Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Risk assessment of potential toxic metal pollution in water-sediment-submerged macrophyte systems: a case study of urban shallow lakes in Central China

  • Published:
Aquatic Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Six potential toxic metals (PTMs) in water-sediment-submerged macrophyte systems were investigated in six shallow lakes in Changsha City, Central China. The mean metal concentrations in the surface and interstitial water were in the order of Cu>As>Zn>Cr>Pb>Cd and As>Cu>Zn>Cr>Pb>Cd, respectively. Both surface and interstitial water were not polluted, except the interstitial water of Yue Lake with slight pollution (PN=1.93). The mean metal concentration was in the order of Zn>Cr>As>Cu>Pb>Cd in the sediments. The concentration of As in all urban shallow lakes exceeded 25 mg kg‒1, and Cd in Meixi Lake and Xianjia Lake also exceeded 0.3 mg kg‒1. The sediments were slight to severe pollution in the studied urban shallow lakes. Among the submerged macrophytes, the concentrations of PTMs were decreased in the order of Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara > Myriophyllum verticillatum L. > Centella asiatica (L.) Urban > Potamogeton crispus L. Zn was the most accumulated in all the submerged macrophytes, and the highest bioaccumulation factor (BAF) of Zn was 43.0 in V. natans. V. natans also exhibited relatively high BAFs of 4.6, 2.4, and 4.7 for Cu, As, and Pb, compared with other submerged macrophytes. The translocation factor (TF) of As was no more than 0.3 in all submerged macrophytes. The TFs of the other metals were dependent on the plant species. For most studied metals (As, Pb, Zn, and Cd), significant positive correlations were identified between submerged macrophytes and their surrounding water/sediments (P<0.05). These results indicated that the potential use of native submerged macrophytes, especially for V. natans, for PTM removal from urban shallow lakes is worth further exploration.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

Availability of data and materials

The data used in this manuscript is included in the text.

References

  • Ali H, Khan E, Sajad MA (2013) Phytoremediation of heavy metals–concepts and applications. Chemosphere 91(7):869–881

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Arnason JG, Fletcher BA (2003) A 40+ year record of Cd, Hg, Pb, and U deposition in sediments of Patroon Reservoir, Albany Country, NY, USA. Environ Pollut 123(3):383–391

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gale NL, Adams CD, Wixson BG, Loftin KA, Huang YW (2004) Lead, zinc, copper, and cadmium in fish and sediments from the big river and flat river creek of missouri’s old lead belt. Environ Geochem Health 26(1):37–49

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hu X, Wang C, Zou L (2011) Characteristics of heavy metals and Pb isotopic signatures in sediment cores collected from typical urban shallow lakes in Nanjing China. J Environ Manag 92(3):742–748

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hwang DW, Kim PJ, Kim SG, Sun CI, Koh BS, Ryu SO, Kim TH (2019) Spatial distribution and pollution assessment of metals in intertidal sediments Korea. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26(19):19379–19388

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ji X, Dahlgren RA, Zhang M (2016) Comparison of seven water quality assessment methods for the characterization and management of highly impaired river systems. Environ Monit Assess 188(1):15

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Karageorgis AP, Sioulas AI, Anagnostou CL (2002) Use of surface sediments in Pagassitikos gulf, Greece, to detect anthropogenic influence. Geo-Mar L 21(4):200–211

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keskinkan O (2005) Investigation of heavy metal removal by a submerged aquatic plant (Myriophyllum spicatum) in a batch system. Asian J Chem 17(3):1507–1517

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keskinkan O, Goksu MZ, Basibuyuk M, Forster CF (2004) Heavy metal adsorption properties of a submerged aquatic plant (Ceratophyllum demersum). Bioresour Technol 92(2):197–200

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kolawole TO, Olatunji AS, Jimoh MT, Fajemila OT (2018) Heavy metal contamination and ecological risk assessment in soils and sediments of an industrial area in southwestern Nigeria. J Health Pollut 8(19):180906

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Liu H, Zhou H, Ma W, Han Q, Diao X, Xue Q (2015) Concentration distribution and potential health risk of heavy metals in Mactra veneriformis from Bohai Bay China. Mar Pollut Bull 97(1–2):528–534

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li K, Wang J, Li K, Hu S, Huang Y (2017) Research and evaluation of water pollution in Lake Wabu Basin, Huaihe Catchment. J Environ Sci 29(1):143–150

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li B, Gu B, Yang Z, Zhang T (2018) The role of submerged macrophytes in phytoremediation of arsenic from contaminated water: a case study on Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 165:224–231

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li D, Wang J, Pi J, Yu J, Zhang T (2019) Biota-sediment metal accumulation and human health risk assessment of freshwater bivalve corbicula fluminea in Dongting Lake, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26:14951–14961

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu H, Li L, Yin C, Shan B (2008) Fraction distribution and risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments of Moshui Lake. J Environ Sci 20(4):390–397

