Heavy metals of sediment cores in Dachan Bay and their responses to human activities

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 150; p. 110764
• Main Authors: Yang, Guohuan, Song, Zhiguang, Sun, Xingli, Chen, Chunliang, Ke, Sheng, Zhang, Jibiao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2020; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Anthropogenic factors; Bays; Cadmium; China; Chromium; Copper; Cores; Correlation analysis; Dachan Bay; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental risk; Geologic Sediments; Grain size; Heavy metal; Heavy metal content; Heavy metals; Human Activities; Human influences; Humans; Industrial pollution; Lead; Mercury; Mercury (metal); Metal concentrations; Metals, Heavy; Nickel; Pollutants; Principal components analysis; Profile variation; Risk Assessment; Risk evaluation; Sediment; Sediment cores; Sediment samplers; Sediment samples; Sediments; Sewage; Source analysis; Vertical distribution; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Zinc; China; Dachan Bay; Risk evaluation; Source analysis; Profile variation; Sediment cores; Heavy metal
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110764

The grain-size distributions and heavy metal content in two sediment cores from Dachan Bay were analyzed, and the vertical distribution, provenance, and ecological risk of heavy metal were evaluated. The concentrations (μg g−1) of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, Hg, As, and Ni in the sediment samples were 14.8–408, 33.0–130, 78.6–256, 0.193–1.79, 47.5–192, 0.052–1.39, 8.94–25.2, and 26.0–89.6, respectively. Most heavy metal concentrations increased from the bottom to the upper layers. On the basis of two sediment cores, the potential ecological risk of heavy metals was determined to be low, and the degree of potential ecological harm of heavy metals was in the order of Hg > Cd > As>Cu > Pb > Cr > Zn. Principal component analysis and correlation analysis yielded similar results, which indicated that heavy metals were closely related to the input of anthropogenic pollution (i.e., industrial pollutants and sewage discharge). •The contents of most heavy metals showed a decreased trend from the top to the bottom.•The potential ecological harm of heavy metals was in the order of Hg > Cd > As>Cu > Pb > Cr > Zn.•Heavy metals were largely anthropogenic sourced pollutants.