To assess the status and risk of metal pollution in landscape water body replenished by wastewater treatment plant effluent, the distribution of metals in sediments from three regions [regulation pond (RP), wetland lake (WL), and main lake (ML)] of Harbor Lake, Tianjin, China, was characterized. Higher levels of all metals (except Cr and Pb) were observed in RP sediments. As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were mainly bound to organic matter and sulfide (F3) and residual fractions (F4), while the exchangeable and carbonate fraction (F1) and Fe/Mn oxide fraction (F2) were the dominant forms for Cd. Additionally, finding showed that the overall risk of sediments in aquatic systems was affected by both metal toxicity and metal fractionation. Thus, according to a modified risk assessment code (RAC), the potential adverse effect of metals in sediments was medium (although As, Cd, Ni, and Zn had high mobility risks based on the RAC), decreasing in the order RP > WL > ML.
Keywords: Chemical speciation; Landscape water; Metals; Risk assessment; Sediment; WWTP effluent.