Biogeochemical indication of environmental contamination: A case study of a large copper smelter (original) (raw)
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Science of The Total Environment, 2014
Although intensive mining activity and urban sewage discharge are major sources of metal inputs to Lake Titicaca, the risk posed by metal pollution to wildlife and human populations has been poorly studied. In this study we compared the concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, Pb, Co, and Fe in water, sediment, and two tissues (liver and muscle) of four fish species (Odontesthes bonariensis, Orestias luteus, Orestias agassii, and Trichomycterus rivulatus) across important fishery areas in Lake Titicaca. The concentration of Pb in water at the discharge sites of the main rivers and of most elements, with the exception of Co and Fe, in all fish collected in this study exceeded the safety thresholds established by international legislation. The highest metal concentrations were observed in benthopelagic species, and liver tissue was identified as the main depository for all metals with the exception of mercury. The metal bioaccumulation pattern in fish was weakly related to the metal concentrations in the environment with the exception of Hg at the most polluted location, partly explained by the different metabolic role of essential and non-essential elements and the influence of other factors such as species' ecology and individual traits in the bioaccumulation of most metals. As metal pollution extended across the study area and high metal concentrations were detected in all four fish species, we urge the authorities to enforce legislation for water and fish consumption and to evaluate the effects of metal pollution on fish health.
Metal accumulation in sediment, water, and freshwater fish in a Dam Lake
Toxicological & Environmental Chemistry, 2011
Metal concentrations were determined in water, sediment, and freshwater fish samples (Squalus cephalus, Barbus esocinus, and Barbus xanthopterus) collected from Karakaya Dam Lake, Turkey, to estimate the risk of human consumption and pollution. Metal concentrations differed between the species (p < 0.05) even as they were living in similar habitats. Metal analyses were performed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Cd and Hg were not detected in water, sediment, and fish samples. Also, Mn, Ni, and Se were not determined in water. The accumulation order of the metals were found to be Fe > Zn = Cu in water and Fe > Zn > Mn > Ni > Cu in sediment. In general, the accumulation order of elements in the tissues all of the species sampled were found as Fe > Zn > Se > Mn > Cu > Ni > Cd in muscle, Zn > Fe > Mn > Se > Cu > Ni > Cd in gills, Fe > Zn > Se > Mn > Cu > Ni > Cd in liver and gonad, and Zn > Fe > Cu > Mn > Se > Ni > Cd in kidney. It was concluded that the fish from the dam lake are not heavily burdened with metals, but they should be controlled periodically to avoid excessive intake of trace metals by humans, and to monitoring the pollution of aquatic environment.
Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Fish Species Collected From Former Tin Mining Catchment
International Journal of Environmental Research, 2012
This study has been carried out to determine the accumulation of heavy metals (arsenic, copper, lead, tin and zinc) in fish samples collected from former tin mining catchment. Total eight types of fish family having fifteen different species are identified. Cyperinidae is the most abundant family with eight different species found in the catchment. Fish samples were analysed by using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometer ICP-OES. The accuracy of method is validated by certified reference material. The highest level of arsenic was observed in Hampala macrolepidota while Osteochilus hasselti shows the least. For Copper concentrations, the maximum was obtained in Mastacembelus armatus and the minimum in Oxyeleotris marmorata. High levels of lead, tin and zinc were found in the Rasbora elegans, Trichogaster trichopterus, Oxyeleotris marmorata respectively while Macrobrachium resenbergii, Mastacembelus armatus, Rasbora elegans had the least concentrations. The sequence of order of the heavy metals measured was Sn > Pb >Zn > Cu> As, respectively. The results showed elevated levels of tin, led and zinc in all the fish samples although copper and arsenic were available in relatively low concentration in the most samples. Sn, Pb, and Zn concentration in the samples were greater than Malaysia food act permissible levels. Hazard index < 1 suggests unlikely adverse health effects whereas HI > 1 suggests the probability of adverse health effects. Although the heavy metals analysed in the catchment did not pose any immediate health risk to humans but due to the bioaccumulation and magnification of these heavy metals in humans, it is essential to safeguard levels of the metals in the environment.
Assessment of toxic elements contamination in surface water and sediments in a mining affected area
Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Chemia, 2021
To assess the spatial and temporal contamination with toxic elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn), surface water and sediments were collected in 2019 and 2020, from Valea Sesii, a contaminated water stream in Romania. The toxic metal contamination of water was assessed using heavy metals evaluation index (HEI), heavy metals pollution index (HPI) and of sediments using contamination factor (Cf) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo). The metal concentrations were comparable within the two years, suggesting that the natural attenuation process was inadequate, and treatment technologies are required to improve surface water and sediment quality. The surface water presented high degree of metal contamination in 2019 as indicated by HPI > 100 and HEI < 10. The toxic metal concentrations in sediments were very high for Cd, Ni, Pb and Cu, with highest Igeo value for Cd and Cf for Ni. Surface water and sediments showed signs of high level of contamination in the sampling points located downstream of the copper mine discharge point, an improvement of their quality being noticed with distancing from the mining discharge area. This study is a first step for a comprehensive risk assessment and for an integrated environmental management.
