Skip to main content
Log in

Distribution of cadmium among multimedia in Lake Qinghai, China

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Lake Qinghai in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau is the largest lake in China. This study firstly reported the geochemistry of Cd in the lake. Water samples were collected from Lake Qinghai (n = 69) and Buha River (n = 12), while sediment (n = 22) and topsoil (n = 45) samples were collected from the lake and around the lake area, respectively. In addition, pore water samples (n = 20) were separated from sediment samples. Water samples were analyzed for pH, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Cl, S, and Cd, while sediment and topsoil samples were analyzed for K, Na, Ca, Mg, Al, Fe, Mn, S, Sc, and Cd. The average concentration of Cd was 0.014 μg L−1 in the water of Lake Qinghai and 0.007 μg L−1 in the water of Buha River. However, the average concentration of Cd was 0.320 μg L−1 in the sediment pore water, much higher than that in the lake water and river water. Cadmium concentration in the lake water might be mainly controlled by salinity, while it in the pore water might be mainly controlled by carbonate minerals. Cadmium concentration in the river water might be controlled by alkalinity and pH. The average concentration of Cd in the sediment was 0.284 mg kg−1. The enrichment of Cd in the lake sediment was significantly higher than that in the topsoil around the lake. Anthropogenic atmospheric deposition of Cd did not led to the increase in dissolved Cd level in the lake water, but led to its enrichment in the lake sediment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akin BS, Kirmizigül O (2017) Heavy metal contamination in surface sediments of Gökçekaya Dam Lake, Eskişehir, Turkey. Environ Earth Sci 76:402

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alexakis D, Kagalou I, Tsakiris G (2013) Assessment of pressures and impacts on surface water bodies of the mediterranean. Case study: Pamvotis Lake, Greece. Environ Earth Sci 70:687–698

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bacardit M, Krachler M, Camarero L (2012) Whole-catchment inventories of trace metals in soils and sediments in mountain lake catchments in the Central Pyrenees: apportioning the anthropogenic and natural contributions. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 82:52–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birch L, Hanselmann KW, Bachofen R (1996) Heavy metal conservation in Lake Cadagno sediments: historical records of anthropogenic emissions in a meromictic alpine lake. Water Res 30:679–687

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowen HJM (1979) Environmental chemistry of the elements. Academic Press, London, p 269

    Google Scholar 

  • Camarero L, Botev I, Muri G, Psenner R, Rose N, Stuchlik E (2009a) Trace elements in alpine and arctic lake sediments as a record of diffuse atmospheric contamination across Europe. Freshw Biol 54:2518–2532

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Camarero L, Rogora M, Mosello R, Anderson NJ, Barbieri A, Botev I, Kernan M, Kopacek J, Korhola A, Lotter AF, Muri G, Postolache C, Stuchlik E, Thies H, Wright RF (2009b) Regionalisation of chemical variability in European mountain lakes. Freshw Biol 54:2452–2469

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen XM, Wang LL, Han B, Fu XY (2012a) Phosphorus distribution status and characteristic in Qinghai Lake. J Environ Eng-ASCE 2:290–295

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen XM, Zhu YC, Luo YQ, Fu XY (2012b) Particular specific features of nitrogen distribution and their effect on alga growth in Qinghai Lake. J Saf Environ 12:119–123

    Google Scholar 

  • Comans RNJ, van Dijk CPJ (1988) Role of complexation processes in cadmium mobilization during estuarine mixing. Nature 336:151–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenreich SJ (1980) Atmospheric input of trace metals to Lake Michigan. Water Air Soil Pollut 13:287–301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erlenkecser H, Suess E, Willkomm H (1974) Industrialization affects heavy metal and carbon isotope concentrations in recent Baltic Sea sediments. Geochim Costnochim Acta 38:823–842

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Evans HE, Smith PJ, Dillon PJ (1983) Anthropogenic zinc and cadmium burdens in sediments of selected southern Ontario lakes. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 40:570–579

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han YM, Wei C, Bandowe BAM, Wilcke W, Cao JJ, Xu BQ, Gao SP, Tie XX, Li GH, Jin ZD, An ZS (2015) Elemental carbon and polycyclic aromatic compounds in a 150-year sediment core from Lake Qinghai, Tibetan Plateau, China: influence of regional and local sources and transport pathways. Environ Sci Technol 49:4176–4183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henderson ACG, Holmes JA (2009) Palaeolimnological evidence for environmental change over the past millennium from Lake Qinghai sediments: a review and future research prospective. Quat Int 194:134–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henderson ACG, Holmes JA, Zhang JW, Leng MJ, Carvalho LR (2003) A carbon- and oxygen-isotope record of recent environmental change from Qinghai Lake, NE Tibetan Plateau. Chin Sci Bull 48:1463–1468

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ji JF, Shen J, Balsam W, Chen J, Liu LW, Liu XQ (2005) Asian monsoon oscillations in the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau since the late glacial as interpreted from visible reflectance of Qinghai Lake sediments. Earth Planet Sci Lett 233:61–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jin ZD, You CF, Yu JM (2009) Toward a geochemical mass balance of major elements in Lake Qinghai, NE Tibetan Plateau: a significant role of atmospheric deposition. Appl Geochem 24:1901–1907

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jin ZD, Han YM, Chen L (2010a) Past atmospheric Pb deposition in Lake Qinghai, Northeastern Tibetan Plateau. J Paleolimnol 43:551–563

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jin ZD, You CF, Yu TL, Wang BS (2010b) Sources and flux of trace elements in river water collected from the Lake Qinghai catchment, NE Tibetan Plateau. Appl Geochem 25:1536–1546

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kabata-Pendias A, Mukherjee AB (2007) Trace elements from soil to human. Springer, Berlin, pp 1–550

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kemp ALW, Thomas RL (1976) Impact of man’s activities on the chemical composition in the sediments of lakes Ontario, Erie and Huron. Water Air Soil Pollut 5:469–490

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Köck G, Hofer R, Wograth S (1995) Accumulation of trace metals (Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn) in Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) from oligotrophic Alpine lakes: relation to alkalinity. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 52:2369–2376

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lanzhou Institute of Geology, CAS (1979) Report on integrated survey of Qinghai Lake. Science Press, Beijing, pp 1–264 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin CY, He MC, Zhou YX, Guo W, Yang ZF (2008) Distribution and contamination assessment of heavy metals in sediment of the Second Songhua River, China. Environ Monit Assess 137:329–342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lister GS, Kelts K, Zao CK, Yu JQ, Niessen F (1991) Lake Qinghai, China: closed-basin lake levels and the oxygen isotope record for Ostracoda since the latest Pleistocene. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 84:141–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madsen DB, Ma HZ, Rhode D, Brantingham PJ, Forman SL (2008) Age constraints on the late quaternary evolution of Qinghai Lake, Tibetan Plateau. Quat Res 69:316–325

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Papadopoulos P, Rowell DL (1989) The reactions of copper and zinc with calcium carbonate surfaces. J Soil Sci 40:39–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shao X, Cheng HG, Li Q, Lin C (2013) Anthropogenic atmospheric emissions of cadmium in China. Atmos Environ 79:155–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen J, Liu XQ, Wang SM, Matsumoto R (2005) Palaeoclimatic changes in the Qinghai Lake area during the last 18,000 years. Quat Int 136:131–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shotyk W, Weiss D, Appleby PG, Cheburkin AK, Frei R, Gloor M, Kramers JD, Reese S, Van der Knaap W (1998) History of atmospheric lead deposition since 12,370 14C yr BP from a peat bog, Jura Mountains, Switzerland. Science 281:1635–1640

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stamatis G, Alexakis D, Gamvroula G, Migiros G (2011) Groundwater quality assessment in Oropos-Kalamos basin, Attica, Greece. Environ Earth Sci 64:973–988

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steiner B, Hanselmann KW, Krähenbühl U (2000) Dating and heavy metal contents of sediment cores of a high-alpine, remote lake: Jörisee (Switzerland). Int J Environ Anal Chem 78(2):131–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ünlü S, Alpar B (2016) An assessment of trace element contamination in the freshwater sediments of Lake Iznik (NW Turkey). Environ Earth Sci 75(2):1–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wan DJ, Jin ZD, Wang YX (2012) Geochemistry of eolian dust and its elemental contribution to Lake Qinghai sediment. Appl Geochem 27:1546–1555

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang P, Cao JJ, Han YM, Jin ZD, Wu F, Zhang F (2015) Elemental distribution in the topsoil of the Lake Qinghai catchment, NE Tibetan Plateau, and the implications for weathering in semi-arid areas. J Geochem Explor 152:1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xie Z, Jiang Y, Zhang H, Wang D, Qi S, Du Z, Zhang H (2016) Assessing heavy metal contamination and ecological risk Poyang Lake area, China. Environ Earth Sci 75(7):549

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu H, Ai L, Tan LC, An ZS (2006) Stable isotopes in bulk carbonates and organic matter in recent sediments of Lake Qinghai and their climatic implications. Chem Geol 235:262–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu H, Hou ZH, An ZS, Liu XY, Dong JB (2010) Major ion chemistry of waters in Lake Qinghai catchments, NE Qinghai-Tibet plateau, China. Quat Int 212:35–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang H, Rose N (2005) Trace element pollution records in some UK lake sediments, their history, influence factors and regional differences. Environ Int 31:63–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang LC, Zhou KZ (1992) Background values of trace elements in the source area of the Yangtze River. Sci Total Environ 125:391–404

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang JW, Jin M, Chen FH, Battarbee RW, Henderson ACG (2003) High-resolution precipitation variations in the Northeast Tibetan Plateau over the last 800 years documented by sediment cores of Qinghai Lake. Chin Sci Bull 48:1451–1456

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang H, Shan B, Ao L, Tang W, Wen S (2014) Past atmospheric trace metal deposition in a remote lake (Lake Ngoring) at the headwater areas of Yellow River, Tibetan Plateau. Environ Earth Sci 72:399–406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu XH, Lyu SS, Zhang PP, Chen XG, Wu DD, Ye Y (2016) Heavy metal contamination in the lacustrine sediment of a plateau lake: influences of groundwater and anthropogenic pollution. Environ Earth Sci 75(2):1–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41671462).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chunye Lin.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lin, C., Xue, Y., Zhang, X. et al. Distribution of cadmium among multimedia in Lake Qinghai, China. Environ Earth Sci 77, 153 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-018-7332-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-018-7332-7

Keywords

Navigation