Heavy metals pollution on the sediments in lakes Dianchi, Erhai and Poyanghu and historical records

Abstract

In this paper210 Pb and 137Cs dating methods were used to determine sedimentation rates of lakes Dianchi, Erhai and Poyanghu, and to establish the time scale of the sediments. Also based on geochemical records in the sediment column, the historical variation in heavy metal content over the past one hundred years was determined. Some element concentration increased rapidly after the 1970s, such as Cu, Zn and Mn in the sediments of northern Lake Dianchi, Cd and Mn in southern Lake Erhai and in the west central parts of Lake Poyanghu, Our investigations indicate that the increase in element concentration is caused by human activities. In order to understand the extent of the effect caused by human activities, we have calculated the flux of Zn, Cd and Mn. Results show that the flux caused by human activities is seven times greater than the natural one and the ratio is about 2 times in Lake Erhai and Lake Poyanghu.