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Heavy metal in surface sediments of the Liaodong Bay, Bohai Sea: distribution, contamination, and sources

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Abstract

In an effort to assess the potential contamination and determine the environmental risks associated with heavy metals, the surface sediments in Liaodong Bay, northeast China, were systematically sampled and analyzed for the concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, As, and Hg. The metal enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (I geo) were calculated to assess the anthropogenic contamination in the region. Results showed that heavy metal concentrations in the sediments generally met the criteria of China Marine Sediment Quality (GB18668-2002); however, both EF and I geo values suggested the elevation of Pb concentration in the region. Based on the effect-range classification (TEL-PEL SQGs), Cu, Pb, Ni, and As were likely to pose environment risks, and the toxic units decreased in the order: Ni > Pb > Cr > Zn > As > Cu > Hg. The spatial distribution of ecotoxicological index (mean-ERM-quotient) suggested that most of the surface sediments were “low–medium” priority zone. Multivariate analysis indicated that the sources of Cr, Ni, Zn, Cu, and Hg resulted primarily from parent rocks, and Pb or As were mainly attributed to anthropogenic sources. The results of this study would provide a useful aid for sustainable marine management in the region.

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Acknowledgments

We thank two reviewers for their constructive and helpful comments. The authors acknowledge the financial supports by Ministry of Land and Resources (grant no. 1212011088110), National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos. 40976036, 40906033, and 41206049), Open Foundation of the State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (grant no. SKLLQG1107), and Open Foundation of the Key Laboratory of Marine Hydrocarbon Resources and Environmental Geology (grant no. MRE201231).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Marine Hydrocarbon Resources and Environmental Geology, Ministry of Land and Resources, Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology, Qingdao, 266071, China

    Bangqi Hu, Jun Li, Jingtao Zhao, Fenglong Bai & Yanguang Dou

  2. State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an, 710075, China

    Bangqi Hu & Jingtao Zhao

  3. Department of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Lincoln University of Missouri, Jefferson City, MO, USA

    John Yang

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  1. Bangqi Hu
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Correspondence to Jun Li.

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Hu, B., Li, J., Zhao, J. et al. Heavy metal in surface sediments of the Liaodong Bay, Bohai Sea: distribution, contamination, and sources. Environ Monit Assess 185, 5071–5083 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2926-0

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