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Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Sediment and Human Health

Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Fishes in the Middle and Lower Reaches
of the Yangtze River Basin

Article  in  Environmental Pollution · July 2011

DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2011.06.011 · Source: PubMed

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Environmental Pollution 159 (2011) 2575e2585

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Environmental Pollution
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/envpol

Ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in sediment and human health

risk assessment of heavy metals in fishes in the middle and lower reaches
of the Yangtze River basin
Yujun Yi a, Zhifeng Yang a, *, Shanghong Zhang b
a
State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
b
Renewable Energy School, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The concentrations of heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Hg, Cu, Zn, Pb and As) in the water, sediment, and fish were
Received 1 August 2010 investigated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China. Potential ecological risk
Received in revised form analysis of sediment heavy metal concentrations indicated that six sites in the middle reach, half of the
18 January 2011
sites in the lower reach, and two sites in lakes, posed moderate or considerable ecological risk. Health
Accepted 6 June 2011
risk analysis of individual heavy metals in fish tissue indicated safe levels for the general population and
for fisherman but, in combination, there was a possible risk in terms of total target hazard quotients.
Keywords:
Correlation analysis and PCA found that heavy metals (Hg, Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn) may be mainly derived
Heavy metal
Ecological risk
from metal processing, electroplating industries, industrial wastewater, and domestic sewage. Hg may
Sediment also originate from coal combustion. Significant positive correlations between TN and As were observed.
Health risk Crown Copyright Ó 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Fish
Yangtze River

1. Introduction indirectly toxic to the aquatic flora and fauna. The effects of
pollutants may also be detected on land as a result of their bio-
The rapid development of industry and agriculture has resulted accumulation and bio-concentration in the food web (Wu et al.,
in increasing pollution by heavy metals, which are a significant 2005; Zhang and Ke, 2004). Consequently, an analysis of the
environmental hazard for invertebrates, fish, and humans distribution of heavy metals in sediments adjacent to populated
(Uluturhan and Kucuksezgin, 2007). Significant quantities of heavy areas could be used to investigate anthropogenic impacts on
metals are discharged into rivers, which can be strongly accumu- ecosystems and would assist in the assessment of risks posed by
lated and biomagnified along water, sediment, and aquatic food human waste discharges (Hu et al., 2002; de Mora et al., 2004;
chain, resulting in sublethal effects or death in local fish pop- Zheng et al., 2008).
ulations (Megeer et al., 2000; Jones et al., 2001; Almeida et al., Under certain conditions, these metals may accumulate to
2002; Xu et al., 2004). Suspended sediments adsorb pollutants a toxic concentration level which may lead to ecological damage
from the water, thus lowering their concentration in the water (Jefferies and Freestone, 1984). Methods used to evaluate the
column. Heavy metals are inert in the sediment environment and ecological risk posed by heavy metals in sediments include calcu-
are often considered to be conservative pollutants (Wilcock, 1999; lation of the index of geo-accumulation (Porstner, 1989), the
Olivares-Rieumont et al., 2005) although they may be released potential ecological risk index (Håkanson, 1980), and the excess
into the water column in response to certain disturbances (Agarwal after regression analysis (ERA) (Hilton et al., 1985), among which
et al., 2005), causing potential threat to ecosystems (Chow et al., the first two indices are the most popular.
2005; Hope, 2006). Bottom sediments also provide habitats and Several methods have been proposed for estimation of the
a food source for benthic fauna. Thus, pollutants may be directly or potential risks to human health of heavy metals in fishes. The risks
may be divided into carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects. For
carcinogenic contaminants, the observed or predicted exposure
* Corresponding author. concentrations are compared with thresholds for adverse effects, as
E-mail address: [email protected] (Z. Yang). determined by dose-effect relationships (Solomon et al., 1996). The

0269-7491/$ e see front matter Crown Copyright Ó 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2011.06.011
 Author's personal copy

2576 Y. Yi et al. / Environmental Pollution 159 (2011) 2575e2585

probability risk assessment technique has been adopted by collected from the main river and lakes in the Yangtze River basin at 17 sites in the
a number of researchers (Solomon et al., 1996; Giesy et al., 1999; middle reach and from 10 sites in the lower reach, in 2007 (Fig. 1).
The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, with many bends, are
Cardwell et al., 1999; Hall et al., 2000; Wang et al., 2002) to fully connected with many lakes. This region, referred to as the “Water Realm” is China’s
utilize available exposure and toxicity data. However, these major agricultural district. Several large and medium-sized cities are distributed
methods have only been used to quantify the health risks of along the river, forming a prosperous industrial belt. In contrast to the wide plains of
carcinogenic pollutants. Current non-cancer risk assessment the middle reach, the downstream plains alongside the river are long and narrow.
Jianghan Plain lies in the north of the middle reach, while Dongting Plain and Poyang
methods do not provide quantitative estimates of the probability of
Plain are situated in the south. Between Hukou and Zhenjiang, a narrow alluvial
experiencing non-cancer effects from contaminant exposure. These plain extends on both sides of the main river. Along the middle and lower reaches of
methods typically are based on the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ). the Yangtze River, the river channel flows slowly and the plain alternates between
Although the THQ-based risk assessment method does not wide and narrow. Below Datong station, tidal influences prevail, the flow becomes
provide a quantitative estimate of the probability of an exposed slower, and sediment deposition is enhanced.

