The paper titled “Spatiotemporal ecological risk evaluation and source identification of heavy metals and nutrients in the water and lake surface sediment in a protected catchment area of a volcanic lake” by Dr. Lintang Nur Fadlillah, S.Si., M.Sc, et al, from the Department of Environmental Geography, presents an investigation into the quality of sediment and source identification of heavy metals and nutrients in lakes. The study was conducted to identify potential sources of metal deposits (Cu, Pb, Cr, Fe, Al, and Cd) and nutrients (TN and TP) in lake surface sediments, using the enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulation index (Igeo), potential ecological risk index (Er), and risk index (RI).
The research was conducted at Lake Menjer, which was selected due to the diversity of land uses in the lake, such as tourism, hydropower, floating net cages, and extensive agriculture in the water catchment area. Eight sampling locations for surface sediment and water were analyzed in the wet and dry seasons.
The study employed multivariate statistical analysis, including principal component analysis (PCA) and Pearson correlation analysis, to determine pollution sources associated with land use. The results of the correlation and PCA analysis show that Pb, Fe, and Al mainly come from tourism activities, while Al, Fe, TN, and TP are related to agricultural activities. The highest average loading from land use was observed in agriculture (>0.8), floating net cages (>0.76), and tourism (>0.68). Furthermore, the highest loads of nutrients and all metals were TP (>0.71) and all metals (>0.35).
The results indicate that ecological risk assessment of Lake Menjer showed low to moderate polluted EF and Igeo in the dry season. However, the Er and RI values of Lake Menjer and the RI for heavy metals are generally classified as not polluted.
In conclusion, the research provides valuable insight into the spatiotemporal sediment quality and source identification of heavy metals and nutrients in lakes. The findings of this study could assist in the development of strategies to mitigate the risk of heavy metal and nutrient pollution in lakes.
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