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Concentration distribution and assessment of heavy metals in the surface sediments of the western Gulf of Thailand

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Abstract

Heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Hg, As), grain size, pH, Eh, total organic carbon, and total nitrogen of 157 surface sediments from the western Gulf of Thailand (GoT) were analyzed to determine the spatial distribution pattern, constraint factors, and pollution status of heavy metals in the surface sediments of the western GoT. The relationships of the heavy metals with sediment composition, pH, reduction/oxidation conditions, and total organic materials were evaluated by statistical analysis. Sediment compositions were the main factors controlling the concentrations of heavy metals as reported in many previous studies, while the hydrodynamic conditions, in particular the seasonal eddies, were an important factor controlling their distribution. Both sediment enrichment factor and geoaccumulation index were used to assess heavy metal accumulation. Only As reached the light contamination level near the upper GoT and the coastal area close to the Songkhla Province, due primarily to anthropogenic activities.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the crew of R/V “M.V. SEAFDEC” and “M.V. SEAFDEC 2”; staff from Phuket Marine Biological Center, Thailand; Xisheng Fang, Kunshan Wang, Yonghua Wu, Chuanshun Li and Limin Hu from the First Institute of Oceanography, SOA, for sample collecting; Aimei Zhu, Jingjing Gao, Jingjing Cui, Yazhi Bai and Ying Zhu from the First Institute of Oceanography, SOA, for grain size, TOC, TN and heavy metal analysis. This work was supported by the National Programme on Global Change and Air–Sea Interaction (GASI-02-SCS-CJ03, GASI-GEOGE-03), China–Thailand cooperation project “Research on Vulnerability of Coastal Zones” and Taishan Scholar Program of Shandong.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Marine Sedimentology and Environmental Geology, First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Qingdao, 266061, China

    Shengfa Liu, Xuefa Shi & Gang Yang

  2. Laboratory for Marine Geology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266061, China

    Shengfa Liu & Xuefa Shi

  3. Phuket Marine Biological Center, Muaeng Phuket, 83000, Thailand

    Somkiat Khokiattiwong

  4. Marine and Coastal Resource Research Center, Samut Sakhon Province, 74000, Thailand

    Narumol Kornkanitnan

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  1. Shengfa Liu
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Correspondence to Xuefa Shi.

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Liu, S., Shi, X., Yang, G. et al. Concentration distribution and assessment of heavy metals in the surface sediments of the western Gulf of Thailand. Environ Earth Sci 75, 346 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5422-y

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