Distribution of trace metals in the Odra River system: Water–suspended matter–sediments

Extensive investigations of trace metals concentrations in water, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and bottom sediments of the whole Odra River system were carried out over the years 1997–2000. The vertical distribution of selected metals and their mobility were also studied in the sediment cores from upper and middle river sections. Significant levels of metal contamination were found. Median concentrations (Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn and As) in the SPM and sediments were (mg kg⁻¹) 7.1 and 8.9 Cd, 128 and 146 Pb, 81 and 119 Cu, 1198 and 1204 Zn, 48 and 54 As, respectively. The highest metal pollution of the Odra River solids was found with cadmium, zinc, lead and arsenic, showing high similarity in their frequency distributions in both SPM and sediments. Cd, Zn and As appear to be of particular concern because of the high levels, that appear to be bioavailable, and their high mobility. The exchangeable and carbonate chemical forms of Cd and Zn reached up to 50% of their total amount. Besides the determination of total metal concentration, the metal chemical forms in river solids were investigated. The results of very wide studies of the Odra River system through 4 years suggest that metal pollution decreased, especially for Zn, Pb and Cu. Among all metals studied in the Odra River sediments, substantial reductions of Cd contamination were observed neither in the period after ’97 flood, nor if compared with the earlier results obtained before ’97. No essential differences of the metal contents were observed among the samples for the same river compartment, from the same locality, taken within the five sampling campaigns. The pattern of spatial and vertical metal distributions in the river solids indicates that a variety of sources might be responsible for the contamination; very intensive, historical and current mining and smelting activities probably are the most important ones.     

A preliminary study of heavy metal contamination in Yangtze River intertidal zone due to urbanization

Three short sediment cores (<20 cm) were collected in the high, middle and low tidal flats in the Yangtze River Estuary near the Southern (Nanqu) Sewage Outlet, one of the three largest sewage outlets in Shanghai, China. All samples were analyzed for Al, Cu, Pb, Zn, 210Pb and 7Be. The 210Pbxs profile shows a non-steady-state sedimentation pattern in the study area and 7Be is only found in the upper 1 cm layer of sediment in high and middle tidal flats. In this study, we found that Cu, Pb and Zn contaminants are present in the upper 20 cm of the tidal flat sediment and, after normalizing with Al, the contamination is more striking in the upper approximately 5 cm sediment. Relationships between the metal (Cu, Pb and Zn) enrichment factor and 210Pbxs activity suggest that contamination increases with time. Factor analyses shows that differences in sediment grain size have insignificant effects on Cu and Pb concentrations, but have some influence on Zn concentration in the study area. This preliminary study shows that urbanization and recent coastal wetland reclamation have had an environmental impact on this area.     

Comprehensive assessment of heavy metal contamination in sediment of the Pearl River Estuary and adjacent shelf

Total metal concentrations (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb), acid volatile sulfide and simultaneously extracted metals (AVS-SEM), and heavy metal fractionation were used to assess the heavy metals contamination status and ecological risk in the sediments of the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) and adjacent shelf. Elevated concentrations at estuarine sites and lower concentrations at adjacent shelf sites are observed, especially for Cu and Zn. Within the PRE, the concentration of heavy metals in the western shore was mostly higher than that in the middle shore. The metals from anthropogenic sources mainly occur in the labile fraction and may be taken up by organisms as the environmental parameters change. A combination of total metal concentrations, metal contamination index and sequential extraction analysis is necessary to get the comprehensive information on the baseline, anthropogenic discharge and bioavailability of heavy metals.     

Characterization and composition of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants in water and estuarine sediments from Gao-ping River, Taiwan

The objective of this study was to determine the concentrations and possible sources of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in water and estuarine sediments from Gao-ping River in order to evaluate the environmental quality of aquatic system in southern Taiwan. High concentrations of heavy metals including Cr, Zn, Ni, Cu and As, ranging from 10.7 to 180 mg/kg-dry weight (dw), were detected in sediments from Gao-ping River. When normalized to the principal component analysis (PCA), swinery and electroplating wastewaters were found to be the most important pollution sources for heavy metals. Of various organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues detected, aldrin and total-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) were frequently found in sediments. The total concentrations of OCPs were in the range 0.47-47.4 ng/g-dw. Also, the total-HCH, total-cyclodiene, and total-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) were in the range 0.37-36.3, 0.21-19.0, and 0.44-1.88 ng/g-dw, respectively. The polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations in sediments from Gao-ping River ranged between 0.37 and 5.89 ng/g-dw. The PCB concentrations are positively correlated to the organic contents of the sediment particles. alpha-HCH was found to be the dominant compound of HCH in the sediments, showing that long-range transport may be the possible source for the contamination of HCH in sediments from Gao-ping River. In summary, trace amounts of POPs in estuarine sediments from Gao-ping River were detected, showing that there still exist a wide variety of POP residues in the river sediments in Taiwan. These POP residues may be mainly from long-range transport and weathered agricultural soils, while heavy metal contamination is primarily from the swinery and industrial wastewaters.     