population experiencing an adverse health effect, it does provide an

2.2. Sample collection and analysis
indication of the risk level associated with pollutant exposure. This
method of risk estimation has recently been used by many 2.2.1. Field sampling
researchers (Chien et al., 2002; Wang et al., 2005) and has been Water, sediment, fish, and crayfish samples were collected from 27 sites in the
shown to be valid and useful. This non-cancer risk assessment middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River watershed. Twelve sites were located
in the middle reach of the main river, nine were in the lower reach, and six were in
method was also applied in this study.
lakes in the middle and lower reaches (Fig. 1). In total, 27 water and sediment
In recent years, water pollution in the Yangtze River basin, samples and 469 fish samples were collected.
associated with industrial and economic development, has attrac- Water samples were collected at the surface in 40 mL acid-washed polyethylene
ted increasing attention. More than 25 billion tons of wastewater sample bottles, taking care not to incorporate sediment into the samples. The
are discharged annually into the Yangtze River, from industrial and samples were acidified with 10 mL of 1:1 nitric acid:deionized water. Sediment and
fish samples were collected into pre-cleaned polyethylene bags. Fish and crayfish
mining enterprises, and from the sewage of nearby cities. The
were collected by seine. To obtain a suitable mass of material for analysis, the soft
majority (80%) of wastewater and sewage discharged into the tissues from 1e18 individual crayfish were dissected, drained of excess liquid and
Yangtze River basin is untreated. Sixty percent of the length of the stored in plastic bottles. For fish, 100e300 g of dorsal muscle from a single individual
main river channel of the Yangtze River is affected by pollution and was dissected. All samples were frozen and stored at
18  C immediately upon
returning from the field.
this is particularly widespread in the middle and lower reaches,
which have high densities of industry and population (Liu and Wu, 2.2.2. Sample treatment
2006). Heavy metals in sewage have been discharged into rivers Water samples were filtered using Whatman No. 1 filter paper and stored at
and have accumulated in river-bed sediments, where they have 0e4  C. Sediment samples were freeze-dried and passed through a 1 mm clean
affected the ecology of the river, with long-term impacts on plastic sieve to remove shell fragments. Sieved sediments were ground in an agate
mortar. The powdered sediments were then transferred to a clean nylon membrane
planktonic and benthic fish prey items. Heavy metals, which
sieve (0.071 mm) and shaken to obtain a fine homogeneous powder. A sample of
accumulate in fish through the food chain, may subsequently pose 500e1000 g of dried sediment material was weighed for digestion. Samples were
a human health risk through consumption of fish. microwave-digested in acid-cleaned Teflon vessels containing 5 mL of ultra pure
Although analyses of heavy metals in lake sediments have been nitric acid and 2 mL ultra pure, concentrated hydrofluoric acid (HF). Each digestion
batch included at least one reagent blank and a representative reference standard
used extensively for the purpose of pollution monitoring (Pekey
and, typically, a sample replicate to check for homogeneity and process efficacy.
et al., 2004; Liu et al., 2007), few researchers have focused on Samples were digested for 30e40 min at 200  C. After cooling for at least 1 h, the
the routes of transmission of metals from sediment, to fish, to vessels were opened and 0.9 g of boric acid was added to dissolve the fluoride
humans. The pH, ionic strength, and water temperature of the precipitates. The vessels were resealed and placed back in the microwave digestion
Yangtze River provide ideal conditions for adsorption, ensuring system for an additional 20e30 min. Following cooling for at least 1 h, the digested
sample was transferred to a graduated plastic test tube with an additional 0.5 mL HF
a high capacity for self-purification. Eighty-five percent of heavy
and brought up to volume (either 15 or 50 mL) with Milli-Q water.
metals entering the river are believed to be removed in 10 min Samples of fish tissue (0.5  0.01 g) were weighed directly into acid-washed
from the water phase, mainly by adsorption and precipitation (Zhu Teflon digestion vessels. Ten milliliters of ultra pure nitric acid were added to each
and Zang, 2001). Therefore, the sediment in this area highly vessel which were then heated to 100  C using an XT-9800 pre-treatment heater,
concentrate pollutants in surface water, and it is important to until almost all of the nitrogen dioxide was emitted. A 4 mL aliquot of concentrated
HNO3:HF (1:1 v/v) acid mixture was added before microwave digestion. Each
further investigate the ecological effects of pollution and tech- digestion batch included at least one reagent blank, a representative reference
niques for improving environmental conditions in this region. This standard and, typically, a sample replicate to check for homogeneity and process
paper studies the influence of heavy metal pollution on fisheries in efficacy. Microwave digestion consisted of three steps: 0.5 MPa for 1 min, 1.0 MPa for
the Yangtze River basin by evaluating the ecological risk of heavy 2 min, and 1.5 MPa for 3 min. After allowing at least 1 h for cooling, the digested
sample was transferred to a graduated plastic test tube and the volume was made up
metals in both the environment and fish. By testing and analyzing
to 100 mL with Milli-Q water.
the heavy metals in the water, sediments and fish in the main river
and in the lakes of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze, 2.2.3. Sample test
the health risks associated with heavy metals in sediments and All water and sediment samples were analyzed for Cd and Pb using an Induc-
fish were evaluated. tively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). Concentrations of Cr, Cu and Zn
were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy
(ICP-AES). As and Hg were measured using Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry (AFS).
2. Materials and methods The concentration of As and Hg in the tissue samples was measured by AFS.
Tissue concentrations of Cu were measured using both ICP-MS and ICP-AES. Tissue
2.1. Study sites Zn was measured exclusively by ICP-AES, whereas Cr, Cd and Pb were measured
using ICP-MS.
The 6300 km long Yangtze River is the third longest in the world and the longest Sample digestates were typically diluted 20 with 2% nitric acid for analysis.
and largest river in China. It flows from west to east and drains into the Eastern China Greater dilutions (up to 10,000) were necessary for some analytes that were
Sea at Shanghai. The Yangtze River has a watershed of 1.80 million km2. In China, the present at relatively high concentrations in sediment digestates (e.g. Cu). Results
river is called the Changjiang, and is divided into several reaches. The upper reach were quantified using an empirical calibration curve generated from the responses
consists of the region between the source and Yichang (the Three-Gorges Dam), the obtained from multiple dilutions of a multi-element calibration standard prepared
middle reach runs between Yichang and Hukou (Poyang Lake mouth), and the lower from single-element standards (Alfa Aesar). Analytical quality control included
reach runs between Hukou and Datong. All sections downriver from Datong are analysis of a 2% ultrapure nitric acid blank and a drinking water reference material,
considered to be the estuary. In general, all sampling procedures were carried out together with the procedural blank, reference material of a similar matrix, and
according to internationally recognized guidelines (UNEP, 1991). The samples were a sample duplicate from the microwave digestion.
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Y. Yi et al. / Environmental Pollution 159 (2011) 2575e2585 2577

Fig. 1. Map of study area, middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. (1) Yichang, (2) Yidu, (3) Jingzhou, (4) Gong’an, (5) Haoxue, (6) Xinchang, (7) Baiji dolphin (Lipotes
vexillifer) protection area, Jianli, (8) Dongting Lake; (9) Chenglingji; (10) Honghu Lake; (11) Yangtze River near Honghu Lake mouth, (12) Jiayu, (13) Paizhou Bay, (14) Wuhan, (15)
Donghu Lake, (16) E’zhou, (17) Liangzi Lake, (18) Jiujiang, (19) Poyang Lake, (20) Anqing, (21) Datong, (22) Wuhu, (23) Jiangning, (24) Nanjing, (25) Zhenjiang, (26) Jiangyin, (27)
Haimen.

