Variability of heavy metal transport during the water–sediment regulation period of the Yellow River in 2018

Abstract

To understand the impacts of the human-induced flood event on heavy metal (HM) transport, spatiotemporal variations in contents and fluxes of metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Pb, Cd), Pb stable isotopes and characteristics of water and sediment transport into the sea during Water-Sediment Regulation Scheme (WSRS) in Yellow River (YR) were studied based on field investigation at Xiaolangdi Reservoir (XLD), Lijin Station and Yellow River estuary (YRE). The HM transport was significantly controlled by hydrological process and dominated by particulate form with strong associations with particle size and suspended sediment concentration (SSC). In first stage, dissolved heavy metal (DHM) and particulate heavy metal (PHM) contents both increased significantly as coarser sediment with a mixed source of downstream river channel and XLD, while that maintained higher value for stable source of fine-grained XLD sediment in second stage. The HMs into the sea were mainly originated from upper and middle reaches but also contributed by human emissions from downstream area. As the source of HMs into the sea, the downstream area also acted as an important sink, especially in first stage, playing a role of buffering and filtration. During WSRS, the YR discharged 49%–60% of annual HM flux into the sea, and the second stage is the main transport period, leading to a great alternation in geochemical composition of the YRE sediment.