Dissolved and particulate trace metals in meltwater from the Rhône glacier

Glacial meltwater and sediment at the source of the River Rhône have been analyzed to determine: 1. the partitioning of Al, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr. Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn between the water and particulate phase. 2. the particle size ranges which affect the dissolved trace metal ion composition of the meltwater and 3. the availability (potential release) of the ten trace metal ions from the sediment. Greater than 80% of the total Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni and Zn were found to be in operationally-defined (0.4 μm) dissolved forms. Fe and Al in the meltwater are primarily associated with particles in the size range 0.4–8 μm, while Cd. Cu, Mn, Ni and Zn occur with particles smaller than 0.1 μm. For the sediment, Cu, Ni and Pb were significantly present as exchangeable forms; only Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were determined as organicallybound forms.     

The role of floodplains in attenuating contaminated sediment fluxes in formerly mined drainage basins

Many upland river catchments in the UK have been historically mined for metals such as lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn), and as part of the mining process large quantities of metal contaminated sediment were released into the river system. The levels of sediment associated heavy metal contamination in river systems are largely controlled by the volumes of contaminated sediment released into the river and fluvial processes (e.g. erosion and deposition). As a consequence, the contamination patterns are often highly variable, which can make it difficult to create accurate assessments of the volumes of contaminated sediment remaining within the system. This paper uses a combination of techniques to establish the volumes of metal contaminated sediment remaining within the River Swale, UK. Firstly, using detailed field sampling and a geographical information system (GIS), it estimates the volumes of sediment remaining within one formerly mined tributary (Gunnerside Beck) which is then extrapolated to represent the contaminant volumes on other tributaries of the River Swale. Secondly, combining fresh field data with a range of existing data, volumes of contaminated sediment on the main stream of the River Swale are established. This two tier approach shows that significant volumes of contaminated sediment remain within the River Swale, with over 32 000 tonnes of Pb within the mined tributaries and 123 000 tonnes within the main channel belt of the River Swale itself. This represents approximately 28% of the Pb produced in the Swale catchment. Given these volumes and present day rates of removal, it may take over 5000 years for all of the metal rich sediment to be removed from the catchment. If the contaminated sediment is used as a tracer, present day rates of reworking of floodplain sediment can be calculated to be 0·02% per year. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization and composition of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants in water and estuarine sediments from Gao-ping River,Taiwan

The objective of this study was to determine the concentrations and possible sources of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in water and estuarine sediments from Gao-ping River in order to evaluate the environmental quality of aquatic system in southern Taiwan. High concentrations of heavy metals including Cr, Zn, Ni, Cu and As, ranging from 10.7 to 180 mg/kg-dry weight (dw), were detected in sediments from Gao-ping River. When normalized to the principal component analysis (PCA), swinery and electroplating wastewaters were found to be the most important pollution sources for heavy metals. Of various organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues detected, aldrin and total-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) were frequently found in sediments. The total concentrations of OCPs were in the range 0.47–47.4 ng/g-dw. Also, the total-HCH, total-cyclodiene, and total-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) were in the range 0.37–36.3, 0.21–19.0, and 0.44–1.88 ng/g-dw, respectively. The polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations in sediments from Gao-ping River ranged between 0.37 and 5.89 ng/g-dw. The PCB concentrations are positively correlated to the organic contents of the sediment particles. α-HCH was found to be the dominant compound of HCH in the sediments, showing that long-range transport may be the possible source for the contamination of HCH in sediments from Gao-ping River. In summary, trace amounts of POPs in estuarine sediments from Gao-ping River were detected, showing that there still exist a wide variety of POP residues in the river sediments in Taiwan. These POP residues may be mainly from long-range transport and weathered agricultural soils, while heavy metal contamination is primarily from the swinery and industrial wastewaters.     

