Profile of trace metals accumulation in core sediment from Seine river estuary (docks basin)

Abstract

The Seine is one of the most polluted rivers in Europe with respect to potentially harmful elements. It receives effluents from the upstream Paris urban and industrial area, and also local inputs from the heavily industrialized Rouen and Le Havre regions. The present study deals with this environmental topic and the concentrations of Cd, Ni, Pb, Hg, Zn and Cu were determined in sediment cores collected in the docks basin of Rouen harbour in 2008. The intensity of metal pollution during recent decades was evaluated using an enrichment factor (EF) and a geoaccumulation index (Igeo). The results of vertical distribution showed that the metal pollution in the past is much higher than in the surface sediment. Mercury was found to be the heaviest pollutant (with Igeo and EF exceeding 4 and 20, respectively), and Cd and Pb were the second most important pollutants. A slight contamination in Ni was observed with very low Igeo values. To estimate the sediment toxicity, simultaneously extracted metals/acid volatile sulfides ratio (SEM/AVS) was calculated. Low values of the toxicity index SEM/AVS were observed in the core sediments indicating the inexistence of metal potential toxicity. Also the concentrations of these trace metals were lower than the probable effect concentration values reported as consensus-based sediment quality guidelines for fresh water ecosystems.

Content of nutrients, trace elements, and ecotoxicity of sediment cores from Rożnów reservoir (Southern Poland)

“…In general, Gao et al (2018) indicated the total content of trace elements decreased with depth in sediments cores, and however, in one core, metal contents remained relatively constant. On the other hand, the results of Hamzeh et al (2013) showed that vertical distribution of metal pollution in the past is much higher than in the surface sediment. The above relationships were not identified also in this study.…”

Spatial Distribution and Toxic Potency of Trace Metals in Surface Sediments of the Seine Estuary (France)

“…. It is calculated for a specific metal species by dividing the total metal content by the background reference content of trace metals in the Seine River estuary as determined from prehistoric deposits (4000 BP): Cd = 0.22 mg kg −1 , Co = 10 mg kg −1 , Cr = 40 mg kg −1 , Ni = 16 mg kg −1 , Pb = 20 mg kg −1 , and Zn = 60 mg kg −1 with aluminum normalization . This element is known as one of the major elements of clay minerals and is considered as conservative metal: …”

“…Mercury was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry using LECO_AMA254 after pyrolysis of approximately 50 mg of sediment sample in a combustion tube at 500°C under an oxygen flow and collection on a gold amalgamator. CRM was also used to assure the quality control of the method .…”

“…Briefly, AVS compounds were extracted from 1 g of wet sediment with 1 M HCl for 1 h at 25°C. Simultaneously extracted metals (SEM) concentrations were determined, after a 24 h cold extraction of 1 g wet sediment in 1 M HCl solution at room temperature by ICP‐MS (X Series Thermo elemental) and/or ICP‐AES (VistaPro, Varian). AVS, and SEM data, were used to calculate the toxicity index (TI) and evaluate potential metal bioavailability of sediments .…”

Foraging ecology drives mercury contamination in chick gulls from the English Channel

“…Part of the study was carried out in highly urbanized areas within the Seine Estuary. The Seine River is also one of the most polluted rivers in Europe with decreasing, but still significant contamination with Hg (Hamzeh et al 2013). The Chausey Islands are on the other hand a remote area with no direct sources of Hg, where seabird exposure is likely to be linked to their marine food.…”