Distribution and Contamination of Heavy Metal in the Coastal Sediments of Port Klang, Selangor, Malaysia

The coastal sediments of Port Klang in Malaysia were monitored from November 2009 to October 2010 to evaluate the spatial distribution of heavy metals As, Cu, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn, Pb, Mn, Al and Fe. Sediment samples were collected from 21 stations, covering three subsidiary ports, namely West Port, North Port and South Port, at three-month intervals. The geo-accumulation index and the enrichment factor were estimated to assess contamination status based on background values. Additionally, the sediment quality guide was applied to evaluate the adverse biological effects of heavy metals. These results show that the concentrations of some metals, such as As, Cd and Pb were comparatively higher than the background values. This is considered a critical environmental issue for this region. Furthermore, the toxicity estimation indicates that living organisms have a high risk of As exposure. Spatial distribution maps of heavy metals would aid in the identification of pollution sources and vulnerable sites.     

Speciation and Concentrations of Mercury in Certain Coastal Marine Sediments

Concentrations of total mercury (Hg), methyl Hg and Hg(II) were determined in coastal marine sediments collected from the Baltic, South China and the Bering Seas. Methyl Hg concentrations in sediments were between 0.01 and 2 ng g-¹ on a dry weight basis, accounting for only <1% of the total Hg concentrations. The percentage of Hg(II) (i.e. available Hg) in total Hg was between 5 and 13 suggesting that most of the Hg in sediments was bound as HgS and/or Hg-humic complexes. Relatively larger proportion of methyl Hg was found in less polluted freshwater sediments than in marine sediments. Methyl Hg concentrations in marine sediments were not found to be correlated with total Hg and/or Hg (II) concentrations.     

The Significance of Coarse Sediments in Metal Pollution Studies in the Coastal Zone

The role of coarse material (sand fraction) in the distributionof metals in polluted marine sediments was investigated in theharbors and the coastal zone of Mytilene, island of Lesvos,Aegean Sea. It was found that sand fraction contains a relatively significant proportion of the anthropogenic metalsand therefore it cannot be neglected in metal pollution studiesof coastal sediments. Also the distribution of the anthropogenicmetals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) in both silt+clay and sand fractionsfollow the same pattern indicating similar pollution sources. In the bulk sediment (clay + silt + sand fraction) all anthropogenic metals had a significant amount (> 50%) in theacid-extractable (and potentially bio-available) fraction.     

Use of the Sediment Quality Triad to Assess Metal Contamination in Freshwater Superficial Sediments from the Le An River,China

By integrating data on the chemistry, toxicity and benthic community structure, the sediment quality triad was used to evaluate the current situation of superficial sediments from the Le An River. This river has been strongly polluted with large amounts of copper, lead and zinc in waste water discharging from riparian mining and smelting activities. The response of the benthic environment was illustrated by ratio-to-reference (RTR) scale in corresponding triaxial graph. From upstream to downstream, the response intensity of three components showed sectional characteristics. The upstream area was relatively clean due to less disturbance. Within the middle stream area, extreme toxicity and serious deterioration of the benthic community structure could be mainly ascribed to strong acidity in drainage and high concentrations of multiple metals in superficial sediments, especially copper. Because of the river self-purification capability, pollution gradually declined and the sediment quality began to recover downstream. The situation was closely associated to the distribution of major pollution sources, therefore, source control and dredging operation on contaminated sediments in the middle stream area are required urgently.     

Use of Background Concentrations of Heavy Metals for Regional Monitoring of Soil Contamination by the example of Rostov Oblast

Eurasian Soil Science - In the monitoring of soils contaminated with heavy metals, the choice of the target indicators (background or threshold values) is a challenging task. The determination of...     

Metal Contamination of River Waters and Sediments from Effluents of Kaolin Processing in Brazil

In order to evaluate the metal contamination from kaolin industry discharges into rivers in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, samples of river water and fluvial sediment were collected up- and down-river from the industries and analysed todetect metal inputs. The metal examined included zinc, iron, andaluminium among others, being selected due to their toxicity andoccurence in waste waters. Metal inputs in the samples analysed appeared to be related to effluent discharges into the rivers. The river water showed high concentrations (in μg mL^-1) of Zn (355), Fe (354) and Al (303). Sediment investigations indicated heavy enrichment (SEF = 9.4) for Zn. The Geoaccumulation Index for this element accounted for 3 (moderately to heavy polluted). River water pH of the sample collected near the effluent discharge site reached 3.7, suggesting inadequate treatment.     

Airborne Trace Metal Contamination of Wetland Sediments at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

For more than 100 yr, the wetland sediments at theIndiana Dunes National Lakeshore (IDNL) and adjacentIndiana Dunes State Park have received atmosphericinput of trace metals from industrial sources locatedupwind and to the west. This study documents the tracemetal pollution of these sediments, both areally andwith depth, and identifies trends in metaldistribution and mobility. Twenty-five wetlandsediment cores were taken across IDNL, at varyingdistances from the principal industrial sources, andfrom environments with different disturbance histories(and thus different hydroperiods). Strong-acidextractable concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb,Se, and Zn were determined at intervals for each ofthe cores. Total metal extractions and a ²¹⁰Pbchronology also was determined for one of the cores.Metal concentrations in near-surface sediments arecomparable to those found in other soils and sedimentsin the region, and show surficial enrichment overbackground levels; including Zn concentrations as highas 1700 ppm, Pb as high as 280 ppm, and Mn as high as2700 ppm. Surficial sediment concentrations of Pb,Zn, Cr, and Cu are elevated at sites in closeproximity to anthropogenic sources, while the othermetals do not exhibit a trend in concentration withdistance from sources. Lead, Cr, and Cu appear to berelatively immobile after deposition, while Cd, Ni,and Se appear to have some mobility. The durationand/or frequency of flooding appear to be important indetermining the mobility of Zn and Mn. The findingsof this research provide important insight into theeffects of cumulated human impacts on wetland systems, and can serve as an aid in the planning of wetland restoration projects, several of which are currently underway at IDNL.     

Geographic Classification of Heavy Metal Concentrations in Mosses and Stream Sediments in the Federal Republic of Germany

The results of the first German moss monitoring programme to estimate heavy metal pollution in the Federal Republic of Germany were combined with other large-scale investigations carried out in Germany and then classified geographically in a new form. Using Monte Carlo assisted factor analysis, six factors indicating sources of pollution were identified from the sets of element data from the moss monitoring project (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Ti, V, Zn) and the data sets for SO₂ and particulate. The geographic distribution patterns of the factor values showed the regions in which the various sources are to be found. By combining the data the primarily anthropogenic chromium concentrations of the mosses were compared with the mainly geogenic chromium concentrations of the stream sediments in the form of examples. After normalization, the transformed chromium concentrations were transferred to a map of the entire area using inverse distance weighting. Anthropogenic and geogenic influences are being discussed on the basis of the results.     

上海市区公园土壤重金属含量及其污染评价

通过对上海市区44个公园土壤重金属含量的调查,发现市区公园表层土壤Pb、Zn、Cu和Cr的平均含量分别为55.1mg kg-1,198.5 mg kg-1、44.6 mg kg-1、77.0 mg kg-1。以上海土壤背景值为标准,用内梅罗指数法综合评价上海市区公园土壤重金属污染状况为:绝大部分公园为轻污染,9个为中度污染,7个达重度污染。通过对公园土壤重金属含量的空间分析发现:内环线附近公园土壤Pb、Zn和Cu的平均含量最高,Cr的平均含量以内外环线之间公园为最高。上海市区公园较严重的重金属污染可能来源于交通和工业污染,与公园建成时间无显著性相关。     

Soil Contamination Interpretation by the Use of Monitoring Data Analysis

The presented study deals with the interpretation of soil quality monitoring data using hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal components analysis (PCA). Both statistical methods contributed to the correct data classification and projection of the surface (0–20 cm) and subsurface (20–40 cm) soil layers of 36 sampling sites in the region of Burgas, Bulgaria. Clustering of the variables led to formation of four significant clusters corresponding to possible sources defining the soil quality like agricultural activity, industrial impact, fertilizing, etc. Two major clusters were found to explain the sampling site locations according to soil composition—one cluster for coastal and mountain sites and another—for typical rural and industrial sites. Analogous results were obtained by the use of PCA. The advantage of the latter was the opportunity to offer more quantitative interpretation of the role of identified soil quality sources by the level of explained total variance. The score plots and the dendrogram of the sampling sites indicated a relative spatial homogeneity according to geographical location and soil layer depth. The high-risk areas and pollution profiles were detected and visualized using surface maps based on Kriging algorithm.     