Heavy metal contamination in western Xiamen Bay sediments and its vicinity, China

Concentrations of selected heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, Ni and Fe) in surface sediments from nine sites in western Xiamen Bay and its vicinity were studied in order to understand current metal contamination due to urbanization and economic development in Xiamen, China. The sediment samples were collected in December 2004 and July 2005 respectively in order to examine temporal variations. In this study, we found that heavy metal concentrations in surface sediments sampled in the western Xiamen Bay and adjacent Maluan Bay and Yuandang Lagoon varied from 19 to 97mg kg(-1) for Cu, 45 to 60mg kg(-1) for Pb, 65 to 223mg kg(-1) for Zn, 0.11 to 1.01mg kg(-1) for Cd, 37 to 134mg kg(-1) for Cr, 25 to 65mg kg(-1) for Ni and 3.08 to 4.81% for Fe. Although all metal concentrations in sediments meets Chinese National Standard Criteria for Marine Sediment Quality, both metal enrichment factors (EF) and geoaccumulation index (I(geo)) show that Pb contamination exists in the entire study area and contamination of other metals are also present in some locations depending on the sources, of which sewage outlets and commercial ports are the main sources of contaminants to the area. This study shows that using the sediment quality standard criteria only to assess sediments cannot properly reflect sediment contamination. A multiple approaches should be applied for the sediment quality assessment.     

Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination of Wetland Soils from a Typical Aquatic–Terrestrial Ecotone in Haihe River Basin,North China

Surface soils were collected in the aquatic–terrestrial ecotone (ATE) of Yongnianwa wetland, downstream of Haihe River basin of North China in June of 2007. Samples were subjected to a total digestion technique before they were analyzed for total concentrations of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn to investigate their pollution levels in the ATE. The contamination index, integrated contamination index, geoaccumulation index, toxic units, and sum of toxic units were adopted to assess the heavy metal contamination levels and ecotoxicity, respectively. The results showed all the selected element concentrations in upland soils of the ecotone were relatively higher than those in the lowland soils. No Cr pollution was observed in all soil samples, but almost all samples were slightly polluted by Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn except for Site 1. The contamination indexes and geoaccumulation indexes consistently presented no contamination for Site 1 and slight contamination for other sites. The ΣTUs increased from lowland to upland, but the whole level of toxicity in this ecotone was relatively low.     

Heavy metal content in relation to particle size and organic content of surficial sediments in Miami River and transport potential

Transport of contaminants in Miami River (Florida, USA) sediments with river currents is a concern due to their potential impact in areas that are away from the potential sources. Accumulation profiles of five metals (As, Cd, Hg, Zn, Pb) in the surficial sediments of the Miami River were evaluated in relation to grain size (from less than 0.075 mm to 6.3 mm) and organic content. Surficial sediment samples were collected along the river basin as well as in bay waters. Fine sediments ( o 0.106 mm) contained more than 10 times the levels of Cd and Hg and more than 6 times the levels of arsenic in comparison to the sediments that are larger than 0.850 mm. Zn and Pb levels were more than 10 times in the fine sediments ( o 0.106 mm) in comparison to those that were larger than 4.750 mm. Cd, Hg, and Zn levels had sig-nificant correlation with the total organic carbon content of the sediments. This indicates that Cd, Hg, and Zn in fine sediments have the potential to be metabolized in addition to potential to be mobilized with river currents. Analysis of the Gibbs settling velocities of particles showed that particles smaller than 0.5 mm can be transported with the river currents. The levels of heavy metal in fine sediments ( o 0.425 mm) along the river bed showed that fine particles had tendency to be mobilized and accu-mulate at locations where the rivers currents are low and carried out to the bay.     

A retrospective analysis of trace metals, C, N and diatom remnants in sediments from the Mississippi River delta shelf

