Evaluation of the potential risks of heavy metal contamination in rice paddy soils around an abandoned Hg mine area in Southwest China

To assess the potential ecological and health risks of trace elements(Hg,Cd,As,Mn,Sb,Pb,Cu,Ni,Cr,and Zn),a total of 138 soil samples from rice paddies were collected during the rice harvest season in the Wanshan mining area,Guizhou Province,Southwest China.Factors of the pollution load index(PLI),geo-accumulation index(I-Geo),enrichment factor(EF),and risk index(RI)were determined.High concentrations of Hg,Sb,As,Zn,Cd,Cu,and Mn were observed in the soils.The PLI,I-Geo,and EF results all showed high levels of contamination by Hg and Sb and moderate levels of contamination by As,Pb,Zn,Cu,Cd,and Mn.There was no significant contamination from Ni and Cr.The RI was very high,with Hg as the dominant pollutant,as expected,indicating that the historical large-scale Hg mining,as well as artisanal mining,has had a significant impact on the Wanshan area.Moreover,coal combustion,manganese factories,and the use of agrochemicals by the local population could also have an impact on the soil through the introduction of heavy metal loads.To address the current state of contamination,pollutant remediation and the regulation control of the anthropogenic activities in Wanshan are urgently needed.     

A recent history of metal accumulation in the sediments of Rijeka harbor, Adriatic Sea, Croatia

We studied metal pollution in the sediments of Rijeka harbor, including anthropogenic influence during recent decades and at the present time. Sediment profiles were collected at ten sampling points. The concentrations of 63 elements in bulk sediment were obtained using ICP-MS, and the concentrations of selected elements were evaluated by statistical factor analyses. We also calculated metal-enrichment factors and geoaccumulation indices and constructed spatial-distribution maps.Mercury (Hg) was the heaviest pollutant, with concentrations exceeding 4 mg/kg. Silver (Ag) was the second most important pollutant, with constantly increasing values. The average concentrations of the most toxic elements were comparable to those found in sediments of other ports throughout the world, and their toxicity ranged from threshold values [chromium (Cr), arsenic (As)] and midrange-effect values [cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni)] to extreme-effect values (Hg). Metal pollution has decreased during recent decades, except for Ag and barium (Ba).     

Ecological risk assessment of Cd and other heavy metals in soil-rice system in the karst areas with high geochemical background of Guangxi,China

Karst areas are widely distributed in China, and the soil derived in these areas is enriched with trace elements and has the typical characteristics of high geochemical background. Therefore, soil ecological risk has gradually attracted extensive attention. In this study, 1090 sets of rice grains and paired rhizosphere soils were collected as research objects from the outcropped karst areas of carbonate rocks in Guangxi, and the concentration characteristics and influencing factors of heavy metals, such as Cd and As, in rice grains and the corresponding soils were studied. According to the Chinese Soil Environmental Quality Standard(GB 15618-2018), the proportion of karstic soil samples in Guangxi with heavy metal(As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni,Pb and Zn) concentrations that exceed the standard risk screening values was generally greater than that of surface soils in China or non-karstic soils in Guangxi. Notably, Cd and As were the most prominently enriched heavy metals in soils. According to the Chinese Food Safety Standard(GB 2762-2017), Pb in rice grains from the studied area did not exceed the standard; the exceedance rates of Cr, Hg, and inorganic As were only about 1%; and the exceedance rate of Cd was 12.5%. Soil Cd concentration increased gradually whereas the concentration and exceedance rate of Cd in rice grains decreased gradually with the increase of soil pH. Specifically, the exceedance rate of Cd in rice grains was only 4% when soil pH6.5. The results indicated that the risk screening values of Cd element in the Chinese Soil Environmental Quality Standard are not satisfactorily applicable to the ecological risk assessment of Cd in karstic soils. Therefore, the recommended threshold values for the safe utilization and risk control of Cd in karstic soils was proposed so as to provide a basis for soil environmental quality hierarchization, pollution risk control and land safety zoning of agricultural land in karst areas in China.     

