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Spatial distributions, fractionation characteristics, and ecological risk assessment of trace elements in sediments of Chaohu Lake, a large eutrophic freshwater lake in eastern China

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Abstract

The concentrations, spatial distribution, fractionation characteristics, and potential ecological risks of trace elements (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, and Co) in the surface sediment samples collected from 32 sites in Chaohu Lake were investigated. The improved BCR sequential extraction procedure was applied to analyze the chemical forms of trace elements in sediments. The enrichment factor (EF), sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), potential ecological risk index (PERI), and risk assessment code (RAC) were employed to evaluate the pollution levels and the potential ecological risks. The results found that the concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, and Co in the surface sediments were 78.59, 36.91, 161.84, 98.87, 38.92, and 10.09 mg kg−1, respectively. The lower concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, and Ni were almost found in the middle part of the lake, while Co increased from the western toward the eastern parts of the lake. Cr, Ni, Co, and Zn predominantly existed in the residual fractions, with the average values of 76.35, 59.22, 45.60, and 44.30%, respectively. Cu and Pb were mainly combined with Fe/Mn oxides in reducible fraction, with the average values of 66.4 and 69.1%, respectively. The pollution levels were different among the selected elements. Cu had the highest potential ecological risk, while Cr had the lowest potential ecological risk.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Research Program for Environmental Protection of Anhui Province (2015-11), Key Projects of Natural Science Research of Universities in Anhui Province (KJ2015A201), and Natural Science Foundation of the Anhui Higher Education Institutions of China (grant no. KJ2013ZD07).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CAS Key Laboratory of Crust–Mantle Materials and Environment, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China

    Lei Wu, Guijian Liu, Chuncai Zhou, Rongqiong Liu & Shanshan Xi

  2. State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an, Shanxi, 710075, China

    Lei Wu, Guijian Liu, Chuncai Zhou, Rongqiong Liu & Shanshan Xi

  3. Department of Water Environmental Research, Anhui Academy of Environmental Science Research, Hefei, Anhui, 230022, China

    Lei Wu

  4. Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University, Hefei, Anhui, 230022, China

    Chunnian Da

  5. Department of Environmental Science, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, Anhui, 235000, China

    Fei Liu

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  1. Lei Wu
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  2. Guijian Liu
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Correspondence to Guijian Liu.

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Wu, L., Liu, G., Zhou, C. et al. Spatial distributions, fractionation characteristics, and ecological risk assessment of trace elements in sediments of Chaohu Lake, a large eutrophic freshwater lake in eastern China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 588–600 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0462-8

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