Enfeng Liu

Pollution and health risk of potentially toxic metals in urban road dust in Nanjing, a mega-city of China

Spatial variations in concentrations of a suite of potentially toxic metals (Ba, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) and Ca in road dusts (n=99) from urban trunk roads (TR) in Nanjing, a mega-city in China, were established. Metal pollution levels, sources and human health risk (non-carcinogenic) were studied. In contrast to previous studies, we labeled the indicative metals relating to non-exhaust traffic emissions by comparing metal pollution between crossroad and park road dusts, and then anthropogenic sources of metals in TR dusts were assessed combining their spatial pollution patterns, principal component analysis and Pb isotopic compositions. Results showed that the metals were enriched in TR dusts compared to background soil concentrations with mean enrichment factors (EFs) of 2.2-23, indicating considerable anthropogenic influence. The degrees of metal pollution ranged from minimal to extremely high and ranked by Ca>Cu>Pb≈Zn>Cr≈Fe>Ni≈Ba>Mn on average. Pollution of Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in TR dusts resulted primarily from industrial emissions (e.g., coal combustion and smelting) and high pollution levels were found close to suburb industrial complexes, whereas pollution of Ba and Ca was mainly related to construction/demolition sources and was generally distributed homogeneously. The relatively minor contribution of non-exhaust traffic emissions to metal pollution in TR dusts was considered to be due to overwhelming industrial and construction/demolition contributions, as well as to the dilution effect of natural soil particles. Ingestion appears to be the major route of exposure for road dust for both adults and children, followed by dermal contact. The non-carcinogenic health risk resulting from exposure to the potentially toxic metals in TR dusts was within the safe level based on the Hazard Index (HI), except in pollution hotspots where exposure to Pb, Cr, and Cu may be hazardous to children.

Distribution and chemical fractionation of heavy metals in recent sediments from Lake Taihu, China

Lake Taihu is one of the most contaminated lakes in China. Surface sediment data show that the northern area of the Lake has the worst heavy metals pollution, and high heavy metal concentrations were attributed to discharge of untreated and partially treated industrial waste water from cities to the north of the lake. To study geochemical features and pollution history of heavy metals, total content and chemical fractionations of Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn were analyzed for core sediments from western Lake Taihu using the speciation extraction procedure, proposed by the Commission of the European Communities Bureau of Reference (BCR), together with grain size and organic carbon measurements. Results show that sediments are composed of organic-poor clayey-fine silts for Cores MS and DLS, and have similar geochemical features shown by heavy metals. Cu, Fe, Ni, and Zn mainly are associated with the residue fraction, Mn is concentrated in the exchangeable-carbonate and residue fractions, and Pb is concentrated in the Fe-Mn oxide fraction and organic-sulfide fraction. The fractions of Ni, Pb, and Zn bound to Fe-Mn oxide show significant correlations with Mn from the Fe-Mn oxide fraction, and the organic-sulfide fractions of Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn are correlated with TOC. The increase of Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn content and percentage of extractable fractions in the upper layers of the sediments are correlated with anthropogenic input of heavy metals due to rapid industrial development. This coincides with rapid economic development in the Taihu basin since late 1970s. Heavy metals in the surface sediments have certain potential biological toxicity as shown by the higher SEM/AVS ratio.

Assessment of heavy metal contamination in the sediments of Nansihu Lake Catchment, China

At present, anthropogenic contribution of heavy metals far exceeds natural input in some aquatic sediment, but the proportions are difficult to differentiate due to the changes in sediment characters. In this paper, the metal (Al, Fe, K, Mg, Ca, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn) concentrations, grain size, and total organic carbon (TOC) content in the surface and core sediments of Nansihu Lake Catchment (the open lake and six inflow rivers) were determined. The chemical speciations of the metals (Al, Fe, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn) in the surface sediments were also analyzed. Approaches of factor analysis, normalized enrichment factor (EF) and the new non-residual fractions enrichment factor (KNRF) were used to differentiate the sources of the metals in the sediments, from detrital clastic debris or anthropogenic input, and to quantify the anthropogenic contamination. The results indicate that natural processes were more dominant in concentrating the metals in the surface and core sediments of the open lake. High concentration of Ca and deficiency of other metals in the upper layers of the sediment core were attributed to the input of carbonate minerals in the catchment with increasing human activities since 1980s. High TOC content magnified the deficiency of the metals. Nevertheless, the EF and KNRF both reveal moderate to significant anthropogenic contamination of Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn in the surface sediments of Laoyun River and the estuary and Cr in the surface sediments of Baima River. The proportion of non-residual fractions (acid soluble, reducible, and oxidizable fractions) of Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn in the contaminated sediments increased to 37–99% from the background levels less than 30%.

