Enrichment and Chemical Fraction of Copper and Zinc in the Sediments of the Daliao River System, China

Abstract

Copper and zinc contents and their chemical forms in the surface sediments of the Daliao River system (DRS) were investigated to quantitatively assess their contamination, mobility, and potential bioavailability. Twenty-seven surface sediment samples were collected and analyzed for total contents of Cu, Zn, Al, Fe and Mn and for chemical forms of Cu and Zn. These results reveal that the total contents of Cu and Zn in the sediment of DRS mainly ranged from 4.5 to 86.1 and 17.7 to 1340.9 mg kg−1, respectively. The enrichment factors (EFs) were generally lower than 1.0 at most sampling sites, while at T3, B5 and B7 sites of the Taizi River near Benxi, Liaoyang and Anshan cities, respectively, they were more than 2.0. The primary sources of Zn and Cu contamination at these three sites are considered to be iron mining and smelting and some chemical industries. Hence, the total contents of Cu and Zn in the sediments of the Daliao River system mainly ranged around background levels. In general, less than 2% and more than 60% of total Cu and Zn contents in the sediment at most sampling sites were associated to the exchangeable fraction and residual fraction, respectively, showing their low mobility and bioavailability. The major sink for anthropogenic Cu might be organic matter and Fe oxides, while for anthropogenic Zn it was carbonate and the easily reducible phase dominated by Mn and amorphous Fe oxides. Therefore, anthropogenic Cu and Zn have relatively high potential mobility and bioavailability. In comparison with the sediments of other rivers in China and in the world, the sediment of the DRS contained relatively low contents of Cu and Zn.