Evaluation of three different types of nitrogen, heavy metals, and endocrine disruptors in water and sediments of Wenyu River

摘要

Concentrations of NO3-(nitrate), NO2-(nitrite), NH4+ C(ammonia nitrogen), Mn, Fe, Ba, As, Se, Cd, Pb, Cr6+, estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), ethinylestradiol (EE2), estriol (E3), bisphenol A (BPA), nonylphenol (NP) and 4-tert-octylphenol (OP) had been estimated in water and sediments of Wenyu River. Using single factor, ecological risk assessment, geoaccumulation index, human health risk assessment and multivariate statistical analysis, we described the current situation of river contamination, human health risks of different age groups and possible sources of pollutants as well as their transformation characteristics. The results showed that main contaminants were NH4+ C, NO3-, NO2-, EE2 and E3, E1 in water, while sediments have been slightly polluted by heavy metals, whose order of polluting degree is Zn>Cr6+>Cd> Cu. Residents in the study area are exposed to the risk, and EE2 made the greatest contribution to it. E1, As, and NO3- also affect negatively on the health of the residents, and NO2- only do harm to juveniles. Human activities and industrial production are main sources of contaminants, also they can transform into each other between water and sediments. Heavy metal ions can be easily precipitated by Ferric oxide or hydroxide, E2 and EE2 are also transformed into E3 in natural environment.