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Distribution and accumulation of mercury and copper in mangrove sediments in Shenzhen, the world’s most rapid urbanized city

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Abstract

To investigate the influence of mangrove forest on heavy metal accumulation and storage in intertidal sediments, core sediments from natural mangrove, restored mangrove, and adjacent mud flat spanning the intertidal zone along the south coastline of the most heavily urbanized Deep bay, Guangdong province, China were analyzed. The average concentrations of mercury (Hg) in surface sediments of natural mangrove and restored mangrove were 172 and 151 ng g−1, whereas those of copper (Cu) were 75 and 50 μg g−1, respectively. Compared to those from other typical mangrove wetlands of the world, the metal levels in Shenzhen were at median to high levels, which is consistent with the fact that Shenzhen is in high exploitation and its mangrove suffer intensive impact from human activities. Hg and Cu concentration profiles indicated a higher metal accumulation in surface layers of sediments, in agreement with enrichment of organic matter contents. Maximum concentration, enrichment factors, and excess (background-deducted) concentration inventories of metals (Hg and Cu) were substantially different between environments, decreasing from natural mangrove sediments to restored mangrove sediments to mud flat. Furthermore, metal inputs to Futian mangrove decreased in the order natural mangrove > restored mangrove > mud flat, indicating that mangrove facilitated the accumulation and storage of Hg and Cu in sediment layers.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the Program of Science and Technology of Shenzhen (JCYJ20130402164725017, JCYJ20140903101847739, JCYJ20150331100946599), the Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (31400446), and the Program of Assessment and Restoration of Mangrove Geiwei of Shenzhen Bay.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Heavy Metal Pollution Control and Reutilization, School of Environment and Energy, Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University, Shenzhen, 518055, China

    Ruili Li

  2. Guangdong Neilingding Futian National Nature Reserve, Shenzhen, 518000, China

    Hualin Xu

  3. Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, PKU-HKUST Shenzhen-HongKong Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, People’s Republic of China

    Minwei Chai

  4. School of Environment and Energy, Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University, Shenzhen, 518055, China

    Guo Yu Qiu

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  1. Ruili Li
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  2. Hualin Xu
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  3. Minwei Chai
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Correspondence to Minwei Chai or Guo Yu Qiu.

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Li, R., Xu, H., Chai, M. et al. Distribution and accumulation of mercury and copper in mangrove sediments in Shenzhen, the world’s most rapid urbanized city. Environ Monit Assess 188, 87 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5103-z

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