Geochemical characterization and heavy metal contamination of groundwater in Satluj River Basin

Groundwater, a renewable and finite natural resource, vital for man’s life, social and economic development and a valuable component of the ecosystem, is vulnerable to natural and human impacts. The aim of present study is to evaluate hydrogeochemical parameters and heavy metals in groundwater and to study their spatial distribution in the Rupnagar District of Punjab. The spatial distribution of physico-chemical parameters were studied using Arc GIS 9.2. It was observed that the concentration of parameters, such as NO₃, Cd, Cr, Mn and Pb was above permissible limit (World Health Organization, WHO) in southern part of the study area. The heavy metal pollution index (HPI) was calculated for all sampling locations and it was found much above the critical limit of pollution. Geochemical reaction models of selected water groups were constructed using Phreeqc. Geochemical modeling suggests that sodium has source other than halite-albite and calcium has alternate source other than gypsum-carbonate or silicates. It also suggests that evaporites, ion exchange, dissolution along with anthropogenic activities are controlling the hydro-geochemistry of groundwater in the region. Various indices, such as heavy metal pollution index, permeability index, sodium adsorption ratio, were studied to verify suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation.     

Assessment of heavy metal contamination in soils around chromite mining areas, Nuggihalli, Karnataka, India

Toxic heavy metals represent one of the possible environmental hazards from mine lands, which affect many countries having historic mining industries. The primary aim of the study was to investigate the degree of soil pollution occurring near chromite mines, and make a systematic evaluation of soil contamination based on geoaccumulation index, enrichment factor and pollution index. This paper presents the pollution load of toxic heavy metals (As, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sr, V, Zn and Zr) in 57 soil samples collected around three different active (Tagdur), abandoned (Jambur) chromite mining sites as well residential zone around Chikkondanahalli of the Nuggihalli Schist Belt, Karnataka, India. Soil samples were analyzed for heavy metals by using Wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Results indicated that elevated concentrations of Cr, Ni and Co in soils of the study area exceed the Soil Quality Guideline limits (SQGL). The high enrichment factor for Cr, Ni Co obtained in the soil samples show that there is a steady increase of toxic heavy metals risk in this area, which could be correlated with the past mining activity and post abandoned mining in the area. The data was also treated to study the geoaccumulation index, pollution index and spatial distribution of toxic elements. Emphasis need to be put on control measures of pollution and remediation techniques in the study area.     

湘江入湖河段沉积物主元素组成对重金属污染的指示

本次工作利用X射线荧光(XRF)和电感耦合等离子质谱(ICP-MS)分析技术,对湘江人湖河段沉积物进行主元素和重金属元素分析.结果表明,湘江入湖沉积物中主元素含量变化相对稳定,沉积物具有明显亏CaO、Na2O,而富MnO、A12O3的化学组成特征.其化学组成和风化蚀变特征(蚀变指数CIA值大于78)指示流域上游花岗岩为沉积物提供了主要的物源.主元素揭示的沉积物矿物组成主要包括A12O3表征的细粒黏土矿物类和SiO2、Na2O表征的粗粒碎屑矿物类两部分.沉积物中重金属元素含量变化大,重金属综合富集指数EI值自湾河WH (EI=4.7、14.2)向湘阴XY (6.6、5.6)再向屈原农场QN沉积柱(18.4)趋于增大,重金属污染程度自上游向下游趋于增强.重金属污染程度主要与以A12O3为代表的Ⅰ类元素呈正相关关系.预示重金属污染主要与黏土矿物、铁锰氧化物、有机质、及磷灰石等副矿物相关.其中Bi、Pb、Mn、T1等重金属污染更趋于在黏土矿物、锰氧化物、有机质等矿物相中增强,Cd污染可能主要与铁锰氧化物、有机质等有关,U污染则主要与铁氧化物矿物有关,而Cu、Sb污染主要与有机质关系密切.不同的矿物相可能引起不同种类的重金属污染.     

