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Levels and distribution of trace metals in surface sediments from Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, Norwegian Arctic

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Abstract

Trace metal contents (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) have been measured in 27 surface sediment samples collected from Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, Norwegian Arctic. The analyses yielded concentration values (in mg kg−1) of 0.13–0.63 for Cd, 11.89–21.90 for Co, 48.65–81.84 for Cr, 21.26–36.60 for Cu, 299.59–683.48 for Mn, 22.43–35.39 for Ni, 10.68–36.59 for Pb, 50.28–199.07 for Zn and 8.09–65.34 for Hg (in ng g−1), respectively. Relative cumulative frequency method has been used to define the baseline values of these metals, which (in mg kg−1) were 0.14 for Cd, 13.56 for Co, 57.86 for Cr, 25.14 for Cu, 364.08 for Mn, 26.22 for Ni, 17.46 for Pb, 70.49 for Zn and 9.76 for Hg (in ng g−1), respectively. The enrichment factor analysis indicated that Hg showed some extent of anthropogenic pollution, while Pb, Zn and Cd showed limited anthropogenic contamination in the study areas.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to express our sincere gratitude to Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Administration, State Oceanic Administration of China. Also, we acknowledge the logistic support from Kingsbay AS, Svalbard. This research was supported by Science Foundation of Shanghai Municipal Government (No. 12ZR1434800), State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse Foundation (Tongji University) (No. PCRRY11016) and Resource-sharing Platform of Polar Samples (2005DKA21406).

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  1. College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China

    Zhibo Lu, Minghong Cai, Juan Wang, Zhigao Yin & Haizhen Yang

  2. SOA Key Laboratory for Polar Science, Polar Research Institute of China, Shanghai, 200136, China

    Minghong Cai

  3. State Key Laboratory on Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China

    Zhibo Lu, Juan Wang & Haizhen Yang

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  1. Zhibo Lu
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Correspondence to Minghong Cai.

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Lu, Z., Cai, M., Wang, J. et al. Levels and distribution of trace metals in surface sediments from Kongsfjorden, Svalbard, Norwegian Arctic. Environ Geochem Health 35, 257–269 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-012-9481-z

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