Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, South India Centre of Wildlife Institute of India, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641108, India.
Environmental Sciences, Department of Chemistry and BBRC, ITER, Siksha 'O' Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751030, India.
Sci Rep. 2023 Sep 28;13(1):16314. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-43349-7.
Sediment contamination jeopardizes wetlands by harming aquatic organisms, disrupting food webs, and reducing biodiversity. Carcinogenic substances like heavy metals bioaccumulate in sediments and expose consumers to a greater risk of cancer. This study reports Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn levels in sediments from eight wetlands in India. The Pb (51.25 ± 4.46 µg/g) and Cr (266 ± 6.95 µg/g) concentrations were highest in Hirakud, Cu (34.27 ± 2.2 µg/g) in Bhadrak, and Zn (55.45 ± 2.93 µg/g) in Koraput. The mean Pb, Cr, and Cu values in sediments exceeded the toxicity reference value. The contamination factor for Cr was the highest of the four metals studied at Hirakud (CF = 7.60) and Talcher (CF = 6.97). Furthermore, high and moderate positive correlations were observed between Cu and Zn (r = 0.77) and Pb and Cr (r = 0.36), respectively, across all sites. Cancer patients were found to be more concentrated in areas with higher concentrations of Pb and Cr, which are more carcinogenic. The link between heavy metals in wetland sediments and human cancer could be used to make policies that limit people's exposure to heavy metals and protect their health.
沉积物污染通过伤害水生生物、破坏食物网和减少生物多样性来危害湿地。像重金属这样的致癌物质会在沉积物中生物累积，并使消费者面临更大的癌症风险。本研究报告了印度八个湿地沉积物中的 Pb、Cr、Cu 和 Zn 水平。Hirakud 的 Pb（51.25±4.46μg/g）和 Cr（266±6.95μg/g）浓度最高，Bhadrak 的 Cu（34.27±2.2μg/g）最高，而 Koraput 的 Zn（55.45±2.93μg/g）最高。沉积物中 Pb、Cr 和 Cu 的平均含量均超过毒性参考值。在 Hirakud（CF=7.60）和 Talcher（CF=6.97），Cr 的污染因子是四种研究金属中最高的。此外，在所有地点，Cu 和 Zn（r=0.77）以及 Pb 和 Cr（r=0.36）之间都观察到高度和中度的正相关关系。在 Pb 和 Cr 浓度较高的地区，癌症患者更为集中，这些地区的致癌性更强。可以利用湿地沉积物中重金属与人类癌症之间的联系来制定政策，限制人们接触重金属，保护他们的健康。
