Multi-index assessment of heavy metal contamination in surface sediments of the Pearl River estuary intertidal zone

Rui-Ze Liang; Yang-Guang Gu; Hai-Song Li; Yan-Jie Han; Jie Niu; Hong Su; Richard W Jordan; Xiang-Tian Man; Shi-Jun Jiang

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114445

Multi-index assessment of heavy metal contamination in surface sediments of the Pearl River estuary intertidal zone

Mar Pollut Bull. 2023 Jan:186:114445. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114445. Epub 2022 Dec 5.

Authors

Rui-Ze Liang¹, Yang-Guang Gu², Hai-Song Li³, Yan-Jie Han⁴, Jie Niu⁵, Hong Su⁵, Richard W Jordan⁶, Xiang-Tian Man⁷, Shi-Jun Jiang⁸

Affiliations

¹ School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China.
² South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China. Electronic address: hydrobio@163.com.
³ South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China; College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
⁴ South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China; College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
⁵ College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
⁶ Faculty of Science, Yamagata University, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan.
⁷ South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China; Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
⁸ College of Oceanography, Hohai University, Nanjing 245700, China.

PMID: 36470095
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114445

Abstract

Surface sediments from 21 stations within the Pearl River estuary (PRE) intertidal zone were sampled for heavy metal contamination analysis. Average heavy metal concentrations (mg/kg) in the PRE intertidal zone were 118.5 (Cr), 860.4 (Mn), 19.5 (Co), 72.5 (Ni), 128.1 (Cu), 198.5 (Zn), and 73.0 (Pb), with the concentrations of Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn being significantly higher than their corresponding background values. The enrichment factor (EF) and geo-accumulation index (I_geo) reveal the same contamination status, with Pb, Ni, Co, Mn, and Cu showing slight to moderate contamination. Overall, the combined heavy metal concentration in the PRE intertidal surface sediments had a 24.7 % probability of toxic effects on aquatic biota based on the joint probabilistic risk (JPR) approach. Principal component analysis (PCA) coupled with the correlation analysis (CA) revealed that the heavy metal contamination in the PRE intertidal zone might originate from natural and anthropogenic sources.

Keywords: Ecological risk; Heavy metals; Intertidal zone sediments; Joint probabilistic risk; Pearl River estuary; Sediment quality criteria.

MeSH terms

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

Substances

Lead
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Metals, Heavy