Anthropogenic and natural metal contents of coastal sediments with potential transfer to associated waters: the case of El Melah lagoon near Slimane,Tunisia

Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr and Co pollution of El Melah lagoon waters near the city of Slimane in northwestern Tunisia was evaluated relative to identified human activity and waste repositories in the neighborhood. These metals were measured in lagoon waters and sediments, and in the potential pollutants, during two consecutive years for evaluation of their impact on the lagoon waters. A sequential extraction of the metals from sediments was designed to distinguish those potentially anthropogenic from those naturally scavenged by the sediments. This procedure allowed identification and quantification of the metals that are temporarily trapped, therefore contributing directly to the ecotoxicity of the lagoon waters, from those incorporated in the sediments. The highest supplies of Cr and Co to the lagoon waters come from El-Bey creek waters, while the wastewater treatment plant contributes for most of the Zn, and the urban garbage deposit for most of the Ni. Alternatively, the impact of the cultivated soils is minimal for the studied metals. In fact, Zn and Ni contents of the sediments amount 100 to 20 times less than in the present water, which is negligible. Cr is potentially the most polluting with contents up to ten times more in the sediments of the eastern lagoon pool and next to the outlet of the wastewater plant than in the waters. Potentially, contents of the anthropogenic Cu of the sediments amount 3–15 times less than in the lagoon waters.     

Impact of mining activities on sediments in a semi-arid environment: San Pedro River, Sonora, Mexico

A study of the San Pedro River (SPR), which is located in a semi-arid region in Sonora, Mexico, was conducted to evaluate the chemical, spatial and temporal (mobilization) trends of potentially harmful metals in its sediment in the rainy and dry seasons. High total concentrations of metals were detected in the following order: Fe > Cu > Mn > Zn > Pb > Cd. All studied metals except for Pb were increased during the dry season showing the effect of climate on the metal distribution in sediments. The results of sequential extraction indicated that the residual and Fe/Mn oxide fractions were the most important with regard to retaining potentially harmful metals in the sediments. In the exchangeable carbonate and Fe oxide fractions, high concentrations of metals were detected, representing high environmental risk. The geoaccumulation index shows slight to moderate contamination in most samples, and sampling point E4 (related to cattle activity) shows strong contamination for Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn. Enrichment factors (EFs) demonstrate anthropogenic origins for Pb (EF: 3–57), Cd (EF: 6–73) and Cu (EF: 1.5–224). This study shows that sediments are impacted by anthropogenic activities related to the mining industry, untreated wastewater discharges from the city of Cananea and cattle activities. Metal mobility in the SPR can disrupt the development of aquatic species in the river.     

Environmental assessment of heavy metal contamination in bottom sediments of Al-Kharrar lagoon,Rabigh, Red Sea,Saudi Arabia

In order to assess the pollution levels of selected heavy metals, 45 bottom sediment samples were collected from Al-Kharrar lagoon in central western Saudi Arabia. The concentrations of the heavy metals were recorded using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The results showed that the concentrations of Pb and Cd exceeded the environmental background values. However, the heavy metal contents were less than the threshold effect level (TEL) limit. The concentrations of heavy metals in lagoon bottom sediments varied spatially, but their variations showed similar trends. Elevated levels of metals were observed in the northern and southern parts of the lagoon. Evaluation of contamination levels by the sediment quality guidelines (SQG) of the US-EPA revealed that sediments were non-polluted-moderately to heavily polluted with Pb; non-polluted to moderately polluted with Cu; and non-polluted with Mn, Zn, Cd, and Cr. The geoaccumulation index showed that lagoon sediments were unpolluted with Cd, Mn, Fe, Hg, Mo, and Se; unpolluted to moderately polluted with Zn and Co; and moderately polluted with Pb, Cr, Cu, and As. The high enrichment factor values for Pb, As, Cu, Cr, Co, and Zn (>2) indicate their anthropogenic sources, whereas the remaining elements were of natural origins consistent with their low enrichment levels. The values of CF indicate that the bottom sediments of Al-Kharrar lagoon are moderately contaminated with Mn and Pb.     

