Heavy Metal Contamination and Ecological Risk Assessment in the Sediment Cores of the Wetlands in Southern Thailand

Abstract

The concentration and distribution of trace metals were determined in sediment cores from the Khuan Khi Sian wetland, Thailand. The sediment cores were collected from seven stations in the dry and wet seasons in 2022. The concentration of Pb, As, and Cd in the dry season were in the range 0.00–60.16, 0.00–6.68, and 0.00–0.92 mg/kg (dry weight), respectively. Meanwhile, the concentration of Pb, As, and Cd in the wet season were in the range 0.00–12.12, 0.00–3.86, and 0.00–0.92 mg/kg (dry weight), respectively. The vertical profiles of metal concentrations in core sediment show a general increase from bottom to top. Average concentrations of heavy metals in the sediments of the Khuan Khi Sian wetland are found to be lower than the sediment quality guideline. In the sediment cores, only As in the dry season exceeded the U.S. EPA standard. The calculated enrichment factor (EF) and the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) indicate that the sediments were moderately polluted with As in some locations. According to the Ri analysis, Pb was low risk but the criteria of ecological risk of As and Cd are considerable and they are considered high risk. This is potentially due to agricultural activities and land use around the wetland areas and municipalities. The concentration of As and Cd should be of concern and subject to regular monitoring.

Socio-Environmental Risks Linked with Mine Tailings Chemical Composition: Promoting Responsible and Safe Mine Tailings Management Considering Copper and Gold Mining Experiences from Chile and Peru

“…In the aquatic environment, heavy metals can be very toxic to aquatic life and the human population due to their persistence, toxicity, non-degradability, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification in the food chain [ 81 , 82 ]. Heavy metals can enter the human body through the oral, inhalation, and dermal contact routes [ 83 ]. Exposure to high doses of heavy metals can induce complications in the human system, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, kidney failure, neurological changes, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, and cancer [ 84 ].…”

The long-term evolution model of metallic contamination of Monastir-Sayada Coast as deduced from the geochemical and statistical analysis

“…Various methods have been employed to measure the extent of heavy metal pollution in sediment, including the enrichment factor (EF) and contamination factor (CF) (Sutherland, 2000;Mandal et al, 2022). Iron (Fe) is considered a more cautious normalizer (Pradit et al, 2022). The selection of appropriate background values is crucial for accurately interpreting geochemical data.…”

Occurrence, distribution, and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in Chao Phraya River, Thailand

“…Consequently, the presence of heavy metals has significantly increased due to human activities 9 . Monitoring studies in Thailand have revealed heavy metal contamination in diverse environments such as coastal areas, farmland, wetlands, mining areas, industrial zones, rivers, and estuaries 10 . The extensive impact is attributed to over 30,000 industrial establishments in the Chao Phraya River basin, contributing to river water pollution with harmful substances, including heavy metals discharged from industrial effluents 11 , This widespread environmental impact is observed across various ecosystems.…”