Heavy Metals in Sediments of Urban Streams: Contamination and Health Risk Assessment of Influencing Factors

Ewa Wojciechowska, Nicole Nawrot, Jolanta Walkusz-Miotk, Karolina Matej-Łukowicz and Ksenia Pazdro
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Ewa Wojciechowska: Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, 80233 Gdańsk, Poland
Nicole Nawrot: Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, 80233 Gdańsk, Poland
Jolanta Walkusz-Miotk: Marine Geotoxicology Laboratory, Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
Karolina Matej-Łukowicz: Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, 80233 Gdańsk, Poland
Ksenia Pazdro: Marine Geotoxicology Laboratory, Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 3, 1-14

Abstract: Sediments of two urban streams in northern Poland outflowing to the Baltic Sea were assessed to explain the spatial variation in relation to urbanization level of the catchment, the role of retention tanks (RTs) and identification of pollution level. During the 3 month period of investigation sediment samples were collected from the inflow (IN) and outflow (OUT) of six RTs located on streams for flood protection. Six heavy metals (HMs) were investigated: Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Ni, Cr. The assessment of four geochemical enrichment indices used to quantify contamination of HMs in the sediments at IN and OUT samples was carried out. Contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI), geoaccumulation index (I geo ) and potential ecological risk (RI) were calculated and the indices usefulness was assessed. Also, the hazard quotient (HQ) was calculated to assess health risk associated with dredging works. In sediments from RTs where paved surfaces constituted more than 70% of the catchment the HMs concentrations were from one to three times higher for Ni and from two to 143 times higher for Cu in comparison to soft catchment results. The extremely high Cu concentration (1114 mg/kg d.w.) found in sediments at RT Orłowska IN was most likely associated with large area of roofs covered with copper sheet. Calculation of CF, PLI, I geo , RI, HQ indicators allows for a complex and multi-dimensional assessment of sediment status. Among these, CF and PLI classified the analyzed sediments as most polluted. Basing on the sedimentary HMs concentrations the health risk level via dermal exposure pathway was assessed as low.

Keywords: heavy metal pollution; retention tanks; urbanization; soft vs paved surfaces; pollution indices (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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