Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Distribution, chemical speciation and source of trace elements in surface sediments of the Changjiang Estuary

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To evaluate biogeochemical characteristics, eco-environmental risks and sources of trace elements (TEs: As, Hg, Se, Sb, Te, Sn, Bi and Ge), their total concentrations and chemical speciation in surface sediments collected from the Changjiang Estuary were determined. Total concentrations for As, Hg, Se, Sb, Te, Sn, Bi and Ge were 4.57–30.20, 0.01–0.40, 0.04–0.38, 0.36–1.48, 0.02–0.10, 0.48–6.58, 0.13–0.64 and 0.83–2.43 μg/g, respectively, with higher values at the estuary. This distribution pattern was attributed to the riverine input and high clay and total organic carbon contents. The sequential extraction suggested that TEs mainly occurred in residual fractions. The risk assessment code suggested that As, Hg and Sn were at low risk, whereas Bi, Se, Sb, Te and Ge were at medium risk. The geoaccumulation index (I geo) and principal component analysis indicated that Se and Sn mainly came from the natural input (crustal and biological inputs), whereas As, Sb, Hg, Bi and Te came from both of the crustal and anthropogenic inputs via atmosphere and rivers. In addition, Ge possibly came from the natural (crustal and biological inputs) and anthropogenic inputs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Astakhov AS, Gusev EA, Kolesnik AN, Shakirov RB (2013) Conditions of the accumulation of organic matter and metals in the bottom sediments of the Chukchi Sea. Russ Geol Geophys 54:1056–1070

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calmano W, Hong J, Förstner U (1993) Binding and mobilization of heavy metals in contaminated sediments affected by pH and redox potential. Water Sci Technol 28:223–235

    Google Scholar 

  • Chakraborty P, Sgarma B, Raghunath Babu PV, Yao KM, Jaychandran S (2014) Impact of total organic carbon (in sediments) and dissolved organic carbon (in overlying water column) on Hg sequestration by coastal sediments from the central east coast of India. Mar Pollut Bull 1–2:342–347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chand V, Prasad S (2013) ICP-OES assessment of heavy metal contamination in tropical marine sediments: a comparative study of two digestion techniques. Microchem J 111:53–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chatterjee M, Silva Filho EV, Sarkar SK, Sella SM, Bhattacharya A, Satpathy KK, Prasad MVR, Chakraborty S, Bhattacharya BD (2007) Distribution and possible source of trace elements in the sediment cores of a tropical macrotidal estuary and their ecotoxicological significance. Environ Int 33:346–356

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen JY, Zhu HF, Dong YF, Sun JM (1985) Development of the Changjiang Estuary and its submerged delta. Cont Shelf Res 4:47–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colina M, Gardiner PHE, Rivas Z, Troncone F (2005) Determination of vanadium species in sediment, mussel and fish muscle tissue samples by liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Anal Chim Acta 538:107–115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dou YG, Li J, Zhao JT, Hu BQ, Yang SY (2013) Distribution, enrichment and source of heavy metals in surface sediments of the eastern Beibu Bay, South China Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 67:137–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Du Laing G, Rinklebe J, Vandecasteele B, Meers E, Tack FMG (2009) Trace metal behaviour in estuarine and riverine floodplain soils and sediments, a review. Sci Total Environ 407:3972–3985

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duan LQ, Song JM, Li XG, Yuan HM (2010a) The behaviors and sources of dissolved arsenic and antimony in Bohai Bay. Cont Shelf Res 30:1522–1534

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duan LQ, Song JM, Li XG, Yuan HM, Xu SS (2010b) Distribution of selenium and its relationship to the eco-environment in Bohai Bay seawater. Mar Chem 121:87–99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duan LQ, Song JM, Xu YY, Li XG, Zhang Y (2010c) The distribution, enrichment and source of potential harmful elements in surface sediments of Bohai Bay, North China. J Hazard Mater 183:55–164

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellwood MJ, Maher WA (2003) Germanium cycling in the waters across a frontal zone: the Chatham Rise, New Zealand. Mar Chem 80:145–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fang TH, Chen RY (2010) Mercury contamination and accumulation in sediments of the East China Sea. J Environ Sci 22:1164–1170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fang TH, Li JY, Feng HM, Chen HY (2009) Distribution and contamination of trace metals in surface sediments of the East China Sea. Mar Environ Res 68:178–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fianko JR, Osae S, Adomako D, Adotey DK, Serfor-Armah Y (2007) Assessment of heavy metal pollution of the iture estuary in the central region of Ghana. Environ Monit Assess 131:467–473

