Comprehensive Analysis of Heavy Metals in Sediments Contaminated by Different Pollutants

• Published in: Journal of environmental engineering (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 138; no. 4; pp. 483 - 489
• Main Authors: Feng, Suping, Zhang, Nannan, Liu, Hanchao, Du, Xiaolin, Liu, Yongli
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reston, VA American Society of Civil Engineers 01.04.2012
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Communities; Continental surface waters; Exact sciences and technology; Extraction; General purification processes; Heavy metals; Lead (metal); Natural water pollution; Pollutants; Pollution; Pollution abatement; Sediments; Technical Papers; Waste water; Wastewaters; Water treatment and pollution; Organic waste; Rivers and streams; Sediment; Mobility; Sequential extraction; Extract; River sediment; Sediments; Heavy metals; Waste water; Heavy metal; BCR; Pollutant; Pollution; Lead; Stream; Pollutants
• ISSN: 0733-9372; 1943-7870
• DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0000486

AbstractInstrumental analyses were combined with the community bureau of reference (BCR) sequential extraction procedure (SEP) to study heavy metal pollution in sediments exposed to different pollutant compositions (primarily inorganic, primarily organic, and an upstream control sample). Heavy metals accumulated primarily in the nonresidual fractions of sediments as revealed by sequential extraction. The discharge of waste water with different pollutant compositions differentially affected the distribution of heavy metal species in extracts from sediments. Sediment polluted by organic waste water had a higher proportion of heavy metals in the oxidizable fraction. A higher residual fraction was detected in the sample that was polluted by high fluorine waste water. For all sediment samples, most Pb was found in the reducible fraction. The oxidizable fraction contained most of the chemically extractable Cu and Cr (31.6–81.5%); whereas the highest percentage of Zn was found in the residual fraction for all samples (46.9, 37.8, and 65.4%, respectively). The mobility order of the heavy metals studied in polluted sediments was Cr>Cu>Pb>Zn, much different from the order Cu>Pb>Cr>Zn found in the control unpolluted sediment sample.