三峡库区沉积物中镍污染特征评价

截至2017年10月,三峡库区已连续第8年实现175 m蓄水目标.为了研究三峡库区在175 m运行条件下,基于不同水文情势Ni的时空变化,探求水库调度运行对库区内Ni含量的影响,并建立库区水环境中Ni元素污染评价体系.于2015年12月至2017年6月连续4个水期采集水体表层沉积物共173个,利用电感耦合等离子体质谱仪(ICP-MS)测定了沉积物中的Ni含量,发现三峡库区4个水期沉积物中Ni的平均含量均高于长江流域沉积物背景值和土壤背景值;从空间变化看,干流Ni含量从上游至下游呈增加趋势,支流Ni含量高于干流,且下游支流的Ni含量明显高于上、中游;从时间变化看,在175 m运行条件下,Ni含量较为稳定,且有降低的趋势,此外沉积物中Ni含量并未因枯、丰水期的影响而产生明显变化;同时建立了三峡库区Ni的地球化学基线模型,连续4个水期沉积物中Ni的基线值分别为47. 0、44. 2、42. 9和41. 9 mg·kg~(-1),位于中、下游的干、支流Ni含量明显受到人类活动的影响;分别以Ni的全球背景值,长江沉积物背景值和地球化学基线值为参考值进行污染评价对比,采用地积累指数法研究发现,三峡库区水环境除干流沿岸的丰都县和秭归县归州镇附近存在Ni的无至中度污染,其余均不存在污染;采用潜在生态风险评价方法发现Ni含量存在轻微潜在生态危害.采用地球化学基线值为参考比采用全球背景值和长江沉积物背景值得到的评价结果更科学,更能适应不同地域的时空变化.

Pollution Characteristic of Ni in Sediments in the Three Gorges Reservoir

The Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) has achieved the target of water storage of 175 m for eight consecutive years until October 2017. To study the temporal and spatial variation of nickel (Ni) in different water periods under 175 m operating conditions in the TGR area, probe the impact of a large-scale water conservancy project on the Ni enrichment, and establish the pollution evaluation system of Ni in the TGR area, we collected 173 surface sediment samples from the TGR area during four consecutive water periods from December 2015 to June 2017 and measured the Ni concentration by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The mean values of Ni in the four water periods are higher than the background value of Yangtze sediment and soil. At the spatial scale, the Ni content in the mainstream exhibits a clear upward trend from upstream to downstream and is lower than that of the tributary. The tributaries of the lower reaches shows a notably higher Ni content than the tributaries of the upper and middle reaches. At the temporal scale, the water period exerts an insignificant effect on the Ni content. The Ni content is relatively stable and shows a downward tendency at a 175 m water level. The regional geochemical baseline (RGB) value of Ni was obtained through building a geochemical baseline model in the area. The RGB values of Ni in sediments during four consecutive water periods are 47.0, 44.2, 42.9, and 41.9 mg·kg^-1, respectively. The Ni contents in the middle and lower reaches of the mainstream and tributary are significantly affected by human activities. Moreover, the pollution evaluations based on global Ni background values, local background values, and geochemical baseline values as reference values were compared and the geoaccumulation index and potential ecological risk of Ni were determined to comprehensively assess its pollution risk. The assessment data indicate that Ni in the aquatic environment of the TGR area is almost uncontaminated and poses a low ecological risk, except for samples in regions around Fengdu County and Guizhou Town in the Zigui County along the mainstream, which were uncontaminated to moderately contaminated. Relative to global and regional background values, the pollution assessment results obtained using the RGB as a reference value are more scientific and better match the temporal and spatial variation of the study area.