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Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution

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A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Wastewater Treatment and Reuse".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2022) | Viewed by 54044

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Prof. Dr. Maria Gavrilescu

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Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection, Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi, 700050 Iasi, Romania
Interests: chemical engineering; environmental engineering; biotechnology; wastewater; phytoremediation; bioremediation
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Dear Colleagues,

The release of heavy metals into the environment as a result of anthropogenic activities, which can give rise to metal-containing waste and by-products (wastewater, mining by-products, pesticides, industrial waste, chemical mixtures from agriculture, etc.), severely affects the natural distribution of heavy metals in various environmental components (water, soil, air) as well as in ecosystems. Due to their toxicity and potential of propagation through the food chain and biomagnification at different trophic levels, heavy metals can degrade the environment and generate ecological and human health risks. Assessing the environmental risks linked to the presence of heavy metals involves measuring the biotic response of plants, microorganisms, aquatic and terrestrial vegetation and can provide information on metals bioavailability and their influence on the natural state of ecosystems. Being a constantly evolving field, ecological risk assessment should take into account various issues, such as the specific effects of each heavy metal in various receptors (e.g., the aquatic environment); the selection of endpoints; species as indicators; planning tests at on-site, laboratory, meso- and microcosm levels; the rehabilitation of the affected system. The results of a risk analysis can provide support for decision-making regarding measures, recommendations, and guidelines for risk mitigation and environmental remediation.

In this context, this Special Issue invites scientists to elaborate papers on the topics indicated above, offering their valuable scientific contribution to the progress of knowledge in the field of prevention and control of risks generated by environmental pollution with various heavy metals with high toxic potential.

Prof. Dr. Maria Gavrilescu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

Aquatic environment
Bioavailability
Exposure
Heavy metals toxicity
Risk analysis
Decision making

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 11048 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Study on the Decontamination Efficacy of Peelable Coatings for Heavy Metals Removal

by Gabriela Toader, Daniela Pulpea, Aurel Diacon, Edina Rusen, Raluca Elena Ginghina, Traian Rotariu, Alice Ionela Podaru, Andreea Elena Moldovan, Maria Gavrilescu, Ana-Mihaela Gavrila and Bogdan Trica

Water 2023, 15(5), 982; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15050982 - 3 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2921

Abstract

This study presents the formulation and application of strippable coatings for the entrapment and removal of heavy metals (HMs) and radio nuclides (RNs). The “green” formulations involve the use of a water-based solution consisting of a synthetic biodegradable polymer, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), together with a natural polymer (sodium alginate) as the polymer matrix and bentonite as the reinforcing agent with cation exchange capacity. Four chelating agents comprising two classical chelating agents (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid (DPTA)) and two “green” chelating agents (iminodisuccinic acid (IDS), 2-phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (PBTC)) were used to evaluate the capacity to remove Cu, Sb, Zn, Sr, Pb, Co, and Hg from the contaminated surfaces. This decontamination method leads to the formation of a solid waste, thus eliminating the need for wastewater treatment. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), and ultraviolet-visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy were used to comparatively evaluate the decontamination efficacy. EDX elemental mapping confirmed the entrapment of the contaminants inside the polymeric matrix. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution)

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15 pages, 3656 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimisation of Various Physicochemical Variables Affecting Molybdenum Bioremediation Using Antarctic Bacterium, Arthrobacter sp. Strain AQ5-05

by Syazani Darham, Sharifah Nabilah Syed-Muhaimin, Kavilasni Subramaniam, Azham Zulkharnain, Noor Azmi Shaharuddin, Khalilah Abdul Khalil and Siti Aqlima Ahmad

Water 2021, 13(17), 2367; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13172367 - 28 Aug 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2968

Abstract

The versatility of a rare metal, molybdenum (Mo) in many industrial applications is one of the reasons why Mo is currently one of the growing environmental pollutants worldwide. Traces of inorganic contaminants, including Mo, have been discovered in Antarctica and are compromising the ecosystem. Bioremediation utilising bacteria to transform pollutants into a less toxic form is one of the approaches for solving Mo pollution. Mo reduction is a process of transforming sodium molybdate with an oxidation state of 6+ to Mo-blue, an inert version of the compound. Although there are a few Mo-reducing microbes that have been identified worldwide, only two studies were reported on the microbial reduction of Mo in Antarctica. Therefore, this study was done to assess the ability of Antarctic bacterium, Arthrobacter sp. strain AQ5-05, in reducing Mo. Optimisation of Mo reduction in Mo-supplemented media was carried out using one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) and response surface methodology (RSM) approaches. Through OFAT, Mo was reduced optimally with substrate concentration of sucrose, ammonium sulphate, and molybdate at 1 g/L, 0.2 g/L, and 10 mM, respectively. The pH and salinity of the media were the best at 7.0 and 0.5 g/L, respectively, while the optimal temperature was at 10 °C. Further optimisation using RSM showed greater Mo-blue production in comparison to OFAT. The strain was able to stand high concentration of Mo and low temperature conditions, thus showing its potential in reducing Mo in Antarctica by employing conditions optimised by RSM. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution)

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16 pages, 5930 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ecological Risk Due to Heavy Metal Contamination in Sediment and Water of Natural Wetlands with Tourist Influence in the Central Region of Peru

by María Custodio, Anthony Fow, Fernán Chanamé, Edith Orellana-Mendoza, Richard Peñaloza, Juan C. Alvarado, Deyvis Cano and Samuel Pizarro

Water 2021, 13(16), 2256; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13162256 - 18 Aug 2021

