Significant Decrease in Heavy Metals in Surface Sediment after Ten-Year Sustainable Development in Huaxi Reservoir Located in Guiyang, Southwestern China

Xiangyang Zhou, Kejia Zhou, Rong Liu, Shanggui Sun, Xinqiang Guo, Yanni Yang, Lixia Chen, Kun Zou and Wenjuan Lei
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Xiangyang Zhou: College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Kejia Zhou: College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Rong Liu: College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Shanggui Sun: College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Xinqiang Guo: College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Yanni Yang: College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Lixia Chen: College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Kun Zou: College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Wenjuan Lei: College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 14, 1-22

Abstract: In the Karst area of southwestern China, the heavy metals in the sediment of a reservoir are determined by both human activities and the high background values. Thus, this study explores the change of heavy metals in surface sediment after ten-year sustainable development in the upstream areas of a reservoir, Huaxi Reservoir, located in Guiyang of southwestern China, then evaluates the risk of these heavy metals to water environment systematically and finally identifies the sources in both 2019 and 2009. The results reveal that all of the measured heavy metals decrease dramatically and their spatial distributions change from the increase-decrease pattern to decrease-increase pattern, implying different locations of main source input. The risk indices based on the total or average content and relative or reference values have decreased to the lowest level. However, those indices calculated from the absolute content of each metalloid still show a low or a moderate risk because of the high background value, such as As and Cr. Moreover, although only one main source of heavy metals is identified in both 2019 and 2009, the risk from human activities still cannot be neglected because agricultural production and infrastructure construction would promote the weathering of soil and then these heavy metals from the soil will be brought into the reservoir with the rainfall-runoff process. The high background value of specific heavy metals, e.g., As and Cr would still exert some challenges to the water environment protections because the non-point source input of heavy metal cannot be controlled easily by promulgating a series of bans. These results provide important reference for creating the policies of water environment protection, especially in some Karst area of southwestern China that exhibits high background value of heavy metals.

Keywords: heavy metals; sediment; karst area; Huaxi reservoir (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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