Catchment land use effect on mercury concentrations in lake sediments: A high-resolution study of Qinghai Lake.
Sci Total Environ
; 916: 170260, 2024 Mar 15.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38253105
ABSTRACT
Mercury (Hg) contamination in aquatic environments presents a significant ecological and human health concern. This study explored the relationship between catchment land use and Hg concentrations within Qinghai Lake sediment, the largest lake in China, situated on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. The study entailed detailed mapping of Hg sediment concentrations and a subsequent environmental risk assessment. Considering the complex nature of the plateau landform and surface vegetation, the study area was delineated at a 100 km radius centered on Qinghai Lake, which was divided into 30 sectors to quantify relationships between land use and the sediment Hg concentration. The results revealed a mean sediment Hg concentration of 29.91 µg/kg, which was elevated above the background level. Kendall's correlation analysis revealed significant but weak associations between sediment Hg concentrations and three land use types grassland (rangeland and trees) (rs = 0.27, p < 0.05), crops (rs = -0.37, p < 0.05), and bare ground (rs = -0.25, p < 0.1), suggesting that growing areas of grassland correlated with higher Hg levels in the lake sediment, in contrast to bare ground or crops area, which correlated with lower Hg concentrations. Multiple linear regression models also observed weak negative relationships between bare ground and crops with sediment Hg concentration. This research methodology enhances our understanding of the impact of land use on Hg accumulation in lake sediments and underscores the need for integrated watershed management strategies to mitigate Hg pollution in Qinghai Lake.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Tipo de estudio:
Risk_factors_studies
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Sci Total Environ
/
Sci. total environ
/
Science of the total environment
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
China