The distribution and sources of heavy metals in Izmit Bay surface sediments affected by a polluted stream

Dil Deresi stream is a highly contaminated stream passing through the most heavily industrialized area of Izmit Bay. In this research, surface sediments in the <63-microm fraction collected from 34 sites at western part of Izmit Bay, Northeastern Marmara Sea, Turkey were analyzed by ICP-AES for Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn and Zn. Metal concentrations were compared with the marine sediment quality standards (SQS) and literature data to assess the pollution status of the sediments. Enrichment factors (EFs) were calculated to assess whether the concentrations observed represent background or contaminated levels. The analysis revealed three groups of elements: (1) Sn is the most enriched element; (2) As, Cd, Pb and Zn are minor enriched elements; and (3) Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn and Ni are at background concentrations. The distribution maps of the concentrations and enrichment factors for all heavy metals were also produced as a contour plot based on Geographic Information System (GIS) technology.     

Metals contamination along the watershed and estuarine areas of southern Bohai Sea,China

Distributions and magnitude of metals in water, sediment and soil collected from the watershed and estuarine areas of southern Bohai Sea, were investigated. The largest dissolved concentrations of As, Cu and Zn in water were 347.70, 2755.00, 2076.00 μg/L, respectively, much higher than corresponding drinking water guidelines. The greatest concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni, Pb, As and Cd in sediments were 1462.2, 1602.17, 196.43, 67.15, 63.54, 73.86 and 1.41 mg/kg, dw, respectively. The mean concentrations of Cu, Ni, Cd, Zn, Cr, Pb and As in soils were 24.67, 24.73, 0.14, 64.75, 56.52, 25.12 and 9.34 mg/kg, dw, respectively. Land use was confirmed to be an important factor of influence on soil metal concentrations. Metal contents along the watershed of Jie River were significantly greater than in other locations. The detection of metals in relatively high concentrations from different environmental matrices in this region indicates the necessity of further studies.     

白洋淀湿地表层土壤主要环境元素分布特征及来源

白洋淀是雄安新区生态共同体的重要组成部分,在"白洋淀生态环境治理和保护规划"中,淀区内纯水村和耕地将被淹没,而上述陆地的土壤环境元素分布特征及来源仍缺乏系统调查和分析.本文以淀区内现有0～ 20 cm土壤为研究对象,以环境元素As、Hg、Cd、Cr、Pb、Ni、Cu、Zn、N、P和土壤类型、质地为研究要素,以统计描述、方差分析、相关分析和因子分析为研究手段对淀区内土壤主要环境元素分布特征和来源进行刻画和分析.结果 表明:淀区主要环境元素在不同土地类型的差异性分布是大气沉降和人类工农业活动综合作用的结果.除元素P外,其余环境元素的淀区背景值均高于区域背景值,呈富集趋势.大部分元素趋向于在农用地富集,在水田的富集最为突出,Hg元素则更易在村镇用地富集.淀区内土壤主要环境元素来源分3种类型:大气沉降型,代表元素为Ni、Cr、As、Pb、Cu和Cd,主要来自区域燃煤烟气的沉降输入;农业输入型,代表元素为P、N、Hg、Cd、Pb,主要来自本地农业施肥和人类生活垃圾输入;工业叠加型,代表元素为Zn、Cu、Cd、Pb,主要来自大气沉降和淀区临近的小冶炼的排放叠加,其中Pb、Cd、Cu为综合输入方式.     

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.     