巢湖沉积物磷的形态及其与间隙水磷的关系

采用磷形态的连续提取法,研究了巢湖沉积物中磷的地球化学形态及间隙水中总溶解性磷（DTP）、可溶性磷酸盐（DIP）、可溶性有机磷（DOP）含量的垂向分布特征。结果表明,西湖区的沉积物总磷含量明显高于东湖区。表层沉积物中活性磷含量占总磷的44％-81％,金属氧化物结合态磷（NaOH—P）作为活性磷的主要存在形式,在西湖区含量比例达到47％-60％,对磷释放起重要贡献;磷形态剖面表明,西湖区的金属氧化物结合态磷、可还原态磷（BD—P）含量高于东湖区。金属氧化物结合态磷、可还原态磷、钙结合态磷（HCl-P）受人类活动影响较大,有机磷（Org—P）受外源磷污染影响很小;BD—P、NaOH—P随深度增加而减小,说明巢湖近期磷负荷有增加的趋势;DTP、DIP、DOP在水-沉积物界面的浓度梯度反映它们有自间隙水向上覆水扩散的趋势;巢湖间隙水不同形态磷与BD—P、NaOH—P显著相关（α=0．01）。这项研究可为巢湖内源污染和富营养化的控制与治理提供理论参考。     

Comparison of Single and Sequential Extraction Procedures for Assessing Metal Leaching from Dredged Coastal Sediments

Potential uses of dredged sediments have raised questions about leaching of contaminants from such material once transported to other locations and exposed to other environments. In order to estimate leachable, i.e. available fractions of chemical elements in such materials, a number of analytical protocols were proposed, of which none is internationally accepted as a standard procedure. As a consequence, comparability of the results obtained by different protocols in various laboratories is difficult to demonstrate. In the present study some commonly used protocols including a leaching test with (i) seawater, following the modified German Standard Method (DIN), (ii) a single extraction with 25% acetic acid, following the method proposed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and (iii) a three-step sequential extraction, following both the original and the modified protocols of the Standards, Measurements and Testing Programme (formerly Community Bureau of Reference – BCR), were performed for assessing the availability of lead, zinc, nickel and copper leachable from dredged marine sediments. A comparison of the results obtained by the different protocols indicated that the single extraction with acetic acid is a reliable simplified technique and allows more rapid evaluations of dredged areas of coastal lagoons in the Northern Adriatic. This procedure provides information on the potentially bioavailable portion of metals.     

城乡交错带河流表层沉积物重金属污染及潜在生态风险评价

针对城乡交错带河流表层沉积物重金属污染问题,以成都市江安河为例进行污染分析和潜在生态风险评价。选取何家湾、马家市、金花桥、凉港大桥4个断面进行沉积物取样,测定其Cu、Pb、Cr、Ni、Mn、Zn、Cd共7种重金属元素的含量,并采用地积累指数法和Hakanson指数法进行重金属污染级数分析及潜在生态风险评价。研究表明:何家湾受到Zn中度污染,马家市、金花桥、凉港大桥受到Zn轻度污染,何家湾、金花桥和凉港大桥受到Cu和Cr轻度污染。潜在生态风险指数由大到小为何家湾 > 凉港大桥 > 金花桥 > 马家市,均小于40,属轻微生态风险。城市化所带来的重金属污染初见端倪,污染分布和生态风险与沿岸工农业生产分布和城市化进程相关。城乡交错带在城市化进程中应开展环境整治并加强环境管理。     

Heavy Metal Contamination in Soils of Urban Highways Comparison Between Runoff and Soil Concentrations at Cincinnati,Ohio

Rainfall runoff from urban roadways oftencontains elevated amounts of heavy metals in both particulate anddissolved forms (Sansalone and Buchberger, 1997). Because metalsdo not degrade naturally, high concentrations of them in runoffcan result in accumulation in the roadside soil at levels thatare toxic to organisms in surrounding environments. This studyinvestigated the accumulation of metals in roadside soils at asite for which extensive runoff data were also available.For this study, 58 soil samples, collected from I-75 nearCincinnati, Ohio, were examined using X-ray fluorescence, C-Sanalyzer, inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy, atomicabsorption spectrometry and X-ray diffraction. The resultsdemonstrated that heavy metal contamination in the top 15 cm ofthe soil samples is very high compared to local backgroundlevels. The maximum measured amount for Pb is 1980 ppm (at 10–15 cm depth) and for Zn is 1430 ppm (at 0–1 cm depth). Metal content in the soil falls off rapidly with depth, and metalcontent decreases as organic C decreases. The correlation toorganic C is stronger than the correlation to depth. The resultsof sequential soil extraction, however, showed lower amounts ofPb and Zn associated with organic matter than was expected basedon the correlation of metals to % organic C in the whole soil.Measurement of organic C in the residues of the sequentialextraction steps revealed that much of the carbon was not removedand hence is of a more refractory nature than is usual inuncontaminated soils. Cluster analysis of the heavy metal datashowed that Pb, Zn and Cu are closely associated to one another,but that Ni and Cr do not show an association with each other orwith either organic C or depth. ICP spectroscopy of exchanged cations showed that only 4.5%of Pb, 8.3% of Zn, 6.9% of Cu and 3.7% of Cr in the soil isexchangeable. Combined with the small amounts of metals bound tosoluble organic matter, this result shows that it is unlikelythat these contaminants can be remobilized into water. At thissite, clays are not an important agent in holding the metals inplace because of low amounts of swelling clays. Instead, insoluble organic matter is more important. Mass balancecalculations for Pb in soil showed that most of the Pb came fromexhausts of vehicles when leaded gasoline was in use, and thatabout 40% of this Pb is retained in the soil.This study shows that, highway environments being a relativelyconstant source of anthropogenic organic matter as well as heavymetals, heavy metals will continue to remain bound to organicmatter in-situ unless they are re-mobilized mechanically. Removalof these heavy metals as wind-blown dust is the most likelymechanism. Another possibility is surface run-off carrying themetals into surface drainages, bypassing the soil. This studyalso shows that for those countries still using leaded gasoline,important reductions in Pb contamination of soils can be achievedby restricting the use of Pb additives.     

Horticultural Use of Copper-Based Fungicides Has Not Increased Copper Concentrations in Sediments in the Mid- and Upper Yarra Valley

The use of Cu-based fungicide can pose a risk to nearby surface water bodies due to the run-off of accumulated Cu from agricultural soils. In 2008, we conducted a reconnaissance survey of the presence and concentration of copper in sediments at 18 sites within the Yarra River Catchment, an important horticultural production system in south-eastern Australia. Observed Cu concentrations in sediment samples from the study sites (mean (95 % confidence interval) 12.0 (10.6–13.6)? mg/kg dry weight) were similar to the concentrations present in the samples from the reference sites (mean (95 % confidence interval) 12.0 (6.7–16.8)? mg/kg dry weight). The data on Cu and other metals in the sediments suggest that that there is unlikely to have been wide spread, diffuse, off-site transport of Cu from the soils of horticultural properties to nearby surface waterways in the Yarra River Catchment and that that observed sediment metal concentrations are unlikely to pose an ecological risk to sediment-dwelling organisms at the study sites.     

Heavy Metal Contents and Distribution in Coastal Sediments of the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy)

A set of ten heavy metals (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) was investigated in surface sediments (0–5 cm) collected in 21 sites of the Gulf of Trieste, Northern Adriatic Sea (Italy). The aim of this work was to obtain a preliminary assessment about the levels and spatial distribution of these selected elements. Ancillary parameters such as grain size, total organic carbon, and total nitrogen were also determined. The enrichment factor was calculated to discriminate if a natural condition or a status of anthropogenic contamination occurs. In addition, a set of sediment quality guidelines, mean effect low range and effect medium range quotients, was also applied in order to predict the probability of adverse biological effects on the benthic community.     

腹足纲土壤动物在监测和评价重金属污染中的应用研究进展

重金属污染正日益受到人们的关注。利用指示生物监测和评价重金属污染是一种简单可行的方法,但是却能提供具有重要价值的信息,特别是在反映生态系统功能变化方面具有独特的优势。在指示生物和生物监测研究领域,软体动物可以被用来获取陆地、海洋和淡水生态系统的环境质量信息。本文综述了腹足纲土壤动物应用于重金属污染监测和评价中的研究进展。     

广东大宝山矿区土壤重金属含量及其影响因素

对大宝山矿区6个功能区进行土壤基本性质分析和重金属含量测定,并分析其相关性。结果显示,土壤Cu,Zn,Pb,Cr含量以露采区最高,土壤Mn和Cd含量以尾矿库最高,大部分区域土壤重金属含量高于国家三级标准,各区域土壤重金属含量变异性较大,与区域功能和土壤来源有关。Cu,Pb,Zn含量之间具有较强相关性,且这三种重金属都与沙粒含量呈正相关,说明可能是由于人为活动释放到土壤中,有机质与Cu、pH、速效钾,粉粒与Mn,CEC与Cr、速效钾,pH与Cr呈正相关;全氮、pH与Cu,碱性氮与Mn,有机质与Cr,全磷、全氮、pH与Cr呈负相关。     

Estimation of Source of Heavy Metal Contamination in Sediments of Gomti River (India) using Principal Component Analysis

This study explores the extent and possible sources of heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn and Ni) contamination in the bed sediments of the Gomti River performing principal component analysis on the five years (Jan. 1994–Dec. 1998) data set obtained through continuous monitoring of the river water and bed sediments at eight selected sites and water/wastewater of its tributaries/drains. Influence of anthropogenic activities on metal contamination of the bed sediments was evaluated through computing the geoaccumulation index for various metals at studied sites. PCA performed on combined (river bed sediment, water, suspended solids, water/wastewater from tributaries/drains) data set extracted two significant factors explaining more than 58% of total variance. Factor loadings suggested the presence of both natural as well as anthropogenic sources for all these metals in the river bed sediments. Among all the sites, the sites 4 and 5 are more contaminated with Cd, Cu, Cr and Pb, which was supported by the geoaccumulation indices computed for metals. Factor scores revealed presence of seasonal (monsoon-related) differences in metals profiles for river water and suspended solids and absence of seasonal differences for bed sediment and wastewater. Further, the metal contamination of the bed sediment was also evaluated using biological thresholds. Results suggested that the river bed sediments are contaminated with heavy metals, which may contribute to sediment toxicity to the freshwater ecosystem of the Gomti River.     

Heavy Metal Contamination in Sediments of Lake Nahuel Huapi,Nahuel Huapi National Park,Northern Patagonia,Argentina

Trace metals (Sb, As, Br, Cs, Co, Cr, Ag and Hg), rare earth elements (Ce, Eu, La, Lu, Sm, Tb and Yb), and Sc. were analysed in suspended load and in two sediment cores from Lake Nahuel Huapi, Nahuel Huapi National Park, Patagonia, Argentina, by using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis. The core activity profiles of ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs were measured to estimate the age of the sediments. Silver was enriched in the upper layers of both cores, and correlated with the strong growthof the population of Bariloche City in the last 50 yr. Concentrations are higher in the core sampled near Bariloche, andindicate some transport in the water body. Silver concentrationsmeasured in the suspended load were 4.58±0.36 and 3.46±0.40 μg g^-1 in the southern margin of the lake, near San Carlos de Bariloche City, whereas in the northern margin the concentrations were 1.68±0.18 and 1.88±0.23 μg g^-1. Concentration ratio for silver in suspended load and upper core layers were equal in both sampling points. These facts suggest that Ag contents correspond to inputs associated with human activities. Bromine concentrations show a strong increase abovebase line values, similar to silver. In contrast, caesium, chromium, and cobalt concentrations do not differ from base linevalues. The metalloids antimony and arsenic show little variationwith regard to base line concentration. Noticeable, the mercurycontents found in the suspended load.