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Filella M, Belzile N, Chen YW (2002) Antimony in the environment, a review focused on natural waters I. Occurrence. Earth-Sci Rev 57:125–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gambrell RP, Wiesepape JB, Patrick WH Jr, Duff MC (1991) The effects of pH, redox, and salinity on metal release from a contaminated sediment. Water Air Soil Poll 57–58:359–367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao XL, Li PM (2012) Concentration and fractionation of trace metals in surface sediments of intertidal Bohai Bay, China. Mar Pollut Bull 64:1529–1536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaudette HE, Flight WR, Toner L, Folger DW (1974) An inexpensive titration method for the determination of organic carbon in recent sediment. J Sediment Petrol 44:249–253

    Google Scholar 

  • Hahne HCH, Kroontje W (1973) Significance of the pH and chloride concentration on the behavior of heavy metal pollutants Hg(II), Cd(II), Zn(II), Pb(II). J Environ Qual 2:444–450

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hammond DE, McManus J, Berelson WM, Meredith C, Klinkhammer GP, Coale KH (2000) Diagenetic fractionation of Ge and Si in reducing sediments: the missing Ge sink and a possible mechanism to cause glacial/interglacial variations in oceanic Ge/Si. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 64:2453–2465

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hao YC, Guo ZG, Yang ZS, Fan ZS, Fang DJ, Fang M, Li XD (2008) Tracking historical lead pollution in the coastal area adjacent to the Yangtze River Estuary using lead isotopic compositions. Environ Pollut 156:1325–1331

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harada T, Takahashi Y (2008) Origin of the difference in the distribution behavior of tellurium and selenium in a soil-water system. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 72:1281–1294

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hou LJ, Liu M, Yang Y, Ou DN, Lin X, Chen H, Xu SY (2009) Phosphorus speciation and availability in intertidal sediments of the Yangtze Estuary, China. Appl Geochem 24:120–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu SC, Wong GTF, Gong GC, Shiah FK, Huang YT, Kao SJ, Tsai F, Candice Lung SC, Lin FJ, Lin II, Hung CC, Tseng CM (2010) Sources, solubility, and dry deposition of aerosol trace elements over the East China Sea. Mar Chem 120:116–127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laforte L, Tessier A, Gobeil C, Carignan R (2005) Thallium diagenesis in lacustrine sediments. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 69:5295–5306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li MT, Zhang Y, Zhao XS (2007) Law of translocation and accumulation of germanium in soil-rice plant system (in Chinese). J Agro-Environ Sci 26:126–129

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin HL, Chen CJ (2002) A late Pliocene diatom Ge/Si record from the Southeast Atlantic. Mar Geol 180:151–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu H, He Q, Wang Z, Weltje GJ, Zhang J (2010) Dynamics and spatial variability of near-bottom sediment exchange in the Yangtze Estuary, China. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 86:322–330

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mcmanus J, Hammond DE, Cummins K, Klinkhammer GP, Berelson WM (2003) Diagenetic Ge–Si fractionation in continental margin environments: further evidence for a nonopal Ge sink. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 67:4545–4557

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mercone D, Thomson J, Croudace W, Troelstra SR (1999) A coupled natural immobilization mechanism for mercury and selenium in deep-sea sediments. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 63:1481–1488

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milligan TG, Loring DH (1997) The effect of flocculation on the size distributions of bottom sediment in coastal inlets, implications for contaminant transport. Water Air Soil Poll 99:33–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Müller G (1969) Index of geoaccumulation in sediments of the Rhine River. Geol J 2:108–118

    Google Scholar 

  • NOB (National ocean bureau 908 special office) (2006) Technical Specification for Marine Chemistry Research (in Chinese). Ocean Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • NOB (National ocean bureau of Beihai environmental monitoring center) (2007) Specifications for Oceanographic Survey-Part 8: Marine Geology and Geophysics Survey (GB/T 12763.8-2007) (in Chinese). China Standards Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • Ogra Y, Kobayashi R, Ishiwata K, Suzuki KT (2008) Comparison of distribution and metabolism between tellurium and selenium in rats. J Inorg Biochem 102:1507–1513

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olmedo P, Pla A, Hernández AF, Barbier F, Ayouni L, Gil F (2013) Determination of toxic elements (mercury, cadmium, lead, tin and arsenic) in fish and shellfish samples. Risk assessment for the consumers. Environ Int 59:63–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pagnanelli F, Moscardini E, Giuliano V, Toro L (2004) Sequential extraction of heavy metals in river sediments of an abandoned pyrite mining area: pollution detection and affinity series. Environ Pollut 132:189–201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perin G, Craboledda L, Lucchese M, Cirillo R, Dotta L, Zanetta ML, Oro AA (1985) Heavy metals in the environment. CEP Consultants, Edinburgh

    Google Scholar 

  • Qi WQ, Cao JS, Chen YL (1991) A study on the bismuth background level in the soils (in Chinese). Aria Environ Monit 5:1–4

