Watershed-scale distributions of heavy metals in the hyporheic zones of a heavily polluted Maozhou River watershed, southern China

Yu，Kai1,2; Duan，Yanhua3; Liao，Peng1,2; Xie，Lin4; Li，Qianqian1,2; Ning，Zigong1,2; Liu，Chongxuan1,2

2020

10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.124773

CHEMOSPHERE   影响因子和分区

0045-6535

1879-1298

Hyporheic zone (HZ) sediments in river systems are often contaminated with heavy metals as a legacy of natural processes and anthropogenic activities. The geochemical behaviors of heavy metals in the HZ sediments at the laboratory scale have been extensively studied. However, the watershed-scale distributions of heavy metals in the HZ sediments and the processes controlling their distributions have not been well studied. Here, we report a watershed-scale study of heavy metals (i.e., Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) distributions in the HZ of the Maozhou River watershed, a heavily polluted area within the Pearl River Delta, southern China. Statistical analysis revealed that the spatial distribution of studied heavy metal concentrations was highly correlated with that of the sediment-associated sulfide at the watershed-scale. Metal extraction analysis and double-spherical aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope imaging (Cs-STEM) further confirmed the strong association of heavy metals with sulfur. These observations demonstrated that the formation of metals-sulfide precipitates was the key process controlling the watershed-scale distributions of heavy metals (especially for Cr, Ni and Zn) in the HZ sediments. Additionally, high permeability of the HZ sediments may prevent Ni, Zn, Cd and Pb accumulation in sediments. Specially, Cu distribution was mainly affected by organic-Cu complexation. In the estuary area, salinity input likely affected the distributions of Ni, Zn and Cd through cation exchange processes. The findings improved our understanding of the distributions of heavy metals and the processes controlling their distributions at the watershed-scale, and have implications for remediating and managing contaminated HZ sediments.

Heavy metal Hyporheic zone Metal sulfide Polluted river system Redox condition Watershed-scale distribution

SCI ; EI

英语

第一 ; 通讯

National Natural Science Foundation of China[41703128]

Environmental Sciences & Ecology

Environmental Sciences

WOS:000498305500019

Elsevier Ltd

20193707422129

Aberrations ; Cadmium ; Copper compounds ; Heavy metals ; Legacy systems ; Process control ; Rivers ; Sediments ; Stream flow ; Sulfur compounds ; Transmission electron microscopy ; Watersheds

Waterways:407.2 ; Surface Water:444.1 ; Water Pollution:453 ; Soil Mechanics and Foundations:483 ; Metallurgy and Metallography:531 ; Nonferrous Metals and Alloys excluding Alkali and Alkaline Earth Metals:549.3

ENVIRONMENT/ECOLOGY

2-s2.0-85071918867

Scopus

1.State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution ControlSchool of Environmental Science and EngineeringSouthern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China
2.Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Pollution ControlSchool of Environmental Science and EngineeringSouthern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China
3.School of Environmental StudiesChina University of Geosciences,Wuhan,430074,China
4.Department of PhysicsSouthern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China

Yu，Kai,Duan，Yanhua,Liao，Peng,et al. Watershed-scale distributions of heavy metals in the hyporheic zones of a heavily polluted Maozhou River watershed, southern China[J]. CHEMOSPHERE,2020,239.

Yu，Kai.,Duan，Yanhua.,Liao，Peng.,Xie，Lin.,Li，Qianqian.,...&Liu，Chongxuan.(2020).Watershed-scale distributions of heavy metals in the hyporheic zones of a heavily polluted Maozhou River watershed, southern China.CHEMOSPHERE,239.

Yu，Kai,et al."Watershed-scale distributions of heavy metals in the hyporheic zones of a heavily polluted Maozhou River watershed, southern China".CHEMOSPHERE 239(2020).