to the river in order to prevent further pollution.

Heavy metal concentration in soil in the tailing dam vicinity of an old gold mine in Johannesburg, South Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.Y. Olobatoke ◽  
M. Mathuthu
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Metal Concentration ◽  
Heavy Metal Contamination ◽  
Heavy Metal Concentration ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Emission Spectrometry ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry ◽  
Tailing Dam ◽  
The Impact

Soil contamination with heavy metals is a serious concern to food production and human health. The present study was conducted to evaluate the impact of tailings from an old mining site on heavy metal contamination of soil. Using a GPS to map out different sites around the tailing dam, soil samples were taken from under grassland at the different sites, at depths of 15 cm and 1 m, using a shovel and handheld auger. The samples were prepared, acid digested, and analyzed for a multi-element suite by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Results showed heavy metal concentration in the order of Cr > Zn > As > Mn > Cu > Pb > Ni > Sr > Hg. Most of the soil samples contained high concentration of As (13.46–234.6 mg kg−1). Soil concentrations of As, Hg, Cr, and Mn also decreased with distance from the dump material. Single contamination index of each pollutant, calculated according to the South African Soil Quality Standards revealed very high and medium pollution grades for As (index = 7.39) and Cr (index = 2.16), respectively. Arsenic is a metal associated with gold ore and soil pollution by such metals can make it infertile and unsuitable for plants.

scholarly journals Effect of urbanization on heavy metal contamination: a study on major townships of Kannur District in Kerala, India

2022 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
K. P. Shimod ◽  
V. Vineethkumar ◽  
T. K. Prasad ◽  
G. Jayapal
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Metal Pollution ◽  
Heavy Metal Pollution ◽  
Metal Contamination ◽  
Heavy Metal Contamination ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Harmful Effect ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Impact Of Urbanization ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background In the last few decades, the air, water, and soil are contaminated due to different anthropogenic activities and severely affect the environmental quality. Pollution is the harmful effect and creates undesirable changes in the land use and land cover pattern. The growth of urbanization leads to the degradation of the ecosystem and ultimately affects the living and non-living organisms. In view of these, the present investigation is carried out to assess the heavy metal pollution in major towns due to the impact of urbanization in Kannur district and desirable conclusions were drawn. Results The results shows that higher level of heavy metal pollution is observed in major towns of Kannur district. Conclusion The heavy metal contamination in the major towns of Kannur district is mainly due the anthropogenic activities. The discharge of domestic effluents and industrial waste is the major source of heavy metal pollution. In-depth studies and proper waste management plans are needed to decrease the level of heavy metal contamination prevailing in the study area.

scholarly journals Sediments Quality based on Geo-Accumulation Index in Heavy Metals (Pb, Cu, and Cd) of Cengkok Coastal Waters, Banten Bay

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 574-582
Author(s):  
N. K. Wardani ◽  
T. Prartono ◽  
S. Sulistiono
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Heavy Metal Contamination ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Sediment Quality ◽  
A Value ◽  
Accumulation Index ◽  
Geo Accumulation Index ◽  
Geo Accumulation

This area, which is located near the Banten Bay, is quite active with anthropogenic activities such as industry, fisheries, settlements, and shipyards that have the potential to pollute the environment with heavy metals. This study aims to determine the chemical environmental conditions of the waters and the concentration of heavy metals in the sediments of Banten Bay. Sediment samples were taken at five stations consisting of river and bay sections in April, May, July, August, and September 2019. Heavy metal content in sediments was analyzed according to APHA 2012 using hydrochloric acid and nitric acid destruction methods. The results of heavy metal concentrations in sediments were compared with ANZECC 2000 regulations and sediment quality was determined using the Geo-accumulation Index. The sediment at the observation site is dominated by the silt fraction. The concentration of heavy metals in this study was obtained in the form of lead (Pb) ranging from <0.05 to 6.408 mg / Kg, copper (Cu) ranging from 0.059 to 8.791 mg / Kg, and cadmium (Cd) ranging from 0.042 to 0.605 mg / K. While based on The level of heavy metal contamination in sediments using the Geo-accumulation index (I Geo), the value of all metal types in each month has a value <0.000 at all observation stations. Thus it is concluded that the concentration of heavy metals in the sediment is lower than the threshold determined during the observation. So that the metal concentration weight in the sediment has no significant effect on the environment.