3. Results and discussion the lower reach of the main river had the highest mean concen-
trations of Cd, As, TN, and TP. Mean concentrations of metals in the
3.1. Distribution of heavy metals in sediments middle reach were relatively lower. This may be due to the
downstream movement and deposition of suspended sediments
Heavy metal concentrations in sediments in the middle and containing heavy metals, combined with local pollution in the
lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin are summarized in Table 1. lower reaches. The heavy metal concentrations in the sediments
Total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and organic matter (OM) were higher in the lakes than in the river. We suggest that this was
concentrations are also listed for later analysis. The lakes had the due to the higher flow disturbance in the river that led to re-
highest mean concentrations of Hg, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn, and OM, while suspension and downstream movement of pollutants.

Table 1
Summary statistics of heavy metal concentrations and nutrition elements in sediments in the middle and lower Yangtze River basin (dry weight).

Hg (mg/kg) Cd (mg/kg) Pb (mg/kg) Cr (mg/kg) Cu (mg/kg) Zn (mg/kg) As (mg/kg) TN (%) TP (%) OM (%)
I Minimum 0.011 0.064 20 42 22 48 6 0.015 0.037 2.55
Maximum 0.535 0.77 110 96 67.4 350 63 0.17 0.14 7.38
Average 0.17 0.40 39.32 72.54 44.75 120.42 16.73 0.06 0.07 4.39
S.D. 0.16 0.29 23.94 18.65 15.08 79.18 19.67 0.05 0.03 1.56
CV (%) 95.84 73.07 60.89 25.70 33.70 65.75 117.62 83.97 50.28 35.60

II Minimum 0.01 0.13 13 56.7 21.7 54 7.8 0.013 0.041 3.42

Maximum 0.55 0.76 48.11 96.4 75.1 190.29 82 0.38 0.19 7.55
Average 0.19 0.48 29.77 74.88 44.24 107.68 33.92 0.22 0.08 5.00
S.D. 0.21 0.26 13.90 13.74 16.03 47.48 31.66 0.19 0.07 1.79
CV (%) 113.41 54.34 46.70 18.35 36.23 44.10 93.35 85.21 84.09 35.83

III Minimum 0.08 0.08 16 48 22 45 6.9 0.047 0.041 2.01

Maximum 0.44 0.86 88 121 75 750 83 0.13 0.057 11.83
Average 0.22 0.38 44.17 84.17 50.43 218.33 26.92 0.08 0.05 6.55
S.D. 0.15 0.32 27.84 27.98 21.03 270.06 28.94 0.03 0.01 4.31
CV(%) 68.52 83.81 63.03 33.25 41.70 123.69 107.53 38.53 12.34 65.77

Notes: I Stream in middle reach; II Stream in lower reach; III Lakes in middle and lower reaches; TN is total nitrogen, TP is phosphorus, and OM is organic matter.
 Author's personal copy

2578 Y. Yi et al. / Environmental Pollution 159 (2011) 2575e2585

3.2. Heavy metals concentration in fishes muscles of different fish species from Taihu Lake, and reported
0.228e1.89 Cu, 16e130 Zn, 0.177e0.287 Pb, 0.003-0.021 Cd,
The 469 fish and crayfish samples together comprised 2 classes, NDe0.387 Cr mg/kg dry weight, metals concentration were lower
9 orders, 14 families, 33 genera, and 41 species. Their heavy metals than this study, except Zn. Bustamante et al. (2003) found that
concentration and habitats are listed in Table 2. different fish species Kerguelen Islands contained 0.5e2.5 Cu,
The highest concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Hg were found in 9.2e32.2 Zn, 0.01e0.1 Cd, 0.044e1.19 Hg mg/kg dry weight in the
Eriocheir sinensis. Hemimyzon abbreviata had the highest concen- muscle, results generally were higher than present results, except
trations of Pb and Cd, Leptobotia elongata, and Coreius guichenoti _
Hg. The results reported by Türkmen et al. (2005) from Iskenderun
had the highest concentrations of Cr, and Rhinogobio typus had the Bay were generally lower than present results, except Cr. The
highest concentrations of As. The benthic fauna (e.g. Eriocheir concentrations of Cu, Zn and Pb in fish collected from the Yangtze
sinensis), demersal fish (e.g. Hemimyzon abbreviata, Rhinogobio River were higher than Pearl River on corresponding period,
typus and Leptobotia elongata), and fish that inhabit the lower zone however, Cd, Hg, Cr and As concentrations were lower. Both
of the water column (e.g. Coreius guichenoti), are likely to have Yangtze River and Pear River, heavy metal concentrations in fish
higher heavy metal concentrations than fishes that inhabit the were high in recent years than ten years ago. This demonstrate that
upper water column. We hypothesized that their greater contact heavy metals contaminant in Chinese river are becoming more and
with polluted sediments and their greater uptake of heavy metal more serious.
concentrations from zoobenthic predators would lead to higher
heavy metal concentration in their tissues (Yi et al., 2008). The 3.3. Relationships between heavy metal levels in fish and in the
relationships among heavy metal levels in fish, benthic fauna, environment
water, and sediments are analyzed in Section 3.3.
Heavy metals concentrations in fish of this study and other Heavy metals entering the water body would be absorbed in
literatures are listed in Table 3. Data from the open literatures sediments, and subsequently might migrate as a result of
showed that metal concentrations in muscles of fish varied widely exchanges between water, sediment, and biota, through biological
depending on where and which the animals caught (Table 3). Chi and chemical process. In the 1960s, serious mercury pollution
et al. (2007) measured the concentrations of heavy metals in the occurred in Sweden (Jernelöv et al., 1975), and was later found in

Table 2
Average concentrations of heavy metals and habitat site for fish species (mg/kg, wet weight).

