Association of trace metals with various sedimentary phases in dam reservoirs

In the present study sediment and water samples collected from Kowsar Dam reservoir in Kohkiluye and Boyerahmad Province, southwest of Iran, are subjected to bulk digestion and chemical partitioning. The concentrations of nickel, lead, zinc, copper, cobalt, cadmium, manganese and iron in water and bed sediment were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. The concentrations of metals bounded to five sedimentary phases were estimated. On this basis, the proportions of natural and anthropogenic elements were calculated.The anthropogenic portion of elements are as follows: zinc (96 %)> cobalt (88 %)> iron (78 %)> magnesium (78 %)> nickel (78 %)> copper (66 %)> lead (63 %)> cadmium (59 %). The results show sediment contamination by nickel, cadmium and lead, according to the world aquatic sediments and mean earth crust values. Manganese and copper have strong association with organic matter and are of high portion of sulfide bounded ions. Finally, The degree of sediment contamination was evaluated using enrichment factor, geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and pollution index (IPoll). The sediments were identified to be of high cadmium and lead pollution index. The pattern of pollution intensity according to enrichment factor is as follows; manganese (1.25) < copper (1.63) < zinc (1.93) < cobalt (2.35) < nickel (3.83) < lead (12.63) < cadmium (78.32). Cluster analysis was performed in order to assess heavy metal interactions between water and sediment. Accordingly, nickel, cadmium and copper are earth originated. Zinc, copper and manganese are dominated by pH. All the elemental concentrations in water and sediment are correlated except for sedimental copper.     

Assessment of heavy metal pollution in the urban stream sediments and its tributaries

Globally, aquatic ecosystems are highly polluted with heavy metals arising from anthropogenic and terrigenous sources. The objective of this study was to investigate the pollution of stream sediments and possible sources of pollutants in Nakivubo Channel Kampala, Uganda. Stream sediments were collected and analysed for heavy metal concentration using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The degree of pollution in Nakivubo channelized stream sediments for lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, manganese and iron was assessed using enrichment factor, geo-accumulation index and pollution load index. The results indicated that (1) the sediments have been polluted with lead, cadmium and zinc and have high anthropogenic influences; (2) the calculation of geo-accumulation index suggest that Nakivubo stream sediments have background concentration for copper, manganese and Fe (I _geo ≤ 0); (3) factor analysis results reveal three sources of pollutants as explained by three factors (75.0 %); (i) mixed origin or retention phenomena of industrial and vehicular emissions; (ii) terrigenous and (iii) dual origin of zinc (vehicular and industrial). In conclusion, the co-precipitation (inclusion, occlusion and adsorption) of lead, cadmium and zinc with manganese and iron hydroxides, scavenging ability of other metals, very low dissolved oxygen and slightly acidic to slightly alkaline pH in stream water could account for the active accumulation of heavy metals in Nakivubo stream sediments. These phenomena may pose a risk of secondary water pollution under sediment disturbance and/or changes in the geo-chemistry of sediments.     

Trace metal levels in edible wild fungi

Metal levels (cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, nickel, lead and zinc) of seventeen different edible wild fungi species (Agaricus campestris, Calocybe gambosa, Coprinus comatus, Hericium coralloides, Hydnum repandum, H. repandum var. rufescens, Lactarius deliciosus, L. salminocolor, Macrolepiota procera, Pleurotus ostreatus, P. ostreatus var. columbinus, Ramaria aurea, R. stricta, Rhizopogon luteolus, Sparassis crispa, Suillus bovinus, Tricholoma terreum) growing in Bolu-Turkey were measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrocopy. The obtained data were analyzed with “statistical package for the social sciences” statistics program. In addition, relation between metal concentrations in both soil and fungi samples were investigated. The highest metal concentrations in Bolu District, Turkey were measured in A. campestris (cadmium 0.270, chromium 2.735 and zinc 7.683), C. comatus (iron 160.12), M. procera (copper 15.990, cobalt 0.352 and nickel 3.645), R. luteolus (Pb 4.756) mg/kg dw (dry weight). As a result of the measurements, it was observed that metal uptake is related with the species of fungi and is also affected by pH and organic contents of the soil.     