Multivariate statistical techniques for evaluating and identifying the environmental significance of heavy metal contamination in sediments of the Yangtze River, China

The concentrations of heavy metals (Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, As, Hg, and Fe) in sediments of the Yangtze River, China, were investigated to evaluate levels of contamination and their potential sources. The lowest heavy metal concentrations were found in the source regions of the river basin. Relatively high concentrations of metals, except Cr, were found in the Sichuan Basin, and the highest concentrations were in the Xiangjiang and Shun’anhe rivers. All concentrations, except Ni, were higher than global averages. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis showed that Zn, Pb, As, Hg, and Cd were derived mainly from the exploitation of various multi-metal minerals, industrial wastewater, and domestic sewage. Cu, Co, and Fe were derived mainly from natural weathering (erosion). Cr and Ni were derived mainly from agricultural activities, municipal and industrial wastewater. Sediment pollution was assessed using the geoaccumulation index (I _geo) and enrichment factor (EF). Among the ten heavy metals assessed, Cd and Pb had the highest I _geo values, followed by Cu, As, Zn, and Hg. The I _geo values of Fe, Cr, Co, and Ni were <0 in all sediments. EF provided similar information to I _geo: no enrichment was found for Cr, Co, and Ni. Cu, Zn, As, and Hg were relatively enriched at some sites while Cd and Pb showed significant enrichment.     

Heavy metal contamination of cultivated wetland soils along a typical plateau lake from southwest China

Topsoil (0–20 cm) samples were collected from four cultivated wetlands including Northern and Western Fields (about 30-year tillage), and Southern and Western Fields (about 20-year tillage) along the Yilong Lake of China in October, 2005. Total concentrations of As, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn were determined using the inductively coupled plasma atomic absorption spectrometry in order to assess contamination status in four sampling plots. Results showed that the average concentrations of these heavy metals in Northern and Western Fields were significantly (P < 0.01) higher than those in reference soils, while they were generally lower in Southern and Eastern Fields. All the mean concentrations of heavy metals were lower, except that the average concentrations of As and Cr in Northern Field slightly exceeded the soil quality guidelines. The contamination indices showed low-contamination levels for As, Cu, Pb, and Zn in Northern and Western Fields, while no contamination levels could be observed in Southern and Eastern Fields. As for Cr, they showed moderate-contamination levels in Northern Field, but low or no contamination levels in other three Fields. The integrated contamination index values indicated Northern and Western Fields were moderately contaminated, while Southern and Eastern Fields were less contaminated. The same contamination sources of these heavy metals were identified in these fields using factor- and cluster analysis.     

Effects of Heavy Metal Contamination on Microbial Biomass and Community Structure in Soils

Theeco environmentalpollutioncausedbyminingdevelopmentisaworldwideproblem ,whichhasarousedever increasingattentionofscientists.Inadditiontovegetationdestructionanderosionofcultivatedlanddirectlycausedbyminingdevelopment,scientistshaveplacedmorefocusontheenvironmentalproblemsinducedbythereleaseofharmfulsubstances ( particularlyheavymetals) .Especiallyundersurfaceconditions,thepiled upminewastes (minetailings)undergoweatheringundertheactionofaseriesofgeochemicalfactorssuchasthemineralogyofmineta…     

Toxic metal contamination and distribution in soils and plants of a typical metallurgical industrial area in southwest of China

In this work, the total and each fraction concentration of toxic metals (Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd) in soils as well as in plants from a typical metallurgical industrial area in southwest of China were determined. The obtained experimental results demonstrated that the total toxic metal content in contaminated soils was in the order of Zn > Pb > Cu > Cd. Modified microwave-assisted extraction showed that the distributions of each fraction of toxic metals in soils were different and some soil properties may play a role in the fraction distributions. The content of Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in different vegetables ranged from 9.82 ± 1.02 to 39.3 ± 1.13 mg kg^?1, 1,321 ± 10.50 to 3,153 ± 11.30 mg kg^?1, 4.47 ± 0.21 to 18.9 ± 0.37 mg kg^?1 and 28 ± 1.2 to 102 ± 1.5 mg kg^?1, respectively. And the accumulation of toxic metals in plants was in the order of Cd > Zn > Cu > Pb. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) values of Cd, Zn, Cu and Pb in the different tissues of plants were in the range of 0.03–0.43, 0.027–0.35, 0.014–0.12 and 0.004–0.051, respectively. The distribution of each toxic metal in plants indicated that the ability for plants to accumulate toxic metals in different tissues followed the sequence of leaf > stem.     

土壤重金属污染评价方法研究进展

从技术应用的角度,将土壤重金属污染评价方法分为传统的方法和基于GIS的评价方法两大类.本文阐述了评价方法的研究进展,分析了主要评价方法的优缺点,最后对评价方法做出了展望.     