Fish species Cu Zn Pb Cd Hg Cr As Number of sample Habitat

Mylopharyngodon piceus 1.19 7.6 0.29 0.075 0.02 0.15 0.022 19 Bottom
Ctenopharyngodon idellus 0.87 4.2 0.25 0.054 0.02 0.02 0.01 30 Middle-lower
Squaliobarbus curriculus (Rich.) 1.39 6.68 0.77 0.022 0.003 0.055 0.019 2 Middle
Hypophthalmichthys molitrix 0.86 4.47 0.56 0.073 0.02 0.166 0.018 49 Middle-Upper
Aristichthys nobilis (Rich.) 0.78 9.86 0.793 0.17 0.025 0.19 0.019 14 Middle-Upper
Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus 1.04 7.39 0.51 0.12 0.02 0.178 0.022 51 Bottom
Carassius auratus auratus 1.09 9.4 0.89 0.17 0.014 0.33 0.019 20 Bottom
Sinibrama macrops 2.18 14.87 0.05 0.0047 0.021 0.012 0.019 3 Middle
Erythroculter ilishaeformis (Bleeker) 1.08 4.06 0.48 0.11 0.002 0.101 0.015 3 Up
Erythroculter mongolicus (Basilewsky) 0.361 3.815 1.87 e 0.018 0.105 e 1 Up
Hemiculter leucisculus (Basil.) 1.54 8.95 0.16 0.019 0.022 0.025 0.019 6 Upper
Pseudorasbora parve (Temminck et Schlegel) 0.77 5.82 0.011 0.013 0.034 0.005 0.022 3 Upper-middle
Sarcocheilichthys nigripinnis nigripinnis(Günther) 1.05 4.98 0.025 0.007 0.031 0.011 0.023 5 Middle-lower
Coreius heterodon (Bleeker) 1.034 3.9 0.32 0.1 0.01 0.57 0.029 56 Low
Coreius guichenoti 1.6 7.33 0.56 0.1 0.015 0.805 0.023 15 Low
Rhinogobio cylindricus Gunther 1.21 17.87 1.61 0.39 0.006 0.023 0.025 2 Bottom
Rhinogobio ventralis Savage et Dabry 2.22 4.73 1.16 0.067 e e e 2 Bottom
Rhinogobio typus Bleeker 3.41 4.04 0.066 0.097 0.015 0.033 0.039 2 Bottom
Platysmacheilus longibarbatus Lo 1.28 0.793 1.65 0.229 0.006 0.038 0.023 2 Bottom
Leptobotia elongata (Bleeker) 0.57 4.4 0.71 0.088 0.032 0.805 0.02 8 Bottom
Misgurnus anguillicaudatus 1.53 10.79 0.011 0.009 0.029 0.732 0.02 1 Bottom
Hemimyzon abbreviata (güntheri) 2.5 34.7 10.1 2 e e e 1 Bottom
Pelteobagrus fulvidraco 1.28 9.34 0.86 0.15 0.038 0.54 0.014 39 Bottom
Leiocassis longirostris Günther 0.78 4.93 0.65 0.099 0.011 0.43 0.026 19 Bottom
Leiocassis crassirostris Regan 1.71 6.2 1.56 0.22 0.016 0.64 0.027 4 Bottom
Mystus macropterus (Bleeker) 1.718 7.58 0.184 0.11 0.023 0.017 0.025 3 Bottom
Silurus asotus Linnaeus 1.39 5.82 1.14 0.292 0.036 0.233 0.019 40 Bottom
Coilia nasus Schlegel 2.28 14.46 0.1 0.02 0.04 0.031 0.021 3 Upper-middle
Coilia brachygnathus Kreyenberg et Pappenheim 0.53 6 1.252 0.1 0.019 0.76 0.016 3 Upper-middle
Coilia mystus (Linnaeus) 6.01 15.77 0.258 0.05 0.023 0.193 0.015 4 Upper-middle
Lateolabrax japonicus 2.75 6.83 0.009 0.001 0.011 0.005 0.012 1 Middle-lower
Siniperca scherzeri steindachner 0.94 4.99 0.49 0.035 0.019 0.024 0.016 8 Middle-lower
Odontobutis obscurus 2.66 5.75 0.019 0.035 0.015 0.012 0.019 4 Bottom
Channa argus (Cantor) 0.94 2.98 0.056 0.001 0.032 0.013 0.012 2 Bottom
Hemiramphys kurumeus Jordan et Starks 1.09 9.76 0.1 0.002 0.048 0.033 0.014 5 Upper-middle
collichthys lucidus (Richardson) 5.44 11.075 0.175 0.036 0.022 e e 2 Bottom
Pampus argenteus 7.76 13.86 0.44 0.07 0.03 e e 1 Upper-middle
Cymoglossus robustus 3.55 7.66 0.0166 0.02 0.023 e e 5 Bottom
Palaemon (E.) carincauda Holthuis 5.54 8.9 0.175 0.065 0.017 0.033 0.009 5 Bottom
Macrobrachium nipponense 10.74 11.7 0.72 0.184 0.024 0.373 0.028 18 Bottom
Eriocheir sinensis 18.76 50.8 0.142 0.262 0.054 0.06 0.024 8 Bottom

Notes: bold type means the highest concentration of each heavy metals, e means metals concentration below lower detection limit.
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Y. Yi et al. / Environmental Pollution 159 (2011) 2575e2585 2579

Table 3
Comparison of heavy metal concentrations in fish with values taken from the open literature.

Sample area Cu Zn Pb Cd Hg Cr As References

Yangtze Riverb 0.361e18.76 0.793e50.8 0.009e10.1 NDe2 NDe0.054 NDe0.805 NDe0.039 This research
Yangtze Riverb <2.0e14.92 0.24e1.75 0.03e0.18 Chen et al. (2002)
Pearl Rivera 1.17e6.72 2.62e20.2 0.05e1.94 NDe33.2 0.98e7.86 NDe5.36 0.17e1.46 Xie et al. (2010)
Pearl Rivera 0.009e2.025 NDe5.507 NDe1.049 0.005e0.079 NDe0.772 NDe1.23 Wei et al. (2002)
Taihu Lakeb 0.228e1.89 16e130 0.177e0.287 0.003e0.021 NDe0.387 Chi et al. (2007)
_
Iskenderun Bayb 1.239e2.201 3.025e4.873 1.808e3.474 0.831e1.341 1.309e2.719 Türkmen et al. (2005)
Kerguelen Islandsb 0.5e2.5 9.2e33.2 0.010e0.086 0.044e1.19 Bustamante et al. (2003)
a
Values represent the ranges or mean expressed as mg.kg
1 dry wt.
b
Values represent the ranges or mean expressed as mg.kg
1 wet wt.

