Sedimentation and associated trace metal enrichment in the riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

Qiang Tang; Yuhai Bao; Xiubin He; Huaidong Zhou; Zhijing Cao; Peng Gao; Ronghua Zhong; Yunhua Hu; Xinbao Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.01.122

Sedimentation and associated trace metal enrichment in the riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

Sci Total Environ. 2014 May 1:479-480:258-66. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.01.122. Epub 2014 Feb 21.

Authors

Qiang Tang¹, Yuhai Bao², Xiubin He³, Huaidong Zhou⁴, Zhijing Cao⁵, Peng Gao⁶, Ronghua Zhong¹, Yunhua Hu¹, Xinbao Zhang²

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 China.
² Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China. Electronic address: xiubinh@imde.ac.cn.
⁴ Department of Water Environment, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydrology Research, Beijing 100038, China.
⁵ College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.
⁶ Department of Geography, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA.

PMID: 24561931
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.01.122

Abstract

Impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir has created an artificial riparian zone with a vertical height of 30 m and a total area of 349 km(2), which has been subjected to seasonal inundation and exposure due to regular reservoir impoundment and the occurrence of natural floods. The significant alteration of hydrologic regime has caused numerous environmental changes. The present study investigated the magnitude and spatial pattern of sedimentation and metal enrichment in a typical section of the riparian zone, composed of bench terraces with previous agricultural land uses, and explored their links to the changed hydrologic regime. In particular, we measured the total sediment depths and collected surface riparian sediments and down-profile sectioned riparian soils (at 5 cm intervals) for trace metal determination. Our analysis showed that the annual average sedimentation rates varied from 0.5 to 10 cm·yr(-1) and they decreased significantly with increasing elevation. This lateral distribution was principally attributed to seasonal variations in water levels and suspended sediment concentrations. Enriched concentrations of trace metals were found both in the riparian sediments and soils, but they were generally higher in the riparian sediments than in riparian soils and followed a similar lateral decreasing trend. Metal contamination assessment showed that the riparian sediments were slightly contaminated by Ni, Zn, and Pb, moderately contaminated by Cu, and moderately to strongly contaminated by Cd; while riparian soils were slightly contaminated by As, and moderately contaminated by Cd. Trace metal enrichment in the riparian sediments may be attributed to external input of contaminated sediments produced from upstream anthropogenic sources and chemical adsorption from dissolved fractions during pure sediment mobilization and after sink for a prolonged flooding period due to reservoir impoundment.

Keywords: Diffuse contaminant; Riparian zone; Sedimentation; Three Gorges Reservoir; Trace metal.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

China
Environmental Monitoring*
Floods
Geologic Sediments / chemistry
Metals / analysis*
Rivers / chemistry
Soil / chemistry*
Soil Pollutants / analysis*
Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*

Substances

Metals
Soil
Soil Pollutants
Water Pollutants, Chemical