Base metals and mercury in bryophytes and stream sediments from a geochemical reconnaissance survey of Chandalar Quadrangle, Alaska

Stream sediments and aquatic bryophytes were used as exploration samples during a mineral reconnaissance survey of Chandalar Quadrangle, Alaska. Comparative data demonstrate that aquatic bryophytes accumulate copper, lead, zinc and mercury and locate massive sulfide mineralization better than stream sediments.Aquatic bryophytes are effective because of their ability to chemically bind dissolved trace elements, and physically trap micron-sized particulates. The former regulates mercury and manganese accumulation while the latter is more important for copper, lead, zinc and iron accumulation.Species effects seem to be negligible since statistical tests for measurable differences between bryophyte trace-element accumulations are not strongly positive. Therefore, the bryophyte data can be biogeochemically interpreted without rigorous species identification and statistical treatment.Overall, aquatic bryophytes are effective exploration samples in areas where they are abundant and stream sediments are not.     

Heavy metals contamination of the Quaternary coral reefs, Red Sea coast, Egypt

In order to assess pollutants and impact of environmental changes along the Egyptian Red Sea coast, seven recent and Pleistocene coral species have been analyzed for Zn, Pb, Mn, Fe, Cr, Co, Ni, and Cu. Results show that the concentration of trace elements in recent coral skeletons is higher than those of Pleistocene counterpart except for Mn and Ni. In comparison with recent worldwide reefs, the present values are less than those of Central America coast (iron), Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan (lead, copper), Gulf of Mannar, India (chromium, zinc, manganese), Costa Rica, Panama (chromium, nickel), North-west coast of Venezuela and Saudi Arabia (copper). The present values are higher than those of Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan (iron, zinc, manganese), Gulf of Mannar, India (lead, cobalt, nickel), North-west coast of Venezuela (lead, zinc, chromium, manganese), Australia (copper, nickel, zinc, manganese). The highest values were recorded in Stylophora pistillata (iron, lead and copper), Acropora cytherea (cobalt), Pocillopora verrucosa (zinc) and the lowest concentrations were recorded in Goniastrea pectinata (iron, chromium, copper and nickel), Favites pentagona (lead, zinc and manganese), and Porites lutea (cobalt). The differences in metals content among the studied species are attributed to differences in microstructure and microarchitecture.     

A geochemical assessment of the middle and lower Mvoti river system,KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa

This paper presents one of the first investigations into the geochemical enrichment of the middle and lower Mvoti river system. Chemical elements are naturally present in aquatic sediments, but their concentrations tend to rise to potentially toxic levels via both natural and anthropogenic processes. This study evaluated the concentrations of aluminum, arsenic, boron, barium, cadmium, calcium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, phosphorous, selenium, silicon, strontium, titanium, vanadium and zinc, using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The levels of elements present were used to assess their spatial distribution within the river and to determine the contamination factors and enrichment factors for each element. The pollution load index (PLi) is another contributing parameter that was calculated to determine the degree of pollution at each site. The results indicate that the sediments of the Mvoti are low to moderately polluted and deteriorating with time (average PLi value of 5.19), and that a major contributing factor to this contamination is natural sources.     

The “Sea Diamond” shipwreck: environmental impact assessment in the water column and sediments of the wreck area