Canada (Wheatley, 1997). Following these events, researchers assumption that the sensitivity of the aquatic system depends on its
began to pay more attention to pollution by heavy metals. Accu- productivity. The potential ecological risk index (RI) was introduced
mulation of heavy metals in fish results primarily from surface to assess the degree of heavy metal pollution in sediments,
contact with the water, by breathing, and via the food chain. Uptake according to the toxicity of heavy metals and the response of the
by these three routes depends on the environmental levels of heavy environment:
metals in the habitat of the fish. Table 4 lists the heavy metal X
concentrations in these different media. Concentrations of heavy RI ¼ Eri (1)
metals in the sediment were 1000e100,000 times higher than
those in the water. A number of studies have reported a similar
Eri ¼ Tri Cfi (2)
phenomenon (Enk and Mathis, 1977; Anderson et al., 1978;
Burrows and Whitton, 1983; Barak and Mason, 1989). The heavy
metal concentrations were 10e1000 times higher in fish and Cfi ¼ C0i =Cni (3)
benthic invertebrates than those in the water, but lower than
concentrations in the sediments (Table 4). Heavy metals do not where RI is calculated as the sum of all risk factors for heavy metals
degrade in water but are generally not found in high concentra- in sediments, Eri is the monomial potential ecological risk factor, Tri
tions, primarily due to deposition in sediments but also because of is the toxic-response factor for a given substance, which accounts
uptake by plants and animals (Yi et al., 2008). Heavy metals in the for the toxic requirement and the sensitivity requirement, as shown
sediment enter the food chain via the feeding of benthic animals. in Table 5. Cfi is the contamination factor, C0i is the concentration of
The concentrations of heavy metals were highest in the sedi- metals in the sediment, and Cni is a reference value for metals
ments, intermediate in fish and lowest in the water. Demersal fish (Table 5).
and benthic fauna generally had higher levels of Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, Hg, The risk factor RI was proposed by Hakanson based on eight
Cr and As compared with those in fish at the upper-middle and parameters (PCB, Hg, Cd, As, Pb, Cu, Cr, and Zn). In this paper, PCBs
middle-lower layers (Table 4 and Fig. 2). Heavy metal concentra- were excluded. Based on the reference values for these elements,
tions were ranked as follows: sediments > demersal fish and the adjusted evaluation criteria for the ecological risk index RI are
benthic fauna > pelagic fish > water. Our results support the listed in Table 6.
hypothesis that the sediment is the major sink for trace metal Using equations (1)e(3) and parameters listed in Table 5, the
pollution and plays an important role in heavy metal uptake by fish potential ecological risk indices Eri and RI for each site were
(Luoma and Bryan, 1978). The heavy metals contained in the sedi- obtained and are listed in Table 7. According to these data, Hg posed
ment are then absorbed and stored in the tissues (Gao, 2001). As a considerable ecological risk at five sites and a moderate risk at
a consequence, controlling the sources of contamination of water two. Additionally, Cd and As also posed relatively high ecological
and sediments in the aquatic system is the key method for risks in these areas. The high ecological risks of these three heavy
protection of the fish resource. metals in freshwater ecosystems are consequences of their high
toxic-response factors. In terms of their spatial distribution, sites
with moderate or considerable potential ecological risk indices for
4. Ecological risk and health risk assessment Hg and Cd were located near to large cities (Wuhan, Nanjing, and
Jiangyin), or ports (Chenglingji), or lakes with high human activity
4.1. Assessment of potential ecological risk (Dongting Lake and Donghu Lake). The highest potential ecological
risk indices for As were found in the lower reach, mainly down-
Håkanson (1980) developed a methodology to assess ecological stream of Poyang Lake. For other metals (Pb, Cu, Cr, and Zn), the
risks for aquatic pollution control. The methodology is based on the potential ecological risk indexes were low. The potential ecological
risk indices for single regulators (Eri) indicated that the severity of
Table 4 pollution of the seven heavy metals decreased in the following
Average heavy metal concentrations in water, sediment and fishes living in different
water depths.
sequence: Hg > Cd > As > Cu > Pb > Cr > Zn.
RI represents the sensitivity of various biological communities to
Heavy metal Cu Zn Pb Cd Hg Cr As toxic substances and illustrates the potential ecological risk caused
Water 0.0028 0.031 0.002 0.0004 0.00004 0.0013 0.00097 by heavy metals. Two sites among twelve in the middle reach of the
Pelagic fish 1.16 6.08 0.48 0.072 0.021 0.123 0.016
main river exhibited moderate or considerable ecological risk. Most
Demersal fish 2.24 8.05 0.57 0.128 0.022 0.365 0.022
and benthic of the lakes and sites in the lower reach of the main river posed
fauna moderate or considerable ecological risk. The RI values were clearly
Sediment 45.7 135.6 37 0.423 0.155 76.4 24.7 related to the degree of anthropogenic disturbance. For example,
Notes: values are mg/kg wet weight for fish tissue and water, and mg/kg dry weight the Tian’ezhou wetland, which is a natural conservation area in
for sediments. China, had the lowest heavy metal concentrations and minimal
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2580 Y. Yi et al. / Environmental Pollution 159 (2011) 2575e2585

Fig. 2. Distribution of heavy metal in water, sediment, zoobenthos, and pelagic fish. BM: bottom material (sediment), BF: Demersal fish and benthic fauna, PF: pelagic fish, W: water.

