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Concentrations, Distribution, and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in the East Dongting and Honghu Lake, China

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Abstract

Eight heavy metals including Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb were investigated in surface water and sediments from a river-connected and a river-disconnected lakes (East Dongting Lake and the Honghu Lake, respectively). Zn had the highest mean concentrations in surface water in both lakes. Pearson’s correlation, principal component analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis revealed that the distributions of Zn, Pb, and As in the East Dongting Lake and Zn, Cd, and As in the Honghu Lake were associated with anthropogenic activities. Nickel and Cr were associated with natural sources, while Cu and Hg originated from both anthropogenic and natural sources. Sediment quality guidelines revealed that both As and Hg could probably have adverse effects in the East Dongting Lake, whereas all detected heavy metals probably could not lead to adverse effects in the Honghu Lake. Potential ecological risks indices (RIs) of heavy metals in two lakes were 999.4 and 151.45, respectively, indicating greater pollution of heavy metals with high risk in the East Dongting Lake as compared to the Honghu Lake with low to moderate risk.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by Sino-Africa Joint Research Center (Y323731K02), the Natural Science Key Foundation of Hubei Province of China (2014CFA114) and the Hundred Talents Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Y329671K01).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Victorine Anyango Makokha, Yueling Qi, Yun Shen & Jun Wang

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Victorine Anyango Makokha, Yueling Qi & Yun Shen

Authors
  1. Victorine Anyango Makokha
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  2. Yueling Qi
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  3. Yun Shen
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  4. Jun Wang
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Correspondence to Jun Wang.

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Makokha, V.A., Qi, Y., Shen, Y. et al. Concentrations, Distribution, and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in the East Dongting and Honghu Lake, China. Expo Health 8, 31–41 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-015-0180-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-015-0180-8

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