Heavy metals contents on beach and dune sediments from Espinho to Mondego Cape (Portugal)—influence of human activities

Following previous studies on beach and dune sediments from the Espinho–Mondego Cape coastal sector, geochemical studies have been done on the same sediments aiming to unravel the lithological from the anthropogenic geochemical signal. 129 samples have been collected from 45 profiles, in beach and dune sediments. Total Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Cd, Co, Ni, Cr, Ca, Mg and Al concentrations were measured in the fine fractions of the sediments. The absence of relationship between the analysed heavy elements and Al and the exhibition of contents higher than the rocks outcropping in the hinterland, point to an additional source of heavy metals related to human activities. The available data allowed us to consider that inputs from Aveiro lagoon (natural and anthropogenic), Douro River and coastal erosion (by littoral drift or advective currents) are the main sources of heavy metals in this region.     

广东汕头市内海湾沉积物重金属环境质量调查与评价

内海湾底泥沉积物的环境质量状况与水生生物的生存和人体健康关系密切。在广东汕头市内海湾两岸23个点位采集了表层(0~20 cm)和深层(100~120 cm)底泥沉积物样品46件,对其pH值和Cd、Hg、As、Pb、Cr、Cu、Zn计7项重金属及K含量进行测试分析,调查底泥中这些重金属的含量特征,并参照农用地水田土壤污染风险管控标准对重金属环境污染质量进行评价。结果表明汕头内海湾底泥沉积物的pH介于7.00~8.82之间,平均值为7.83,在46件样品中41件样品的pH值大于7.5。内海湾底泥中7项重金属元素的含量均明显低于环境污染风险管制值,即对该区底泥重金属环境污染不需要管制。Cd、As、Pb、Cr这4项重金属含量均低于污染风险筛选值,其污染风险可以忽略。2件表层样品的Hg含量值高于污染风险筛选值,18件样品的Cu和Zn含量值高于污染风险筛选值,因此建议对底泥中Cu、Zn、Hg含量进行环境质量监测。K含量介于0.70%~2.59%,平均值为1.54%。基于表层底泥和深层底泥元素含量对比分析,认为该区Hg污染来源应为人为源;Cu、Zn的污染来源一部分为人为源,另一部分可能为人为源、自然源或二者的混合源。     

Environmental geochemistry of El Temsah Lake sediments, Suez Canal district, Egypt

The heavy metal contents of Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cr, Co, Pb, Cd, Fe, and V in the surface sediments from five selected sites of El Temsah Lake was determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Geochemical forms of elements were investigated using four-step sequential chemical extraction procedure in order to identify and evaluate the mobility and the availability of trace metals on lake sediments, in comparison with the total element content. The operationally defined host fractions were: (1) exchangeable/bound to carbonate, (2) bound to Fe/Mn oxide, (3) bound to organic matter/sulfides, and (4) acid-soluble residue. The speciation data reveals that metals Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, Mn, Cu, Cr, Fe, and V are sink primarily in organic and Fe–Mn oxyhydroxides phases. Co is mainly concentrated in the active phase. This is alarming because the element is enriched in Al Sayadin Lagoon which is still the main site of open fishing in Ismailia. Average concentration of the elements is mostly above the geochemical background and pristine values of the present study. There is a difference on the elemental composition of the sediment collected at the western lagoon (Al Sayadin Lagoon), junction, the shoreline shipyard workshops, and eastern beach of the lake. Depending upon the nature of elements and local pollution source, high concentration of Zn, Pb, and Cu are emitted by industrial wastewater flow (shoreline workshops), while sanitary and agricultural wastewater (El Bahtini and El Mahsama Drains) emit Co and Cd in Al Sayadin Lagoon. On the other hand, there is a marked decrease in potentially toxic heavy metal concentrations in the sediments at the most eastern side of the lake, probably due to the successive sediment dredging and improvements in water purification systems for navigation objective. These result show that El Temsah receives concentrations in anthropogenic metals that risk provoking more or less important disruptions, which are harmful and irreversible on the fauna and flora of this lake and on the whole ecobiological equilibrium.     

