Open AccessConcentrations of heavy metals in water from the Southern coast of Vietnam
Author(s) -
Tu P. C. Nguyen
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
the journal of agriculture and development/the journal of agriculture and develoment/nông nghiệp và phát triển
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2615-949X
pISSN - 2615-9503
DOI - 10.52997/jad.6.06.2018
Subject(s) - environmental chemistry , heavy metals , water quality , environmental science , aquatic ecosystem , chemistry , zoology , biology , ecology
Concentrations of heavy metals (As, Cd, Pb and Hg) in water collected from seven coastal provinces between December 2012 and December 2015 were evaluated. The average total concentrations (μg/L) of As, Cd, Pb and Hg in water ranged from 2.90 to 6.38, < 0.039 to 0.322, 4.26 to 10.5 and < 0.01 to 0.118, respectively. The average concentrations (μg/L) of As, Pb and Hg in suspended particulate matters (SPM) ranged from 0.392 to 7.32, 0.365 to 18.7 and < 0.01 to 0.038, respectively, whereas Cd concentrations were not detected in most of SPM samples. There were positive linear relationships between concentrations of heavy metals in water and SPM, except for Cd. The results showed that the concentrations of metals analyzed in water remained below quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life recommended by the international and Vietnamese organizations. However, As levels in 2/103 and 5/103 of water samples exceeded the QCVN 10:2015/BTNMT for maximum permitted level using for aquaculture and aquatic life protection (20 μg/L) and the Canadian water quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life (12.5 μg/L), respectively.