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu B, Zhang W, Chi G (2019) Distribution and risk assessment of heavy metals in sediment from Bohai Bay China. Minerals 9(2):111

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Loska K, Wiechuła D, Pelczar J (2005) Application of enrichment factor to assessment of zinc enrichment/depletion in farming soils. Commun Soil Sci Pl Anal 36(9–10):1117–1128

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lu X, Wang L, Lei K, Huang J, Zhai Y (2009) Contamination assessment of copper, lead, zinc, manganese and nickel in street dust of Baoji, NW China. J Hazard Mater 161(2–3):1058–1062

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Luo Y, Nie X, Li X, Dai Z, Xu T, Huang Y (2017) Distribution and emission flux estimation of phosphorus in the sediment and interstitial water of Xiangxi River. J Environ Sci 38(6):2345–2354

    Google Scholar 

  • Ma L, Yang Z, Kong Q, Wang L (2017) Extraction and determination of arsenic species in leafy vegetables: method development and application. Food Chem 217:524–530

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Matanzas N, Afif E, Díaz TE, Gallego JR (2021) Phytoremediation potential of native herbaceous plant species growing on a paradigmatic brownfield site. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 232:290

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Monferran MV, Pignata ML, Wunderlin DA (2012) Enhanced phytoextraction of chromium by the aquatic macrophyte Potamogeton pusillus in presence of copper. Environ Pollut 161:15–22

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rajeshkumar S, Liu Y, Zhang X, Ravikumar B, Bai G, Li X (2018) Studies on seasonal pollution of heavy metals in water, sediment, fish and oyster from the Meiliang Bay of Taihu Lake in China. Chemosphere 191:626–638

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sadiq R, Husain T, Bose N, Veitch B (2003) Distribution of heavy metals in sediment pore water due to offshore discharges: an ecological risk assessment. Environ Model Softw 18(5):451–461

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Srivastava A, Jain VK (2007) Size distribution and source identification of total suspended particulate matter and associated heavy metals in the urban atmosphere of Delhi. Chemosphere 68(3):579–589

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sun Q, Gao F, Chen Z, Wang Y, Li D (2019) The content and pollution evaluation of heavy metals in surface seawater in Dalian Bay. IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci 227(6):062021

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang S, Diao X, He L (2015) Effects of algal bloom formation, outbreak, and extinction on heavy metal fractionation in the surficial sediments of Chaohu Lake. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22(18):14269–14279

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xing W, Wu H, Hao B, Huang W, Liu G (2013) Bioaccumulation of heavy metals by submerged macrophytes: looking for hyperaccumulators in eutrophic lakes. Environ Sci Technol 47(9):4695–4703

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Xu F, Yang Z, Chen B, Zhao Y (2013) Impact of submerged plants on ecosystem health of the plant-dominated Baiyangdian Lake. China Ecol Model 252(167):175

    Google Scholar 

  • Xue P, Yan C (2011) Arsenic accumulation and translocation in the submerged macrophyte hydrilla verticillata (Lf) royle. Chemosphere 85(7):1176–1181

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Xue P, Zhao Q, Wang Y, Geng L, Chen M, Wang X, Wang D (2018) Distribution characteristics of heavy metals in sediment-submerged macrophyte-water systems of Lake Baiyangdian. J Lake Sci 30(6):1525–1536

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yu H, Li T, Liu Y, Ma L (2019) Spatial distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination in urban soil of China. Chemosphere 230:498–509

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang G, Pan Z, Hou X, Wang X, Li X (2014) Distribution and bioaccumulation of heavy metals in food web of Nansi Lake China. Environ Earth Sci 73(5):2429–2439

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu X, Shan B, Tang W (2016) Heavy metal in sediments of Ziya River in northern China: distribution, potential risks, and source apportionment. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23(23):23511–23521

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This study was supported by the Hunan Provincial Key Research and Development Program (2022NK3060).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, People’s Republic of China

    Changjin Jiang, Ting Zhang & Zhaoguang Yang

  2. Key Laboratory of Hunan Province for Water Environment and Agriculture Product Safety, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, Hunan, People’s Republic of China

    Ting Zhang & Zhaoguang Yang

Authors
  1. Changjin Jiang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ting Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zhaoguang Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

CJ contributed to writing—original draft. TZ contributed to writing—review and editing. ZY contributed to supervision. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ting Zhang.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Consent to participate

Not applicable.

Ethical approval

Not applicable.

Additional information

Handling Editor: Asaeda Takashi.

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 3685 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jiang, C., Zhang, T. & Yang, Z. Risk assessment of potential toxic metal pollution in water-sediment-submerged macrophyte systems: a case study of urban shallow lakes in Central China. Aquat Ecol 56, 1001–1017 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-022-09972-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-022-09972-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation