Effect of organic matter on the environmental behavior of sulfur and heavy metals in mariculture sediments during the aging process

Zhaoran Li; Qunqun Liu; Yanqing Sheng

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116420

Effect of organic matter on the environmental behavior of sulfur and heavy metals in mariculture sediments during the aging process

Mar Pollut Bull. 2024 Apr 30:203:116420. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116420. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Zhaoran Li¹, Qunqun Liu¹, Yanqing Sheng²

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, China.
² Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, China. Electronic address: yqsheng@yic.ac.cn.

PMID: 38692006
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116420

Abstract

Organic matter (OM) significantly impacts the environmental behavior of sulfur and heavy metals. In this study, the effects of OM on the migration and transformation of sulfur and heavy metals in mariculture sediments were investigated. The results indicated that baiting had a strong impact on the accumulation of acid volatile sulfur (AVS) (P < 0.05) and increased the environmental risk of sulfide in sediments. The addition of bait promoted the generation of chromium (II)-reducible sulfur (CRS); however, the resistance of AVS to CRS conversion increased with increasing bait addition. The addition of bait considerably influenced Cd accumulation. The acid-soluble fractions of Cr and Cu and the oxidizable fraction of Cd were primarily affected by the bait addition (coefficient of variation>15 %). An increase in the reducible fraction promoted the conversion of AVS to CRS, which reduced the degree of sediment aging. Higher OM levels reduced the diversity and abundance of the bacterial communities. The sulfate respiration functional microbiota was particularly affected by OM.

Keywords: Environmental behavior; Heavy metals; Mariculture sediment aging; Organic matter; Reduced inorganic sulfur.