Partitioning,bioavailability and origin of heavy metals from the Nador Lagoon sediments (Morocco) as a basis for their management

Nador Lagoon sediments show low trace element concentrations, and, in relation to the lagoon geochemical baseline, only some anomalies for As, Cd, Cu and Pb in the NW of the lagoon deserve to be outstanding. The distribution of major, minor and trace elements in the lagoon allows a breakdown in four zones. Between “Beni Ensar” and “Atelouane” (zone A), a quite confined zone rich in organic matter and S, the most important trace-element anomalies (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn) were found, mainly around industry and old mining activities. In the surrounding of the city of Nador (zone B), the anomalies correspond to Mn, Cu and Zn. The coastal barrier and Kebdana channel (zone C) show moderately concentrations of Cd, Cr and Ni at specific sites. The less polluted area is the SE of the lagoon (zone D), with no outstanding anomaly. In lagoon sediments, metal bioavailability is very low. The metal partitioning patterns show that Cu, Pb and Zn present a low availability because they are bounded to the residual, non-mobile phases of the sediments. Only in some sites, the fraction was associated with organic matter, which could be liberated easily. Arsenic is concentrated in both the residual phases and the organic matter, the latter being more available. Cadmium is mainly concentrated in some samples in the interchangeable fraction, which could be considered as a potentially toxic element because it is easily released. Concerning the origin of these trace elements, those found in zone A correspond mostly to a natural source by weathering of mount Gourougou volcanic rocks (As, Co, Cu, Pb and Zn), and to an anthropogenic origin (Cd) owing to the presence of industry and old mines. In zone B, contributions of Cu and Zn enter the lagoon through soil weathering and river-borne, and as anthropogenic pollution from urban wastes. In zone C the most important pollutant is Cd deduced to be of anthropogenic origin from the close industry and intensive agriculture area. In spite of the intense socio-economic activities developed in the Nador Lagoon (agriculture, industry, fishing, tourism) trace element concentrations in the sediments are low and with scarce bioavailability. Only the NW sector is relativity polluted because of geogenic features.     

Heavy metal trends in the Calabar River, Nigeria

. Heavy metal concentrations in sediments of the Calabar River: Pb (0.6–30 ppm); Ni (1.2–22.5 ppm); Cr (0.6–3.3 ppm); Cu (0.3–48 ppm); Zn (0.8–27 ppm); Fe (0.2–2,880 ppm) and V (0 ppm) are generally below levels that are known to be harmful to aquatic biota. Metal levels displayed marked seasonal, spatial and tidal variations, which are attributed to both anthropogenic influences and natural processes in the environment. Iron and Cr increased during the dry season (January), while Cu, Zn, Pb and Ni had their peak values in the wet season (September). High values of metals during the wet season indicate inputs through human activities mediated by rainfall. Relatively higher concentrations of metals are obtained during high tide compared to low tide regime. This is attributed to redox processes in the sediment and subsequent displacement of sediment pore water rich in metals by seawater intrusion during high tide. Higher values of Fe observed in the dry compared to the wet season may be attributed to oxidation and precipitation of soluble forms brought into the river during the wet season.     

Sources,Distribution and Behavior of Major and Trace Elements in a Complex Karst Lake System

Sources and distribution of major and trace elements were investigated in the Plitvice Lakes, a pristine cascade hydrological system of sixteen karst lakes situated in a sparsely populated area of the central Croatia. Water and surface sediment samples from 17 locations, including springs, tributaries and lakes, were analyzed for the content of 22 elements by high-resolution inductively coupled mass spectrometry. Principal component analysis of the collected data set showed that different springs and tributaries displayed distinct multielemental compositions, reflecting primarily the differences in their corresponding geological backgrounds. It was shown that the springs situated in the Upper and Middle Jurassic dolomite bedrock represented the main source of several trace elements, including some toxic metals (Cd, Zn, Ni and Tl), to the Plitvice Lakes system. The concentrations of most of the trace elements (Mn, Fe, Al, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, Co, Cr and Tl) showed decreasing spatial trends in the downstream direction, from sources to the lakes. Such a distribution was interpreted to be a consequence of an efficient removal of the dissolved elements in the lentic parts of the system, mainly by co-precipitation with authigenic calcite and Mn oxides. Nevertheless, most of the elements in the lake sediments were highly correlated with Al, which indicated their prevalent association with terrigenic material. It was shown that the multicascade system of the Plitvice Lakes had an enhanced autopurification efficiency regarding the elimination of most of the trace metals from the aqueous phase.     