结合主成分分析法(PCA)和正定矩阵因子分解法(PMF)的鄱阳湖丰水期表层沉积物重金属源解析

为识别表层沉积物重金属的来源以及量化源贡献,选取鄱阳湖丰水期表层沉积物为研究对象,测定14种重金属(V、Cr、Co、Ni、Cu、Zn、Sr、Mo、Cd、Sb、W、Pb、Hg和As)的含量,分析其污染及空间分布特征,并利用主成分分析法(PCA)和正定矩阵因子分解法(PMF)对沉积物重金属进行源解析.结果表明:除V和Cr外,Cd、Mo、Hg、Cu、Pb、Zn、W、Sr、As、Ni、Co和Sb的平均含量分别为江西省土壤背景值的5.7、2.2、1.9、1.8、1.5、1.5、1.4、1.3、1.3、1.2、1.0和1.0倍; Cd、Hg、Cu、Mo、Pb、Sr和Zn超出江西省土壤背景值的比例相对较高,分别为100%、100%、100%、100%、97%、97%和93%,所有沉积物样品中Cd含量超过农用地土壤污染风险筛选值的比例为51%; V、Cr、Co、Ni、Cu、Zn、Sr、Mo、Sb、W、Pb、Hg和As含量呈未污染至弱污染水平,而Cd含量属于中等污染水平,接近于重污染水平.总体而言,Cd的污染相对较严重.重金属的分布具有显著的区域特征,其中Cr、Cu、Zn、Sr、Pb、Hg和As的空间分布十分相似,表现为在赣江、抚河、信江和饶河入湖口附近区域含量较高,而Co、Ni、Mo和Sb明显在湖区南部、东北部和修水入湖附近这3个区域聚集,Cd和W的空间变异性相对较大,V的含量分布相对较均匀.PCA和PMF解析结果都表明鄱阳湖丰水期表层沉积物重金属受4种来源的共同影响,其中,矿业和工业活动的影响最大,相对贡献率为38%,其次是尾矿和废渣,相对贡献率为28%,再是农业活动,相对贡献率为19%,最后是自然来源的相对贡献率为14%.     

A grain-size correction for metal pollution indexes in river sediments

According to the List of Hazardous Substances of the Agency of the Toxic Substances and Disease Registry(ATSDR 2017),some metallic elements such as Pb or Cd are still considered as the most polluting elements in the world.These elements accumulate in sediments,and there are various methods available that differentiate lithogenic sources from anthropogenic sources.For that,the natural geochemical background is required,however,its definition is far from unanimous:it can be a global or local value,single or statistically estimated value,depending on the studies.Our study is focused on the Suba
e River in the state of Bahia,Northeastern Brazil,which was historically contaminated by lead metallurgy.The river sediments were sampled at 21 locations:one at the discharge point of the plant's rainwater basin,ten upstream,and ten downstream.The total contents of Fe,Ti,Mn,Pb,Zn,Cu,Cr,particle-size distribution,and organic matter were analyzed.The conventional geochemical indexes,i.e.,the pollution degree(mCd),pollution load index,and enrichment factor indicated contamination by Zn,Pb,Cr,and Cu.Then,a new enrichment factor is introduced,assuming that the sediments come from erosion of soils in the watershed.After obtaining the natural concentrations of metals in the clay,silt,and sand fractions of uncontaminated reference soils,we corrected the pollution indexes by calculating a new individual background in each sediment sample,according to its grain size distribution.This new approach provided more precise indexes in the assessment of sediment pollution,by highlighting higher contamination of Zn and Pb(around 50%)and at the same time the absence of Cr and Cu contamination,two metals not involved with the metallurgical activity.     

洞庭湖沉积物中重金属污染特征与评价

于2003-2004年在洞庭湖湖区采集沉积物样品700个,测定了沉积物中As、Cd、Cr、Cu、Hg、Ni、Pb、Zn的含量,并用地积累指数方法和主成分分析法对沉积物中的重金属污染状况进行了评价和分析.结果显示,洞庭湖各子湖区沉积物中Cd、Cr、Cu、Pb、zn的平均含量都属于国家土壤二级标准,AB、Hg、Ni属于国家土壤一级至二级土壤标准;在南洞庭湖与东洞庭湖人湖河流的三角洲的前缘是沉积物重金属积累最高的地点,而在西洞庭湖入湖河流三角洲的后缘沉积物重金属含量比前缘高.采用综合地积累指数法对洞庭湖各子湖区沉积物进行评价,结果表明:南洞庭湖(重污染)>东洞庭湖(偏重污染)>西洞庭湖(中度污染)>大通湖(中度污染)>城陵矶(轻度污染).采用主成分分析法对洞庭湖各子湖区沉积物进行分析,结果表明:南洞庭湖与东洞庭溯第一主成分贡献率分别为55.22%、56.86%,主要支配AS、Cd、Hg、Pb、zn的载荷,而第二主成分贡献率分别为30.04%、33.11%主要支配Cu、Cr、Ni的载荷:西洞庭湖、大通湖和城陵矶因沉积物重金属来源不同,主成分分析结果相差较大.     

