scholarly journals Characteristics and Potential Ecological Risks of Heavy Metal Pollution in Surface Soil Around Coal-fired Power Plant

Author(s):  
yunhu hu ◽  
mu you ◽  
Guijian Liu ◽  
zhongbing dong

Abstract The concentrations of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Pb and Zn) in surface soils in the area surrounding a coal-fired power plant in China were measured, the distribution characteristics of heavy metals in different wind directions were analyzed, and the pollution degree of heavy metal in soil was evaluated. The soil around the power plant is generally polluted by heavy metals, and the degree of pollution is heavy pollution and moderate pollution. The potential ecological hazard of heavy metals in soil is moderate or slight. The values of Nemerow index and potential ecological risk index are different among different directions and different distances from the power plant. Cd, Hg and As are the mainly contributors for the potential ecological risk. The results revealed that wind direction is important for the distribution of heavy metal around coal-fired power plant. The study can provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and management of soil heavy metal pollution around coal-fired power plant.

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 1801
Author(s):  
Valentina Andreea Calmuc ◽  
Madalina Calmuc ◽  
Maxim Arseni ◽  
Catalina Maria Topa ◽  
Mihaela Timofti ◽  
...  

It is a well–known fact that heavy metal pollution in sediments causes serious problems not only in the Danube basin, but also in the large and small adjacent river streams. A suitable method for assessing the level of heavy metals and their toxicity in sediments is the calculation of pollution indices. The present research aims to assess heavy metal pollution in the Lower Danube surface sediments collected along the Danube course (between 180 and 60 km) up to the point where the Danube River flows into the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – UNESCO, protected area). In addition, this monitored area is one of the largest European hydrographic basins. Five heavy metals (Cd, Ni, Zn, Pb, Cu) were analyzed in two different seasons, i.e., the autumn of 2018 and the spring of 2019, using the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP– MS) technique. Our assessment of heavy metal pollution revealed two correlated aspects: 1. a determination of the potential risks of heavy metals in sediments by calculating the Potential Ecological Risk Index (RI), and 2. an evaluation of the influence of anthropogenic activities on the level of heavy metal contamination in the surface sediments, using three specific pollution indices, namely, the Geo–Accumulation Index (Igeo), the Contamination Factor (CF), and the Pollution Load Index (PLI). The results of this pioneering research activity in the region highlighted the presence of moderate metal (Ni and Cd) pollution and a low potential ecological risk for the aquatic environment.


Author(s):  
Xiuling Li ◽  
Henglun Shen ◽  
Yongjun Zhao ◽  
Weixing Cao ◽  
Changwei Hu ◽  
...  

The Yi River, the second longest river in Shandong Province, China, flows through Linyi City and is fed by three tributary rivers, Beng River, Liuqing River, and Su River in the northeastern part of the city. In this study, we determined the concentrations of five heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb) in water, sediment, and aquatic macrophyte samples collected from the junction of the four rivers and evaluated the potential ecological risk of heavy metal pollution. Most of the heavy metals in water were in low concentrations with the water quality index (WQI) below 1, suggesting low metal pollution. The sediments showed low heavy metal concentrations, suggesting a low ecological risk based on the potential ecological risk index (RI) and the geo-accumulation index (Igeo). The aquatic plant species Potamogeton crispus accumulated considerable amounts of heavy metals, which were closely related to the metal concentrations of the sediment. The plant species Salvinia natans also showed an excellent metal accumulation capability. Based on our results, the junction of the four rivers is only slightly polluted in terms of heavy metals, and the plant species P. crispus is a suitable bioindicator for sediment heavy metal pollution.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bingyan Jin ◽  
Jinling Wang ◽  
Wei Lou ◽  
Liren Wang ◽  
Jinlong Xu ◽  
...  

Abstract Rivers in urban environments are significant components of their ecosystems but remain under threat of pollution from unchecked discharges of industrial sewage and domestic wastewater. Such river pollution, particularly over the longer term involving heavy metals, is an issue of worldwide concern regarding risks to the ecological environment and human health. In this study, we investigate the long-term pollution characteristics of the Huafei River, an important urban river in Kaifeng, China. River sedimentary samples were analyzed, assessing the degree and ecological risk of heavy metal pollution using the geo-accumulation index and potential ecological risk index methods; whilst Pearson’s correlation, principal component, and cluster analyses were used to identify the sources of pollution. The results show that heavy metal concentrations are significantly higher than their corresponding fluvo-aquic soil background values in China, and the geo-accumulation indexes indicate, that of the 8 heavy metals identified, Hg is most prevalent, followed in sequence by Cd > Zn > Cu > Pb > Ni > As > Cr. The potential ecological risk index of the Huafei river is very high, with the potential ecological risk intensity highest in the midstream and downstream sections where it is recommended that pollution control is carried out, especially concerning Hg and Cd. Long-term sequence analysis indicates that Cu and Pb dropped sharply from 1998 to 2017, but rebounded in 2019, and that Zn shows a continuous decreasing trend. Four main sources for the heavy metal contaminants were identified: Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and Hg derived mainly from industrial activities, traffic sources and natural sources; Cd originated mainly from industrial and agricultural activities; whilst As was mainly associated with industrial activities. It is anticipated that the findings of this study will provide theoretical references for the effective control and scientific management of heavy metal pollution in the Huafei River and its surrounding areas.


Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1060 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinying Xu ◽  
Yuwei Chen ◽  
Lilin Zheng ◽  
Baogui Liu ◽  
Jinfu Liu ◽  
...  

Heavy metal pollution in sediment is one of the most serious problems in water bodies, including rivers, which can cause secondary pollution when environmental conditions change. In this study, surface sediment samples collected from the four main tributaries of Dongting Lake (i.e., Xiangjiang River (XR), Zishui River (ZR), Yuanjiang River (YR), and Lishui River (LR)) were analyzed for concentrations of Zn, Cr, Cu, As, Cd, and Pb. The spatial distribution, source, and potential ecological risk of these metals were determined. The results suggest a great spatial heterogeneity of heavy metals in the sediment of the studied rivers. Heavy metals had highest concentrations in the sediment of XR, especially midstream and downstream. A principal component analysis (PCA) and correlation analysis indicated that Cd and As were mainly from industrial wastewater and mineral mining, Cr came from natural process and agricultural activities, and Zn and Cu potentially from both. Pb was originated from atmospheric deposition and river inflow transportation. According to the geo-accumulation index ( I g e o ), enrichment factor (EF), and risk index (RI) assessment, heavy metals pollution was highest in the sediment of XR, and Cd was the main pollutant in the sediment of XR, presenting considerable potential ecological risk. This may contribute to heavy metal pollution in Dongting Lake. This paper provides a reference for the aquatic environmental management of heavy metals in Dongting Lake area and its tributaries.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bingyan Jin ◽  
Jinling Wang ◽  
Wei Lou ◽  
Liren Wang ◽  
Jinlong Xu ◽  
...  

Abstract Rivers in urban environments are significant components of their ecosystems, but remain under threat of pollution from unchecked discharges of industrial sewage and domestic waste water. Such river pollution, particularly over the longer term involving heavy metals, is an issue of worldwide concern regarding risks to the ecological environment and human health. In this study, we investigate the long-term pollution characteristics of the Huafei River, an important urban river in Kaifeng, China. River sedimentary samples were analyzed, assessing the degree and ecological risk of heavy metal pollution using the geo-accumulation index and potential ecological risk index methods; whilst Pearson’s correlation, principal component, and cluster analyses were used to identify the sources of pollution. The results show that heavy metal concentrations are significantly higher than their corresponding fluvo-aquic soil background values in China, and the geo-accumulation indexes indicate that of the 8 heavy metals identified, Hg is most prevalent, followed in sequence by Cd>Zn>Cu>Pb>Ni>As>Cr. The potential ecological risk index of the Huafei river is extremely strong, with the potential ecological risk intensity highest in the midstream and downstream sections where it is recommended that pollution control is carried out, especially concerning Hg and Cd. Long-term sequence analysis indicates that Cu and Pb dropped sharply from 1998 to 2017, but rebounded in 2019, and that Zn shows a continuous decreasing trend. Four main sources for the heavy metal contaminants were identified: Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and Hg derived mainly from industrial activities, traffic sources and natural sources; Cd originated mainly from industrial and agricultural activities; whilst As was mainly associated with industrial activities. It is anticipated that the findings of this study will provide theoretical references for the effective control and scientific management of heavy metal pollution in Huafei River and its surrounding areas.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Chen ◽  
Lei Han ◽  
Zhao Liu ◽  
Yonghua Zhao ◽  
Shanshan Chang ◽  
...  

Abstract In recent years, environmental pollution and ecological destruction in mining area has seriously affected the health and survival of surrounding people. To explore the degree of heavy metal pollution in soil of mining areas and phytoremediation strategies, we chose soil and dominant plants in an abandoned gold mining area as the research object. In this study, Arsenic (As) content in soil and plants was measured. The As pollution degree in local areas was evaluated by using geo-accumulation index and potential ecological risk index. And, As content in plants was analyzed by using enrichment coefficient method. The results show that 1) The pulp deposition area has the most serious As pollution of soil and the largest potential ecological risk index. 2) The composition of the plant community in the study area is dominated by herbaceous plants, among which gramineous, composites and legumes are the dominant plant types in the vegetation community restoration in the mining area. 3) The geoaccumulation index is significantly negatively correlated with species diversity index, Shannon-wiener diversity index and Pielou species evenness index. 4) The As content in dominant plants ranges from 0.11 to 15.92 mg/kg. The plants with strong As enrichment ability are Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers., Periploca sepium Bunge, and Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv., which can be considered as As-tolerant plants. This study can provide a basis and reference for plant management of As pollution in local soil.


