Distribution and transport of heavy metals in estuarine–inner shelf regions of the East China Sea

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 644; pp. 298 - 305
• Main Authors: Wang, Chenglong, Zou, Xinqing, Feng, Ziyue, Hao, Zhe, Gao, Jianhua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 10.12.2018
• Subjects: Dispersal paths; Distribution patterns; East China Sea; Heavy metals; Surface sediments; Surface sediments; Dispersal paths; East China Sea; Heavy metals; Distribution patterns
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.383

This study analyzes the distribution and transportation of heavy metals in surface sediments by determining the concentrations of 6 heavy metals (Cr, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cu, and Cd) based on 164 surface sediments collected from the East China Sea (ECS). The results indicated that concentrations of heavy metals were higher in the south than the north with a clear boundary near 30° N. The distributions of the six heavy metals could be divided into four groups that corresponded well with different sediment components, suggesting that hydrodynamic sorting processes play an important role in the selective transportation of sedimentary heavy metals. In addition, the spatial distributions of heavy metals were more consistent with fine-grained sediments having a grain size lower than 32 μm. Heavy metal concentrations were slightly higher than found in previous studies conducted from 2002 to 2010. In addition, their spatial patterns have changed drastically compared to data from 2006, suggesting that intensive inland human activities have had a profound impact on heavy metal transportation and distribution in the estuarine & inner-shelf regions of the ECS. [Display omitted] •Distribution patterns of heavy metals in the East China Sea are depicted.•Hydrodynamics and sediment properties are the main factors affecting heavy metal distribution.•Spatial patterns have drastically changed in the context of intensive human activities.