Heavy Metals in Bottom Sediment in the Upper and Lower Volga

Heavy metal concentrations in bottom sediment in some reaches of the Upper (the Ivankovo Reservoir) and Lower Volga (from Volgograd to the mouth offshore area). The bottom sediment in the Ivankovo Reservoir are shown to be heavily polluted by Cu and Zn and to a lesser extent, by Co and Ni; heavy pollution with Ni and Cr and moderate pollution with Zn and Mn were recorded in the Lower Volga. Principal component procedure was used to assess bottom sediment pollution. The role of organic matter in the formation of the Ivankovo Reservoir bottom sediment pollution with heavy metals is shown to be moderate because of the weak correlation between heavy metal concentration and organic matter content of bottom sediment. The same is true for the Lower Volga because of low organic matter content of bottom sediment. The major role in the redox cycle of elements is shown to belong to Fe in the Ivankovo Reservoir and Mn in the Lower Volga.     

Content and distribution of trace metals in surface sediments from the northern Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea and adjacent Arctic areas

Concentrations of trace metals (Zn, Cr, Cu, V, Cd and Pb), total organic carbon (TOC), black carbon (BC) and their granulometry were examined in 25 surface sediment samples from the northern Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea and adjacent areas. Trace metal concentrations in the sediments varied from 21.06-168.21 mg kg(-1) for Zn, 8.91-46.94 mg kg(-1) for Cr, 2.69-49.39 mg kg(-1) for Cu, 32.46-185.54 mg kg(-1) for V, 0.09-0.92 mg kg(-1) for Cd, and 0.95-15.25 mg kg(-1) for Pb. The geoaccumulation index (Igeo) indicated that trace metal contamination (Zn and Cd) existed in some stations of the study area. The distribution of grain size plays an important role in influencing the distribution of trace metals (Zn, Cr, Cu, V, and Pb) in sediments from the Chukchi Sea and adjacent areas.     

Evaluation of Sediment-associated Heavy Metal Pollution in Chaohu Lake,Eastern China

Water Resources - Heavy metal pollution in lacustrine sediments is a worldwide environmental issue. In the present study, eight heavy metals including Zn, Pb, Co, Cr, Cd, Mn, As and Cu in sediment...     

REE geochemistry of surface sediments in the Chukchi Sea

Rare earth elements (including the lanthanides and Y) have analogical chemical properties and low solubility, and they are not easy to transfer and take inter-element fractionation during geological processes such as weathering, disintegration, transporta…     

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.     

Textural and geochemical characteristics of off shore sediment of North Bay of Bengal:A statistical approach for marine metal pollution

Metal pollution study on sediments of North Bay of Bengal sediments presented in this paper is based on existing Lithostratigraphy of upstream,mineralogy and geochemical analysis of 42 sediment samples.The statistical analysis identifies the metal pollution as well as its apparent source in the off shore regions.Samples were analyzed for grain size,organic content and heavy metals(Fe,Mn,Cr,Cu,Ni,Pb,Cd,Zn and Co) using the sequential extraction method to evaluate geochemical processes and pollution load.In an effort to surmise anthropogenic input,several approaches including classification by quantitative indexes such as enrichment factor,contamination factor,degree of pollution,pollution load index and geo accumulation index,were attempted.Metal speciation results indicate high%of Cd in exchangeable fraction of Mahanadi transect sediments where as a considerable amount of oxidizable fraction of Cr was detected at Dhamra.Quantitative indexes place North Bay of Bengal under moderately polluted zone due to high level of Cd.Normalization of metals to Fe indicated relatively high enrichment factors for Cd and Cr.Factor analysis identified seven possible types of geochemical associations where sediment pH plays a major role for the heavy metal mobility.The higher Cd concentration in exchangeable fraction as well as the higher EF for Cd and Cr present in sediment may pose a risk of secondary water pollution under slightest disturbance in the geo-chemistry of sediments.Comparison study with available data of near costal zones and upstream stratigraphy revealed that open cast mining,overburden dumping,mineral based industrial effluents were the major source of pollution for catchment area contamination.Bay of Bengal is likely to face a serious threat of metal pollution with the present deposition rates unless rigorous pollution control norms are applied.     

