Distribution characteristics and release mechanisms of Pb in surface sediments in different aquatic environments

Abstract

As a trace heavy metal, lead (Pb) has many anthropogenic applications but also produces many environmental pollution problems because of its high toxicity. In this study, we combined two in situ high-resolution sampling techniques – high-resolution dialysis (HR-Peeper) and diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) – with the DGT-induced fluxes in sediment (DIFS) model to explore the mechanism of Pb release and resupply between sediments and pore water in the lower reaches and estuary of the Jiuxi River and the adjacent coast. An analysis of the chemical forms of Pb in the sediments showed that the content of the acid-extractable fraction (F1) was higher at the coastal site than at the other sampling sites, which indicates that Pb in the coastal sediments had greater activity and was more likely to cause Pb pollution. The apparent diffusion fluxes of Pb across the sediment-water interface (SWI) in the lower reaches, estuary and coastal zone are negative, and the absolute value of Pb flux in the estuary is several times higher than that in the other two stations, indicating a strong downward Pb diffusion trend, which may be due to water pollution caused by the nearby sewage outlet. As an insensitive element to redox, Pb did not exhibit an obvious correlation with Fe. In particular, the high Pb concentration and strong downward diffusion trend of the overlying water in the estuary caused the significant negative correlation between Pb and Fe. The calculated results of the DIFS model show that the reduced layer in the intertidal zone along the coast has the highest R value, the highest desorption rate (k−1) and the shortest response time (Tc), indicating that sediment particles in the coastal intertidal zone supply Pb to the pore water at the fastest rate; consequently, Pb pollution in the coastal zone is worthy of further attention.