In the “Sea Diamond” shipwreck, it is estimated that almost 1.7 tons of batteries/accumulators and approximately 150 cathode ray tube technology televisions have gone to the bottom of the sea. Under these circumstances, all the aforementioned materials will eventually undergo severe accelerated corrosion. Consequently, a variety of heavy metals will either be released in seawater or precipitate in the form of salts resulting in contamination of the sea sediments. According to the ship data, and the aforementioned quantities of batteries and televisions, it is estimated that approximately 75–80 g of mercury, 630–1,050 g of cadmium and 1.14–1.26 tons of lead exist in the wreck only due to the electrical and electronic equipment present in the ship, not to mention the significant amount of heavy metals such as copper, nickel, ferrous and chromium that exist in the hulk. Four series of seawater sampling (n = 85) were conducted in different stations surrounding the wreck area in order to assess the overall impact from the release of heavy metals in the surrounding aquatic environment. The analysis indicated that there were stations where lead, zinc and cadmium were present in concentrations higher than the permissible limits set by the Unites States Environmental Protection Agency for seawater. Furthermore, the analysis of three series of sediment sampling (n = 31) from the wreck area showed elevated but expected concentration values for ferrous and manganese, considering the geological background of the area and contamination with lead, copper and cadmium.     

Use of Siam weed biomarker in assessing heavy metal contaminations in traffic and solid waste polluted areas

The ability of Chromolaena odorata to accumulate and serve as biomarker to lead and cadmium metals pollution load had been revealed by this study. Samples of soils and Siam weed were collected to assess impacts of solid waste disposal and traffic density on the environment. Composite sample were collected from a solid waste dumpsite, three traffic polluted areas with varying traffic density and a background site distant from traffic. Concentration of eight elements: cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, nickel, lead and zinc were determined in soil and plant samples and correlated together. Accumulative factors like pollution load index, transfer factor, contamination factor, enrichment factor were calculated for the metals in both plants and soils and used as basis for interpreting the state of the environment and ability of C. odorata to accumulate metals. The accumulative factors of plants were generally greater than that of soil samples indicating increased accumulative capacity of the plant. The accumulations of lead and cadmium in C. odorata were remarkable with contamination factor 10.51 and 23.50, respectively and mean enrichment factors 3.52 and 6.93, respectively. Other metals had lower accumulative factors. The distribution of metals and calculated factors placed solid waste disposal site as the most polluted site while the trend observed in areas with traffic pollution depicts the ability of C. odorata to clean up metal pollution by accumulating them. It can therefore be suggested that solid waste disposal negatively affects the environment more than traffic pollution subject to the volume of traffic.     

Biomonitoring of trace element accumulation in plants growing at Murat Mountain

The purpose of this study is to determine the present levels of atmospheric trace element pollution in the Murat Mountain of Aegean Region in the western part of Turkey. Therefore, 29 different plants were selected as potential biomonitors of trace elements including nickel, zinc, iron, lead, cadmium and manganese (??g/g, dry weight). The samples were collected from two different heights of Murat Mountain. Atomic absorption spectrometry was used to determine the concentrations of trace elements. The mean concentrations determined at 1,000?m altitude ranged from 0.139 to 4.518, 0.223 to 0.986, 0.359 to 6.930, 0.443 to 0.727 and 0.077 to 3.222???g/g, dry weight, for nickel, zinc, iron, lead and manganese, respectively. At 1,600?m altitude, the values ranged from 0.191 to 6.248, 0.302 to 1.008, 2.387 to 8.896, 0.345 to 0.570 and 0.195 to 3.502???g/g, dry weight, for nickel, zinc, iron, lead and manganese, respectively. No cadmium was found at both altitudes. For determination of existence of any differences between the averages of the herbaceous and woody plants, comparisons were made by the independent sample t test. In the statistical analysis, comparison of trace element pollution values of herbaceous and woody plants for nickel, lead and manganese was significant (P?<?0.05), while it was not for iron and zinc.     

A comparison of metallic contents in lichen Pyxine subcinerea, its substratum and soil

Chromium, copper, cadmium, lead, nickel, iron and zinc contents of a lichen species (Pyxine subcinerea Stirton) and mango bark collected from 12 sites in Haridwar city (Uttarakhand) were compared with soil, sampled from beneath the tree from which lichens were collected. The metal contents in lichen, bark and soil ranged from 1,573 to 18,793, 256 to 590 and 684 to 801 μg g^?1, respectively. This clearly indicates that lichens accumulated higher amounts of metal compared to bark or soil. Statistical analysis revealed that metal concentration in lichens did not show significant linear correlation with the bark or soil. Pearsons correlation coefficients revealed negative correlation of Pb (r = ?0.2245) and Ni (r = ?0.0480) content between lichen and soil, which indicate direct atmospheric input of metals from ambient environment. Quantification and comparison of elemental concentration in lichens, its substratum and soil can provide valuable information about air quality in the collection area.     

Application of algae in biomonitoring and phytoextraction of heavy metals contamination in urban stream water

Biological technologies for wastewater remediation techniques employed to remove contaminants in urban stream water are increasingly receiving attention worldwide. The purpose of this study was therefore to determine the concentrations of lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, manganese and iron in algal biomass and establish the feasibility of using algae in phytoextraction and bio-monitoring of environmental quality. Analysis of algal biomass samples in the Nakivubo urban stream ecosystem, Kampala, Uganda, showed that there was contamination by lead, cadmium, copper and zinc as indicated by enrichment factor and pollution load index values. It is suspected that industrial and vehicular emissions are the major sources of these pollutants. Calculated bio-concentration factor was >- 1000 but with low concentration thresholds in each element, suggesting that algal biomass was a very good heavy metal accumulator. The bio-concentration values in algal biomass were found to be in the order of copper > zinc > lead > cadmium in the Nakivubo Channelized stream. In conclusion, algae can be a promising aquatic bio-filter plant for phytoextraction and bio-monitoring of polluted urban stream ecosystems and wastewater.     

Heavy metals contamination in water and sediments of an urban river in a developing country

Water and sediment samples were collected from 20 location of the Buriganga river of Bangladesh during Summer and Winter 2009 to determine the spatial distribution, seasonal and temporal variation of different heavy metal contents. Sequential extraction procedure was employed in sediment samples for the geochemical partitioning of the metals. Total trace metal content in water and sediment samples were analyzed and compared with different standard and reference values. Concentration of total chromium, lead, cadmium, zinc, copper, nickel, cobalt and arsenic in water samples were greatly exceeded the toxicity reference values in both season. Concentration of chromium, lead, copper and nickel in sediment samples were mostly higher than that of severe effect level values, at which the sediment is considered heavily polluted. On average 72 % chromium, 92 % lead, 88 % zinc, 73 % copper, 63 % nickel and 68 % of total cobalt were associated with the first three labile sequential extraction phases, which portion is readily bioavailable and might be associated with frequent negative biological effects. Enrichment factor values demonstrated that the lead, cadmium, zinc, chromium and copper in most of the sediment samples were enriched sever to very severely. The pollution load index value for the total area was as high as 21.1 in Summer and 24.6 in Winter season; while values above one indicates progressive deterioration of the sites and estuarine quality. The extent of heavy metals pollution in the Buriganga river system implies that the condition is much frightening and may severely affect the aquatic ecology of the river.     

Distribution of heavy metals in the core sediments of a tropical wetland system

Five sediment cores from the fresh water region of the Vembanad wetland system were studied for the trace element contents The average concentration of iron, manganese, nickel, copper, zinc, cadmium, lead, mercury and chromium were determined. The core samples were collected using gravity type corer, digested with a mixture of nitric acid and perchloric acid and analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Heavy metals such as iron, copper, nickel and zinc reported enrichment towards the surface of the core sediment sample collected from the centre of the lake. Lead, cadmium and mercury showed uniform distribution through out the core. Quality of the sediments were evaluated based on sediment quality guidelines, pollution load index, sum of toxic units and with effect range low/effect range median and threshold effect level/probable effect level values of Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. The degree of contamination for each station was determined. The concentration of different heavy metals has been compared with the world average concentration of shale values. Results of the analysis showed that Vembanad lake is facing serious metal pollution with increased rate of deposition.     

