Source specific sedimentary response towards the differential anthropogenic impacts in terms of potentially toxic elements in an urban river

Md Samium Basir; Rahat Khan; Sayma Zahan Akhi; A K M Atique Ullah; Mohammad Amirul Islam; Kamrun Naher; Abubakr M Idris; Md Harunor Rashid Khan; Saad Aldawood; Narottam Saha

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116425

Source specific sedimentary response towards the differential anthropogenic impacts in terms of potentially toxic elements in an urban river

Mar Pollut Bull. 2024 May 4:203:116425. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116425. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), Savar, Dhaka 1349, Bangladesh; Department of Environmental Science, Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), Mirpur-12, Cantonment, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh.
² Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), Savar, Dhaka 1349, Bangladesh. Electronic address: rahatkhan.baec@gmail.com.
³ Chemistry Division, Atomic Energy Centre, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Ramna, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh.
⁴ Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC), Savar, Dhaka 1349, Bangladesh.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Physics Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh.
⁷ Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Science, P.O. BOX 2455, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ Center for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.

PMID: 38705004
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116425

Abstract

To investigate the interplay between varying anthropogenic activities and sediment dynamics in an urban river (Turag, Bangladesh), this study involved 37-sediment samples from 11 different sections of the river. Neutron activation analysis and atomic absorption spectrometry were utilized to quantify the concentrations of 14 metal(oid)s (Al, Ti, Co, Fe, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn). This study revealed significant toxic metal trends, with Principal coordinate analysis explaining 62.91 % of the variance from upstream to downstream. The largest RSDs for Zn(287 %), Mn(120 %), and Cd(323 %) implies an irregular regional distribution throughout the river. The UNMIX-model and PMF-model were utilized to identify potential sources of metal(oid)s in sediments. ∼63.65-66.7 % of metal(oid)s in sediments originated from anthropogenic sources, while remaining attributed to natural sources in both models. Strikingly, all measured metal(oid)s' concentrations surpassed the threshold effect level, with Zn and Ni exceeding probable effect levels when compared to SQGs.

Keywords: Eco-environmental risk; PMF model; Potentially toxic elements; River sediment; Sediment response; UNMIX model.