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 5289

Abstract

In this study, the quality of sediment and surface water in two natural wetlands, Paca and Tragadero, in the central region of Peru was evaluated using pollution indices, including the geoaccumulation index, pollutant load index, modified pollution degree, potential ecological risk index, and site rank index, for four heavy metals. Principal component analysis was used to identify potential metal contaminant sources. The determination of Fe, Zn, Pb, and As was performed by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The average concentrations of metals in the sediments of both lagoons decreased in the order Fe > Zn > Pb > As. The analysis of the contamination indices determined that As and Pb are the elements that contribute the most to environmental degradation in both wetlands. There is a strong correlation between the values of potential ecological risk and the modified degree of contamination, revealing that the Paca wetland has a moderate degree of contamination and potential ecological risk, while Tragadero presents a high degree of contamination and considerable potential ecological risk. The application of the site rank index showed that more than 50% of the sampling sites have between high and severe contamination. The principal component analysis presented 79.2% of the total variance. Finally, the results of this study are essential in order to carry out preventive actions for environmental protection in these lake ecosystems of great importance for many activities, such as bird watching. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution)

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13 pages, 1981 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Risk Analysis of Heavy Metal Accumulation from Sewage Sludge of Selected Wastewater Treatment Plants in Poland

by Robert Kowalik, Jolanta Latosińska and Jarosław Gawdzik

Water 2021, 13(15), 2070; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13152070 - 29 Jul 2021

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 4395

Abstract

Sewage sludge (SS) from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has important soil-forming and fertilizing properties. However, it may not always be used for this purpose. One of the main reasons why SS cannot be used for natural purposes is its heavy metal (HM) content. SS from the wastewater treatment plant in Poland was subjected to an analysis of the potential anthropogenic hazard of HMs, especially in terms of their mobility and accumulation in soil. Calculations were made for the concentrations of HMs in SS from the analyzed wastewater treatment plants and in arable soil from measurement points in places of its potential use. The geoaccumulation index (GAI), potential environmental risk index (PERI), risk assessment code (RAC) and environmental risk determinant (ERD) were calculated. Then the values of the indicators were compared with the mobility of HMs, which was the highest risk of soil contamination. It was shown that a high level of potential risk and geoaccumulation indicators did not necessarily disqualify the use of SS, provided that HMs were in immovable fractions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution)

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16 pages, 26365 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Ecological Risk Assessment and Contamination History of Heavy Metals in the Sediments of Chagan Lake, Northeast China

by Panfeng Liu, Chaojie Zheng, Meilan Wen, Xianrong Luo, Zhiqiang Wu, Yinghong Liu, Sheli Chai and Liangliang Huang

Water 2021, 13(7), 894; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13070894 - 25 Mar 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3302

Abstract

The study deals with the spatio-temporal distribution of heavy metals in the sediments of Chagan lake, Northeast China. The pollution history of heavy metals is studied simultaneously through the ²¹⁰Pb dating method by analyzing the characteristic of As, Hg, Cd, Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb, and Zn concentration-depth profiles. The potential ecological risk index (RI) and geo-accumulation index (I_geo) were used to evaluate the contamination degree. Principal component analysis (PCA), based on the logarithmic transformation and isometric log-ratio (ilr) transformed data, was applied with the aim of identifying the sources of heavy metals. The element concentrations show that the heavy metals are enriched in the surface sediment and sediment core with a varying degree, which is higher in the surficial residue. The results of I_geo indicate that the Cd and Hg in the surface sediment have reached a slightly contaminated level while other elements, uncontaminated. The results of RI show that the study area can be classified as an area with moderate ecological risk in which Cd and Hg mostly contribute to the overall risk. For the sediment core, the ²¹⁰Pb dating results accurately reflect the sedimentary history over 153 years. From two evaluation indices (RI and I_geo) calculated by element concentration, there is no contamination, and the potential ecological risk is low during this period. The comparative study between raw and ilr transformed data shows that the closure effect of the raw data can be eliminated by ilr transformation. After that, the components obtained by robust principal component analysis (RPCA) are more representative than those obtained by PCA, both based on ilr transformed dataset, after eliminating the influence of outliers. Based on ilr transformed data with RPCA, three primary sources could be inferred: Cr, Ni, As, Zn, and Cu are mainly derived from natural sources; the main source of Cd and Hg are associated with agricultural activities and energy development; as for Pb, it originated from traffic and coal-burning activities, which is consistent with the fact that the development of tourism, fishery, and agriculture industries has led to the continuous increasing levels of anthropogenic Pb in Chagan Lake. The summarized results and conclusions will undoubtedly enhance the governmental awareness of heavy metal pollution and facilitate appropriate pollution control measures in Chagan Lake. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution)

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Review

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25 pages, 4324 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Water, Soil, and Plants Interactions in a Threatened Environment

by Maria Gavrilescu

Water 2021, 13(19), 2746; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13192746 - 3 Oct 2021

Cited by 130 | Viewed by 32901

Abstract

The unprecedented pressure posed by a growing population on water resources generates a significant shortage between the available resources and water demand, which together with water scarcity, floods, and droughts, can affect the world population and various other consumers. On the other hand, soil resources, which represent an essential and complex environmental ecosystem, as a support for the biological cycle, source of nutrients, and water for cultivated and wild plants, forestry, etc., are a provider of raw materials, and are increasingly degrading due to unsustainable use. Since both soil and water are vital resources and support for growth and life of plants, their preservation and sustainable management have become an urgent issue for policy makers, governmental factors, academia, and stakeholders. An important question to be answered is what the disturbing factors of soil–plants–water cycles are and how their negative influence can be reduced, since they affect the quality of life and human health. This work proposes an overview on new research into the links between soil and water, and the interactions among soil, water, and plants in a changing and threatened environment, which can determine human welfare. The analysis addresses the global context of water and soil resources, factors that affect their equilibrium and dynamics, especially toxic pollutants such as heavy metals and others, and their mutual relationship with plant growth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution)

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