Dissolved and particulate heavy metal pollution status in seawater and sedimentary heavy metals of the Bohai Bay

Haijiao Liu; Changling Ding; Guicheng Zhang; Yiyan Guo; Yuyao Song; Satheeswaran Thangaraj; Xiaodong Zhang; Jun Sun

doi:10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106158

Dissolved and particulate heavy metal pollution status in seawater and sedimentary heavy metals of the Bohai Bay

Mar Environ Res. 2023 Oct:191:106158. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106158. Epub 2023 Aug 31.

Authors

Haijiao Liu¹, Changling Ding², Guicheng Zhang¹, Yiyan Guo³, Yuyao Song³, Satheeswaran Thangaraj⁴, Xiaodong Zhang³, Jun Sun⁵

Affiliations

¹ Tianjin Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Chemistry, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China.
² Tianjin Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Chemistry, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan, 430074, China; College of Marine Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan, 430074, China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan, 430074, China; College of Marine Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan, 430074, China; Department of Physiology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, 600077, India.
⁵ Tianjin Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Chemistry, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China; Research Centre for Indian Ocean Ecosystem, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China; State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan, 430074, China; College of Marine Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan, 430074, China. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 37696163
DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106158

Abstract

Heavy metal contamination has been the focus of many studies owing to its potential risk on the health of coastal ecosystems. The Bohai Bay (BHB) is the second largest bay of Bohai Sea and subjected to serious anthropogenic perturbations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution and pollution status of toxic heavy metals in seawater with two fractions (dissolved and suspended particulate phases) and surface sediments of this coastal system. Therefore, several hydrochemical parameters and concentration of seawater metals and sediment metals were measured at two cruises of 2020 summer and autumn. The spatial distribution and potential ecological risks were examined and their inter-element relationships were analyzed to identify potential geochemical processes. By comparing historical data since 1978, we find declining trends in contents of most trace metals in seawater and sediments, suggesting that recent pollution control in BHB have an effect on diminishing metal pollution. Dissolved metals showed no significant dependence on their particulate phase. The seawater posed a moderate to high level of ecological risk. The hydrochemical factors mainly had a greater impact on dissolved metals during summer, whereas they influenced suspended metals more significantly during autumn. These results provide fundamental information to support environmental quality management and ecological protection in coastal systems.

Keywords: Bohai bay; Dissolved metals; Ecological risk assessment; Heavy metal pollutants; Suspended particulate metals.

MeSH terms

Bays / chemistry
China
Ecosystem
Environmental Monitoring / methods
Geologic Sediments / chemistry
Metals, Heavy* / analysis
Risk Assessment
Seawater / chemistry
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Water Pollutants, Chemical
Metals, Heavy