Abstract
Studies on trace element (TE) pollution in abiotic matrices have typically focused on water, sediment, and soil, either separately or in pairs. The importance of multi-media connectivity has been ignored. This study analyzed the concentrations of 6 TEs in three connected environmental compartments of a 28-km section of the lower reach of the Jinsha River. The ecological risk posed by TEs was higher in soil than in sediment. The contribution of exposure pathways to human health risk were ranked as ingestion > dermal contact > inhalation. An improved regional environmental risk index (RERI) method was then developed to evaluate the comprehensive risk on both ecology and human health caused by TEs. The average RERI value was generally higher in the wet season (0.42) than in the dry (0.41) and dry-to-wet transition seasons (0.08) because of the combined effects of the high TE concentrations in riparian soil and the long exposure time. Source apportionment indicated that industrial activities, weathering of parent rock, and agricultural activities were possible sources of TEs in this region. The methods and results of this study could inform local environmental management and provide references for similar cases wherein multiple compartments of river systems should be considered.
Highlights
After the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization, the health of river ecosystems has gradually received much a ttention[1]
The V concentrations in water varied from N.D. to 6.00 μg/L, which were all below the acceptable threshold (50 μg/L)[34], a national-level vanadium-titanium high-tech industrial development zone was located near the study area
The trace element (TE) concentrations observed in the lower reach of the Jinsha River (LRJR) and in other selected areas around the world are displayed in Table 2 for comparison
Summary
After the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization, the health of river ecosystems has gradually received much a ttention[1]. The connectivity among water, riparian soil, and sediment provides a channel for chemical transport, so the risk of TEs in one environmental compartment could shift to another. One of the largest vanadium titanomagnetite mining bases in China is located near the initial section of the lower reach of the Jinsha River (LRJR)[9], posing a major environmental threat to downstream water quality and riparian ecosystem health. Field surveys were conducted in the LRJR section affected by industrial activities before the operation of the downstream reservoir to clarify the status of Cu, Zn, V, As, Cd, and Pb. The present study aimed to (i) evaluate the TE pollution status of three connected environmental media, (ii) assess the ecological and human health risks, (iii) develop an improved regional environmental risk assessment method, and (iv) identify the TE source(s) in this river ecosystem. The research results could be a reference for environmental management in a similar ecologically fragile and intense industry zone and provide theoretical support for further policy-making to protect river ecosystems
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