Trace metal contamination by phosphogypsum discharge in surface and core sediments of the Gabes coast area (SE of Tunisia)

The purpose of the present study is to ascertain the extent of the effect that phosphate fertilizer industrial waste has on the surface and bottom sediments of the Ghannouch-Gabes coast, off the Tunisian Mediterranean Sea. To achieve this, 44 surface sediments and 3 core sediments were studied for mineralogy, trace metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn), F, CaO, and SO₃. For all the analyzed elements, the spatial distribution in surface sediments showed that the area located between the commercial and the fishing port of Gabes is the most polluted zone. The ranking of metal contents was found to be Zn > Cd > Cu > Pb. The vertical distribution of trace metals indicated that the highest levels were found in the uppermost segment of the sediment cores compared to the lower depth subsurface due to a continuous input of phosphogypsum (PG) release and confirmed that the area between the two harbors suffered from several types of pollutants compared to reference core C1, collected from other non-industrialized areas. This spatial and vertical distribution is probably due to the harbor piers which acted as barriers and limited the dispersion of PG discharge. The contamination factor, the geoaccumulation index, and the pollution load index were determined. The results obtained confirm the anthropogenic impact on the levels of metal, on the fluorine, calcium, and sulfate concentrations in the area, located between the commercial harbor of Ghannouch and the fishing harbor of Gabes, whereas the concentrations of elements analyzed tends to decrease on both sides of this sector. Statistical analyses (principal component analysis) showed trace metals, fluoride, sulfate, and a large amount of calcium resulting from the same anthropogenic source.     

Sedimentological and geoenvironmental evaluation of the coastal area between Al-Khowkhah and Al-Mokha,southeastern Red Sea,Republic of Yemen

The increasing anthropogenic activities (e.g., constructing touristic resorts) have led to notable changes in the Yemeni Red Sea coastal regions. In this context, recent sediments have been investigated to infer possible natural and man-induced processes on these coastal areas. The target area lies between longitudes 43°13′–43°30′E and latitudes 13°15′–13°55′N. It extends about 90 km along the coastline as a part of the Tihama plain. Geomorphologically, it forms a long-curved stretch with pronounced headlands, embayments and bays. Generally, it is covered by recent sediments (wadi, lagoon, beach and spit deposits along with sabkha, coastal dunes and mangrove). Textural studies reveal that most of the studied sediments are mainly poorly to moderately sorted and are composed mainly of sandy fractions with few gravel and mud, mostly bimodal with minor unimodal patterns. The igneous (granites) as well as basic (basalt, andesite and andesitic pyroclastics) and acidic (dacite and rhyolite) volcanic rocks of Tertiary age, which are exposed to the east of the study area, are believed to be the source of pyroxenes, amphiboles, epidotes, biotite, sphene, zircon, tourmaline and rutile, in a decreasing order of abundance. Moreover, smectite, kaolinite, chlorite, illite and palygorskite are the predominant clay minerals, mainly of detrital origin. The total carbonate content fluctuates from 37.41% (lagoon sediments) to 53.74% (sabkha sediments). The high amount of sea grasses, which covers the tidal flat zone and relates to the fine-grained sediments, accounts for the high organic matter content. The mineralogy of the source rocks has controlled the general distribution of major elements (Fe, Mg, Na, K and Mn) in the beach sediments. In such sediments, the concentrations of the heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, Ni, Pb and Co) may reflect the sediment pollution using different approaches. The enrichment factors (EFs) of the trace metals for most samples reveal values that are greater than 1, referring to three groupings, which are: moderate to moderately severe (Zn, Cu and Mn), minor to moderate (Pb and Co) and zero to minor (Cd and Ni) enrichment. The EFs for Pb, Cd, Ni and Co metals (<5) may be attributed to the crustal materials and/or natural weathering processes. But, those for Zn, Cu and Mn (>5), especially in Al-Khowkhah–Abu-Zahr, Moushij–Zahari–Ruays, Yokhtol and Mokha localities, are possible of anthropogenic contributions.     