Effects of industrial metals on wild fish populations along a metal contamination gradient
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 2005
The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among water, sediment, and fish tissue metal concentrations as they relate to fish diversity, tissue metal accumulation, and fish morphometric and reproductive condition. Fish were captured in 12 lakes near Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, that ranged in their degree of metal contamination. In general, metal concentrations in water and sediment decreased with increasing distance from industrial operations. However, only Cu and Ni demonstrated this trend in sediments. Although 20 fish species were identified in the 12 lakes, only one species, yellow perch (Perca flavescens), was common to all 12 lakes. Fish diversity was only associated with sediment metals, suggesting that short-term processes are much less important than long-term processes for fish community recovery in metal-contaminated lakes. Multivariate characterization of water metal concentrations resulted in three lake clusters: Group 1 consisted of reference lakes; Group 2 lakes had high alkalinity, conductivity, hardness, pH, waterborne metals (especially Se), and sediment Cu and Ni concentrations; Group 3 lakes had high pH, waterborne and sediment Cu, and sediment Ni, intermediate alkalinity, conductivity, and waterborne metals (except Al and Fe), and low hardness and waterborne Al and Fe. Liver Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn, muscle Zn, and intestinal Cd and Zn were highest, and muscle Cu and male gonadosomatic index (GSI) were lowest, in Group 3 fish. Liver, muscle, and intestinal Se concentrations, and Fulton's condition factor (FCF), hepatosomatic index (HSI), and male GSI were highest in Group 2 fish. Group 1 fish had the highest muscle Hg concentrations and female GSI. Muscle Se appeared to have an antagonistic effect on muscle Hg accumulation as a function of distance from smelting operations. Neither Cu nor Ni, both metals of concern in the Sudbury area, was useful for predicting fish condition, probably because of homeostatic regulatory control. Liver Cd accumulation, which was negatively related to FCF (r ¼ À0:16; Po0:05), exhibited strong, nonlinear inhibition (r 2 ¼ 0:99; Po0:0001) as a function of water hardness. Because Cd was not detected in water samples in this study, we suspect that branchial Ca 2+ uptake may play some role in reducing dietary Cd uptake in hard water lakes. Selenium has received relatively little attention in the contaminated systems around Sudbury, yet our results demonstrated that tissue Se was related to all condition metrics studied. Moreover, evidence was provided that suggests that there is a gender-specific interaction between dietary Se and Cu uptake that may contribute to decreased female reproductive condition in wild yellow perch. r 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Metal species distribution in top- and sub-soil in an area affected by copper smelter emissions
Applied Geochemistry, 1996
major objective of this study was to investigate the chemical forms in which selected metals occur in soils polluted with metallurgical dusts as well as to estimate potential mobility and bioavailability of these metals. Six soil profiles situated at different distances from Cu smelters were chosen and soil samples were taken from top-and sub-surface layers. The soils differed in their textures but all of them showed high contents of sand fraction and were neutral or slightly alkaline in reaction, due to liming. Ale research involved the analysis of the total contents of 8 metals (Al, Fe, Mu, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu and Pb) and their speciation according to the Zeien and Bruemmer method. Total concentrations of metals varied in the following ranges (mg/kg):
Archives of …, 2012
The Copperbelt region, upstream of the Kafue River, including Lake Itezhi-tezhi (ITT), in Zambia has extensive copper (Cu) mines. In our field study, geographic information system analysis in lake sediment indicated that the northern part of the lake, i.e., the Copperbelt region, could be the source of Cu pollution. Concentrations of Cu in stomach contents between fish species were not significantly different. However, Oreochromis spp. liver showed significantly greater Cu concentrations than those in other fish species. Log liver [Cu], standard length, and nitrogen stable isotope ratio were positively correlated only in Oreochromis spp. In the laboratory study, O. niloticus and O. latipes were exposed to Cu for 4 days, and recovery phases B28 days were examined. O. niloticus showed significantly greater concentrations of Cu compared with O. latipes at all sampling points. Significantly greater concentrations of Hg in Schilbe intermedius liver than for other fish species were observed, whereas O. macrochir showed significantly greater concentrations of cadmium. In conclusion, the northern part of the lake could be the source of Cu pollution in Lake ITT. Diet may not be the reason for high Cu accumulation in Oreochromis spp. Results from both field and laboratory studies imply that Oreochromis spp. contain high concentrations of Cu under normal physiological conditions. The Kafue River, including Lake Itezhi-tezhi (ITT), plays an important role in providing drinking water for humans, livestock, and wildlife in Zambia. The Copperbelt region, upstream of the Kafue River, is one of the core mining areas in Zambia. Previous studies have shown that water, sediment, and fish in the Kafue River, downstream of the Copperbelt region, contain greater concentrations of heavy metals, especially copper (Cu), compared with samples collected upstream of the mining site Shouta M. M. Nakayama and Yoshinori Ikenaka participated equally in this work.