Determination of sediment quality in the Nyl River system, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

The importance o � wetland management and conservation is becoming more and more prevalent in the world today. It is thus important to determine baseline contamination values �or wetlands to assist in making in �ormed management decisions. Sediment from the Nyl River flood plain in the dry Limpopo Province was analysed using sequential extraction and ICP-MS to determine baseline metal concentrations, and bioavailability thereof. Eight heavy metal (Cu, Cd, Cr, Al, As, Zn, Mn, Pb) concentrations were determined and compared to sediment quality guideline values to assess sediment quality. Fractionation o� the elements was also noted to assess the bioavailability o � the metals. The results indicated that the sediment is o � a �air quality in comparison to the sediment quality guideline values. They also indicate that the metals will only become available in the presence o� strong reducing agents as most o� the metal concentrations were recorded in the �th and 5th �ractions obtained from the Tessier sequential extraction of the sediment samples.

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