potential ecological risk, while sites near to big cities (such as The models for estimating THQ are (Chien et al., 2002):
Wuhan, Nanjing, and Jiangyin) had relatively high ecological risks.
The sources of heavy metal pollution in the main river and the lakes EFr  EDtot  FIR  C
THQ ¼  10
3 (4)
of this area are influenced by many factors, both natural and man- RfDo  BWa  ATn
made. Many tributaries discharge into the main river and the lakes where THQ is the target hazard quotient; EFr is exposure frequency
while, at the same time, the gradient of the river gradually becomes (365 days/year); EDtot is the exposure duration (70 years, average
reduced, leading to decreasing flow velocity and increasing depo- lifetime); FIR is the food ingestion rate (g/day); C is the heavy metal
sition of chemical elements. concentration in fish (mg/g); RfDo is the oral reference dose (mg/kg/
day, Table 9); Bwa is the average adult body weight (55.9 kg); and
4.2. Health risk from consuming fish ATn is the averaging exposure time for non-carcinogens (365 days/
year  number of exposure years, assuming 70 years).
4.2.1. Determination of target hazard quotients (THQ) It has been reported that exposure to two or more pollutants may
The THQ, which is the ratio between the exposure and the result in additive and/or interactive effects (Hallenbeck, 1993). In this
reference doses (a Reference Dose or RfD), is used to express the study, the total THQ is treated as the arithmetic sum of the individual
risk of non-carcinogenic effects. If the ratio is less than 1, there will metal THQ values, derived by the method of Chien et al. (2002):
not be any obvious risk. Conversely, an exposed population of
concern will experience health risks if the dose is equal to or greater Total THQ ðTTHQ Þ ¼ THQ ðtoxicant 1Þ þ THQ ðtoxicant 2Þ
than the RfD. The method for the determination of THQ was þ / / þ THQ ðtoxicant nÞ ð5Þ
provided in the United States EPA Region III risk-based concentra-
tion table (USEPA, 2000). The dose calculations were carried out 4.2.2. Health threat from consuming fish
using standard assumptions from an integrated United States EPA Estimates of fish consumption in coastal cities of China (Jiang
risk analysis. Assumptions for the health risk calculation in this et al., 2005; Zhang et al., 2001), indicate that the general pop-
paper are list in Table 8: ulation eats 105 g/day of fish and crayfish and fishermen consume
A THQ value below 1 means that the level of exposure is smaller
than the reference dose; a daily exposure at this level is believed to Table 6
be unlikely to cause any adverse effects during a person’s lifetime. Terminology used to describe the risk factor Eri and RI as suggested by Håkanson
(1980).

Table 5 Eri Potential ecological RI Ecological risk

Reference values (Cni) and toxicity coefficients (Tri) of heavy metals in sediments risk for single regulator for all factors
(Hilton et al., 1985). Eri < 40 Low RI < 95 Low
40  Eri < 80 Moderate 95  RI < 190 Moderate
Heavy metals Hg Cd As Cu Pb Cr Zn
80  Eri < 160 Considerable 190  RI < 380 Considerable
Cni (mg/kg) 0.2 0.5 15 30 25 60 80 160  Eri < 320 High RI  380 Very high
Tri 40 30 10 5 5 2 1 Eri  320 Very high
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Y. Yi et al. / Environmental Pollution 159 (2011) 2575e2585 2581

Table 7 Table 8
Heavy metal potential ecological risk indexes of the Yangtze River system. Assumptions for THQ calculation.

Sample site Eri RI Assumption Reference

Hg Cd Pb Cr Cu Zn As Ingested dose is equal to the absorbed USEPA, 1989

pollutant dose
Middle reach Yichang 22.6 40 7.6 3 8.6 1.7 5.7 88.8
Cooking has no effect on the pollutants Cooper et al., 1991
Yidu 30 8.4 4 1.4 5.3 0.9 4.4 54.5
The average adult body weights of the Ge, 1992
Jingzhou 18.2 45.6 9.2 2.9 10.7 1.8 6.4 95
Chinese assumed to be 55.9 kg
Gong’an 17.6 20.4 4.6 2.2 5.2 0.8 4 54.8
Average lifetime of Chinese is 70 years
Haoxue 20 40 7.8 3 8.8 1.7 6.8 87.7
Xinchang 2.2 13.2 7.8 2.6 5.7 1.2 36 68.7
Chenglingji 94 46.2 22 3.2 10.3 4.4 42 222.1
Honghu mouth 30 8.4 4.8 2.3 8.3 1 4.1 59 index. In reality, a THQ > 1 may not reveal people actually experi-
Jiayu 17.2 3.84 4.8 1.6 3.7 0.6 4.5 36.2
Paizhouwan 22 12.6 5.8 1.9 5.8 1.1 6.7 55.8
encing adverse health effects. This implies that there is no evidence
Wuhan 107 43.2 9 3.1 11.2 1.8 6.7 182 of an unacceptable non-cancer risk for the general population
E’zhou 22 4.9 7 1.9 5.8 1.1 6.4 49.1 eating Yangtze fish. The THQ for fishermen through the consump-
Lower reach Jiujiang 37 40 6.7 2.7 9.2 1.5 10.7 107.3 tion of fish was about twice that of the general population. The
Anqing 2 13.2 6.2 2.1 7 0.9 42 73.4 higher average THQ value for these adults (2.17) suggests that they
Datong 2.4 7.8 4 2 5.3 0.8 54 76.3 may experience a certain degree of adverse health effects.
Wuhu 5.4 11.4 3.4 2.2 5 0.7 54.7 82.7
Jiangning 22 32.4 3.14 2.7 6.7 1.4 7.7 76
Nanjing 107 45.6 9 3.2 12.5 1.9 8.7 187.9 5. Heavy metal pollution source analysis
Zhenjiang 34 43.2 8.9 2.8 8.2 1.8 8.1 107
Jiangyin 110 45.6 9.6 2.9 8.9 2.4 12.5 191.8 Because heavy metals in sediments and fishes have now been
Haimen 16 20.4 2.6 1.9 3.6 0.8 5.2 50.5
shown to threaten the health of aquatic animals and humans, it is
Lakes in Tian’ezhou 16.8 5.4 3.4 1.6 3.7 0.6 4.6 36 important to analyze and to control the sources of pollution. Heavy
middle and Dongting Lake 72 51.6 9 2.9 9.2 1.3 11.3 157.3 metals in sediments often exhibit complex interrelationships.
lower reaches Honghu Lake 16 4.8 7.2 2.9 7.5 1 4.8 44.2
Donghu Lake 88 28.8 12.6 3.5 12.5 3.1 10.3 158.9
Numerous factors control their relative abundance; e.g., the original
Liangzi Lake 42 37.2 17.6 4 12 9.4 21.3 143.5 heavy metal contents of rocks and parent materials, processes of
Poyang Lake 28 10.2 3.2 1.9 5.6 1.1 55.3 105.3 soil formation, contamination by human activities, and other
Notes: Eri is the individual heavy metal potential ecological risk index, RI is the total anthropogenic factors (Li et al., 2008). Using SPSS software, Pearson
heavy metal potential ecological risk index; bold types indicates the sample sites correlation analysis was implemented to determine the relation-
with moderate or considerable ecological risk. ship between the heavy metals and TN, TP, OM contents, and
Principal components analysis (PCA) was performed to determine
the most common pollution sources.
250 g/day. Table 10 and Fig. 3 show the estimated target hazard
quotients (THQ) for individual metals and the total THQ from 5.1. Correlation between heavy metals
consumption of fish by the general population and fisherman in the
Yangtze River basin. Table 11 depicts the correlation coefficient matrix, listing the
The THQ of each metal due to fish consumption is generally less Pearson product moment correlation coefficients. Very significant
than 1, suggesting that people would not experience significant correlations were found between Hg and Cd (r ¼ 0.650), Hg and Pb
health risks from the intake of individual metals through fish (r ¼ 0.581), Hg and Cr (r ¼ 0.549), Hg and Cu (r ¼ 0.705), Cd and Pb
consumption (Table 10). THQ values of Cd and Pb were highest, and (r ¼ 0.584), Cd and Cr (r ¼ 0.746), Cd and Cu (r ¼ 0.755), Pb and Cr
they were higher than comparable values for Hg, Cu, Zn, and As for (r ¼ 0.762), Pb and Cu (r ¼ 0.729), Pb and Zn (r ¼ 0.796), Cr and Cu
inhabitants of some areas. The potential health risk of Cr was the (r ¼ 0.891), Cr and Zn (r ¼ 715), and Cu and Zn (r ¼ 0.61) at the
lowest, which may be ascribed to its higher oral reference dose. The p < 0.01 level. High correlations between specific heavy metals in
relative contributions of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, As, Cr and Hg to the total metal the sediments may reflect similar levels of contamination and/or
THQ from fish consumptions are shown in Fig. 3. Pb, a major risk release from the same sources of pollution (Håkanson and Jansson,
contributor, for both the general population and for fisherman, in the 1983; Li et al., 2009). There were relative strong positive correla-
Yangtze River basin, accounted for 29% of the total THQ. The next tions between Hg Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu and Zn, but As did not show
highest risk contributor element was Cd, contributing about 24% to significant correlations with these metals (see Table 11). The
the total THQ. The risk contributions of Cu and Zn were relatively low elements, Hg, Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn, are grouped together, indi-
at about 5% and 3%, respectively. Hg and As contributions were cating that the anthropogenic sources of these heavy metals are
similar, at about 8%. This demonstrates the relatively minor risk from closely related in the sediments of the study area. Arsenic (As) is
Cr and the dominant contributions from Cd and Pb for the inhabitants a proven human carcinogen, and it also has the potential to damage
of the study areas. The estimated target quotients (THQ) for indi- ecological communities (Sadiq et al., 2003). The sites with higher As
vidual metal decreased in following sequence: Pb > Cd > Hg concentrations were mainly confined to the main river and the
>As > Cu > Zn > Cr. Compared with the sequence of potential lakes of the lower reach (Table 2). Significant positive correlations
ecological risk (Eri), the THQ of Pb has been promoted to first from (p < 0.01) were observed between TN and As (Table 11) but corre-
fifth. This may due to the low Tri value for Pb used in calculating Eri. lations between As and other heavy metals were very low,
The rank orders of Eri and THQ for other metals were similar. This
indicates that the severity of pollution and the ecological risks of
Table 9
individual heavy metal in sediments and fishes are similar. Cd, Hg, Oral reference doses of heavy metals (USEPA, 2009).
and As were the three most polluting metals.
Heavy metal Hg Cd Pb Cr Cu Zn As
The total THQ for the general population exceeded 1 (Table 10).
However, according to the series assumption of health risk RfDo/ 1.6  10
4 1  10
3 4  10
3 1.5 4  10
2 3  10
1 3  10
4
(mg/kg-day)
assessment, the THQ value is highly conservative and is a relative
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2582 Y. Yi et al. / Environmental Pollution 159 (2011) 2575e2585