南极普里兹湾表层沉积物微量元素分布特征及其物源指示意义

利用电感耦合等离子体质谱仪测定了中国南极科考21~27航次期间获取的普里兹湾表层沉积物中Cu、Pb、Zn、Cd、Cr、Co、Al、Fe、Mn的含量,分析了普里兹湾微量元素的分布特征,结合沉积物粒度分布、生物硅含量,并利用富集系数和主成分分析的方法,探讨了微量元素的物源指示意义。研究结果表明:普里兹湾沉积物中的微量元素含量与南大洋其他海域具有很好的可比性。Cu、Zn、Cr、Co、Fe、Mn含量在陆坡深海区明显高于冰架边缘区和陆架区;Al、Pb含量在冰架边缘区较高;而Cd含量在陆架区相对较高。人类活动对普里兹湾沉积物中的微量元素没有明显的影响,南极大陆岩石风化产物和海洋生物源性沉降是其主要来源。冰架边缘区及陆架破折处P2-9站位的微量元素主要为岩源性输入。陆架区、陆坡深海区的微量元素Cu、Zn、Cr、Co、Fe、Mn明显受到生源性物质输入的影响。而普里兹湾沉积物中Cd则主要来源于硅藻的吸收利用及硅质软泥的富集。     

Distribution and sources of carbon,nitrogen, phosphorus and biogenic silica in the sediments of Chilika lagoon

The present study investigated the spatial and vertical distribution of organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and biogenic silica (BSi) in the sedimentary environments of Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon. Surface and core sediments were collected from various locations of the Chilika lagoon and were analysed for grain-size distribution and major elements in order to understand their distribution and sources. Sand is the dominant fraction followed by silt + clay. Primary production within the lagoon, terrestrial input from river discharge and anthropogenic activities in the vicinity of the lagoon control the distribution of OC, TN, TP and BSi in the surface as well as in the core sediments. Low C/N ratios in the surface sediments (3.49–3.41) and cores (4–11.86) suggest that phytoplankton and macroalgae may be major contributors of organic matter (OM) in the lagoon. BSi is mainly associated with the mud fraction. Core C5 from Balugaon region shows the highest concentration of OC ranging from 0.58–2.34%, especially in the upper 30 cm, due to direct discharge of large amounts of untreated sewage into the lagoon. The study highlights that Chilika is a dynamic ecosystem with a large contribution of OM by autochthonous sources with some input from anthropogenic sources as well.     

Concentration distribution and assessment of several heavy metals in sediments of west-four Pearl River Estuary

Grain size parameters, trace metals (Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Cr, Zn, Ba, Zr and Sr) and total organic matter (TOM) of 38 surficial sediments and a sediment core of west-four Pearl River Estuary region were analyzed. The spacial distribution and the transportation procession of the chemical element in surficial sediments were studied mainly. Multivariate statistics are used to analyses the interrelationship of metal elements, TOM and the grain size parameters. The results demonstrated that terrigenous sediment taken by the rivers are main sources of the trace metal elements and TOM, and the lithology of parent material is a dominating factor controlling the trace metal composition in the surficial sediment. In addition, the hydrodynamic condition and landform are the dominating factors controlling the large-scale distribution, while the anthropogenic input in the coastal area alters the regional distribution of heavy metal elements Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Cr and Zn. The enrichment factor (EF) analysis was used for the differentiation of the metal source between anthropogenic and naturally occurring, and for the assessment of the anthropogenic influence, the deeper layer content of heavy metals were calculated as the background values and Zr was chosen as the reference element for Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Cr and Zn. The result indicate prevalent enrichment of Co, Cu, Ni, Pb and Cr, and the contamination of Pb is most obvious, further more, the peculiar high EF value sites of Zn and Pb probably suggest point source input.     