2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongping Liu ◽  
Jian Wang ◽  
Huibin Yu ◽  
Hongjie Gao ◽  
Weining Xu

Abstract Background Heavy metal pollution of aquatic systems is a global issue that has received considerable attention. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA), principal component analysis (PCA), and potential ecological risk index (PERI) have been applied to heavy metal data to trace potential factors, identify regional differences, and evaluate ecological risks. Sediment cores of 200 cm in depth were taken using a drilling platform at 10 sampling sites along the Xihe River, an urban river located in western Shenyang City, China. Then they were divided into 10 layers (20 cm each layer). The concentrations of the As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn were measured for each layer. Eight heavy metals, namely Pb, Zn, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Hg, were measured for each layer in this study. Results The average concentrations of the As, Cd, Cu, Hg, and Zn were significantly higher than their background values in soils in the region, and mainly gathered at 0–120 cm in depth in the upstream, 0–60 cm in the midstream, and 0–20 cm downstream. This indicated that these heavy metals were derived from the upstream areas where a large quantity of effluents from the wastewater treatment plants enter the river. Ni, Pb, and Cr were close or slightly higher than their background values. The decreasing order of the average concentration of Cd was upstream > midstream > downstream, so were Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn. The highest concentration of As was midstream, followed by upstream and then downstream, which was different to Cd. The potential factors of heavy metal pollution were Cd, Cu, Hg, Zn, and As, especially Cd and Hg with the high ecological risks. The ecological risk levels of all heavy metals were much higher in the upstream than the midstream and downstream. Conclusions Industrial discharge was the dominant source for eight heavy metals in the surveyed area, and rural domestic sewage has a stronger influence on the Hg pollution than industrial pollutants. These findings indicate that effective management strategies for sewage discharge should be developed to protect the environmental quality of urban rivers.


2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1599-1610 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Jiang ◽  
W. X. Lu ◽  
H. Q. Zhao ◽  
Q. C. Yang ◽  
Z. P. Yang

Abstract. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the potential ecological risk and trend of soil heavy-metal pollution around a coal gangue dump in Jilin Province (Northeast China). The concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr and Zn were monitored by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The potential ecological risk index method developed by Hakanson (1980) was employed to assess the potential risk of heavy-metal pollution. The potential ecological risk in the order of ER(Cd) > ER(Pb) > ER(Cu) > ER(Cr) > ER(Zn) have been obtained, which showed that Cd was the most important factor leading to risk. Based on the Cd pollution history, the cumulative acceleration and cumulative rate of Cd were estimated, then the fixed number of years exceeding the standard prediction model was established, which was used to predict the pollution trend of Cd under the accelerated accumulation mode and the uniform mode. Pearson correlation analysis and correspondence analysis are employed to identify the sources of heavy metals and the relationship between sampling points and variables. These findings provided some useful insights for making appropriate management strategies to prevent or decrease heavy-metal pollution around a coal gangue dump in the Yangcaogou coal mine and other similar areas elsewhere.


Water ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 180
Author(s):  
Arup Acharjee ◽  
Zia Ahmed ◽  
Pankaj Kumar ◽  
Rafiul Alam ◽  
M. Safiur Rahman ◽  
...  

River sediment can be used to measure the pollution level in natural water, as it serves as one of the vital environmental indicators. This study aims to assess heavy metal pollution namely Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Zinc (Zn), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb), and Cadmium (Cd) in Surma River. Further, it compares potential ecological risk index values using Hakanson Risk Index (RI) and Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) approach to evaluate the environmental risks caused by these heavy metals. in the study area. With obtained results, enrichment of individual heavy metals in the study area was found in the order of Ni > Pb > Cd > Mn > Cu > Zn. Also, variance in MCS index contributed by studied metals was in the order of Cd > Pb > Ni > Zn > Cu. None of the heavy metals, except Ni, showed moderate contamination of the sediment. Risk index values from RI and MCS provide valuable insights in the contamination profile of the river, indicating the studied river is currently under low ecological risk for the studied heavy metals. This study can be utilized to assess the susceptibility of the river sediment to heavy metal pollution near an urban core, and to have a better understanding of the contamination profile of a river.


Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zike Zhou ◽  
Yongping Wang ◽  
Haowei Teng ◽  
Hao Yang ◽  
Aiju Liu ◽  
...  

In this study, the concentrations of seven heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Hg, and Pb) and Pb isotope in a sediment core from the Shuanglong reservoir, Southwestern China, were investigated. Based on the constant rate of supply (CRS) model, the age span of a 60 cm sediment sample was determined to range from the years 1944 to 2015. Combined with chronology and heavy metal content, the evolution of the sources and pollution levels of heavy metals showed a changing trend composed of various stages. The sources of heavy metals transitioned from natural origins in 1944–1964 to industrial origins in 1965–2004. The subsequent reduction in heavy metal content was mainly due to the vigorous implementation of environmental protection policies from 2005 to 2012. In recent years (2013–2015), the heavy metal content has increased due to frequent human activity. Principal component analysis (PCA), correlation analysis, and the coefficient of variation (CV) analysis indicated that Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and As were derived from natural processes, Pb mainly came from automobile manufacturing, and Hg was mainly from industrial sources. The values of the geo-accumulation index (Ig), single pollution index (Pi), and single potential ecological risk index (Er) showed that the contamination of Hg and Pb was slight to moderate. Moreover, the values of the potential ecological risk index (RI), pollution load index (PLI), and Nemerow index (PN) indicated that the Shuanglong reservoir is under low ecological risk.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document