One century sedimentary record of lead and zinc pollution in Yangzong Lake, a highland lake in southwestern China

Reconstruction of trace metal pollution histories and sources may help us to regulate current pollutant discharge. This is especially important for the highland lakes in southwestern China, which are facing trace metals pollution. We present sedimentary records of 11 metals accumulated in Yangzong Lake since the 1870s, a highland lake in southwestern China. Pollution of lead and zinc (Pb and Zn) was differentiated based on principal component analysis, geochemical normalization, and lead isotope ratios. Nearly all the metals as well as grain size composition show generally constant values before the mid-1980s, denoting stable detrital input in the catchment. Fluctuations in the concentrations of the metals as well as grain size composition since the mid-1980s indicate an increase in soil erosion with strengthened human disturbance in the catchment. After geochemical normalization, Pb and Zn showed constant values before 1990 AD and then a gradual increase in parallel with the variations in 208Pb/206Pb and 207Pb/206Pb ratios, indicating that Pb and Zn pollution occurred. Combining the data of 208pb/206Pb and 207Pb/6Pb ratios in the sediments of Yangzong Lake, leaded gasoline, Pb-Zn ore and coal, and consumption or production historical trends, we deduced that the enhanced Pb and Zn pollution in Yangzong Lake is caused primarily by ore mining and refining.

Spatial distribution and human contamination quantification of trace metals and phosphorus in the sediments of Chaohu Lake, a eutrophic shallow lake, China

Distinguishing and quantifying anthropogenic trace metals and phosphorus accumulated in sediment is important for the protection of our aquatic ecosystems. Here, anthropogenic proportion and potential sources of trace metals and phosphorus in surface sediments of Chaohu Lake were evaluated based on the exhaustive geochemical data. The analysis shows that concentrations of major and trace metals, and phosphorus, displayed significant spatial diversity and almost all elements were over the pre-industrial background value, which should be related to the variations of sediment composition partially. Therefore, conservative element normalization was introduced and calculated enrichment factors (EFs) of the elements were referenced highlighting the human contamination. EFs of the major and trace metals, except Zn, Pb, and Cu, were all nearly 1.0, indicating the detrital origin. The EFs of Zn, Pb, Cu and phosphorus were 1.0–10.4, 1.0–3.8, 1.0–4.9, and 1.0–7.6, respectively, showing moderate to significant contamination. Higher EFs of Zn, Pb and Cu occurred in the mouth areas of Nanfei River and Zhegao River, and they decreased to the lake center in the northwest and northeast lake areas, respectively. We deduced that anthropogenic Zn, Pb, and Cu were mainly from urban and industrial point sources and the non-point sources of atmospheric deposition contributed little to their contamination. The EFs of phosphorus showed similar spatial degradation with that of Zn, Pb, and Cu. Moreover, higher EFs (>1) of phosphorus also occurred in other areas adjacent to the river mouths besides Nanfei River and Zhegao River. This indicated that the non-point agricultural source may also be responsible for the contamination of phosphorus in Chaohu Lake in addition to the urban sewage sources. Anthropogenic phosphorus was mainly concentrated in the speciation of NaOH-P, which had higher potential biological effects than the detrital proportion. Concentrations of Zn, Pb and Cu surpassed the threshold effect concentrations (TEC) of consensus-based sediment quality guidelines of freshwater ecosystems, especially in the contaminated northwest area of Chaohu Lake. This highlighted the contributions of anthropogenic contamination to the elevated potential biological effects of trace metals. Though there had been no obvious human contamination of Cr and Ni in Chaohu Lake, concentrations were all over the TECs, which may be due to higher background levels in the parent materials of soils and bedrocks in Chaohu Lake catchment.

Assessment of heavy metal enrichment and its human impact in lacustrine sediments from four lakes in the mid-low reaches of the Yangtze River, China

Sediments from four lakes in the mid-low reaches of the Yangtze River, Taibai Lake, Longgan Lake, Chaohu Lake and Xijiu Lake, were chosen to evaluate their enrichment state and history. The state of heavy metal enrichment was at a low level in the sediment of Taibai Lake and Longgan Lake. The enrichment state of Co, Cr and Ni was also low in the sediment of Chaohu Lake and Xijiu Lake, while Cu, Pb and Zn enrichment reached a higher level. Mass accumulation fluxes were calculated to quantitatively evaluate the anthropogenic contribution to heavy metals in the sediment. The anthropogenic accumulation fluxes were lower in the sediment of Taibai Lake and Longgan Lake compared with the other two lakes, where heavy metals, especially Cu, Pb and Zn, were mainly from anthropogenic sources. Heavy metal accumulation did not vary greatly in the sediment of Taibai Lake and Longgan Lake, while that in Chaohu Lake and Xijiu Lake increased since the 1950s and substantially increased since the 1980s, although a decrease occurred since 2000 AD in Xijiu Lake. Heavy metal enrichment was strongly related to human activities in the catchment. The development of urbanization and industrialization was much more rapid in the catchments of Chaohu Lake and Xijiu Lake than of the other two lakes, and thus large amounts of anthropogenically sourced heavy metals were discharged into the lakes, which resulted in a higher contamination risk. However, human activities in the Longgan Lake and Taibai Lake catchments mainly involved agriculture, which contributed a relatively small portion of heavy metals to the lakes.

