Temporal trends and bioavailability assessment of heavy metals in the sediments of Deception Bay, Queensland, Australia

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 89; no. 1-2; pp. 464 - 472
• Main Authors: Brady, James P., Ayoko, Godwin A., Martens, Wayde N., Goonetilleke, Ashantha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 15.12.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Aquatic Organisms - metabolism; Bays; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Availability; Deception Bay; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring; Fraction analysis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; Heavy metal distribution; Heavy metal enrichment; Heavy metal pollution; Marine; Marine and brackish environment; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Metals, Heavy - pharmacokinetics; Principal Component Analysis; Queensland; Sea water ecosystems; Seasons; Source apportionment; Synecology; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - pharmacokinetics; Australia; Oceania; Queensland; ISEW, Australia, Queensland, Deception Bay; ISEW, Australia, Queensland; Fraction analysis; Heavy metal pollution; Source apportionment; Heavy metal distribution; Deception Bay; Heavy metal enrichment; Bioavailability; Sediments; Time variation; Heavy metal; Marine environment; Pollution; Bay
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.09.030

•Metal enrichment and fractionation in Deception Bay was assessed by acid digestion.•Hg and Te were identified as the elements with the highest enrichment.•Source identification and apportionment were facilitated by PCA–APCS analysis.•Three major sources of contamination were identified.•The implications for monitoring and metal pollution at the Bay were discussed. Thirteen sites in Deception Bay, Queensland, Australia were sampled three times over a period of 7months and assessed for contamination by a range of heavy metals, primarily As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Hg. Fraction analysis, enrichment factors and Principal Components Analysis–Absolute Principal Component Scores (PCA–APCS) analysis were conducted in order to identify the potential bioavailability of these elements of concern and their sources. Hg and Te were identified as the elements of highest enrichment in Deception Bay while marine sediments, shipping and antifouling agents were identified as the sources of the Weak Acid Extractable Metals (WE-M), with antifouling agents showing long residence time for mercury contamination. This has significant implications for the future of monitoring and regulation of heavy metal contamination within Deception Bay.