Trace metals in surface seawaters and sediments from various habitats of the Red Sea coast of Yemen

The purpose of this study was to determine and assess the concentrations of trace metals in surface seawaters and sediments from different coastal habitats of the Red Sea coast of Yemen. Surface seawater and sediment samples were collected, treated and analyzed for cadmium, cobalt, manganese, chromium, lead, iron, nickel, copper, zinc and vanadium by the atomic absorption spectrometric analysis. The concentrations were high for cadmium, cobalt and lead and low or consistent with the natural background concentrations for the rest of the metals. However, the coastal habitats of the Red Sea coast of Yemen are still considered unpolluted, it is concluded that the cadmium cobalt and lead levels in surface seawaters are high and could have negative effects on marine life of the sites. Further studies are needed to characterize the sources fate, biogeochemical processes and impacts of these trace metals on coastal habitats and marine life of the region.     

The distribution of heavy metals in the hard clam,Mercenaria mercenaria,in the lower Chesapeake Bay region

Populations of the hard clam,Mercenaria mercenaria, were sampled at thirty sites in the lower Chesapeake Bay region in 1972 and 1973. Subsamples were taken for analysis for the trace metals cadmium, copper and zinc. Emphasis was placed on samples from the York and James rivers, two very productive and commercially utilized clam grounds. The levels of metals determined were comparable to those reported from other regions except Southampton Water in the United Kingdom. Differences in levels between the York and James rivers were statistically significant (P<0.001) which indicates that the James River probably suffers from contamination by these metals. One metal, copper, varied significantly with the age of the organism whereas the other two, cadmium and zinc, varied with salinity. InMercenaria the salinity of the sampling site must be considered before cadmium and zinc data can be interpreted. A standard action-level to denote pollution from copper would be adequate in this species.     

Urbanization impact on metals mobility in riverine suspended sediment: Role of metal oxides

Spatial and temporal fractionation of trace metals and major elements in suspended particulate matter in the Seine River was investigated to study the impact of the increasing urbanization in the Greater Paris Region. Suspended sediments in the Seine River were collected between December 2008 to August 2009 upstream and downstream of Paris. They were subjected to total digestion and sequential extraction procedure certified by the Bureau Communautaire de Référence and trace metals along with major elements were analyzed with inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Metal enrichment factors increased up to eight folds after the Seine River downstream of the Greater Paris Region showing a significant contribution of urbanization. Enrichment of copper, lead and zinc downstream of Paris are followed by the increase of their reducible fraction of at least 10% implicating an increase in metals associated with iron oxides. The exchangeable fraction, which includes the carbonate-associated metals, is only significant for cadmium, nickel and zinc (more than 2 %) while the oxidisable fraction accounts for less than 20 % for the anthropogenic metals downstream except for copper. The metals can be divided to (a) “reducible” group including cadmium, lead, and zinc, associated with more than 60 % of the total Bureau Communautaire de Référence extractable metals to the reducible fraction containing mostly iron oxide phases for the downstream sites. (b) A “distributed” group including chromium, copper, and nickel that are associated to at least 3 different phase-groups: (1) oxides, (2) organic matter and sulphides and (3) mineral phases.     

Mathematical models to predict soil heavy metal toxicity in the 2012 Olympic site

Heavy metal concentrations in samples collected from the London 2012 Olympic Village were determined using a three-step sequential extraction and a rapid extraction method. Metal toxicity was measured by employing the Microtox^? solid phase analysis. Both extraction methods produced comparable results (p?=?0.996), but the rapid method produced higher readings. A number of heavy metals were detected using the two extraction methods, including aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, nickel, lead and zinc; beryllium, molybdenum, niobium and titanium were also found in low concentration ranging between 0.16 and 27.10?mg/kg in the total acid digestion. The total metal levels in all the soil samples were within the UK Soil Guideline Value (SGV) except for lead which ranged between 62.9 and 776.2?mg/kg. The 30?min EC₅₀ of different soil fractions was 2?C5.8?g/L. In the absence of any of heavy metals in the SGV, the Dutch Guideline values were referred. Mathematical models for a number of metals were generated based on the changes in EC₅₀ values between each (F1, F2 and F3) soil fractions and the initial toxicity in the non-fractionated samples. The resulting models produced good R² values (>96%) for predicting the change in toxicity of lead, cadmium, zinc and copper by measuring their changes in concentrations. These models could substantially reduce the time requires to determine the toxicity in the samples; they would be a useful tool in the clean up process where monitoring of metal toxicity is required.     

