Influence of the Yangtze River and grain size on the spatial variations of heavy metals and organic carbon in the East China Sea continental shelf sediments

Bulk heavy metal (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd), Al, organic carbon and carbonate concentrations, grain sizes, and δC¹³ of the organic carbon distributions were studied in sediments collected throughout the East China Sea continental shelf and the Yangtze River Delta. The results demonstrated that terrigenous sediments from the Yangtze River is a dominating factor controlling the spatial variations of heavy metals and organic carbon concentrations on the East China Sea continental shelf. In addition, grain size and recent anthropogenic influences are also major factors modifying the spatial and vertical variations of heavy metals.Large spatial variations with a band type distribution of heavy metals, grain size, organic carbon and carbonate were observed. Higher concentrations of heavy metal and light δC¹³ of the organic carbon were found primarily in the Deltaic and inner shelf sediments. The band type distribution generally followed the coastline with little variations in the north–south direction. Away from the Delta and inner shelf (west–east direction), most heavy metal concentrations decreased rapidly with the exception of Cd where high concentrations of Cd were also found in the carbonate-rich shelf break sediments. Coarse-grained relict sediments and biogenic carbonate are two primary diluting agents for the fine-grained aluminosilicate sediments from the Yangtze River with high concentrations of heavy metals.Unusually high concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Cd showed both spatially and vertically that more pollution prevention measures are needed in the Yangtze River drainage basin in order to prevent further heavy metal pollution of the East China Sea inner continental shelf.