Mini review of trace metal contamination status in East China Sea sediment

Tien Hsi Fang; Chia Yu Lien

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110874

Mini review of trace metal contamination status in East China Sea sediment

Mar Pollut Bull. 2020 Mar:152:110874. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110874. Epub 2020 Jan 14.

Authors

Tien Hsi Fang¹, Chia Yu Lien²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Marine Environmental Informatics, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 202, Taiwan.. Electronic address: thfang@mail.ntou.edu.tw.
² Department of Marine Environmental Informatics, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 202, Taiwan.

PMID: 31957669
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110874

Abstract

This study reviewed the published papers and employed the guideline values of USEPA (ERL and ERM) and China (MSQ, Class I, II, III) to assess the contamination status of potential toxic metals in East China Sea sediment (ECS). The percentages of metal concentrations exceeding the ERL value follow the sequences: Ni (96%) > As(71%) > Cr(53%) > Cu (19%) > Zn (2.4%) > Hg (0.5%) > Pb (0.4%) > Cd (0%). The similar ranking is also seen for MSQ class I. All metal concentrations were less than the ERM value, except Ni of which value 10.3% exceeded the ERM value. The potentially ecological risk from these sedimentary metals could be reduced because they were mainly present in the residual fraction, which is not available for marine organisms. It seems that the Ni ERL value is too low (20.8. mg kg^-¹), close to the value (18.6 mg kg^-¹) of the upper continental crust, to obey.

Keywords: Contamination status; ERL value; East China Sea; Trace metals.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

China
Environmental Monitoring
Geologic Sediments
Metals, Heavy / analysis*
Risk Assessment
Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*

Substances

Metals, Heavy
Water Pollutants, Chemical