Asian summer monsoon variability during the late glacial and Holocene inferred from the stable carbon isotope record of black carbon in the sediments of Muge Co, southeastern Tibetan Plateau, China

A sediment core from an alpine lake (Muge Co) from the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau was analyzed for sediment grain size distribution and the carbon isotopic composition of black carbon in order to reconstruct Asian summer monsoon variability over the last 12 ka. Five major climatic stages were identified: (1) From 12 to 10.5 cal. ka BP, a cold and dry climate prevailed, corresponding to the Younger Dryas in the North Atlantic; (2) from 10.5 to 9.2 cal. ka BP, precipitation increased rapidly but was interrupted by a pronounced cold and dry phase at about 10 cal. ka BP; (3) from 9.2 to 6.2 cal. ka BP, the Holocene climatic optimum was reached and maintained; (4) from 6.2 to 2.5 cal. ka BP, the climate gradually became cooler and drier; (5) from 2.5 cal. ka BP to the present, a climatic reversal toward wetter conditions occurred. The trend of our reconstructed Asian summer monsoon precipitation record is similar on orbital and millennium timescales to that of other records from the Asian monsoon region. Although the maximum monsoon intensity recorded in the Muge Co sediments lagged the peak of Northern Hemisphere insolation by ~3.0 ka, the strengthening trend was in phase with the rise in the Western Pacific Warm Pool sea surface temperature. Therefore, we suggest that the tropical ocean temperatures may have been the major driver of Asian summer monsoon precipitation in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. In addition, other factors such as sea-level rise and temperature in the North Atlantic region may have played an important role in the evolution of the Asian summer monsoon since the last deglaciation. However, human activity may have affected the monsoon proxies during the last 2.5 ka, and further studies are needed to distinguish the effects of climate and human disturbance.

Accumulation of heavy metals in the lacustrine sediment of Longgan Lake, middle reaches of Yangtze River, China

Spatial and temporal distribution of heavy metals (Chromium, Copper, Nickel, Lead, and Zinc) in the sediment of Longgan Lake, middle reaches of Yangtze River, China were analyzed to discuss their enrichment characteristics and history in combination with geochronological data and to identify anthropogenic effects. The results showed that the enrichment state of heavy metals was higher in the western versus eastern lake area, although their concentrations behave in the opposite case, which demonstrated that stronger human activities existed in the western lake catchment. The enrichment history of heavy metals pointed out that prior to 1950, the enrichment state was lower in the ambient lake areas illustrating the natural effect on the lake; thereafter the human activities in the catchment enhanced markedly causing an increasing heavy metal enrichment. The increase of heavy metal enrichment in the 1970s occurred in the central lake areas. The temporal difference between the ambient and central areas elucidated that the heavy metal accumulation might be buffered by the lake before they entered the sediment. Correlation analysis revealed that there was a significant correlation between heavy metals in the sediment suggesting their similar sources. Heavy metals were distinctly related to aluminum, calcium, lithium, iron, and organic matters, which could denote their forms in the sediment.

The spatio-temporal variations of sedimentary phosphorus in Taihu Lake and the implications for internal loading change and recent eutrophication

Internal phosphorus loading is particularly concerned for the shallow lakes due to the frequent sediment disturbance, which may play a vital role in changing nutrient level in overlying water. A historical perspective on internal phosphorus loading may contribute to understanding its contribution to recent eutrophication. In this work, a study on the changes in internal phosphorus loading and release potential in Taihu Lake, a shallow eutrophic lake in China, was performed based on the analysis of spatio-temporal variations of sedimentary total phosphorus and three operationally defined fractions (NaOH-P, HCl-P and OP). The influencing factors for changing internal loading were discussed. The results showed that internal phosphorus loading was elevated compared to pre-eutrophication periods and the increase has occurred since approximately the late 1970s to early 1980s. Changes in internal phosphorus loading were primarily attributed to the NaOH-P and OP fractions, relating to anthropogenic inputs and enhanced productivity, respectively. The internal phosphorus release potential may be enhanced by up to 22% currently relative to the pre-eutrophication period; however, it should play a secondary role to external input in enhancing nutrient levels and sustaining the eutrophication in Taihu Lake.

The accumulation and potential ecological risk of heavy metals in microalgae from a eutrophic lake (Taihu Lake, China)

This study aimed to evaluate the bioaccumulation and enrichment of heavy metals in dominant microalgae and assess the potential ecological risk to the microalgae located at the northern region of Taihu Lake, China, a shallow freshwater lake. The concentrations of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in water and microalgae (predominant cyanophyta) collected from the north of Taihu Lake were analyzed. Subsequently, enrichment factors (EF) for heavy metals in microalgae relative to water were calculated. The concentrations and EF values of heavy metals were significantly higher in water and microalgae from the northern region compared with other regions for all the metals except As and Hg. Among the metals, Pb and Cd possessed higher enrichment levels, approx. 200 and 400 for Pb and Cd, respectively. This suggested that Pb and Cd had stronger chemisorption on microalgae, even though present at lower concentrations. Moreover, Ni and Zn in microalgae from the north of the lake also exhibited risk to the ecosystem owing to their high concentrations. In general, the microalgae tended to enrich Pb, Cd, Ni, and Zn by biosorption and bioaccumulation and thus exert a risk to the ecosystem and human populations.