Chemical Composition and Metal Speciation in Porewaters from the Upper Qu’Appelle River Basin, Saskatchewan

1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard E. Farrell ◽  
Jae E. Yang ◽  
P. Ming Huang ◽  
Wen K. Liaw
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Trace Metal ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Drainage Basin ◽  
Metal Speciation ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
Metal Concentrations ◽  
Carbonate Equilibria ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Porewater samples from the upper Qu’Appelle River basin in Saskatchewan, Canada, were analyzed to obtain metal, inorganic ligand and amino add profiles. These data were used to compute the aqueous speciation of the metals in each porewater using the computer program GEOCHEM-PC. The porewaters were classified as slightly to moderately saline. Metal concentrations reflected both the geology of the drainage basin and the impact of anthropogenic activities. Whereas K and Na were present almost entirely as the free aquo ions, carbonate equilibria dominated the speciation of Ca. Mg and Mn (the predominant metal ligand species were of the type MCO3 (s). MCO30. and MHCO3+). Trace metal concentrations were generally within the ranges reported for non-polluted freshwater systems. Whereas the speciation of the trace metals Cr(III) and Co(II) was dominated by carbonate equilibria, Hg(II)-, Zn(II)- and Fe(II)-speciation was dominated by hydroxy-metal complexes of the type M(OH)+ and M(OH)2°. The speciation of Fe(III) was dominated by Fe(OH)3 (s). In porewaters with high chloride concentrations (&gt; 2 mM), however, significant amounts of Hg(II) were bound as HgCl20 and HgClOH0. The aqueous speciation of Al was dominated by Al(OH)4− and Al2Si2O4(OH)6 (s). Total concentrations of dissolved free amino acids varied from 15.21 to 25.17 umole L−1. The most important metal scavenging amino acids were histidine (due to high stability constants for the metal-histidine complexes) and tryptophan (due to its relatively high concentration in the porewaters. i.e., 5.96 to 7.73 umole L−1). Secondary concentrations of various trace metal-amino add complexes were computed for all the porewaters, but metal-amino acid complexes dominated the speciation of Cu(II) in all the porewaters and Ni(II) in two of the porewaters.

scholarly journals Behavioral Parameters of Planarians (Girardia tigrina) as Fast Screening, Integrative and Cumulative Biomarkers of Environmental Contamination: Preliminary Results

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1077
Author(s):  
Ana M. Córdova López ◽  
Althiéris de Souza Saraiva ◽  
Carlos Gravato ◽  
Amadeu M. V. M. Soares ◽  
Renato Almeida Sarmento
Keyword(s):  
Water Samples ◽  
Feeding Rate ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Sampling Point ◽  
Total Chloride ◽  
Fast Screening ◽  
Sampling Points ◽  
The Impact

