ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION IN WATER AND SURFACE SEDIMENTS OF THE MAHARLU SALINE LAKE, SW IRAN

Abstract

Maharlu saline Lake is located in the SW of Iran. To assess the environmental pollution of thelake, the total concentrations of As, Cr, Co, Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, Ni, Fe, and Mn were determined in the surfacesediments and water of the lake. As and Cr were not detected in the water samples, however, the meanconcentrations of other dissolved metals in Maharlu Lake water were 0.28 mg/l for Cu, 0.28 μg/l for Cd, 5.17μg/l for Pb, 0.37 mg/l for Zn, 2.36 μg/l for Ni, 2.88 μg/l for Co, 10.4 mg/l for Fe, and 1.5 mg/l for Mn.Different water and sediment quality assessment approaches indicated that in this lake, metals can be dividedinto three different groups: (a) Co, Pb, and Cd. These metals have the highest enrichment factors (the meanvalues are 35.8, 76.9, and >36.6, respectively), geoaccumulation indexes (the mean values are >3), andcontamination factors (11.1, 29, and 8, respectively) compared with other studied elements; thus, the MaharluLake is highly polluted with these metals, and they are mainly from anthropogenic sources; (b) Cu, Zn, andNi. Their mean enrichment factor values are 6.6, 3.4, and 6, respectively; their mean geoacumulation indexesare