Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to understand the sources of potentially toxic elements (PTE) and provide some suggestions to control PTE pollution. For this purpose, data from 30 monitoring stations for 2009–2018 were used to assess the PTE concentrations of Hg, Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn, and As in the Yangtze River Estuary. The PTE concentrations varied significantly (P < 0.05) by one-way ANOVA in the ranges of 0.002–0.224 (Hg, 0.043 ± 0.032), 0–9.700 (Cu, 1.600 ± 1.000), 0–3.900 (Pb, 1.000 ± 0.700), 0.002–0.370 (Cd, 0.050 ± 1.000), 0.100–85.000 (Zn, 14.000 ± 13.000), and 0.998–3.290 μg/L (As, 1.857 ± 0.455). Generally, the PTE concentrations decreased from year to year and were consistently satisfied the “grade-one seawater” quality standard after 2014. The concentrations of Cu, Cd, Zn, and As decreased as far from inshore, while increased closer to land in the estuary. Concentrations of Pb and Hg showed differences because of local industrial and aquacultural activities. This study identified three clusters and two PTE sources and provided some constructive suggestions for pollution control in PTE.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles and news from researchers in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.References
Adimalla, N., Chen, J., & Qian, H. (2020). Spatial characteristics of heavy metal contamination and potential human health risk assessment of urban soils: a case study from an urban region of South India. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110406.
Adokoh, C. K., Obodai, E. A., Essumang, D. K., Serfor-Armah, Y., Nyarko, B. J. B., & Asabere-Ameyaw, A. (2011). Statistical evaluation of environmental contamination, distribution and source assessment of heavy metals (aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury) in some lagoons and an estuary along the Coastal Belt of Ghana. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 61(3), 389–400. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-011-9643-5.
Alahabadi, A., & Malvandi, H. (2018). Contamination and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals and metalloids in surface sediments of the Tajan River, Iran. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 133, 741–749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.06.030.
An, Q., Wu, Y., Wang, J., & Li, Z. (2009). Assessment of dissolved heavy metal in the Yangtze River estuary and its adjacent sea, China. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 164(1-4), 173–187. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-009-0883-z.
AQSIQ (1997). Sea Water Quality Standard (GB 3097-1997). Administration of quality supervision, inspection and quarantine. Beijing: Standard Press of China.
Ayeni, A. O., & Balogun, I. (2012). Evaluating the performance of heavy metals in surface ponds among land-use using Z-score and coefficient of variation. Asian Journal of Scientific Research, 5, 162–169.
Banks, J. L., Ross, D. J., Keough, M. J., Eyre, B. D., & Macleod, C. K. (2012). Measuring hypoxia induced metal release from highly contaminated estuarine sediments during a 40 day laboratory incubation experiment. Science of the Total Environment, 420, 229–237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.01.033.
Boicourt, W. C. (1983). The estuary as a filter: physical processes. Estuaries and Coasts, 6, 252–337.
Burgos-Núñez, S., Navarro-Frómeta, A., Marrugo-Negrete, J., et al. (2017). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals in the Cispata Bay, Colombia: a marine tropical ecosystem. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 120(1), 379–386.
Chen, B., Liu, J., Qiu, J., Zhang, X., Wang, S., & Liu, J. (2017). Spatio-temporal distribution and environmental risk of sedimentary heavy metals in the Yangtze River Estuary and its adjacent areas. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 116(1-2), 469–478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.11.055.
Costa-Boddeker, S., Thuyen, L. X., Hoelzmann, P., de Stigter, H. C., van Gaever, P., Huy, H. D., et al. (2018). The hidden threat of heavy metal pollution in high sedimentation and highly dynamic environment: assessment of metal accumulation rates in the Thi Vai Estuary, Southern Vietnam. Environmental Pollution, 242(Pt A), 348–356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.05.096.
Fan, H., Chen, S., Li, Z., Liu, P., Xu, C., & Yang, X. (2020). Assessment of heavy metals in water, sediment and shellfish organisms in typical areas of the Yangtze River Estuary, China. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110864.
Fisher-Power, L. M., Cheng, T., & Rastghalam, Z. S. (2016). Cu and Zn adsorption to a heterogeneous natural sediment: influence of leached cations and natural organic matter. Chemosphere, 144, 1973–1979. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.10.109.
Gao, J., Shi, H., Dai, Z., Mei, X., Zong, H., Yang, H., et al. (2018). Linkages between the spatial toxicity of sediments and sediment dynamics in the Yangtze River Estuary and neighboring East China Sea. Environmental Pollution, 233, 1138–1146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.10.023.
Guo, Y., & Yang, S. (2016). Heavy metal enrichments in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) catchment and on the inner shelf of the East China Sea over the last 150 years. Science of the Total Environment, 543, 105–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.11.012.
Hakanson, L. (1980). An ecological risk index for aquatic pollution control. A sedimentological approach. Water Research, 14, 975–1001.
Han, D., Cheng, J., Hu, X., Jiang, Z., Mo, L., Xu, H., et al. (2017). Spatial distribution, risk assessment and source identification of heavy metals in sediments of the Yangtze River Estuary, China. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 115(1-2), 141–148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.11.062.