Assessment of metal contamination in surface sediments from Zhelin Bay,the South China Sea

Metals and biogenic elements were analyzed from surface sediments collected from Zhelin Bay in the South China Sea in December 2008. The high concentrations of TOC, TN and BSi indicate the high nutrient level and diatom productivity in Zhelin Bay. The concentrations of metals were generally far lower than the effects-range-low (ERL) values that define pollutant levels. Enrichment factors (EF) and geoaccumulation indices (I_geo) suggest there are pollution levels of Cd, Cu and Zn at some stations. As, Cu, and Pb are potentially biotoxic in some stations. Correlation and principal component analyses indicate that most of the metals primarily originate from natural sources, and from maricultural activities as well. Mariculture contributes considerable Cd and Cu contamination. As and Pb comes primarily from combustion of gasoline and diesel fuel by ships.     

内陆盐沼湿地土壤碳氮磷剖面分布的季节动态特征

本文以向海湿地为例探讨了内陆盐沼湿地土壤剖面中碳氮磷等生源要素的季节动态变化特征及其影响因素.结果表明,内陆盐沼湿地土壤中有机碳、全氮和全磷含量与土壤深度之间存在显著负相关,在剖面中均表现为由表层向下层其含量不断减少的趋势,且具有明显的季节波动特征,除表层土壤碳氮含量随季节变化呈持续增加外,生源要素剖面分布的季节变化基本表现为先减少后增加的趋势.有机碳、全氮和全磷含量之间关系密切,且三者受土壤粒度的影响都非常显著.土壤pH值仅与土壤有机碳之间存在显著的相关关系,而对全氮和全磷含量的影响则不显著.     

Heavy Metal Pollution in Sediments from Aquatic Ecosystems in China

We conducted an analysis of heavy metals content, including As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn in sediments from aquatic ecosystems in China measured in recent publications. Then, we evaluated the extent of heavy metal pollution in these ecosystems in seven different industrial districts in China (Dongbei, Huabei, Huazhong, Huanan, Huaxik, Xibei, and Huadong) with the potential ecological risk index. We found that Cd was the most concentrated pollutant, followed by Hg and As, while Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn were found in low concentrations in sediments from all types of aquatic ecosystem in China. Sediments collected from all seven industrial districts were heavily polluted, and the sequence, from most to least polluted was Dongbei>Huabei>Huazhong>Huanan>Huaxi>Xibei>Huadong. All four types of aquatic ecosystem were found to be seriously polluted and the sequence, from most to least polluted was: river>sea>lake>wetland. Specifically, Cd and Hg were the most serious pollutants in all four aquatic ecosystems, and As was also a serious pollutant in rivers. For the seven industrial districts studied the sea was the most polluted ecosystem in Dongbei, the river was the most polluted ecosystem in Huabei, Huanan, Huazhong, and the lake was the most polluted in Huadong, Huaxi, and Xibei.     

Trace element contaminations of roadside soils from two cultivated wetlands after abandonment in a typical plateau lakeshore, China

Total concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were determined in order to assess their changes in contamination levels in roadside soils of long-term abandoned tillage (LAT) belt and short-term abandoned tillage (SAT) belt from a plateau lakeshore of China. Results showed that the mean concentrations of these trace elements except for Cd and Pb were lower than background values. The contamination index values of these trace elements fluctuated and generally decreased with increasing distances from the road in both sampling belts except for Cu and Ni. Both LAT and SAT soils were facing Cd and Pb contamination. The integrated contamination level was more serious in LAT soils compared to SAT soils, with heavy contamination levels at the distances from 5 to 10 m in LAT soils. The effects of the studied rural road on both belts were clearly shown up to 250 m away from the road.     