Table 10 suggesting that the pollution sources of As differed from those of

Estimated target hazard quotients (THQ) for individual metals and total THQ from other metals, and were related to TN outputs.
consumption of fish by the general population and fisherman in the Yangtze River
basin.

Exposure group Hg Cd Pb Cu Zn As TTHQ 5.2. PCA

General population 0.17 0.29 0.34 0.11 0.06 0.16 1.13
Fishermen 0.33 0.55 0.66 0.22 0.11 0.30 2.17 PCA has been applied to determine the degree of pollution by
heavy metals from lithogenic action and anthropogenic sources
(Sun et al., 2010; Chen et al., 2005; Zhou et al., 2007; Rodríguez
2.50 et al., 2008; Facchinelli et al., 2001). The results of PCA for heavy
As metal contents are listed in Table 12. According to these results, Hg,
Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn and As concentrations could be grouped into
2.00 Zn
a two-component model, which accounted for 78.48% of all of the
Cu data variation.
1.50 The initial component matrix indicated that Hg, Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu,
Pb
THQ and Zn were associated, displaying high values in the first
Cd component (F1, a contribution rate of 61.8%), and that the correla-
1.00 tion between these six heavy metals was significant (Table 12).
Hg These results imply that Hg, Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn can be defined as
0.50 anthropogenic components and may originate from similar pollu-
tion sources. This result coincides with the conclusion of the
correlation analysis. Analysis of the regional characteristics shows
0.00 that the highest concentration of these six heavy metals appeared
General population Fishermen in the cities, including Chenglingji, Wuhan, Nanjing, Jiangyin,
Donghu Lake, Liangzi Lake, and Dongting Lake, which were asso-
Fig. 3. Total metal THQ values due to consumption of fish for general population and
fisherman. Data of Cr are not shown since they are quite small in comparison to other
ciated with serious pollution from industrial wastewater and
THQ values. domestic sewage discharge. According to a study of heavy metal
pollution of the Wuhan stretch in the middle reach of Yangtze River

Table 11
Correlation coefficients between different heavy metal elements in sediment (n ¼ 27).

Hg Cd Pb Cr Cu Zn As TN TP OM
Hg 1
Cd 0.650** 1
Pb 0.581** 0.584** 1
Cr 0.549** 0.746** 0.762** 1
Cu 0.705** 0.755** 0.729** 0.891** 1
Zn 0.36 0.432* 0.796** 0.715** 0.610** 1
As
0.168
0.196 0.073
0.075
0.143 0.068 1
TN
0.296
0.122
0.043 0.018
0.157 0.013 0.727** 1
TP
0.013 0.078 0.223 0.121
0.051 0.02 0.521* 0.613** 1
OM 0.087 0.012 0.305 0.504* 0.372 0.238 0.016 0.176 0.239 1

Levels of significance: *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01.

Table 12
Total variance explained and component matrices for the heavy metals in surface sediments from the Yangtze River basin.