He, Z., Li, F., Dominech, S., Wen, X., & Yang, S. (2019). Heavy metals of surface sediments in the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary: distribution, speciation and environmental risks. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 198, 18–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2018.12.015.
Islam, M. S., Hossain, M. B., Matin, A., & Islam Sarker, M. S. (2018). Assessment of heavy metal pollution, distribution and source apportionment in the sediment from Feni River estuary, Bangladesh. Chemosphere, 202, 25–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.03.077.
Kim, J., Lim, D., Jung, D., Kang, J., Jung, H., Woo, H., et al. (2018). Sedimentary mercury (Hg) in the marginal seas adjacent to Chinese high-Hg emissions: source-to-sink, mass inventory, and accumulation history. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 128, 428–437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.01.058.
Li, Q., Cheng, H., Zhou, T., Lin, C., & Guo, S. (2012). The estimated atmospheric lead emissions in China, 1990–2009. Atmospheric Environment, 60, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2012.06.025.
Li, H., Lin, L., Ye, S., Li, H., & Fan, J. (2017a). Assessment of nutrient and heavy metal contamination in the seawater and sediment of Yalujiang Estuary. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 117(1-2), 499–506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.01.069.
Li, Q., Cheng, X., Wang, Y., Cheng, Z., Guo, L., Li, K., et al. (2017b). Impacts of human activities on the spatial distribution and sources of polychlorinated naphthalenes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Chemosphere, 176, 369–377. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.02.130.
Li, L., Jiang, M., Liu, Y., & Shen, X. (2019a). Heavy metals inter-annual variability and distribution in the Yangtze River Estuary sediment, China. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 141, 514–520. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.03.008.
Li, L., Shen, X., & Jiang, M. (2019b). Characteristics of total petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in sediments in the Yangtze Estuary and adjacent sea areas. Continental Shelf Research, 175, 110–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2019.02.003.
Lin, Y., Vogt, R., & Larssen, T. (2012). Environmental mercury in China: a review. Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry, 31, 2431–2444.
Liu, M., & Fan, D. (2011). Geochemical records in the subaqueous Yangtze River delta and their responses to human activities in the past 60 years. Chinese Science Bulletin, 56(6), 552–561. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-010-4256-3.
Liu, X., Yu, Z., Song, X., & Cao, X. (2009). The nitrogen isotopic composition of dissolved nitrate in the Yangtze River (Changjiang) estuary, China. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 85(4), 641–650. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2009.09.017.
Liu, R., Men, C., Liu, Y., Yu, W., Xu, F., & Shen, Z. (2016). Spatial distribution and pollution evaluation of heavy metals in Yangtze estuary sediment. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 110(1), 564–571. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.05.060.
Liu, Q., Jia, Z., Li, S., & Hu, J. (2019). Assessment of heavy metal pollution, distribution and quantitative source apportionment in surface sediments along a partially mixed estuary (Modaomen, China). Chemosphere, 225, 829–838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.03.063.
Macleod, C., & Coughanowr, C. (2019). Heavy metal pollution in the Derwent estuary: history, science and management. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2019.100866.
Mathivanan, K., & Rajaram, R. (2013). Anthropogenic influences on toxic metals in water and sediment samples collected from industrially polluted Cuddalore coast, Southeast coast of India. Environmental Earth Sciences, 72(4), 997–1010. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-3017-4.
de Mesnard, L. (2013). Pollution models and inverse distance weighting: some critical remarks. Computers & Geosciences, 52, 459–469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2012.11.002.
Ministry of Natural Resources P. R. China (2003–2017). 2003–2017 (in Chinese). Bulletin Of China Marine Ecological Environment Status.
Ministry of Water Resources P. R. China (2012–2016). 2012–2016 (in Chinese). The Hydrological Yearbook of P. R. China. pp.
Muniz, P., Marrero, A., Brugnoli, E., Kandratavicius, N., Rodríguez, M., Bueno, C., et al. (2019). Heavy metals and As in surface sediments of the north coast of the Río de la Plata estuary: spatial variations in pollution status and adverse biological risk. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2019.100625.
Pan, K., & Wang, W. X. (2012). Trace metal contamination in estuarine and coastal environments in China. Science of the Total Environment, 421-422, 3–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.03.013.
SBQTS (2008). The Specification for marine monitoring part 4: sea water analysis (GB17378.4-2007). Beijing: State Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision Standards Press of China.
Suess, E., Berg, M., Bouchet, S., Cayo, L., Hug, S. J., Kaegi, R., et al. (2020). Mercury loads and fluxes from wastewater: a nationwide survey in Switzerland. Water Research, 175, 115708. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.115708.
Sun, Zhang, Z., Cao, H., Xu, M., & Xu, L. (2019a). Concentrations, speciation, and ecological risk of heavy metals in the sediment of the Songhua River in an urban area with petrochemical industries. Chemosphere, 219, 538–545. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.12.040.
Sun, X., Fan, D., Liu, M., Liao, H., & Tian, Y. (2019b). Persistent impact of human activities on trace metals in the Yangtze River Estuary and the East China Sea: evidence from sedimentary records of the last 60 years. Science of the Total Environment, 654, 878–889. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.439.