Spatial distribution,fractionation and ecological risk assessment of potentially toxic metals in bottom sediments of the Zarivar freshwater Lake (Northwestern Iran)

Freshwater lakes are one of the most vulnerable ecosystems to environmental contamination. This study was initiated to assess the spatial distribution, fractionation, ecological risk of selected potentially toxic metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, and Ni) in bottom sediments of the Zarivar lake, the second largest freshwater lake in Iran. The results revealed that Pb, Zn and Cu had the high spatial variability (coefficient of variation >50) across the sampling sites and their maximum concentrations (197.5 for Pb, 198.7 for Zn and 185.6 mg/kg for Cu) were observed in sampling sites from the northern, western and eastern margins of the lake. Cr and Ni with average concentrations of 28.3 and 31.38 mg/kg respectively, exhibited low spatial variability (coefficient of variation <20) and their concentrations did not vary significantly among the sampling sites. Based on the redundancy analysis (RDA), sediment organic matter was strongly correlated with Pb, Zn and Cu while Fe₂O₃ and Al₂O₃ showed a positive correlation with Ni and Cr. The calculated average enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (I_geo) showed that the contamination level of metals can be arranged in the following order of Pb> Cu > Zn > Cr > Ni. Results from the modified five-step sequential extraction analysis indicated that 40 % of total Pb and Zn were associated with the reducible fraction, 45 % of Cu with the oxidizable fraction and more than 80 % of total Ni and Cr were retrieved from the residual fraction. It was also noticed that Pb, Zn and Cu were more incorporated into the non-residual fractions in the sites with a higher total concentration of these metals, suggesting that both total concentration and fractionation behavior of metals were influenced by their potential sources in the study area. Ecological risk assessment using the potential ecological risk index (PERI) and the modified potential ecological risk index (MPERI) showed that sediments from the eight sampling sites pose a moderate to considerable risk whereas the other sites had low ecological risk level. In comparison to sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), the effects range low (ERL) and probable effect level (PEL) values for Pb, Cu and Zn were exceeded at some sampling sites while Ni and Cr concentrations were found to be below or close to their SQGs values at all the sampling sites. Pb was generally identified as the contaminant of most concern in the study area. Taking into account the results obtained from the fractionation study and the source contribution estimate, it can be inferred that the Pb, Zn and Cu with the average contribution of 79, 54 and 64 % respectively, were mainly derived from anthropogenic sources whereas Ni and Cr with the estimated contribution of 80 and 89 % were predominately from the lithogenic source.     

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.     

Assessment of arsenic and heavy metal pollution and ecological risk in inshore sediments of the Yellow River estuary,China

In order to investigate the pollution levels, sources and ecological risks of arsenic (As) and heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd) in inshore sediments of the Yellow River estuary, the surface sediment in areas of inshore coastal waters were sampled in October 2014 as the flow-sediment regulation project (FSRP) was implemented for 13 years. Results showed that the concentrations of As and heavy metals in inshore sediments of the Yellow River estuary were in the order of Zn?>?Cr?>?Cu?>?Ni?>?Pb?>?As?>?Cd. Higher levels of As, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb generally occurred in fine-grained sediments of the Yellow River estuary and the southeast region, which was consistent with the spatial distribution of clay. In contrast, higher concentrations of Cd were generally observed in northwest area of the Yellow River estuary and near the Qingshuigou estuary, which showed similarly spatial distribution with that of sand. The sediment quality guidelines (SQG_S) and geoaccumulation indices (I_geo) indicated that the inshore sediments were polluted by Cu, Cd, As, Pb and Zn, and, among them, Cd pollution was more serious. Ecological risk indices (E _r ⁱ ) demonstrated low risks for Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb and As, and high potential toxicity by Cd. The integrated ecological risk index implied that 6.8% of stations presented moderate risk, 4.5% of stations exhibited disastrous risk, and 88.7% of stations demonstrated considerable risk. Principal component analysis indicated that Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb and As might originate from common pollution sources, while Cr and Cd might share another similar sources. With the continuous implementation of FSRP, As and heavy metal levels in inshore sediments of the Yellow River estuary could be classified as stage I (2002–2010) and stage II (2010–2014). In the stage I, As, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb levels fluctuated but decreased significantly, whereas Cd concentrations showed little variation. In the stage II, As and heavy metal levels significantly increased although some little fluctuations occurred. The continuous accumulation of As and heavy metals (especially for Cd) in inshore sediments of the Yellow River estuary would occur again as the FSRP was implemented for 9 years (since 2010). The ecotoxicological risk of Cd, As, Ni and Cu in inshore sediments might be more serious since the accumulation of the four elements would be continuously occurred in future years. Next step, there will be long-term potential consequences for marine organism if effective measures are not taken to control the loadings of metal pollutants into estuary.     

