Water quality evaluation and ecological-health risk assessment on trace elements in surface water of the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Leiming Li; Jun Wu; Jian Lu; Kexin Li; Xiying Zhang; Xiuyun Min; Chunliang Gao; Juan Xu

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113775

Water quality evaluation and ecological-health risk assessment on trace elements in surface water of the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2022 Aug:241:113775. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113775. Epub 2022 Jun 15.

Authors

Leiming Li¹, Jun Wu², Jian Lu³, Kexin Li⁴, Xiying Zhang⁵, Xiuyun Min¹, Chunliang Gao⁵, Juan Xu⁶

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Comprehensive and Highly Efficient Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China.
² Yantai Research Institute, Harbin Engineering University, Yantai 264006, China. Electronic address: wujunlisa@163.com.
³ CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research (YIC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, YICCAS, Yantai, Shandong 264003, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Comprehensive and Highly Efficient Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China; Key Laboratory of Salt Lake Resources Chemistry of Qinghai Province, Xining 810008, China.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Comprehensive and Highly Efficient Utilization of Salt Lake Resources, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China; Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Geology and Environment of Salt Lakes, Xining, Qinghai 810008, China.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.

PMID: 35716407
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113775

Abstract

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is a unique area with water sources for approximately 40 % of the population in the world. Water resources and water quality are closely associated with ecological security and human health. Fifty-one trace elements in surface water samples (n = 40) were measured, and water quality, health and ecological risks were assessed. Trace elements showed significant variations in different surface water bodies in the study area. Concentrations of minor elements were relatively high in saline and salt lakes while those of REEs varied from 0.05 to 33.62 μg/L with an average value of 3.80 μg/L. The Nemerow pollution index (NP) values of trace elements ranged from 0.08 to 3.48, with an average value of 0.36 in rivers, fresh lakes and reservoir water samples; The heavy metal pollution index (HPI) values ranged from 3.70 to 21.18, indicating that most samples were within the critical limit; The heavy metal evaluation index (HEI) values and degree of contamination (DC) values indicated a free pollution status. The water quality index (WQI) values showed that 96 % of the samples belonged to excellent status in rivers, fresh lakes and reservoir water samples. More attention should be given to the Cr, Zn and Hg in the study area according to potential ecological risk assessment. Hazard quotients for residential children in 30 sites exceed 1.0 with maximal value of 10.97, suggesting the high non-carcinogenic risks for children in the study area. U, Zr and Cr for the ingestion pathway, Cr and U for the dermal pathway were primary contributors to the total health risk. Carcinogenic risk values of trace elements for residential and recreational receptors were in the range of 3.20 × 10^-5-7.38 × 10^-3 and 8.62 × 10^-6-3.63 × 10^-3, respectively. The carcinogenic risk values of Cr in surface water were higher than the target risk of 1 × 10^-4, while the carcinogenic risk values of As were below the target risk. The results of this study provided information on trace elements for human health protection and water management in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Keywords: Ecological and health risk; The northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau; Trace elements; Water quality.

MeSH terms

Child
China
Environmental Monitoring / methods
Humans
Metals, Heavy* / analysis
Risk Assessment
Tibet
Trace Elements* / analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis
Water Quality

Substances

Metals, Heavy
Trace Elements
Water Pollutants, Chemical