Risk assessment of heavy metals in a typical mangrove ecosystem - A case study of Shankou Mangrove National Natural Reserve, southern China

Zhenglei Xie; Gaoru Zhu; Min Xu; Hua Zhang; Wenbin Yi; Yinghui Jiang; Minxuan Liang; Zaifeng Wang

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113642

Risk assessment of heavy metals in a typical mangrove ecosystem - A case study of Shankou Mangrove National Natural Reserve, southern China

Mar Pollut Bull. 2022 May:178:113642. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113642. Epub 2022 Apr 11.

Authors

Zhenglei Xie¹, Gaoru Zhu², Min Xu³, Hua Zhang⁴, Wenbin Yi³, Yinghui Jiang⁵, Minxuan Liang⁶, Zaifeng Wang⁷

Affiliations

¹ College of Marine Science and Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; Key Laboratory of Coastal Salt Marsh Ecosystems and Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources, China.
² Laboratory of Transport Pollution Control and Monitoring Technology, Transport Planning and Research Institute, Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China, Beijing 100028, China. Electronic address: zhugr@tpri.org.cn.
³ College of Marine Science and Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research, Ministry of Education, School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research (SKLEC), East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China.
⁶ South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510530, China.
⁷ College of Marine Science and Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China. Electronic address: 76010@njnu.edu.cn.

PMID: 35421640
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113642

Abstract

Mangroves bear enormous ecosystem value, while the ecosystems are facing increasing environmental pressures. In this study, 73 samples of soil sediments in mangroves, paddy fields, grasslands, forests, and shrimp ponds were collected from Shankou Mangrove National Nature Reserve (SKMNNR), Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. The pollution status and ecological risks of heavy metal elements of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb, V, and Co were determined using the enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulaton index (I_geo), and potential ecological risk index (PERI). The average concentration is shown to be substantially lower than the background value. In general, the I_geo values indicated that the pollution conditions of different land use types in SKMNNR are relatively minor. Most of the PERI values were at the moderate level. This study demonstrates that the current status of sediment quality in SKMNNR is relatively good, and the pollution level is relatively low. Large-scale coastal aquaculture development and industrial expansion should not no longer be permitted there.

Keywords: Ecological risk; Metals enrichment; Pollution indices; Sediment quality criteria; Shankou mangrove national natural reserve.

MeSH terms

China
Ecosystem*
Environmental Monitoring
Metals, Heavy* / analysis
Risk Assessment

Substances

Metals, Heavy