Heavy metal contamination in surface sediments of major tanks in Anuradhapura district; A CKDu endemic district in Sri Lanka

Surface sediments of major tanks in Anuradhapura district, Sri Lanka—a region endemic for Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown etiology (CKDu)—show significant heavy metal contamination, posing risks to aquatic life and humans via food chain exposure. Analysis of 16 tanks revealed that average levels of arsenic (As), lead (Pb), and chromium (Cr) exceeded severe effect levels (SEL), while cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) surpassed lowest effect levels (LEL). Geo Accumulation Indexes (Igeo) indicated moderate pollution across most tanks, suggesting environmental toxicity from agricultural run-offs. The study used Inductive Couple Plasma Mass Spectrometry for metal analysis and Atomic Absorption Spectrometry for calcium and magnesium, highlighting the potential ecological and public health impacts of sediment-bound contaminants in CKDu-affected regions.

Perera, R. T., Dayananda, N., Botheju, S., Liyanage, J., Ranasinghe, A., Karunarathna, R. H., & Kumara, G. W. G. P. (2020). Heavy metal contamination in surface sediments of major tanks in Anuradhapura district; A CKDu endemic district in Sri Lanka. EQA - International Journal of Environmental Quality, Vol 41 (2021). https://doi.org/10.6092/ISSN.2281-4485/11001