Assessment of Metal Contamination in Surface Sediments of Jiaozhou Bay,Qingdao, China

An assessment of metal contamination in surface sediments of the Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao, one of the rapidly developing coastal economic zones in China, is provided. Sediments were collected from 10 stations and a total of 15 heavy metals were analyzed. Concentrations of metals show significant variability and range from 210 to 620 ppm for Ti, 2.7 to 23 ppm for Ni, 4.2 to 28 ppm for Cu, 5.2 to 18 ppm for Pb, 12 to 58 ppm for Zn, 0.03 to 0.11 ppm for Cd, 5 to 51 ppm for Cr, 1.5 to 9.9 ppm for Co, 5.3 to 19 ppm for As, 12 to 32 ppm for Se, and 19 to 97 ppm for Sr. Based on concentration relationships and enrichment factor (EF) analyses, the results indicate that sediment grain size and organic matter played important roles in controlling the distribution of the heavy metals in surface sediments of the Jiaozhou Bay. The study shows that the sediment of the Jiaozhou Bay has been contaminated by heavy metals to various degrees, with prominent arsenic contributing the most to the contamination. The analysis suggests that the major sources of metal contamination in the Jiaozhou Bay are land‐based anthropogenic ones, such as discharge of industrial waste water and municipal sewage and run‐off. Notably, the elevated heavy metal concentrations of the Jiaozhou Bay sediments could have a significant impact on the bay's ecosystem. With the rapid economic development and urbanization around the Jiaozhou Bay, coastal management and pollution control should focus on these contaminant sources, as well as provide ongoing monitoring studies of heavy metal contamination within the bay.     

Distribution and ecological risk assessment of some heavy metals in coastal surface sediments along the Red Sea,Egypt

The ecological risk assessment for Al,Zn,Cu,Ni,V,Pb,Cd,and Hg in surface sediment collected from the Egyptian Red Sea coast was evaluated using the Geo-accumulation Index(I_(geo)).Sediment Enrichment Factor(SEF) and Potential Ecological Risk Index(PERI) methods.The predominant heavy metal,aluminum,showed high concentrations along both of Aqaba Gulf(4378.8 ± 2554.1 μg/g) and southern part of the Red Sea(2972.8 + 1527.5 μg/g).while it recorded the lowest concentration in Suez Gulf(829.7 ± 398.2 μg/g).The determined heavy metal concentrations had the order of Al Zn -Ni V Pb Cu Cd Hg.The statistical analyses showed some correlations among the heavy metals contents.Several international sediment quality guidelines were used to estimate the quality of the collected sediments.Interestingly,the recorded average heavy metals concentrations were lower than those of the permissible contents for sediment quality guidelines.The Geo-accumulation index calculations(I_(geo)) proved that the investigated region could be classified as an unpolluted area.Sediment Enrichment Factor(K_(SEF)) study showed high values in Suez Gulf region.The single pollution index analysis of heavy metals in the sediments(C~i_f) indicated that Al,Zn,V,and Pb were of natural origin,while Ni,Cd and Hg were seriously affected by human activities.Interestingly,amongst,all the determined heavy metals,Cd and Hg gave moderate ecological risk indicators.     

苏州河网区河道沉积物重金属的污染特征

分析测定了苏州河网区河道底泥十个剖面样点60个样品中Cu、Pb、Zn、Cr、Al、Fe、K、Mn、有机质、TP、TN、粒度、pH及含水量,采用地累积指数、生态风险指数和相关分析等方法研究其重金属污染特征.结果表明:Cu和Zn处于中或中-强度污染,Pb处于无-中污染,没有Cr污染;垂直分布特征显示:Cu和Zn污染逐年变化较为一致,Pb污染有逐年加重趋势;重金属潜在生态风险处于轻微污染状态;相关性分析显示,有机质是影响其分布的重要因素,Mn、Cr、Cu、Zn、Pb五种重金属相关性显著;通过与国内外河流、水库和湖泊沉积物中重金属含量比较,苏州河网区河道重金属的累积受多种因素影响.     

