External drivers of heavy metal bioavailability and probabilistic ecological risk in water-level-fluctuating wetlands

Water-level-fluctuating wetlands are areas rich in biodiversity and are major repositories for heavy metal enrichment. In this study, we investigated soil/sediment heavy metals (Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) and their bioavailability in three landscape belts (mudflat belt, Carex cinerascens belt, and...

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Main Authors: Huan Zeng, Mingjun Ding, Hua Zhang, Yuping Wu, Xiang Xu, Honmei Chen, Liyao Chen, Yinhui Jiang, Peng Wang, Gaoxiang Huang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-08-01
Series:Ecological Indicators
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25007071
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author Huan Zeng
Mingjun Ding
Hua Zhang
Yuping Wu
Xiang Xu
Honmei Chen
Liyao Chen
Yinhui Jiang
Peng Wang
Gaoxiang Huang
author_facet Huan Zeng
Mingjun Ding
Hua Zhang
Yuping Wu
Xiang Xu
Honmei Chen
Liyao Chen
Yinhui Jiang
Peng Wang
Gaoxiang Huang
author_sort Huan Zeng
collection DOAJ
description Water-level-fluctuating wetlands are areas rich in biodiversity and are major repositories for heavy metal enrichment. In this study, we investigated soil/sediment heavy metals (Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) and their bioavailability in three landscape belts (mudflat belt, Carex cinerascens belt, and Triarrhenalu⁃tarioriparia belt), and evaluated the probabilistic ecological risk of heavy metals. The results showed that the total heavy metal content in the soil significantly increased from land to lake. Conversely, the bioavailability of heavy metals decreased significantly. Vegetation promoted heavy metal bioavailability and Cd had the highest relative bioavailability (5.65E-4) in water-level-fluctuating wetlands. The total Fe content was identified as the primary mutual factor influencing heavy metal enrichment, whereas the total contents of Cu and Cd significantly affected the bioavailability of six heavy metals. The random forest results indicated that total Cu and Cd contents were also the primary contributors to their own bioavailability. However, the relationship between the total content of Cd and Cu and their bioavailability was not linear and changed significantly before and after the threshold (46.98 mg·kg−1 for Cu, 0.903 mg·kg−1 for Cd). The responses of Cd bioavailability to the total Cd content before and after the threshold exhibited opposite results, and there was great potential for enhancing Cd bioavailability in water-level-fluctuating wetlands. Cu bioavailability before and after the threshold value increased significantly as the total Cu content increased, and only the rate after the threshold value reduced. The probabilistic ecological risk of individual heavy metals was ordered as follows: Cu (9.63 %) > Zn (9.42 %) > Cd (4.43 %) > Co (0.578 %) > Pb (0.307 %) > Ni (0.210 %). The combined probabilistic ecological risk (1.72E-15) was low. The result is crucial for understanding the fate mechanism of heavy metal and provide scientific insights for controlling heavy metal pollution in typical wetland.
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spelling doaj-art-ef7139c47a7a440c908a07930c4fbdcf2025-08-20T03:29:35ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2025-08-0117711377710.1016/j.ecolind.2025.113777External drivers of heavy metal bioavailability and probabilistic ecological risk in water-level-fluctuating wetlandsHuan Zeng0Mingjun Ding1Hua Zhang2Yuping Wu3Xiang Xu4Honmei Chen5Liyao Chen6Yinhui Jiang7Peng Wang8Gaoxiang Huang9Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education/School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China; School of Tourism and Economic Management, Nanchang Normal University, Nanchang 330032, ChinaKey Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education/School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, ChinaKey Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education/School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China; Corresponding author at: Key Lab of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Jiangxi Normal University, No. 99 A, Ziyang Road, Nanchang 330022, China.Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education/School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, ChinaKey Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education/School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, ChinaKey Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education/School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, ChinaKey Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education/School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, ChinaKey Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education/School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, ChinaKey Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education/School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, ChinaKey Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education/School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, ChinaWater-level-fluctuating wetlands are areas rich in biodiversity and are major repositories for heavy metal enrichment. In this study, we investigated soil/sediment heavy metals (Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) and their bioavailability in three landscape belts (mudflat belt, Carex cinerascens belt, and Triarrhenalu⁃tarioriparia belt), and evaluated the probabilistic ecological risk of heavy metals. The results showed that the total heavy metal content in the soil significantly increased from land to lake. Conversely, the bioavailability of heavy metals decreased significantly. Vegetation promoted heavy metal bioavailability and Cd had the highest relative bioavailability (5.65E-4) in water-level-fluctuating wetlands. The total Fe content was identified as the primary mutual factor influencing heavy metal enrichment, whereas the total contents of Cu and Cd significantly affected the bioavailability of six heavy metals. The random forest results indicated that total Cu and Cd contents were also the primary contributors to their own bioavailability. However, the relationship between the total content of Cd and Cu and their bioavailability was not linear and changed significantly before and after the threshold (46.98 mg·kg−1 for Cu, 0.903 mg·kg−1 for Cd). The responses of Cd bioavailability to the total Cd content before and after the threshold exhibited opposite results, and there was great potential for enhancing Cd bioavailability in water-level-fluctuating wetlands. Cu bioavailability before and after the threshold value increased significantly as the total Cu content increased, and only the rate after the threshold value reduced. The probabilistic ecological risk of individual heavy metals was ordered as follows: Cu (9.63 %) > Zn (9.42 %) > Cd (4.43 %) > Co (0.578 %) > Pb (0.307 %) > Ni (0.210 %). The combined probabilistic ecological risk (1.72E-15) was low. The result is crucial for understanding the fate mechanism of heavy metal and provide scientific insights for controlling heavy metal pollution in typical wetland.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25007071Water-level-fluctuating wetlandDGTHeavy metalBioavailabilityThresholdCombined probabilistic ecological risk
spellingShingle Huan Zeng
Mingjun Ding
Hua Zhang
Yuping Wu
Xiang Xu
Honmei Chen
Liyao Chen
Yinhui Jiang
Peng Wang
Gaoxiang Huang
External drivers of heavy metal bioavailability and probabilistic ecological risk in water-level-fluctuating wetlands
Ecological Indicators
Water-level-fluctuating wetland
DGT
Heavy metal
Bioavailability
Threshold
Combined probabilistic ecological risk
title External drivers of heavy metal bioavailability and probabilistic ecological risk in water-level-fluctuating wetlands
title_full External drivers of heavy metal bioavailability and probabilistic ecological risk in water-level-fluctuating wetlands
title_fullStr External drivers of heavy metal bioavailability and probabilistic ecological risk in water-level-fluctuating wetlands
title_full_unstemmed External drivers of heavy metal bioavailability and probabilistic ecological risk in water-level-fluctuating wetlands
title_short External drivers of heavy metal bioavailability and probabilistic ecological risk in water-level-fluctuating wetlands
title_sort external drivers of heavy metal bioavailability and probabilistic ecological risk in water level fluctuating wetlands
topic Water-level-fluctuating wetland
DGT
Heavy metal
Bioavailability
Threshold
Combined probabilistic ecological risk
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25007071
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