Sun, X., Yin, R., Hu, L., Guo, Z., Hurley, J. P., Lepak, R. F., et al. (2020). Isotopic tracing of mercury sources in estuarine-inner shelf sediments of the East China Sea. Environmental Pollution, 262, 114356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114356.
Tan, J. H., & Duan, J. C. (2013). Heavy metals in aerosol in China: pollution, sources, and control strategies. Journal of Graduate University of Chinese. Academy of Sciences, 30(2), 145–155.
Varol, M. (2011). Assessment of heavy metal contamination in sediments of the Tigris River (Turkey) using pollution indices and multivariate statistical techniques. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 195, 355–364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2011.08.051.
Wall, G. R., Nystrom, E. A., & Litten, S. (2008). Suspended sediment transport in the freshwater reach of the Hudson River Estuary in Eastern New York. Estuaries and Coasts, 31(3), 542–553. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-008-9050-y.
Wang, X., Zhao, L., Xu, H., & Zhang, X. (2018). Spatial and seasonal characteristics of dissolved heavy metals in the surface seawater of the Yellow River Estuary, China. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 137, 465–473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.10.052.
Wang, X., Liu, L., Zhao, L., Xu, H., & Zhang, X. (2019). Assessment of dissolved heavy metals in the Laoshan Bay, China. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110608.
Xie, D., Pan, C., Wu, X., Gao, S., & Wang, Z. B. (2017). Local human activities overwhelm decreased sediment supply from the Changjiang River: continued rapid accumulation in the Hangzhou Bay-Qiantang Estuary system. Marine Geology, 392, 66–77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2017.08.013.
Xu, X., Cao, Z., Zhang, Z., Li, R., & Hu, B. (2016). Spatial distribution and pollution assessment of heavy metals in the surface sediments of the Bohai and Yellow Seas. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 110(1), 596–602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.05.079.
Yang, S. L., Xu, K. H., Milliman, J. D., Yang, H. F., & Wu, C. S. (2015). Decline of Yangtze River water and sediment discharge: Impact from natural and anthropogenic changes. Scientific Reports, 5(12581). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep12581.
Yao, Q., Wang, X., Jian, H., Chen, H., & Yu, Z. (2016). Behavior of suspended particles in the Changjiang Estuary: size distribution and trace metal contamination. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 103(1-2), 159–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.12.026.
Yazidi, A., Saidi, S., Ben Mbarek, N., & Darragi, F. (2017). Contribution of GIS to evaluate surface water pollution by heavy metals: Case of Ichkeul Lake (Northern Tunisia). Journal of African Earth Sciences, 134, 166–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2017.06.009.
Yi, Y., Yang, Z., & Zhang, S. (2011). Ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in sediment and human health risk assessment of heavy metals in fishes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin. Environmental Pollution, 159(10), 2575–2585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2011.06.011.
Yin, S., Wu, Y., Xu, W., Li, Y., Shen, Z., & Feng, C. (2016). Contribution of the upper river, the estuarine region, and the adjacent sea to the heavy metal pollution in the Yangtze Estuary. Chemosphere, 155, 564–572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.04.095.
Yu, R., He, L., Cai, R., Li, B., Li, Z., & Yang, K. (2017). Heavy metal pollution and health risk in China. Global Health Journal, 1(1), 47–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2414-6447(19)30059-4.
Zahra, A., Hashmi, M. Z., Malik, R. N., & Ahmed, Z. (2014). Enrichment and geo-accumulation of heavy metals and risk assessment of sediments of the Kurang Nallah—feeding tributary of the Rawal Lake Reservoir, Pakistan. Science of the Total Environment, 470-471, 925–933. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.10.017.
Zhang, D., Zhang, X., Tian, L., Ye, F., Huang, X., Zeng, Y., et al. (2012a). Seasonal and spatial dynamics of trace elements in water and sediment from Pearl River Estuary, South China. Environmental Earth Sciences, 68(4), 1053–1063. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-012-1807-8.
Zhang, G., Liu, D., Wu, H., Chen, L., & Han, Q. (2012b). Heavy metal contamination in the marine organisms in Yantai coast, northern Yellow Sea of China. Ecotoxicology, 21(6), 1726–1733. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-012-0958-4.
Zhang, Z., Li, J., Zulpiya, M., & Ye, Q. (2016). Sources identification and pollution evaluation of heavy metals in the surface sediments of Bortala River, Northwest China. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 126, 94–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2015.12.025.
Zhang, Sun, X., & Xu, J. (2020). Heavy metal pollution in the East China Sea: a review. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111473.
Acknowledgments
We thank the International Science Editing (http://www.internationalscienceediting.com) for editing this manuscript. Thanks a lot to the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on the manuscript.
Funding
This work is supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2017YFC0506002) and the East China Sea Environmental Monitoring Center of State Oceanic Administration.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hu, Y., He, N., Wu, M. et al. Sources and ecological risk assessment of the seawater potentially toxic elements in Yangtze River Estuary during 2009–2018. Environ Monit Assess 193, 44 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08795-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08795-0