Historical flux of mercury associated with mining and industrial sources in the Marano and Grado Lagoon (northern Adriatic Sea)

Covelli, Stefano; Langone, Leonardo; Acquavita, Alessandro; Piani, Raffaella; Emili, Andrea

doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2011.12.038

Cited by 59 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Geochronological measurements showed that the depositional flux of Hg was influenced by anthropogenic inputs after 1800, when cinnabar mining activity at Idrija (Slovenia) was more intense. After 1950, surface sediments were also affected by the discharge of the Aussa River, which delivers Hg from a chlor-alkali plant (Covelli et al, 2012). For other metals, concentration profiles are affected by grain-size variability and the anthropogenic component is not easily discernible by the lithogenic one.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Natural background values for heavy metals in the sediments of a contaminated Northern Adriatic lagoon environment: a geochemical perspective

Covelli

Emili

Acquavita³

2013

E3S Web of Conferences

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Abstract. Major and trace elements were determined in 14 sediment cores collected from the Marano and Grado Lagoon (northern Adriatic sea). The lagoon is contaminated by several harmful priority substances, heavy metals included, and it has also been declared a "polluted site of national interest" (SIN) mainly due to high Hg concentrations in sediments. Based on a normalization procedure involving predicted linear relationships for "metal vs Al" obtained from the core subsamples, background values for each metal were evaluated on a regional scale and according to the grain-size variability. Compared to Environmental Quality Standards reported in the Italian laws and regulations, the estimated background ranges show that bottom sediments are naturally "enriched" in some metals, such as Cr, Ni and Cd especially in sediments with a high percentage of the fine component. A correct evaluation on sediment quality status should be made on the basis of regional background values for each metal, taking into account local geochemical characteristics, i.e. mineralogical composition and grain-size variability of sediments.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Natural background values for heavy metals in the sediments of a contaminated Northern Adriatic lagoon environment: a geochemical perspective

Covelli

Emili

Acquavita³

2013

E3S Web of Conferences

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“…The Mediterranean Sea is known to be a hot spot for Hg, harboring about half of the world's natural Hg deposits (Covelli et al 2012). Total Hg concentrations were reported to be the highest in the liver of aquatic mammals (Squadrone et al 2015), ranging between 0.246 and 1.74 mg/kg-DW in tuna and other types of fish caught along the Italian shore and in deep sea (Di Bella et al 2015;Spada et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mercury health risk assessment among a young adult Lebanese population

Obeid

Fares

Farhat

et al. 2017

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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Mercury (Hg) exposure represents a significant public health concern at a global level. This study aims at assessing Hg exposure and risk among Lebanese young adults based on Hg biomonitoring and seafood intake. A group of 166 young adults were administered a questionnaire to assess Hg exposure and were asked to provide a hair sample. Risk assessment was performed: (1) using the US Environmental Protection Agency Hazard Quotient (HQ) model based on fish intake and previously studied local fish Hg concentrations, and (2) by determining the total hair Hg concentration (THHg) using continuous flow-chemical vapor generation atomic absorption spectrometry. Differences in THHg across demographic and exposure subgroups were tested using t test or ANOVA. Correlations between THHg concentrations, fish consumption, and HQ were determined by computing Pearson's r. Higher THHg correlated with higher consumption of Mediterranean rabbitfish/spinefoots (r = 0.27; p = 0.001) and geographical location (p < 0.001) in the bivariate analysis, and remained significant in the adjusted multivariable linear regression model (geographical location: ß = 0.255, 95%CI 0.121-0.388; rabbitfish/spinefoots consumption: ß = 0.016, 95%CI 0.004-0.027). No significant correlations were found between HQ and THHg. In conclusion, this is the first study examining hair Hg levels and fish consumption in a young adult Lebanese population. Our findings constitute valuable baseline data for a local fish advisory and Hg monitoring.

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“…In a North Mediterranean saltmarsh (Marano lagoon, Italy, Adratic Sea). Covelli et al (2012) reported N accumulation rates ranging from 0.3 to 1 g N cm −2 yr −1 . Regarding P, short-term accumulation rates ranging from 4.5 to 6 mg P cm −2 yr −1 were reported for temperate saltmarshes of the Scheldt estuary (the Netherlands; Zwolsman et al 1993), i.e.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Breithaupt et al 2014, Feng et al 2017 and saltmarshes (e.g. Zwolsman et al 1993, Spencer et al 2003, Hopkinson and Giblin 2008, Covelli et al 2012, Ruiz-Fernández et al 2018, Noll et al 2019. Data on accumulation rates (mg N or P cm −2 yr −1 ) in those ecosystems, however, remain scarce (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of vegetated coastal ecosystems as nitrogen and phosphorous filters and sinks in the coasts of Saudi Arabia

Saderne

Cusack

Serrano

et al. 2020

Environ. Res. Lett.

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Vegetated coastal ecosystems along the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf coasts of Saudi Arabia thrive in an extremely arid and oligotrophic environment, with high seawater temperatures and salinity. Mangrove, seagrass and saltmarsh ecosystems have been shown to act as efficient sinks of sediment organic carbon, earning these vegetated ecosystems the moniker 'blue carbon' ecosystems. However, their role as nitrogen and phosphorus (N and P) sinks remains poorly understood. In this study, we examine the capacity of blue carbon ecosystems to trap and store nitrogen and phosphorous in their sediments in the central Red Sea and Arabian Gulf. We estimated the N and P stocks (in 0.2 m thicksediments) and accumulation rates (for the last century based on 210 Pb and for the last millennia based on 14 C) in mangrove, seagrass and saltmarsh sediments from eight locations along the coast of Saudi Arabia (81 cores in total). The N and P stocks contained in the top 20 cm sediments ranged from 61 g N m −2 in Red Sea seagrass to 265 g N m −2 in the Gulf saltmarshes and from 70 g P m −2 in Red Sea seagrass meadows and mangroves to 58 g P m −2 in the Gulf saltmarshes. The short-term N and P accumulation rates ranged from 0.09 mg N cm −2 yr −1 in Red Sea seagrass to 0.38 mg N cm −2 yr −1 in Gulf mangrove, and from 0.027 mg P cm −2 yr −1 in the Gulf seagrass to 0.092 mg P cm −2 yr −1 in Red Sea mangroves. Short-term N and P accumulation rates were up to 10-fold higher than long-term accumulation rates, highlighting increasing sequestration of N and P over the past century, likely due to anthropogenic activities such as coastal development and wastewater inputs.

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Historical flux of mercury associated with mining and industrial sources in the Marano and Grado Lagoon (northern Adriatic Sea)

Cited by 59 publications

References 40 publications

Natural background values for heavy metals in the sediments of a contaminated Northern Adriatic lagoon environment: a geochemical perspective

Natural background values for heavy metals in the sediments of a contaminated Northern Adriatic lagoon environment: a geochemical perspective

Mercury health risk assessment among a young adult Lebanese population

Role of vegetated coastal ecosystems as nitrogen and phosphorous filters and sinks in the coasts of Saudi Arabia

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