Sources and history of heavy metal contamination and sediment deposition in Tivoli South Bay, Hudson River, New York

Persistent inorganic constitutents preserved in sediments of aquatic ecosystems record temporal variability of biogeochemical functioning and anthropogenic impacts.²¹⁰Pb and¹³⁷Cs dating techniques were used to study the past variations of heavy metals (Pb, Cu, and Zn) and accumulation rates of sediments for Tivoli South Bay, in the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve ecosystem. South Bay, a tidal freshwater embayment of the Hudson, may play an important role in the sediment dynamics of this important river. The measured sedimentation rate range of 0.59 to 2.92 cm yr⁻¹ suggests that rapid accumulation occurred during the time period represented by the length of the cores (approximately the past 50 yr). Direct measurements of sediment exchange with the Hudson River reveal high variability in the sediment flux from one tidal cycle to the next. Net exchange does not seem to be adequate to explain sediment accumulation rates in the bay as measured by²¹⁰Pb and¹³⁷Cs. The difference may be supplied from upland streams or the Hudson River during storm events. Concentrations of the metals Pb, Cu and Zn were found to be well correlated with each other within individual cores at five of six sites tested. This suggests a common proximate source for the three metals at a specific site. The evidence is consistent with mixing in some environmental compartment before delivery to the bay. While metals self-correlate within individual cores, absolute concentrations, depth distribution patterns, and ratios of the metals to each other vary among the cores collected at different locations within the bay. Organic matter, Fe content, and particle size distribution of sediments do not account for the intercore variations in metal concentration. It is likely that cores collected from different sites may have derived metals from different sources, such as watershed streams and tidal exchange with the Hudson River.     

Evaluation of heavy metal contamination and implication of multiple sources from Hunchun basin, northeastern China

Present concentrations and distributions of heavy metals through profiles, surface soil, and stream sediment samples in the Hunchun area, north-eastern China, were investigated to determine the elemental background values. This study also aims to characterize potentially toxic materials such as pulverized fly ash (PFA) from power stations or ash and slag from coal used domestically in urban areas, agrochemicals applied inappropriately, and urban sewage sludges from Hunchun City, as well as to ascertain the possibility of natural enrichment through site characterization by mineralogical and geochemical investigation. The distribution of contaminants in the alluvial soils (fluvisol) of this area has been influenced by several interacting factors. The parent alluvial materials from weathered products of amphiboles have made coatings such as ferrihydrite, goethite, and hematite. This natural inheritance factor is supported by the fact that the concentrations of weak acid-extractable (plant-available) heavy metals are very low, except for Fe and Mn. However, in agricultural soils and adjacent stream sediments, an anthropogenic input of Cd, Pb, Ni and Cr by agrochemicals is strongly suggested. Also, F contamination by coal combustion and the dissolution of F-bearing minerals could cause some future problems. Wide distribution and significantly high concentrations of Cd, Fe, Mn, and F in soils throughout the combination of pollutants originating from lithogenic and the anthropogenic sources pose potential problems in utilizing water resources. Received: 14 June 1999 · Accepted: 27 December 1999     

Deciphering heavy metal contamination zones in parts of Nalgonda District,Telangana

The study area is very important in terms of anthropogenic activity like rapid industrial, urban development, pesticides, pharmacy, granite polishing and agro based industries. Soils represent an excellent media to monitor heavy metal pollution. The results of soil samples analyzed in the present work using XRF reveal anomalous heavy metal and major oxide concentrations. The geogenic and anthropogenic activities for a long period in the study area are responsible for the anomalous heavy metal pollutants. Hence, this work is of immense societal benefit in terms of prevailing human health hazards in the study area with a direct relevance to such industrially populated regions elsewhere. Soil samples collected from study area were analyzed for heavy metals (As, Ba, Cr, Cu, Ni, Co, Mo, Pb, Rb, Sr, V, Y, Zn and Zr and major oxides (SiO₂, Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, MnO, MgO, CaO, Na₂O, K₂O, TiO₂, and P₂O₅ ) using Philips PW 2440 X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (XRF). The minimum 0.08 for molybdenum and maximum 21.99 enrichment factor for arsenic is observed. The minimum -2.5 and maximum 17.97 geoaccumulation index values is observed for barium and molybdenum. The minimum 0.07 and maximum 4.3 contamination factors is observed for molybdenum and lead. High contamination degree 19.21 for SMP-1 and least 7.8 for SMP-12 is observed. The minimum 0.41 and maximum 0.95 pollution load index is observed for SMP-12 and SMP-20. Factor analysis results shows that, three factors emerged as significant contributors to the soil quality is about seventy six percent for heavy metals and sixty eight percent for major oxides. The spatial variation maps deciphering heavy metal concentration of both natural and anthropogenic origin by three zones i.e. low, moderate and high of the study area based on environment using Arc-GIS.     

Effects of human activities on hydrological drought patterns in the Yangtze River Basin,China

Natural Hazards - As an extremely important region for the socioeconomic development of China, the Yangtze River Basin (YRB) is vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters. In recent...     