The development of oil and gas recovery offshore of the Mississippi River delta began in shallow water in the 1950s, expanded into deeper waters, and peaked in the 1990s. This area of the outer continental shelf (OCS) is the historical and present location of >90% of all US OCS oil and gas production and reserves. The juxtaposition of its 4000 producing platforms, recovering $10 billion yr(-1) of oil, gas and produced water in the same area where about 28% of the US fisheries catch (by weight) is made and near 40% of the US coastal wetlands, makes this an area worth monitoring for regional pollutant loading. This loading may come from several sources, including sources related to OCS development, but also from the Mississippi River watershed. In this context, any contaminant loading on this shelf may be neither detectable nor significant against a background of climatic or biological variability. We examined the sedimentary record for indicators of industrial byproducts from OCS oil and gas development and of industrial products entering via the Mississippi River, primarily using vanadium (V) and barium (Ba) concentrations normalized for aluminum (Al). Barium is primarily used in drilling muds in the form of barite, whereas V is an important strengthening component of metal alloys, including steel. The fluctuations in the accumulation of Ba, but not V, were coincidental with the presumed use of barite. The fluctuations in V concentration in the sediments were coincidental with the national consumption of V. Copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) concentrations in sediments fluctuate coincidentally with V, not Ba, thus indicating that the dominant source of these trace metals in offshore sediments were derived from riverine sources, and were not primarily from in situ industrial processes releasing them on the shelf. This is not to suggest that local site-specific contamination is not a significant management or health concern. The low oxygen (hypoxia; < or = 2 mg l(-1)) zone that consistently covers much of this continental shelf's bottom layer in summer is attributed to nitrate loading from the Mississippi River. Increased nitrogen loading from river to shelf stimulates diatom production whose loading to the bottom layer and subsequent metabolism results in oxygen being depleted faster than it is replaced. In the last two decades there has been an increased accumulation of organic matter in sediments near the mouth of the Mississippi River. This coupling between river water, surface water and bottom water has recently expanded westward of the Atchafalaya River delta towards the Texas coast. The accumulation of biogenic silica (BSi) and carbon in dated sediments is coincidental with variations in riverine nitrate flux, but not with either V or Ba accumulation rates. These analyses indicate that both OCS development and riverine sources exert strong influences on the sediment constituents offshore, and that these influences may be independent of one another.     

Setting sediment quality guidelines: A simple yet effective method

Deriving sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) for marine sediments is a difficult task. It will often be a trade off between reproducibility and relevance. One of the fundamental questions in ecotoxicology is to decide what one should measure to detect response in ecosystems exposed to human disturbance. In this paper we use field data to estimate threshold levels eliciting effects on soft bottom macrobenthos collected at different sediment types and depths on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and test these against natural levels occurring levels in reference conditions. SQGs are presented from multivariate analyses based on 121 gradients (represented with Ba, THC, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) incorporating more than 2000 species. Clear clusters with slightly disturbed communities related to contamination loadings were evident in 35% of the gradients. We found large variations in naturally occurring contamination concentrations and in the threshold levels electing effects on the fauna at different sediment types and depths. For example, an increase in depth of only 100 m can triple the Cu and Zn concentrations that elicit effects. Lowest background and threshold levels were found in shallow, sandy sediment. Our results suggest that current SQGs are too high. We hypothesised that setting a SQG of 4-times background concentrations will give sufficient protection for the fauna from metal contamination. The overall background concentration eliciting effects on metal was 3.6×.     

Assessment of Metal Pollution in Water and Surface Sediments of the Seyhan River,Turkey, Using Different Indexes

The aim of this study was to assess the level of heavy metals (Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) contamination and enrichment in the surface sediments of the Seyhan River, which is the receiving water body of both treated and untreated municipal and industrial effluents as well as agricultural drainage waters generated within Adana, Turkey. Sediment and water samples were taken from six previously determined stations covering the downstream of the Seyhan dam during both wet and dry seasons and the samples were then analyzed for the heavy metals of concern. When both dry and wet seasons were considered, metal concentrations varied significantly within a broad range with Al, 7210–33 967 mg kg^?1 dw; Cr, 46–122 mg kg^?1 dw; Cu, 6–57 mg kg^?1 dw; Fe, 10 294–26 556 mg kg^?1 dw; Mn, 144–638 mg kg^?1 dw; Ni, 82–215 mg kg^?1 dw; Pb, 11–75 mg kg^?1 dw; Zn, 34–146 mg kg^?1 dw in the sediments while Cd was at non‐detectable levels for all stations. For both seasons combined, the enrichment factor (EF) and the geo‐accumulation index (I_geo) for the sediments in terms of the specified metals ranged from 0.56 to 10.36 and ?2.92 to 1.56, respectively, throughout the lower Seyhan River. The sediment quality guidelines (SQG) of US‐EPA suggested the sediments of the Seyhan River demonstrated “unpolluted to moderate pollution” of Cu, Pb, and Zn, “moderate to very strong pollution” of Cr and Ni. The water quality data, on the other hand, indicated very low levels of these metals suggesting that the metal content in the surface sediments were most probably originating from fine sediments transported along the river route instead of water/wastewater discharges with high metal content.     

