Spatiotemporal Trends, Sources and Ecological Risks of Heavy Metals in the Surface Sediments of Weitou Bay, China

Abstract

Heavy metals are extremely harmful materials to marine ecosystems and human health. To determine the anthropogenic contributions and ecological risks in Weitou Bay, China, the spatiotemporal variations in the concentrations of heavy metals in surface sediment were investigated during spring 2008 and 2017. The results indicated that high concentrations of pollutants were generally located near the river mouths and along the coast of industrial areas. Principal component analysis indicated that heavy metal contents were mainly affected by industrial waste drainage, urban development, natural weathering and erosion, and interactions between organic matter and sulfides. The potential ecological risk assessment demonstrated that, in 2008, 82% of the sampling sites were at low risk, while 18% were at moderate risk. The situation had deteriorated slightly by 2017, with 73%, 18%, and 9% of stations in Waytou Bay at low, moderate, and very high risk, respectively. Cd was the most harmful metal, followed by Hg. These two elements accounted for more than 80% of the potential ecological risk index (RI) value. The present work analyzed the source of heavy metals, identified the major pollution elements and high risk areas, and provides guidance for pollution control and ecological restoration in Weitou Bay.

The Spatiotemporal Variation and Historical Evolution of Heavy Metal Pollution in Sediments from the Pearl River Estuary, China

“…The riverways, lakes, oceans, estuaries, and wetlands worldwide are facing heavy metal pollution problems, and due to their accumulation, persistent residual toxicity, and ease of transfer and enrichment in the food chain, heavy metals are harmful to aquatic organisms and human health [9,10], especially heavy metal pollution in estuaries, which is a widely occurring environmental concern [11][12][13][14][15][16]. Many tributaries of the Pearl River flow through the major industrial and populous cities in the GBA, and with rapid industrialization and economic development, the runoff carries large amounts of terrestrial pollutants into estuarine sea areas [17].…”

Resident Willingness to Pay for Ecosystem Services in Hillside Forests

“…Hillslope lands are vulnerable to climate change and human activities [16,17]. Human disturbance can aggravate landslides and water and soil pollutions [18]. These problems are especially acute in mountainous areas in Taiwan.…”

Source Apportionment and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Endemic Tree Species in Southern China: A Case Study of Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Presl

“…They will enter the soil through various means such as atmospheric deposition, surface runoff, and sewage irrigation, then get absorbed by plants, and finally enter the human body through the food chain, thus threatening human health ( Cui et al, 2022 ). At present, a large number of studies have paid attention to this problem, but most of these research objects are polluted soil, sediment, and atmospheric deposition ( Men et al, 2020 ; Chen et al, 2021 ; Li et al, 2022 ). In addition, some researchers have conducted source analyses and health risk assessments of HMs in typical crops ( Xiang et al, 2021 ; Zulkafflee et al, 2022 ).…”