Source Identification and Water-Quality Assessment of Dissolved Heavy Metals in the Jiulongjiang River, Southeast China

Abstract

Liang, B.; Han, G.; Liu, M.; Yang, K.; Li, X., and Liu, J., 2020. Source identification and water-quality assessment of dissolved heavy metals in the Jiulongjiang River, Southeast China. Journal of Coastal Research, 36(2), 403–410. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.With the aggravation of ecological deterioration, dissolved heavy metals in coastal rivers do not only affect the quality of local drinking water, but also pose ecological risks to the ocean. To identify the sources and ecological effects of dissolved heavy metals in the Jiulongjiang River water, concentrations of six dissolved heavy metals (Al, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Ba) were measured using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. The results showed that the dissolved heavy metals can be categorized into three groups: the dominant elements (Mn and Fe, >100 µg/L), moderately abundant elements (Ba and Al, 10–100 µg/L), and less abundant elements (Zn and Cu, <10 µg/L), of which Mn was the dominant pollutant in the drainage basin by comparing with the guidelines for drinking water. The Pearson correlation matrix exhibited a similar result for Fe, Cu, and Ba. The principal component analysis explained that Ba, Zn, and Cu were attributed to agricultural inputs affected by upland cultivation; Al, Fe, and Cu were controlled by input of crustal materials and agricultural contribution; Mn and Zn were affected by a mixed source of natural weathering and anthropogenic activities. The water-quality index suggested that water in the Xixi Stream was worse than in the Beixi Stream and the Nanxi Stream. The health risk assessment results indicated that there were no health risks or potential carcinogenic concern via daily intake and dermal absorption. The fluxes of dissolved heavy metals in this study were lower than other worldwide rivers during the dry season, of which Mn and Fe were the dominant elements pouring into the ocean through Xiamen Bay. The fluxes of dissolved heavy metals between the wet season and the dry season in the Jiulongjiang River might be controlled by different water discharge quantity.