滇西沘江沉积物剖面重金属元素分布特征

采用连续提取法测定流经兰坪金顶铅锌矿区的沘江3个沉积物剖面中重金属元素的含量,分析Pb、Zn、Cd和As在流域的分布特征和在沉积物剖面中的分布特征。结果表明,距矿山75km的河段沉积物中,浅层沉积物中4种金属元素均污染严重,金顶铅锌矿是沉积物中重金属元素的主要来源,随着矿山开发规模的不断扩大,污染程度加深。4种重金属元素中Cd活性态比例高,且污染程度最强、范围最广、深度最大,Zn、Pb次之,As污染相对较轻、范围较小。潜在生态危害指数法研究结果表明,浅层沉积物中重金属元素表现出中等—很强的生态风险性,产生生态危害的主要重金属元素是Cd,其后依次是Pb、As和Zn。     

陕西潼关金矿区太峪河底泥重金属元素的含量及污染评价

通过对潼关金矿区太峪河和太峪水库底泥中重金属元素总量的调查,探讨了金矿开发活动中重金属元素对河流底泥的污染程度。研究结果表明,除As外,河流底泥中重金属元素的含量与尾矿渣中重金属元素的含量变化一致,表明其主要来源于尾矿渣,但又明显高于尾矿渣。在同一地点河流底泥中重金属元素的含量平均高出河水中的1048.61～666030.08倍,呈显著富集。以邻近地区不受工矿活动影响的河流底泥重金属元素的含量均值作为评价参比值,太峪河底泥受到了Hg、Pb、Cd、Cu、Zn元素的极度污染,单项污染超标倍数及综合污染指数法评价结果表明,Hg、Pb、Cd平均污染超标倍数达366.90、217.42和149.97,是底泥中最主要的污染元素。河流底泥重金属元素的综合污染指数高达278.97,表明河流的复合污染亦呈极度状态。太峪河底泥受重金属元素极度污染的现实提示,矿区的环境防治工作已刻不容缓。     

Comparison of different methods for assessing heavy metal contamination in street dust of Xianyang City, NW China

Street dust is one of the important indicators that reflect the status of urban environmental pollution. There are many studies of heavy metals contamination of street dust in capital cities; however, little attention has been paid to this kind of study in medium cities, including China. The dust samples were collected in the district of traffic crossroads in Xianyang city, Shaanxi Province. Pb, Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr and Mn concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The results indicate that the concentrations of heavy metals are higher than the background values of soils in Shaanxi Province. The contamination level of heavy metals is assessed by potential ecological risk index (E _r), geoaccumulation index (I _geo), enrichment factor (EF) and pollution index (Pi). The low I _geo, EF, E _r, Pi and PI_n (integrated pollution index) for Mn in street dusts indicate an absence of distinct Mn pollution. The high EF, Pi and PI_n of Cu and Zn indicate that there is considerable Cu and Zn pollution. It is suggested that more attention should be paid to heavy metals contamination of Cu and Zn. The assessment results of Pi and PI_n suggest that Pb, Ni and Cr present strong pollution; however, their EFs indicate that they cause moderate pollution and their I _geo indicates that they are unpolluted to moderately polluted. The contamination class value with different assessing methods is of the order: Pi ≈ PI_n > EF > I _geo > E _r.     

GIS-based hazard mapping and zonation of debris flows in Xiaojiang Basin,southwestern China

Debris flow sites were identified at 140 locations in the Xiaojiang Basin in Yunnan province, southwestern China. Their spatial distribution and catchment characteristics are described in detail on the basis of previous research, air photo interpretation, field investigation and mapping using Geographical Information Systems (GIS). Using a statistical approach, a quantitative model of hazards assessment and zonation was developed through synthesis analysis of basin areas, gradients, and the relative reliefs of these debris flow sites. In terms of debris flow hazard assessment, areas within the Xiaojiang Basin can be classified as severe, heavy and light hazard regions.     

黄河下游山东段沿岸土壤中重金属元素异常的成因

山东省多目标区域地球化学调查发现,沿黄河两岸分布有As、Cd、Cr、Cu、Pb、Zn、Ni等重金属元素异常,这类异常衬度不大,并多沿河呈不连续分布。研究结果表明,异常区土壤重金属元素的含量与SiO2、Al2O3Fe2O3等常量组分间具有显著的相关性,多数微量重金属元素随SiO2含量的增加而降低,随Al2O3Fe2O3含量的增加而增加。根据常量组分与土壤质地的密切关系可以推断。土壤质地对重金属元素异常的形成具明显的控制作用。