Characterization of stabilized waste: Evaluation of pollution risk

This study relates to the characterization of stabilized waste. Various parameters such as granulometric distribution, percentage of mineral and organic matter were estimated to appreciate environmental hazard potential and possibility of metal leaching of the samples of waste from Grange site in France. From the results, it was shown that the granulometric distribution was variable. Therefore, a strong proportion of fines (44.6 %) and medium (45.9 %) was observed due to the age of waste that supports the degradation of a great quantity of organic matter. That was confirmed by the strong mineral matter rate (63.8 %) obtained to determine the organic percentage of matter (36.2 %). The amount of heavy metals such as iron, nickel, copper, zinc, cadmium and lead was also studied. The results obtained were in a good agreement with the ones of the literature. Indeed, it appeared that iron, lead, copper, nickel and zinc are in relative strong proportion while cadmium was not very present. Iron represents 78 % of the metals. From the leaching tests, it was shown that the heavy metals concentration were very weak. Moreover, the deposit of studied waste could be a potential source of organic pollution (COD = 150 Mg C/L on average) in the case of precipitation and flood.     

Movement of elements into the atmosphere from coniferous trees in subalpine forests of colorado and Idaho

Exudates from conifer trees, presumably consisting largely of volatile materials, were sampled at 19 subalpine localitites in Colorado and Idaho where anomalous amounts of several metals were determined in vegetation and mull during previous geochemical testing. The trees sampled were lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). The condensed exudates were passed through No. 40 Whatman filters, and through 5-micron, 0.45-micron, and 0.05-micron average-pore-diameter membrane filters, evaporated to dryness, and each residue was ashed and analyzed by a semiquantitative spectrographic method.The ashed residues of the exudates contain lithium, beryllium, boron, sodium, magnesium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, gallium, arsenic, strontium, yttrium, zirconium, molybdenum, silver, lead, bismuth, cadmium, tin, antimony, barium, and lanthanum.The presence of these elements suggests that volatile exudates from vegetation are a medium for the transport of elements in the biogeochemical cycle in subalpine environments. Thus, air sampling and analysis of aerosols derived from volatile exudates may be a useful tool in geochemical exploration.     

Use of Pyracantha coccinea Roem. as a possible biomonitor for the selected heavy metals

In this study, copper, iron, manganese and nickel levels of branches and leaves of Pyracantha coccinea Roem. (firethorn) were measured for determining the heavy metal pollution in Mugla Province. Plant samples were collected from 34 different localities in four different areas of Mugla Province, during 2006 vegetation period. Unwashed and washed leaf samples and unwashed branch samples were subjected to analysis and copper, iron, manganese and nickel concentrations of samples were measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The obtained data were analyzed with “statistical package for the social sciences” statistics program. As a result of measurements, the highest average and lowest values and their collected stations were as follows; the highest average (5.89 ± 0.04 μg/g dw) and the lowest (5.20 ± 0.03 μtg/g dw) values of copper were measured near highways. The average highest iron value (9.53 ±1.68 μtg/g dw) was in industrial area while the lowest was near highways (1.73 ± 0.54 μtg/g dw). The highest value of magnesium accumulation (1.00 ± 0.16 μtg/gdw) was measured near highways. The lowest value was determined in urban area (0.40 ± 0.14 μtg/g dw). The average highest level of nickel was in industrial area while the lowest was determined in urban area. The values were 14.34 ± 1.59 μtg/g and 4.05 ± 0.51 μtg/g dw. As a result, it was proven that P. coccinea could be used as a biomonitor species for some of these heavy metals especially for copper and nickel.