抚仙湖沉积物重金属时空变化与人为污染评价

分析了抚仙湖表层沉积物及沉积短岩芯中10种金属元素含量,结合沉积年代学,定量研究了Cr、Cu、Ni、Pb、Zn的污染特征及时空变化规律;参考沉积物质量基准与潜在生态风险指数法探讨了表层沉积物重金属的潜在生态风险.结果表明,表层沉积物中重金属含量具有一定的空间差异性,近岸地区重金属含量总体上高于湖心区;Pb、Zn含量自1980s中期以来逐渐增加,而Cr、Cu、Ni含量呈下降趋势.重金属富集系数与聚类分析结果表明,抚仙湖沉积物主要重金属污染元素为Pb、Zn,污染开始于1980s中期,并逐渐加重.表层沉积物中Pb、Zn富集系数分别为1.6~4.1和1.4~2.6,已达到弱—中等污染程度,北部湖区污染程度略高于南部湖区;除此之外,北部湖区近岸区域Cr污染程度也略高于其他湖区.除了大气沉降来源之外,抚仙湖沉积物重金属污染还可能与入湖河流输入有关.单因子生态风险指数表明,表层沉积物中Cr、Cu、Ni、Pb、Zn具有较低的潜在生态风险;而综合潜在生态风险指数表明,表层沉积物中重金属具有中等程度的潜在生态风险,这与根据沉积物质量基准所获得的评价结果一致.     

云南阳宗海沉积物重金属污染时空特征及潜在生态风险

分析了阳宗海柱状及表层沉积物中Al、Fe、Mn、Zn、Cr、Co、Ni、Cu、As、Cd、Pb等金属元素的含量,结合沉积年代学,研究了沉积物重金属污染的时空变化和潜在生态风险特征.结果表明,表层沉积物中重金属含量具有一定的空间差异性,As、Cd、Cu、Pb和Zn在中东部湖区含量较高,而Cr、Co、Ni含量高值位于南、北湖区的近岸区域;柱状沉积物中,1990s之前As、Cd、Cu、Pb和Zn含量较为稳定,1990s中后期以来,其含量逐渐增加,并在2009-2010年前后达到最大值,此后逐渐下降;而柱状沉积物中Cr、Co、Ni含量变化趋势与Al、Fe相似,总体上由下向上逐渐降低,这主要与沉积物质地(粒度)逐渐变粗有关.重金属富集系数表明,阳宗海沉积物中主要污染元素为As、Cd、Cu、Pb和Zn,1990s中后期污染程度快速增加,2009-2010年前后达到峰值,此后污染程度逐渐降低;表层沉积物中Cu为未污染至"弱"污染水平;Zn、Pb为"弱-中等"污染水平,As为"中等-强"污染水平,Cd为"弱-强"污染水平,中东部湖区污染程度高于其他湖区,这可能与该湖区缺少入湖径流、自然碎屑物质沉积速率较低以及砷污染事件等人为源的重金属贡献影响更为显著有关.生态风险评价结果表明,在2002-2010年前后沉积物重金属达到"中等-强"潜在生态危害,主要贡献因子是Cd和As,近年来其生态风险等级逐渐降低;表层沉积物中重金属在中东部湖区具有"中等"程度潜在生态危害,而其他湖区表层沉积物重金属具有较低程度的潜在生态风险.     

Distribution of dissolved and labile particulate trace metals in the overlying bottom water in the vistula river plume (southern Baltic Sea).