The present study aims to use behavioral responses of the freshwater planarian Girardia tigrina to assess the impact of anthropogenic activities on the aquatic ecosystem of the watershed Araguaia-Tocantins (Tocantins, Brazil). Behavioral responses are integrative and cumulative tools that reflect changes in energy allocation in organisms. Thus, feeding rate and locomotion velocity (pLMV) were determined to assess the effects induced by the laboratory exposure of adult planarians to water samples collected in the region of Tocantins-Araguaia, identifying the sampling points affected by contaminants. Furthermore, physicochemical and microbiological parameters, as well as the presence of inorganic compounds (dissolved aluminum, total barium, total chloride, dissolved iron, total fluoride, total manganese, nitrates, nitric nitrogen, total sulfate, total zinc) and surfactants, were determined on each specific sampling point. The behavioral biomarkers (feeding rate and pLMV) of the freshwater planarians were significantly decreased when organisms were exposed to water samples from four municipalities (Formoso do Araguaia, Lagoa da Confusão, Gurupi and Porto Nacional), sites of the Tocantins-Araguaia hydrographic region—TAHR. Both behavioral biomarkers decreased up to ~37–39% compared to organisms in ASTM medium only. Our results showed that these behavioral biomarkers can be used for fast screening monitoring of environmental samples of freshwater ecosystems, since a decrease in feeding rate and locomotor activity was observed in sites impacted by anthropogenic activities. However, the absence of effects observed in some sampling points does not represent the absence of contamination, since several other classes of contaminants were not determined. In these negative results, the absence of deleterious effects on behavioral biomarkers might only be indicative that the potential presence of contaminants on such sites does not significantly affect the performance of planarians. This fast screening approach seems to be useful to determine contaminated sites in freshwater ecosystems for biomonitoring purposes. This knowledge will help to develop biomonitoring programs and to decide appropriate sampling sites and analysis.

scholarly journals Determination of heavy metals and selenium content in chicken liver at Erbil city, Iraq

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hoshyar Saadi Ali ◽  
Dhary Alewy Almashhadany ◽  
Hawraz Sami Khalid
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Heavy Metal Contamination ◽  
Optical Emission ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Chicken Liver ◽  
Poultry Meat ◽  
Emission Spectrometry ◽  
Toxic Heavy Metals

Heavy metal contamination of poultry meat is a critical issue for human health due to associated risks of cytotoxicity and systemic pathologies after ingestion of such metals. A total of twenty chicken liver samples were collected from markets of Erbil city and analyzed for ten heavy metals contents by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry. The targeted metals were cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se). The average concentrations (mg/kg) of targeted trace elements were 0.06±0.027, 0.06±0.05, 2.05±0.34, 1.85±0.47, 0.15±0.17, and 33.53±5.24 for Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn respectively. Copper (Cu) levels significantly exceeded the maximum permissible limit of WHO. Moreover, the average concentrations of toxic heavy metals and selenium were 0.07±0.037, 0.278±0.10, 0.11±0.083, and 2.01±0.454 mg/kg for Cd, Pb, Hg, and Se respectively. Hg and Pb levels exceeded the permissible limits of WHO. Higher levels of Cu and Hg in poultry may pose a serious threat to consumers which demand countermeasures and precautions to be taken. Iraqi Standards Authority and relevant official institutions are strongly recommended to regulate safe disposal of heavy metal waste in the environment to reduce animal exposure to such metals.

scholarly journals Assessment of Anthropogenic Impact of Surface Water Quality, South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Dipitseng Manamela ◽  
Omotayo Awofolu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Water Quality ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Surface Water Quality ◽  
Total Coliform ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Physico Chemical ◽  
The Impact

This article investigates the impact of anthropogenic activities on an important surface water from physico-chemical, chemical and microbial perspectives. The surface water, referred to as Blesbokspruit is in the West Rand District of South Africa. Potential impactors include wastewater treatment plant, mines, farmlands and informal settlements. Water samples were collected from nine purposively selected sampling points and analysed in 2014. The mean values of analysed variables across sampling sites and periods ranged from pH: 7.4-8.4; EC: 93.0 - 146.6 mS/m; TSS: 11.3 – 39.0 mg/L; TDS: 590.3 - 1020.3 mg/L; COD: 15.6- 34.8 mg/L. Those for anions varied from NO3-: 0.2- 2.1 (mg/L) N; PO43- : 0.4-0.9 mg/L and SO42-: 118.6 - 379.5 mg/L. The metallic variables ranged from As: 0.01-0.06 mg/L; Cd: 0.02-0.06 mg/L; Fe: 0.04-0.73 mg/L; Cu: 0.02 – 0.05 mg/L and Zn: 0.05 – 0.15 mg/L. The Faecal coliform varied from 15.9-16878.5 cfu/100 ml; Total coliform: 92.9-430294 cfu/100 ml and HPC from 4322.5-39776 cfu/1ml. Detection of toxic metals and pathogenic organisms above target safety limits indicate unsuitability of the water for domestic use with impact on the health of aquatic ecosystem. The study generally revealed the impact of anthropogenic activities on the surface water quality.