    Google Scholar 

  • Qi HY, Fan DJ, Xu L, Yang ZS (2008) The states of pH, Eh in surface sediments of the Yangtze River Estuary and its adjacent areas and their controlling factors (in Chinese). Acta Sediment Sin 26:820–827

    Google Scholar 

  • Rath P, Panda UC, Bhatta D, Sahu KC (2009) Use of sequential leaching, mineralogy, morphology and multivariate statistical technique for quantifying metal pollution in highly polluted aquatic sediments-A case study: Brahmani and Nandira Rivers, India. J Hazard Mater 163:632–644

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodrigues SM, Henriques B, Coimbra J, Ferreira da Silva E, Pereira ME, Duarte AC (2010) Water-soluble fraction of mercury, arsenic and other potentially toxic elements in highly contaminated sediments and soils. Chemosphere 78:1301–1312

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Routh J, Hjelmquist P (2011) Distribution of arsenic and its mobility in shallow aquifer sediments from Ambikanagar, West Bengal, India. Appl Geochem 26:505–515

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salomons W, de Rooij NM, Kerdijk H, Bril J (1987) Sediments as a source for contaminants? Hydrobiologia 149:13–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sánchez-García L, de Andrés JR, Martín-Rubí JA (2010) Geochemical signature in off-shore sediments from the Gulf of Cádiz inner shelf: sources and spatial variability of major and trace elements. J Mar Sys 80:191–202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shepard FP (1954) Nomenclature based on sand–silt–clay ratios. J Sediment Geol 24:151–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Silva MAL, Rezende CE (2002) Behavior of selected micro and trace elements and organic matter in sediments of a freshwater system in south-east Brazil. Sci Total Environ 292:121–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simpson SL, Batley GE, Chariton AA, Stauber JL, King CK, Chapman JC, Hyne RV, Gale SA, Roach AC, Maher WA (2005) Handbook for sediment quality assessment. CSIRO, Bangor

    Google Scholar 

  • Singare PU, Mishra RM, Trivedi MP (2012) Sediment contamination due to toxic heavy metals in Mithi River of Mumbai. Adv Anal Chem 2:2163–2847

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh KP, Mohan D, Singh VK, Malik A (2005) Studies on distribution and fractionation of heavy metals in Gomti river sediments-a tributary of the Ganges, India. J Hydrol 312:14–27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tam NFY, Wong YS (1999) Mangrove soils in removing pollutants from municipal wastewater of different salinities. J Environ Qual 28:556–564

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tessier A, Campbell PGC, Bisson M (1979) Sequential extraction procedure for the speciation of particulate trace metals. Anal Chem 51:844–850

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ujević I, Odžak N, Barić A (2000) Trace metal accumulation in different grain size fractions of the sediments from a semi-enclosed bay heavily contaminated by urban and industrial wastewaters. Water Res 34:3055–3061

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams TP, Bubb JM, Lester JN (1994) Metal accumulation within salt marsh environments, A review. Mar Pollut Bull 28:277–290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu MH, Zheng CG, Feng R, Qiao Y, Yan R (2001) Overview of trace elements research in coal combustion process (in Chinese). Proc Chin Soc Electr Eng 21:33–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang ZF, Wang Y, Shen ZY, Niu JF, Tang ZW (2009) Distribution and speciation of heavy metals in sediments from the mainstream, tributaries, and lakes of the Yangtze River catchment of Wuhan, China. J Hazard Mater 166:1186–1194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ye F, Huang XP, Zhang DW, Tian L, Zeng YY (2012) Distribution of heavy metals in sediments of the Pearl River Estuary, Southern China: implications for sources and historical changes. J Environ Sci 24:579–588

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan CG, Shi JB, He B, Liu JF, Liang LN, Jiang GB (2004) Speciation of heavy metals in marine sediments from the East China Sea by ICP-MS with sequential extraction. Environ Int 30:769–783

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang J, Liu CL (2002) Riverine composition and estuarine geochemistry of particulate metals in China-weathering features, anthropogenic impact and chemical fluxes. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 54:1051–1070

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This paper was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41306070), the National Natural Science Foundation of China for Creative Research Groups (No. 41121064), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCXZ-YW-Q07-02), the National Key Project for Basic Research of China (No. 2011CB403602).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao, 266071, China

    Li-Qin Duan, Jin-Ming Song, Hua-Mao Yuan, Xue-Gang Li & Ning Li

  2. Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, No. 106 Nanjing Road, Qingdao, 266071, China

    Ji-Kun Ma

Authors
  1. Li-Qin Duan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jin-Ming Song
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hua-Mao Yuan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Xue-Gang Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ning Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ji-Kun Ma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jin-Ming Song.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Duan, LQ., Song, JM., Yuan, HM. et al. Distribution, chemical speciation and source of trace elements in surface sediments of the Changjiang Estuary. Environ Earth Sci 72, 3193–3204 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3225-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3225-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation