Characteristics of Heavy Metals in Seawater and Sediments from Daya Bay (South China): Environmental Fates, Source Apportionment and Ecological Risks

Wei Tao, Haidong Li, Xiaojuan Peng, Wanping Zhang, Quansheng Lou, Jian Gong and Jianjun Ye
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Wei Tao: South China Sea Environment Monitoring Center, State Oceanic Administration (SOA), Guangzhou 510300, China
Haidong Li: Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Resource Recycle, Ministry of Education, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China
Xiaojuan Peng: South China Sea Environment Monitoring Center, State Oceanic Administration (SOA), Guangzhou 510300, China
Wanping Zhang: Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Resource Recycle, Ministry of Education, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China
Quansheng Lou: South China Sea Environment Monitoring Center, State Oceanic Administration (SOA), Guangzhou 510300, China
Jian Gong: Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Jianjun Ye: South China Sea Environment Monitoring Center, State Oceanic Administration (SOA), Guangzhou 510300, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 18, 1-16

Abstract: In this study, the spatiotemporal distributions, potential sources, and ecological risks of Hg, Cr, and As in seawater, and Hg, As, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cu in sediments from Daya Bay were investigated. The five-year average concentrations of Hg, Cr, and As in seawater were 0.020 μg/L, 0.79 μg/L, and 2.08 μg/L, respectively. The five-year average concentrations of Hg, As, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cu in surface sediments were 0.04 mg/kg, 7.34 mg/kg, 63.81 mg/kg, 0.23 mg/kg, 25.60 mg/kg, and 11.78 mg/kg, respectively. Annual variations in Hg, Cr, and As in seawater exhibited different trends. HMs in sediments, such as As, Zn, Pb, and Cu, exhibited similar annual variations, whereas Hg and Cd exhibited different annual variations. The spatial distribution of metal species in seawater and sediments showed significant variability, and the concentrations decreased gradually from the coast to the open sea. The comprehensive potential ecological hazard index ( RI ) of HMs in sediments indicated a relatively high risk, especially for Hg and Cd contamination. The geoaccumulation indices ( I geo ) of As, Zn, Pb, and Cu suggested that these metals did not pollute Daya Bay, whereas those of Cd and Hg indicated mild and moderate pollution. The environmental fates of HMs were discussed based on Pearson correlation analysis, revealing that concentrations of HMs were greatly affected by parameters, such as pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO), and total organic carbon (TOC). Principal component and factor analyses indicated that Hg, Cr, As, and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) in water originated from similar sources, including domestic sewage and wastewater from fishing ports, runoffs, and outlets. For sediments, it was proposed that Cu, Zn, As, Pb, and TOC exhibited similar sources, including cage culture and waste discharge from outlets. Meanwhile, Hg and Cd originated from other point sources, such as a harbor. The study suggests that sustainable management and economic development be integrated to control pollutant emissions in Daya Bay.

Keywords: source apportionment; integrated pollution evaluation; multivariate statistics; sustainable development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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