Sedimentary Records of Evolution of Heavy Metals in Songhua Lake,Northeast China

In this paper, the vertical variations of heavy metal elements (including Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the sediments of Songhua Lake are analyzed using sediment cores. A 70‐year evolutionary history of these heavy metal elements in Songhua Lake is described and the sources of the heavy metals in the sediments are investigated by evaluating the pollution characteristics of the metals in terms of their enrichment coefficients and geoaccumulation indexes. The results indicate that Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the sediments originated mainly from basin erosion and were transported to the lake by rivers. Cd and Hg in the sediments also originated from basin erosion that occurred prior to the mid‐1990s, and these sediments have since been overlaid by artificial pollution. The distribution of heavy metals in the sediments of Songhua Lake is influenced by many factors, including sediment composition, the relative importance of fluvial input, and artificial pollution.     

Distribution of heavy metals in water and sediment of an urban river in a developing country: A probabilistic risk assessment

River water and sediment embody environmental characteristics that give valuable eco-environmental information.Due to rapid industrialization,the aquatic environment of any urban river can be seriously polluted by heavy metals（HMs）.The global concern is caused by heavy metal pollution because of its potential harm to aquatic ecosystems and human health.In the Bhairab River,Bangladesh,surface sediment concentrations of globally alarming toxic metals such as arsenic（As）,chromium（Cr）,cadmium（Cd）,an...     

Sediments and pollution in the Northern Adriatic Sea: a statistical analysis

Data concerning grain-size distribution, mineralogy, geochemistry, and chlorinated hydrocarbon concentrations, obtained from 246 surface sediment samples collected in the Northern Adriatic sea (Italian area), provide the basis for a multivariate statistical analysis which evaluates the influence of riverine inputs, the differences among various depositional environments and the presence of polluted zones.Cluster analysis applied to grain size has identified nine groups of lithotypes associated with the morphology and the hydrology of the basin.In the Gulf of Venice, principal component analysis on clay minerals and carbonates has permitted recognition of two main areas located north and south of the Brenta river. More subareas correspond to other lithological types.Principal component analysis of nine metal (Hg, Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn, Fe, Ni, and Co) concentrations reveals that the studied sea area is more complex from the geochemical point of view. Three geochemical zones related to riverine inputs, different lithotypes and specific forms of contamination are identified. High pollution of both halocarbons and heavy metals is associated with fine grain size.     

Influence of mangrove reforestation on heavy metal accumulation and speciation in intertidal sediments

To investigate the influence of mangrove reforestation on heavy metal accumulation and speciation in intertidal sediments, core sediments from a restored mangrove forest and adjacent mud flat in Yifeng Estuary (southeastern China) were analyzed. The chemical speciation of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr and Ni) was determined according to a sequential extraction procedure. Special attention was paid to the upper 20 cm of sediment, in which metal accumulation was enhanced and speciation was obviously modified. Mangrove reforestation decreased the concentrations of all metals in the acid-soluble fraction and increased metal concentrations in the oxidizable fraction. Increased Pb, Zn and Cu concentrations and decreased Ni and Cr concentrations were observed in the reducible fraction. These results suggest that mangrove reforestation facilitated the accumulation of heavy metals in the upper sediment layers but decreased their bioavailability and mobility.     

