Metal Distribution and Sediment Quality Variation across Sediment Depths of a Subtropical Ramsar Declared Wetland

Abstract

The study of wetlands is particularly important as these systems act as natural water purifiers and thus can act as sinks for contaminated particles. Wetland sediments are important as they provide an indication of potential contamination across temporal and spatial scales. The current study aimed to investigate the distributions of selected metals and nutrients in different sites in relation to sediment depth, and identify relationships among sediment metals. Significant differences in nutrient (i.e., N, P) and metal (i.e., K, Mg, Na, Fe, Cu, B) concentrations were found across study sites, whereas nutrients (i.e., N, P) and metals (i.e., Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn) were significantly different with sediment depths. When compared against Canadian sediment standards, most of the assessed metals were within the “no effect” level across the different sites and depths. The K, Ca, and Mg concentration showed extreme contamination across all sites and depths. The enrichment factor values for K, Ca, and Mg showed extremely high enrichment levels for all sites and sediment depths. The Na, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and B concentration showed mostly background enrichment levels. All sediments across the different sites and sediment depths indicated deterioration of sediment quality. Pearson correlations suggest that most metals might have originated in a similar source as that of Mn and B, owing to a lack of significant differences. These results provide baseline information for the general management of the Nylsvley Wetland in relation to sediment metal pollution. The specific sources of metal contaminants also require further elucidation to further inform management efforts.

Iron bioaccumulation and ecological implications in the coastal swamp wetlands ecosystem of South Kalimantan: Insights from giant mudskipper fish as bioindicators

“…This was facilitated by reduced environmental conditions, low dissolved oxygen, and elevated pH, causing metal concentration or enrichment (Carvalho Neta et al, 2019). The result was in line with the study by Dalu et al (2020), stating that heavy metal content in sediment was significantly higher than in the water column, as suspended particles were absorbing it. High Fe content in sediment can lead to contamination of water bodies, which can have negative impacts on the health of aquatic biota and the overall ecological balance of aquatic ecosystems.…”

“…These anthropogenic sources include Fe release from ore materials and volcanic eruptions that discharge Fe-rich materials into water bodies through runoff, erosion, and flooding. Human activities such as coal transportation and mining operations contribute significantly to this pollution (Dalu et al, 2020). Anthropogenic Fe sources also include land-based activities, such as the discharge of household waste containing Fe, Fe-laden water reservoirs, industrial waste deposits, and the corrosion of Fe-containing pipes, releasing Fe 2+ and sulfuric acid due to the oxidation of Fe pyrite (FeS2) present in coal layers (Jaishankar et al, 2014).…”

Effects of wildfire ash from native and alien plants on phytoplankton biomass

“…All the ash was collected separately per species after it had cooled down and placed into labelled ziplock bags to form the six individual ash treatments, and an additional seventh treatment (mixed) was made using equal proportions of the other six individual ash treatments. The seven different ash treatments were sent to a South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) certified laboratory i.e., BEMLAB to assess for the ash nutrient levels [nitrogen (N; %), phosphorus (P; %), potassium (K; %)] and metal contents [i.e., calcium (Ca; %), magnesium (Mg; %), sodium (Na; mg kg -1 ), manganese (Mn; mg kg -1 ), iron (Fe; mg kg -1 ), copper (Cu; mg kg -1 ), zinc (Zn; mg kg -1 ), boron (B; mg kg -1 )] (see Dalu et al 2020a,b for detailed methods).…”

Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution Status in the Middle Sector of the Citarum River

“…As [5] mentioned, heavy metal accumulation in sediment would be a sensitive indicator for contaminant monitoring in aquatic ecosystems. It also reveals the history of heavy metal sinks in every depth [6].…”