High spatial resolution sampling of metals in the sediment and water column in Port Jefferson Harbor, New York

Eighteen sediment samples and six water-column samples were collected in a small (6 km²), coastal embayment (Port Jefferson Harbor, New York) to define a high-resolution spatial distribution of metals and to elucidate sources of contaminants to the harbor. Sediment metal (Ag, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) concentrations varied widely, reflecting differences in sediment grain size, with higher metal concentrations located in the fine-grained inner harbor sediments. Calculated enrichment factors for these sediments show that Ag, Pb, Cu, and Zn are elevated relative to both crustal abundances and their respective abundances in sediments in central Long Island Sound. Metal concentrations were 1.2 to 10 fold greater in water from the inner harbor compared to water from Long Island Sound collected outside the mouth of the harbor. Spatial variations in trace metals in surface waters within the bay parallel the spatial variations of trace metals in sediments within the harbor. Elevated water-column metal concentrations appear to be partially derived from a combination of diagenetic remobilization from contaminated sediments (e.g., Ag) and anthropogenic sources (e.g., Cu and Zn) within the southern portions of the harbor. Although the National Status and Trends Program had reported previously that sediment metal concentrations in Port Jefferson Harbor were low, the results of this study show sediment metals have high spatial variability and are enriched in the inner harbor sediments at levels comparable to more urbanized western north shore Long Island harbors.     

Hydrological and geochemical controls governing the distribution of trace metals in a mine-impacted lake

Factors controlling the distribution of mining-derived Cu, Pb and Zn in the waters and bottom sediments of a large Andean lake (Lago Junin, Peru) have been assessed based on sample collections in May/June 1997 (dry season) and February/March 1998 (wet season). Relatively low levels of trace metals detected in surface waters of the lake during the dry season contrasted greatly with the high values observed during the wet period. Dry season concentrations of total Zn, Cu and Pb in the central lake basin averaged 41, 4.4 and 0.24 µg/L, respectively. In contrast, the respective wet season concentrations of total Zn, Cu and Pb in areas of the main basin ranged up to 387, 52 and 40 µg/L. The seasonal variability in metal concentrations largely reflects an increase in the concentration of particulate metal phases during the wet season. Such observations can be attributed to changes in sediment loadings associated with mining-derived river inputs and changes in lake circulation resulting from hydroelectric dam operations. Surface sediments are characterized by lake-wide enrichments of Zn, Cu and Pb, with maximum concentrations reaching as high as 5, 0.25 and 0.7 wt%, respectively. Estimated rates of authigenic metal accumulation are not sufficient to account for the elevated metal concentrations in the main basin of the lake, indicating that metal distributions are governed by the accumulation of metal-rich particulates. Variations in the spatial distributions of Zn, Cu and Pb are suggested to be a function of varying host phases and textural sorting.     

Geochemistry of surface sediments and heavy metal contamination assessment: Messolonghi lagoon complex,Greece

The Messolonghi lagoon complex in Western Greece receives agricultural and domestic effluents both from point and diffused sources. Surface sediments were analyzed for grain size, organic carbon, total nitrogen, total sulfur, major and minor elements, aiming at the identification of geochemical relationships between all variables. Enrichment factors and the modified degree of contamination methods were applied to assess potential heavy metal enrichment related to human activities. Sediment texture was highly variable, with muddy sediments prevailing. In the central sector of the Messolonghi lagoon, organic carbon contents were high. Principal factor analysis revealed the following main groups of variables with common geochemical behavior: (1) terrigenous aluminosilicates (2) organic matter, (3) biogenic carbonates, (4) mineral quartz-aluminosilicates, and (5) Mn-oxides. Enrichment factors estimated for V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb using local pre-industrial sediment showed that all metals exhibit almost natural background levels, except for Pb, which was found to be slightly elevated (legacy of leaded fuel). Estimation of contamination factors concluded in similar results, whereas the overall modified degree of contamination was at the lowest level, therefore suggesting that this transitional water body has not been affected by anthropogenic activities. The data set may be considered as a baseline for future monitoring projects according to EU policy.     

