Spatial–Temporal Variations, Ecological Risk Assessment, and Source Identification of Heavy Metals in the Sediments of a Shallow Eutrophic Lake, China

Abstract

The contamination of heavy metals (Pb, Cr, Hg, Cd, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, and Sb) in the sediments were investigated in Lake Yangcheng, a eutrophic lake in China. Results showed that the average concentrations of each metal in the surface sediments generally exceeded their corresponding background values. Higher values were observed in deeper zones, supporting the retention and accumulation of heavy metals in the core sediments. The spatial distributions of metal averages, pollution load index (PLI), and combined ecological risk index (RI) revealed that ecological risks were highest in the west lake, followed by middle lake, and were lowest in the east section. For the temporal variations of metal contents, the highest concentration was usually observed in the winter. However, the seasonal dynamics of Hg showed a different pattern with higher values in the autumn and lower values in the winter. According to contamination factor (CF), the Hg and Sb contaminations were considerable, while the other metals were moderate contamination. In terms of geoaccumulation index (Igeo) values, sediments were moderately–heavily polluted by Sb and moderately polluted by Hg, Cd, and Ni. Meanwhile, Hg exhibited a considerable health risk, while Cd and Sb were moderate risks, based on single ecological risk index (Er) values. Significant positive correlations among heavy metals and principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that anthropogenic activities were major sources. The source of Sb might be different from other metals, with industrial discharge as the main loading. This study highlighted the urgency of taking measures to prevent Hg, Sb, and Cd pollutions in Lake Yangcheng, especially the west region of this lake.