Component Initial eigenvalues Extraction sums of squared loadings Rotation sums of squared loadings

Total % of Variance Cumulative % Total % of Variance Cumulative % Total % of Variance Cumulative %

1 4.33 61.80 61.80 4.33 61.80 61.80 4.29 61.32 61.32
2 1.17 16.68 78.48 1.17 16.68 78.48 1.20 17.17 78.48
3 0.64 9.08 87.56
4 0.41 5.84 93.41
5 0.23 3.33 96.74
6 0.16 2.22 98.96
7 0.07 1.04 100.00

Elements Component matrix Rotated component matrixa

F1 F2 F1 F2
Cu 0.93
0.09 0.92
0.19
Cr 0.93 0.06 0.93
0.04
Pb 0.87 0.28 0.9 0.19
Cd 0.83
0.25 0.79
0.34
Zn 0.77 0.39 0.8 0.3
Hg 0.75
0.27 0.72
0.34
As
0.11 0.89
0.02 0.9

Extraction method: principal component analysis.

Rotation method: varimax with Kaiser normalization.
a
Rotation converged in 3 iterations.
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Y. Yi et al. / Environmental Pollution 159 (2011) 2575e2585 2583

Table 13
Total variance explained and component matrices for the sediment heavy metals concentration across the river.

Component Initial eigenvalues Extraction sums of squared loadings Rotation sums of squared loadings

Total % of Variance Cumulative % Total % of Variance Cumulative % Total % of Variance Cumulative %

1 21.53 79.75 79.75 21.53 79.75 79.75 20.80 77.03 77.03
2 3.85 14.25 94.00 3.85 14.25 94.00 4.58 16.97 94.00
3 1.40 5.19 99.19
4 0.22 0.81 100.00

Elements Component matrix Rotated component matrixa

F1 F2 F1 F2
Haoxue 0.997
0.073 0.991 0.132
Yichang 0.997
0.079 0.992 0.126
Paizhouwan 0.995
0.086 0.992 0.119
Jiujiang 0.995
0.044 0.983 0.159
Jiangning 0.991 0.093 0.952 0.293
Zhenjiang 0.99
0.067 0.982 0.136
E’zhou 0.986
0.13 0.992 0.073
Wuhan 0.985
0.141 0.993 0.062
Jingzhou 0.984
0.136 0.991 0.068
Yidu 0.984
0.077 0.979 0.125
Nanjing 0.981
0.134 0.988 0.069
Haimen 0.972 0.084 0.935 0.28
Dongting Lake 0.968
0.181 0.985 0.021
Jiangyin 0.965 0.021 0.94 0.217
Donghu Lake 0.957
0.03 0.943 0.166
Gong’an 0.952
0.097 0.952 0.1
Honghukou 0.944
0.172 0.959 0.024
Jiayu 0.929
0.165 0.943 0.027
Tian’ezhou 0.925
0.068 0.919 0.122
Honghu Lake 0.891
0.208 0.914
0.022
Liangzi Lake 0.865 0.125 0.821 0.298
Xinchang 0.854 0.465 0.742 0.629
Chenglingji 0.838 0.094 0.801 0.263
Datong 0.138 0.985
0.066 0.992
Wuhu 0.072 0.965
0.127 0.96
Poyang Lake 0.398 0.897 0.207 0.96
Anqing 0.601 0.794 0.427 0.9

Extraction method: principal component analysis.

Rotation method: varimax with Kaiser normalization.
a
Rotation converged in 3 iterations.

(Yang et al., 2009), the source of heavy metals in this area comes the Yangtze River. On the basis of investigations at 27 stations
mainly from metal processing, electroplating industries, industrial within the watershed, heavy metal concentrations in the water,
wastewater, and domestic sewage. Mercury (Hg) was poorly surface sediments, fishes and benthic fauna were measured,
correlated with the other five heavy metals, perhaps because the potential ecological risk indices were calculated, the health risk was
main source of this pollutant is coal combustion. evaluated, and the possible sources of pollution were analyzed.
In the second component (F2, a contribution rate of 17.17%), As In general, the sediment heavy metal concentrations in the
showed much higher values than other heavy metals. The correlation lower reach of the Yangtze were higher than in the middle reach.
analysis also indicated that As had no significant correlation with the Furthermore, sediment heavy metal accumulation was much
other six heavy metals, and was significantly correlated with TN. higher in the lakes compared to the main river, perhaps due to the
PCA for heavy metals in sediment across the river was con- lower turbulence and mixing in the lacustrine environment. The
ducted to find the heavy metals distribution in 27 samples sites heavy metal concentrations in the sediment were 1000e100,000
(Table 13). According to the results, heavy metals concentrations in times higher than those in the water. The metals in fish and
sediment of 27 sample sites could be grouped into a two- invertebrate tissues were intermediate between the sediment and
component model, which accounted for 94% of all the data varia- the water. Fish living near the river or lake bed and feeding on
tion. The initial component matrix that Poyang Lake, Anqing, benthic invertebrates thus had higher concentrations of heavy
Datong and Wuhu were associated, displaying high values in the metals when compared with fish living in the upper or middle
second component (F2, a contribution rate of 14.25%), other 23 zones of the water column. Most heavy metals are transferred
sample sites showed a strong association with the first factor (F1, through the food chain via the following route: sediment e zoo-
a contribution rate of 79.75%). The rotation of the matrix show benthos e benthonic carnivores e human.
similar grouping with initial component matrix. The results imply Analysis of the potential ecological risk of sediment heavy metal
that some different anthropogenic activities occurred in the reach concentrations showed that some sample sites in the middle and
from Poyang Lake to Wuhu. lower reaches of the Yangtze River presented a relatively high
ecological risk. According to the potential ecological risk index for
6. Conclusions a single regulator (Eri), Hg represented a moderate risk at 7.4% of
sites, and a considerable risk at 18.5% of sites; Cd posed a moderate
Heavy metal pollution is an important problem for the Yangtze risk in 37% and As in 22% of the regions. The ecological risk for all
River basin. The aim of this paper was to study the regional impacts factors (RI) showed that 7.4% of sample sites belonged in the cate-
of heavy metals (Hg, Cu, Cr, Zn, Cd, Pb, and As) on the watershed of gory of considerable risk, and 33% were of moderate risk. Analysis
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2584 Y. Yi et al. / Environmental Pollution 159 (2011) 2575e2585

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