Metals in water and sediments of aquatic ecosystems pose significant ecological risks. However, existing methods to integrate and effectively communicate the overall toxicity risks of multiple metals are limited. This study introduces a toxicity factor (Tf) and toxicity index (TI) to comprehensively evaluate and communicate sediment metal pollution and associated risks to biota in a single figure. Furthermore, they are applied...

Freshwater resources as a key aspect of socio-economic development, provide a large number of services in human and environmental systems. Nevertheless, human appropriation of these water resources and the modification of landscapes lead to potential threats on water availability and quality from local to global scales. The Inle Lake in Myanmar is an economically, traditionally, and ecologically important freshwater ecosystem...