Contamination assessment and the risk associated with the accumulation of trace metals in sediments of the Mitidja plain, Algeria

Abstract

This study was carried out to assess the degree of contamination by trace metals in sediments of the main rivers of the eastern Mitidja plain. In order to achieve this objective, the enrichment factor, the geoaccumulation index and the potential ecological risk were calculated. Possible sources of trace metals in sediments were performed using a multivariate statistical analysis. The concentrations of the studied metals decreased in the order of Fe ≫ Zn > Cr > Pb > Ni > Cu> Cd. The results showed that Cd had a higher enrichment factor than the other metals. The geoaccumulation index results of trace metals revealed that the studied sediment were strongly contaminated with Cd, moderately contaminated with Zn and Pb and not contaminated with Cr, Cu, Fe, and Ni. Among the studied trace metals, only the Cd may present an ecological potential risk to the ecosystem. Furthermore, the results indicated a geochemical association of the elements Cr, Fe and Ni, suggesting natural source of these metals. In addition, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn appear to have originated from different sources. The results of this study are important for the development of any future strategies to protect the aquatic environment. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 36: 1650–1657, 2017

Integrated source-risk and uncertainty assessment for metals contamination in sediments of an urban river system in eastern China

“…Research has demonstrated that industrial emissions are a dominant source of metal contaminations in riverine sediments worldwide (Tian et al, 2020;Lopes et al, 2014). The high CV value for metals, especially for Cd and Cu with high risk factors, strongly implicated anthropogenic activities as the source of metal contamination (Laribi et al, 2017).…”

Pollution Loads and Ecological Risk Assessment of Metals and a Metalloid in the Surface Sediment of Keenjhar Lake, Pakistan

“…The calculations of most of these indices require background values of the elements. In this study, background concentrations used to compute these indices were taken from literature as 7.8, 19, 0.1, 35, 514, 35, 33 and 37.5 mg/kg for As, Pb, Cd, Cu, Mn, Fe, Ni and Cr respectively [1,6,11,[31][32][33][34], and were kept lower than the threshold limits [35].…”

“…The C d was determined using equation (6) [33], and it shows the aggregated value of CF of all metals and the metalloid under discussion:…”

“…Natural sources include flow variations, rocks wearing away, and benthonic activities, etc. [6,7], while anthropogenic sources include domestic and industrial wastewater disposal, atmospheric fallout, agricultural runoff, and fertilizer overflows, etc. [8].…”

Concentrations and sources of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn in soil of the Mitidja plain, Algeria

“…Agricultural practices used in these soils, such as the use of agrochemical products and wastewater for soil irrigation could also result in contamination (Khouli and Djabri 2011;Lebik and Ait-amar 2013). Previous trace metal studies in the Mitidja plain have referred to a small local scale (Laribi and Saidani 2016) and to sediment (Laribi et al 2017) and no published data are available at a regional scale.…”