scholarly journals Assessment of Heavy Metals in Soil, Paddy Straw and SEM analysis of the soil for the impact of wastewater irrigation in Girudhumal Sub basin of Tamil Nadu, India

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Metal Contamination ◽  
Soil Structure ◽  
Heavy Metal Contamination ◽  
Sem Analysis ◽  
Wastewater Irrigation ◽  
Urban Region ◽  
Paddy Straw ◽  
The Impact

<p>The objective of the study is to determine accumulation and translocation of heavy metals from soil to paddy straw irrigated with urban sewage wastewater in peri-urban region of Girudhumal subbasin area in Madurai. The soil samples were collected in seven locations irrigated with treated and untreated wastewater and analyzed for physical properties like pH, EC, bulk density, soil type, major (N,P,K) and micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn) and heavy metals Ni, Cd, Pb. SEM analysis showed that soil structure is significantly influenced by wastewater irrigation. It confirms that the wastewater irrigation disturbs soil structure and affecting the plant growth in long run.&nbsp; Pb content was higher than the prescribed safe limits in S5 and S6 location, similarly, Ni also was higher than the safe limit in all the locations. Pollution Load Index values are in the range of 0.08-0.56 for all sites, and it indicated that chance of heavy metal contamination is less. The EF values show moderate enrichment to Ni and Zn, Significant enrichment for Cd and Cu, Extremely high for Pb and deficiency for Mn. All these results confirmed that there is no immediate risk of heavy metal pollution, however with respect to Pb and Ni the plant tissues are showing higher values. The transfer factor for heavy metals from soil to paddy straw is less than 0.5 for Cd and for others is more than 0.5 indicated greater chances for heavy metal contamination.</p>

scholarly journals Assessment of Contamination Potential of Groundwater Adjacent to the Waste Disposal Site at Khulna: Contamination Indices, Multivariate Statistics and Geostatistical Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-20
Author(s):  
Islam M Rafizul ◽  
Debatosh Banik Partha
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Heavy Metal Contamination ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Disposal Site ◽  
Waste Disposal Site ◽  
Metal Elements ◽  
Contamination Indices ◽  
Geostatistical Approach

This study aimed to evaluate the contamination potential of groundwater using various contamination indices available in the literature. To these attempts, fifteen groundwater samples were collected during rainy and dry seasons from the selected tubewells located nearby waste disposal site at Rajbandh, Khulna, Bangladesh. In the laboratory, the concentration of metal elements such as Fe, Mn, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cd, Na, K, Ca, As and Mg in groundwater were measured through stanadard methods. The contamination indices such as groundwater quality index (GWQI), degree of contamination (Cd), heavy metal evaluation index (HEI) and heavy metal contamination index (HPI) were used to quantify the level of contamination of groundwater. The values of GWQI, Cd, HEI and HPI of groundwater were found less in rainy season than that of dry season due to dilution of groundwater. GWQI reveals that 26.67% of tubewells yield very poor, while, 73.33% of poor water condition. The result of principal component analysis (PCA) indicates that As contamination in groundwater caused from anthropogenic activities, while, Na, Ca and Mg from natural sources. Pearson’s correlations indicates that most of the metal elements were in highly positive correlations with each other. The spatial distribution of various indices reveals that contamination of groundwater was found comparatively higher in the nearest tubewells and decreases in relation to the increasing of water sampling distances. The outcome of this study will further be helpful for other researchers to quantify the level of contamination of groundwater from tubewells. Journal of Engineering Science 12(1), 2021, 9-20

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