Overlying bottom water samples were collected in the Vistula River plume, southern Baltic Sea, (Poland) and analysed for dissolved and labile particulate (1 M HCl extractable) Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Fe and Ni, hydrological parameters being measured simultaneously. Particulate organic matter (POM), chlorophyll a and dissolved oxygen are key factors governing the chemical behaviour of the measured metal fractions. For the dissolved Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe and Ni two maxima, in the shallow and in the deeper part of the river plume, were found. In the shallow zone desorption from seaward fluxing metal-rich riverine particles account for markedly increased metal concentrations, as confirmed also by high particulate metal contents. For Pb, atmospheric inputs were also considered to have contributed to the elevated concentrations of dissolved Pb adjacent to the river mouth. In the deep zone desorption from detrital and/or resuspended particles by aerobic decomposition of organic material may be the main mechanism responsible for enrichment of particle-reactive metals (Cu, Pb, Zn) in the overyling bottom waters. The increased concentrations of dissolved Fe may have been due to reductive dissolution of Fe oxyhydroxides within the deep sediments by which dissolved Ni was released to the water. The distribution of Mn was related to dissolved oxygen concentrations, indicating that Mn is released to the water column under oxygen reduced conditions. However, Mn transfer to the dissolved phase from anoxic sediments in deeper part of the Vistula plume was hardly evidenced suggesting that benthic flux of Mn occurs under more severe reductive regime than is consistent with mobilization of Fe. Behaviour of Mn in a shallower part has been presumably affected by release from porewaters and by oxidization into less soluble species resulting in seasonal removal of this metal (e.g. in April) from the dissolved phase. The particulate fractions represented from about 6% (Ni) and 33% (Mn, Zn, Cu) to 80% (Fe) and 89% (Pb) of the total (labile particulate plus dissolved) concentrations. The affinity of the metals for particulate matter decreased in the following order: Pb > Fe > Zn > or = > Cu > Mn > Ni. Significant relationships between particulate Pb-Zn-Cu reflected the affinity of these metals for organic matter, and the significant relationship between Ni-Fe reflected the adsorption of Ni onto Fe-Mn oxyhydroxides. A comparison of metal concentrations with data from other similar areas revealed that the river plume is somewhat contaminated with Cu, Pb and Zn which is in agreement with previous findings on anthropogenic origin of these metals in the Polish zone of southern Baltic Sea.     

Contamination characteristics of heavy metals in wetland soils along a tidal ditch of the Yellow River Estuary, China

Surface soils (0–20 cm) were collected from along a tidal ditch of the Yellow River Estuary in August of 2007. Samples were subjected to a total digestion technique before they were analyzed for total concentrations of As, Cr, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, P and S in order to investigate heavy metal contamination levels in wetland soils nearby the tidal ditches and their main sources. Results showed that the mean concentrations of these heavy metals except for As and Cd were lower than the Class I criteria. Nearly all sampling sites showed lower contamination levels for As and Cd, while no contamination levels for other heavy metals. Cr, Cu, and Ni mainly originated from parent rocks, and Pb and As might originate from tidal seawater and oil field pollution, respectively; while Cd and Zn mainly originated from parent rocks and tidal seawater. Most of heavy metals showed significant correlations with total concentrations of P and S, however, no significant correlations were observed between them and soil pH, slat and soil organic matter.     

Heavy metal sedimentary record in a Galician Ria (NW Spain): background values and recent contamination

Two long sediment cores were sampled at the Ferrol Ria (Galicia, NW Spain) and the heavy metal (Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn) concentrations measured in order to (i) state accurate background values providing baseline relationships with respect to a reference element and (ii) to investigate the recent metal contamination trends. Background values were found to agree well with the world average values for granite/schists-genisses rocks. However, Cu, Co, Pb and Zn were found to be lower than those previously reported as background values for the Galician Rias. Results emphasize the importance of using baseline relationships with respect to a normalizing element in order to reduce the scattering of data and to allow an accurate statement of background values. The distribution of metals in the cores showed an evident enrichment in the surface layers belonging to the industrial era. Normalized enrichment factors (NEF) for copper and zinc are in the order of 3-5 (certain/severe contamination) in the surface sediments, decreasing with depth. Lead contamination has decreased in the recent years from NEF of 3-7 down to a NEF of 2 (i.e. moderate contamination), probably due to the introduction of unleaded gasolines. Chromium, cobalt and nickel NEFs were always in the <1-2 range indicating null/low contamination by these metals.     

Heavy Metal Contamination in Arable Soils and Vegetables around a Sulfuric Acid Factory,China

This study was designed to investigate heavy metal (Tl, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Ni) contamination levels of arable soils and vegetables grown in the vicinity of a sulfuric acid factory in the Western Guangdong Province, China. Health risks associated with these metals by consumption of vegetables were assessed based on the hazard quotient (HQ). The soils show a most significant contamination of Tl, followed by Pb, Cu, Zn, and Ni. The heavy metal contents (µg/g, dry weight basis) in the edible parts of vegetables range from 5.60 to 105 for Tl, below detection limit to 227 for Pb, 5.0–30.0 for Cu, 10.0–82.9 for Zn, and 0.50–26.0 for Ni, mostly exceeding the proposed maximum permissible level in Germany or China. For the studied vegetables, the subterranean part generally bears higher contents of Tl and Zn than the aerial part, while the former has lower contents of Cu and Ni than the latter. In addition, the results reveal that Tl is the major risk contributor for the local people since its HQ values are mostly much higher than 1.0. The potential health risk of Tl pollution in the food chain and the issue of food safety should be highly concerned and kept under continued surveillance and control.