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Heavy metal risk assessment after oxidation of dredged sediments through speciation and availability studies in the Reno river basin, Northern Italy

  • Sediments, Sec 1 • Sediment Quality and Impact Assessment • Research Article
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Abstract

Purpose

The distribution of heavy metals was investigated in sediments of both natural and artificial watercourses of the Reno river basin (Northern Italy) with the aim of assessing their pollution risk before and after dredging operations. The different solubility and availability of metals in wet and dry sediments were investigated in order to identify the main critical variables controlling metal adsorption into sediments, their speciation and, therefore, their potential environmental hazard.

Materials and methods

Twenty-four sampling stations were selected in the Reno basin network, and sediment sampling was seasonally carried out in 2012–2013. Pseudo-total metal content was determined through acid digestion with aqua regia, and the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) of metals was estimated using regional mean background values. Leaching tests were carried out through partial dissolution techniques (deionized water and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) extraction) on wet and dry samples, while the speciation of metals was investigated by a five-step sequential extraction. All analyses were performed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES).

Results and discussion

Artificial watercourses presented higher contamination levels than natural ones, and a different pollution level was found when Igeo was applied. The sequential extraction showed that metals in river sediments are mostly immobilized in the residual phase (e.g. Cr), while in canals, weak bonds were found (e.g. Cd). The dredging of sediments, and their consequent oxidation, enhances the availability of metals according to their affinity with organic matter (e.g. Cu and Pb) or carbonates (e.g. Zn). The different remobilization rate obtained by changing the oxidation status of sediments highlighted the importance of metal availability studies for assessing and predicting their environmental hazard.

Conclusions

The effect of oxidation processes on the availability of heavy metals depends on the geogenic or anthropogenic nature of the element, on the redox status of the sediment and on the affinity of the metal with the different mineralogical phases of the sediment. In redox changing environments, the prediction of the environmental risk from metals before and after sediment land disposal gives more useful information than the knowledge of total metal concentration. The use of leaching techniques, combined with the calculation of background values, is strongly recommended for the assessment of metal hazard in sediments.

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Acknowledgment

This survey was co-financed by Consorzio di Bonifica Renana, the authority in charge of the hydrogeological protection of the territory of Reno river basin, Bologna (IT).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alma Mater Studiorum-Università di Bologna, Via Fanin, 40, 40127, Bologna, Italy

    Chiara Ferronato, Gilmo Vianello & Livia Vittori Antisari

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  1. Chiara Ferronato
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  2. Gilmo Vianello
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  3. Livia Vittori Antisari
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Correspondence to Chiara Ferronato.

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Responsible editor: Jos Brils

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Ferronato, C., Vianello, G. & Vittori Antisari, L. Heavy metal risk assessment after oxidation of dredged sediments through speciation and availability studies in the Reno river basin, Northern Italy. J Soils Sediments 15, 1235–1245 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-015-1096-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-015-1096-4

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