Tracking anthropogenic influences on the continental shelf of China with sedimentary linear alkylbenzenes (LABs)

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 80; no. 1-2; pp. 80 - 87
• Main Authors: Wei, Gao-Ling, Liu, Liang-Ying, Bao, Lian-Jun, Zeng, Eddy Y.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 15.03.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; anthropogenic activities; Applied ecology; Applied sciences; Atmospheric transport; Benzene - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; China; coasts; continental shelf; Continental shelf of China; East China Sea; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Exploitation and management of natural biological resources (hunting, fishing and exploited populations survey, etc.); fishing boats; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; Marine and brackish environment; marine environment; Marine fishing activity; municipal wastewater; Oceans and Seas; Pollution; Riverine input; Sea water ecosystems; Sediment linear alkylbenzenes; sediments; sewage; Sewage - analysis; Sewage - statistics & numerical data; Sewage pollution; South China Sea; Synecology; Waste Water - analysis; Waste Water - statistics & numerical data; Wastewaters; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; water pollution; Water Pollution, Chemical - statistics & numerical data; Water treatment and pollution; Yellow Sea; Asia; China; INW, Huanghai Sea; ISEW, South China Sea; INW, Donghai Sea; South China Sea; East China Sea; Yellow Sea; Sediment linear alkylbenzenes; Riverine input; Continental shelf of China; Atmospheric transport; Marine fishing activity; Sewage pollution; Tracking; Continental shelf; Fishing; Sediments; Waste water; Marine environment; Pollution; Transport; Anthropogenic factor
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.01.043
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363

•The entire continental shelf off China was subject to light sewage pollution.•Sedimentary LAB levels in the study region were at the low end of the global range.•Different input mechanisms contribute to LABs in different shelf sediments.•LABs are useful markers in tracking anthropogenic impacts on a large spatial scale. Surface sediments collected along the entire continental shelf of China, including Yellow Sea, the East China Sea (ECS) inner shelf and the South China Sea (SCS), were analyzed for linear alkylbenzenes (LABs), from which regional anthropogenic influences on the marine environment were assessed. The occurrence of LABs (5.6–77ng/g; mean: 25ng/g; median: 20ng/g) implied light sewage contamination in coast sediment off China. Specifically, the SCS had higher sedimentary LAB levels than Yellow Sea and the ECS inner shelf, which was mainly related to the intensity of domestic wastewater discharge and marine fishing activities. Values of L/S and C13/C12 (defined in the main text) suggested certain degradation while I/E indicated limited degradation of LABs. Also, additional input sources and congener inter-conversions may have contributed to the inconsistent results for degradation of LABs in offshore sediments. Atmospheric inputs and wastewater discharge from marine fishing vessels predominantly contributed to sedimentary LABs in Yellow Sea and the SCS, while riverine input was mainly responsible for LABs along the ECS inner shelf.