Metal pollution in coarse sediments of Tuticorin coast,Southeast coast of India

Indian coastal waters are subjected to considerable pressure from sewage and industrial wastes, which are responsible for the contamination of the coastal sediments with consequent loss in biosphere. The present investigation attempts to study the significance of coarse material (Sand fraction) in the distribution of metals in polluted marine sediments. The study revealed that coarse Sand component contains a relatively significant proportion of the anthropogenic metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) and therefore it cannot be neglected in metal pollution studies of coastal sediments. Further, the distribution of anthropogenic metals in both Silt + Clay and Sand fraction follow the same suit indicating similar pollution sources. From the total sediment type (Silt + Clay and Sand fraction) all anthropogenic metals had a noticeable amount (>50%) in the acid extractable (and potentially bio-available) fraction. This article stresses the importance of coarse fraction in metal pollution studies in Indian coastal system.     

Accumulation of potentially toxic elements in sediments in Budi Lagoon,Araucania Region,Chile

The concentrations of Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Fe and Zn were determined in superficial sediments extracted from nine zones of Budi Lagoon, located in the Araucanía Region (Chile). The concentrations of these metals were determined by flame atomic absorption spectroscopy and the method was validated using certified reference material (marine sediment). The concentration ranges found for the trace elements were: Pb < 0.5; Cd < 0.2–3.9; Cu 21.8–61.9; Ni 31.2–59.4; Zn 54.5–94.8 mgkg^?1 (dry weight). The elements that registered the highest concentrations were Mn 285.4–989.8 mgkg^?1 and Fe 4.8–10.6 %. The lagoon cluster analysis of the stations was divided into three groups (Temo station with high Cu and low Mn concentrations, Bolleco, Comué, Allipén and Deume 3 stations presented highest Cd concentration, and another group Botapulli, Río Budi, Deume 2 and Deume 1 stations presented low levels of Cd). The textural characteristics of the sediment were determined (gravel, sand and mud) and the results were correlated with the concentrations of the metals in the various study zones. The sediments of Budi Lagoon presented high levels of Fe and Mn, which are of natural origin and exceed the maximum values recorded by many authors. With respect to the recorded concentrations for Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn, are within the ranges published by other authors in similar works. The Pb element was not detected. The results were subjected to statistical analysis to evaluate the correlations between the content of the elements and obtain the site of sediment.     

Heavy Metal Distributions and Source Tracing in the Lacustrine Sediments of Dongdao Island, South China Sea

The levels and depth distributions of As,Cd,Cu,Zn,Pb,Hg,Fe and Mn in two sediment cores DY2 and DY4 collected from the"Cattle Pond"of Dongdao Island,South China Sea,were determined and analyzed with the main objective to identify the sources of these elements and evaluate the corresponding sedimentological and geochemical processes.Lithological characters and sedimentary parameters such as LOI_(950℃),CaO,LOI_(550℃) and TOC indicate that the depth of 96 cm and 87 cm are the critical points for DY2 and DY4 cores,respectively.As,Cd,Cu,Zn,Hg and P are remarkably enriched in the ornithogenic sediments above the critical depth points;their concentration-versus-depth profiles are similar to those of TOC and LOIssooc;the ratios of As,Cd,Cu, Zn,Hg over Ca are significantly correlated with P/Ca.Statistical and comparative analyses of these elements' levels in the ornithogenic sediments of DY2 and DY4 strongly suggest that seabird droppings are the main source of these elements.Additionally,for the upper sediment layers of DY2 and DY4 cores,Fe oxide sorption mechanism,like organic matter,may also play an important role in the abundances of heavy metals.Heavy metal Pb has geochemical characteristics distinctly different from those of As,Cd,Cu,Zn,Hg and P,and its isotope composition indicates an origin of anthropogenic emissions from the surrounding countries.These geochemical characteristics in the orinithogenic sediments of Xisha Islands are compared with the studies in the remote Antarctic and Arctic regions.