Dynamics of dissolved heavy metals in reservoir bays under different hydrological regulation

Reservoirs play a crucial role in the drinking water supply for solving the uneven distribution of water resources. Reservoir bays, which serve as direct source areas and initial collection areas of pollutants, are crucial areas for drinking water safety. Systematic observations of heavy metal pollution in reservoir bays are required and urgent under different hydrological regulation. Water samples were collected from 65 bays in the Danjiangkou Reservoir which is the water source of the world’s longest trans-basin water diversion project during the storage and flood discharge period from 2015 to 2019. We investigated the temporal and spatial variation in eight dissolved heavy metals, chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb), and assessed their human health risks. The driving factors of high-risk metals were identified by constructing a structural equation model (SEM). The results showed that the concentrations of heavy metals decreased after 5 years of reservoir operation and varied significantly (p