Distribution and risk assessment of metals in sediments from Taihu Lake, China using multivariate statistics and...

Metals in the surface sediment and zoobenthos throughout Taihu Lake were investigated to explore their distribution, source and potential ecological risks. The result showed that the average metal concentration followed the order: Fe > Mn > Zn > Cr > Ni > Pb > Cu > Cd, with the highest value of 27.9 g/kg (Fe) and lowest value 0.54 mg/kg (Cd). Anthropogenic inputs were the major sources of metals, followed by geochemical processes, and organic matter is also a control for metals. Spatially, high metal concentrations were distributed in the northern lake and low concentrations in Gonghu Bay and the eastern part of the lake. Risk assessment showed that Pb had the highest ecological risk (E(r) = 10.32), followed by Cu and Ni (E(r) = 8.77-8.81), while Zn had the lowest risk (E(r) = 1.59). Analysis indicated that Corbicula sp. was more suitable for biomonitoring than Bellamya sp.