Affiliations: Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China | Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Beijing 100039, China | Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045,
China
Abstract: Surface water was taken from river mouth to the central area of
Meiliang Bay, Taihu Lake, a large shallow eutrophic lake in China. Suspended
solids were condensed by centrifugation 25 L surface water samples from each
selected site. Suspended solids and surface sediments were further freeze-dried
and microwave digested before determining the metals by ICP-AES. Among the
metals analyzed in suspended solids and sediments, contents of Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni,
and Zn in suspended solids were significantly higher than those in sediments
while contents of Al, Ba, Be, Ca, Co, Fe, K, Mg, Pb, and V in suspended solids
were 10%–30% higher than those in sediments. Sr and Ti contents in suspended
solids and sediments were very similar. Na content in suspended solids was
lower than that in sediments. Heavy metals were significantly accumulated in
suspended solids. From the river mouth to the center of Meiliang Bay, contents
of Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn in suspended solids showed a gradual decreasing trend
indicating the river (Zhihugang River) still discharged large quantity of heavy
metalsto Meiliang Bay. The study suggests that the geochemical behaviors and
ecological effects of heavy metals in suspended solids may serve as a good
indicator for the pollution of lake.
Keywords: shallow lakes, suspended solids, heavy metals, Taihu Lake