Heavy metal content and lithological properties of recent sediments in the Northern Adriatic

Heavy metal (Hg, Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Co, Zn and Fe) concentrations, textural characters and mineralogical compositions have been determined on 246 surface sediment samples from the Northern Adriatic Italian sea area. The relationship between the heavy metals content and the pelite (< 63 μm fraction) percentage has been studied. All the metals resulted accumulated in the fine fraction with the following percentages (Hg, 95%; Zn, 86%; Pb, 82%; Cu, 79%; Cd, 74%; Ni, 70%; Cr, 65%; Co, 65% and Fe, 64%). The specific surface area has been measured on 44 samples and correlated to metal values. A fairly good (50% and more variation explained) linear correlation co-efficient has been found for Ni and Cu in the entire area, less significant correlation for other metals. In order to discriminate between natural and anthropogenic origin the metal concentrations on the whole sediment has been normalized on the basis of the pelite percentage. In the areal distributions drawn with the corrected values, zones contaminated by industrial discharges have been identified mainly in front of the lagoon of Venice.     

长江中下游不同湖泊沉积物中重金属污染物的累积及其潜在生态风险评价

利用富集因子和Hakanson潜在生态风险指数法,结合年代学结果,对长江中下游湖泊太白湖、龙感湖、巢湖和西氿沉积物中重金属元素Co、Cr、Cu、Ni、Pb、Zn的富集程度进行了评价,并比较分析了上述重金属的潜在生态风险.结果表明,太白湖和龙感湖沉积物中各重金属富集程度均较低;巢湖沉积物中Co、Cr、Ni的富集程度接近中等水平,而Cu、Pb、Zn的富集已经达到中等水平;西氿沉积物中Co的富集非常低,Cr、Ni富集水平较低,Pb达到中等富集,Cu、Zn达到较高的富集水平.对4个湖泊沉积物中重金属的综合污染程度进行比较:巢湖西氿龙感湖太白湖.各湖泊沉积物中单一元素的潜在生态风险都较低,但是,根据多元素潜在生态评价指数,各湖泊沉积物中重金属存在明显不同的潜在生态风险:巢湖西氿龙感湖太白湖.总体上看,太白湖和巢湖沉积物重金属污染以及潜在生态风险自1965年以来一直在加重,而龙感湖和西氿沉积物在表层有下降的趋势.这种差异与各个湖泊流域内人类活动的方式和强度密切相关.巢湖和西氿流域内城市化、工业化发展迅速,人类活动导致大量重金属元素进入湖泊,给湖泊带来明显的污染;而龙感湖和太白湖流域人类活动主要以农业活动为主,人类活动对重金属的贡献相对较小.     

Evaluation of geochemical behavior and heavy metal distribution of sediments：The case study of the Tirumalairajan river estuary,southeast coast of India

The purpose of this study was to assess the chemical partitioning of selected heavy metals(Fe,Mn,Cu,Zn,Pb,Cr,Co and Ni) in 10 surface sediments at Tirumalairajan River Estuary in the southeastern coast of India.A five-step sequential extraction technique was used to assess the environmental status of heavy metals.Most of metals were considered to be immobile due to the high availability in the residual fraction of heavy metals.The sediments of Tirumalairajan River estuary had not been polluted by heavy metals,and they didn’t pose any high ecological risk.The seasonal variations of heavy metals were slightly higher in summer than in monsoon season.Factor analysis was also carned out to understand the associations of metals in different fractions with sand,silt,clay,organic matter,pH,salinity and other metals.The relationship between the Q-mode and R-mode cluster analyses was useful for identifying the pollution levels in both seasons.It was proved that the enrichment of heavy metals was related with geogenic and anthropogenic sources.The information on total metal concentrations in sediments was not sufficient for assessing the metal behavior in the environment,but the sequential extraction technique was more effective in estimating the environmental impact of contaminated sediments.     