Heavy metal pollution and assessment in the tidal flat sediments of Haizhou Bay,China

The heavy metal inventory and the ecological risk of the tidal flat sediments in Haizhou Bay were investigated. Results show that the average concentrations of heavy metals in the surface sediments exceeded the environment background values of Jiangsu Province coastal soil, suggesting that the surface sediments were mainly polluted by heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn). In addition, the profiles of heavy metals fluxes can reflect the socio-economic development of Lianyungang City, and heavy metals inputs were attributed to anthropogenic activities. Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn were mainly present in the non-bioavailable residual form in surface sediments, whereas Cd and Mn were predominantly in the highly mobile acid soluble and reducible fractions. The ecological risk of the polluted sediments stemmed mainly from Cd and Pb. According to the Sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), however, the adverse biological effects caused by the heavy metals occasionally occurred in tidal flat.     

Trace element accumulation in fishes collected from coastal waters of the Caspian Sea

Concentrations of 13 trace elements (V, Mn, Cr, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Hg, Tl and Pb) were determined in muscle of bony fishes collected from coastal areas of the Caspian Sea (Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Iran). In all the fishes, Zn concentration was highest, followed by Cu, Se, Mn and Co, while levels of toxic elements (Ag, Cd, Cd, Tl and Pb) were relatively low. Concentrations of several elements were significantly varied between the species in each sampling area. For most of the trace elements examined, the concentrations decreased significantly with body weight of fishes. In contrast, a positive correlation with body weight was found for Co, Se and Pb concentrations in one fish species, and Hg in 2 fish species. Geographical difference in the concentrations of trace elements was examined using the Caspian roach collected from five stations of Iranian coastal waters. The concentrations of Co, Mo, Ag, Cd and Tl were higher in fishes from western stations than those from eastern stations, whereas the opposite trend was observed for Hg, indicating that local sources of trace metal pollution may be present in the Iranian coastal areas of the Caspian Sea. Levels of trace elements in Caspian fishes were relatively low in comparison to those of other regions, but Zn and Hg levels in some specimens exceeded the guideline values for food.     

Self-organizing map for the detection of seasonal variations in Sidi Chahed Dam sediments (Northern Morocco)

ABSTRACT

A database of 88 superficial sediment samples, distributed in space and time, was collected from the Sidi Chahed Dam (northeast of Meknes city, Morocco) and from four other reference stations (in the same region) located in supposedly uncontaminated environments. Analyses were focused on the physico-chemical characteristics and concentrations of heavy metals (Fe, Mn, As, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd). The database was processed by advanced statistical analysis techniques. The method of classification by self-organizing maps (SOM) was used, permitting understanding and visualization of the spatial and temporal distribution of samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) and SOM hierarchical classification (SOM-HC) were used to validate the classification and detect seasonal variations in heavy metal concentrations. Dependencies between different metal tracers were considered and their spatio-temporal distribution is shown, together with the ranking of clusters, according to their pollution levels. Thus, autumn samples were the only ones with high concentrations of As, compared to the four reference stations. This is due to leaching of bare soil by the first stormy rains of autumn. In winter and spring samples, the concentrations of tracers Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd and Cr were relatively high compared to those of the reference stations. Summer sample concentrations were most comparable with the reference stations, probably due to the scarcity of rainfall and runoff in this season.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz Associate editor E. Gargouri