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Effects of mangrove plant species on accumulation of heavy metals in sediment in a heavily polluted mangrove swamp in Pearl River Estuary, China

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Abstract

The present study compared accumulation of heavy metals in a mangrove swamp dominated by Kandelia obovata with that by Sonneratia apetala in Pearl River Estuary, China. The results showed that the concentrations of heavy metals at all sediment depths in the S. apetala site were significantly higher than that in K. obovata. The geo-accumulation index and potential ecological risk index also showed that S. apetala sediment had a higher contamination of heavy metals, especially Cd. S. apetala significantly altered the biogeochemical cycles of Cd, lead (Pb), nickel (Ni) and chromium (Cr). In S. apetala sediment, TOC played an important role in sequestering heavy metals as reflected by its positive correlations with Zn and Pb. This study demonstrated the importance of plant species in altering soil quality and heavy metal accumulation, and S. apetala is more efficiently working as a pollution barrier than K. obovata.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the Program of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province (Study on ecological investigation and protection patterns of typical coastal Mangroves in Guangdong Province), and the Program of Science and Technology of Shenzhen (JCYJ20160330095549229, KQJSCX20160226110414), and the Program of Assessment and Restoration of Mangrove Geiwei of Shenzhen Bay. Minwei Chai is responsible for the operation of this research and writing this article. Ruili Li is the principal investigator of this research and provides useful suggestions. Nora Fung Yee Tam and Qijie Zan make a great contribution in the revision of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

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

    Minwei Chai & Ruili Li

  2. Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China

    Nora Fung Yee Tam

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

    Qijie Zan

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  1. Minwei Chai
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Correspondence to Ruili Li.

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Figure

 1S The potential ecological risk coefficients (\( E_{\text{r}}^{i} \)) of sediment heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni and Cr) and the potential ecological risk index (RI) in K. obovata (black triangle) and S. apetala (black square) sites in eastern coastal areas of the Pearl River Estuary, China (mean ± standard deviation of three replicates). (PPTX 93 kb)

Figure

 2S The geo-accumulation index (Igeo) of sediment heavy metals in K. obovata (black triangle) and S. apetala (black square) sites in the eastern coastal areas of the Pearl River Estuary, China (mean ± standard deviation of three replicates). (PPTX 90 kb)

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Chai, M., Li, R., Tam, N.F.Y. et al. Effects of mangrove plant species on accumulation of heavy metals in sediment in a heavily polluted mangrove swamp in Pearl River Estuary, China. Environ Geochem Health 41, 175–189 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-018-0107-y

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