Historical development of the Venice lagoon contamination as recorded in radiodated sediment cores

Three cores (length 60 cm, i.d. 10 cm) collected in the most contaminated area of the lagoon of Venice (Italy) were sectioned (14, 12 and 15 sections each respectively) and analysed. Concentrations of heavy metals (Hg, Pb, Cd, Co, Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni, Fe), organic carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorus were determined. Eh and pH profiles are discussed. Background (pre-industrial) levels for metals were estimated from the deepest sections. The principal component analysis performed on the metal concentrations, normalized on the backgrounds, revealed that two components can account for 99% of the variability. The first clearly represents the mercury pollution, the second weights the contribution of zinc and, to a lesser degree, of other metals (Cd, Cu, Co, Pb) to a contamination mainly caused by discharges of industrial tailings. Radiodating of two cores permitted us to reconstruct the historical evolution of the sediment pollution as related to the development of specific activities in the industrial zone of Porto Marghera. Total phosphorus and organic carbon accumulation was significant in the upper 10–20 cm of the cores.     

Evaluation of sediment contamination in the Red Sea coastal area combining multiple pollution indices and multivariate statistical techniques

In the recent years,the Red Sea coast of Yemen has been severely affected by intensive anthropogenic activities.The current study constitutes a thorough inquiry to evaluate the extent of heavy metals pollution in Yemen's Red Sea coast sediment and identifies the possible sources of pollution.The concentrations of five metals(copper(Cu),zinc(Zn),cadmium(Cd),lead(Pb),and nickel(Ni))collected from nine sites along the Red Sea coast of Yemen were assessed using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer(ASS).Sediment quality indices,such as the sediment quality guidelines(SQGs),potential ecological risk(RI),contamination factor(CF),pollution load index(PLI),geoaccumulation index(Igeo),and modified degree of contamination(mCd)were computed.In addition,multivariate statistical techniques(principal component analysis(PCA),hierarchical cluster analysis,and Pearson's correlation analysis)were applied to identify the potential sources of metals.The mean concentrations of Cu,Zn,Cd,Pb,and Ni were 51.3,61.9,4.02,9.9,and 33.4 mg/kg dry wt,respectively.The spatial distribution revealed that the metals concentrations were high at the middle zone and low southward of Hodeida city.According to the SQGs,the adverse biological effects of metals were occasionally associated with Cu and Cd,frequently associated with Ni,and not expected to occur with Zn and Pb.The RI indicated that the sediment of the studied sites pose low(RI<50)to considerable(100≤RI<200)ecological risk.The mean effect range-median quotient(M-ERM-Q)indicated that the combination of the studied metals had the toxicity probability of 21%at all studied sites.Igeo and CF indicated that the metals concentrations were in the descending order of:Zn>Ni>Pb>Cd>Cu,whereas the PLI and mCd indicated that Ras Isa(Site 5)and Urj village(Site 6)were the most polluted sites.PCA,cluster analysis,and correlation analysis found that Cd,Pb,and Ni mostly originated from anthropogenic sources while Cu and Zn were mainly derived from natural sources.Thus,it is evident that the intensive anthropogenic activities had negative influence on metals accumulation in the sediment of the Red Sea coast of Yemen leading to detrimental effects to the whole ecosystem.These comprehensive findings provide valuable information and data for future monitoring studies regarding heavy metals pollution and sediment quality at the Red Sea coast of Yemen.     

An assessment of metal contamination in coastal sediments of the Caspian Sea

An assessment of marine pollution due to metals was made in the Caspian Sea based on coastal sediment collected in Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan. Despite the high carbonate content, the distribution of most metals was largely controlled by terrigenous inputs. Several metals (As, Cr, Ni) exhibited concentrations that exceed sediment quality guidelines. Such metals have a high natural background but anthropogenic activities, notably mining, may further enhance concentrations. This would explain hot spots for Cu and Zn in Azerbaijan and Iran, and Cr at the mouth of the Ural River in Kazakhstan. Contamination by Hg was observed to the south of Baku Bay, Azerbaijan. Some anomalously high concentrations of Ba in the central Caspian are probably from offshore drilling operations, but the elevated U concentrations (up to 11.1 microg g(-1)) may be natural in origin. Several metals (Ag, Cd, Pb) have relatively low levels that pose no environmental concerns.