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Source of sediments and metal fractionation in two Chinese estuarine marshes

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Abstract

The Changjiang and the Jiulong Estuaries, located in eastern and southeastern China, respectively, have different geomorphologic and tidal processes as well as anthropogenic development in their associated watersheds. Sediments in the Changjiang estuary mostly consist of SiO2, CaO and MgO (mean percentages of 63.9, 4.34 and 2.35%), whereas sediments from the Jiulong estuary mostly consist of Al2O3, Fe2O3 and organic matter (mean percentages 19.2, 6.82 and 4.14%). The Jiulong estuarine sediments contain more than twice the concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cu, than those from the Changjiang estuary. In the Jiulong estuary, these heavy metals are associated with carbonates and organic matter, whereas in the Changjiang estuary, they are associated with residual fractions or clay. Sediments from the Changjiang estuary, mostly sediments with little organic matter, do not efficiently sequester anthropogenic-derived trace metals. In contrast, sediments from the Jiulong estuary consist of a mixture of fluvial and marine matter which can sequester heavy metals contributed by larger landscapes with industrial and municipal wastewater.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Prof. Ji Junfeng, Dr. Mao Changping and He Tong for their valuable contributions and valuable support during the field studies. Furthermore, the authors thank Prof. Chen Zhongyuan and the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments on the manuscript. This research was funded by the Scientific Research Projects of Hohai University (project no. 2008432511) and China Geological Survey (gztr20060201).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lakes, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hohai University, 1 Xikang Road, Nanjing, China

    Xuyin Yuan, Ying Chen & Bing Li

  2. Department of Earth Sciences, Syracuse University, Syracuse, USA

    Donald I. Siegel

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  1. Xuyin Yuan
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  2. Ying Chen
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  3. Bing Li
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  4. Donald I. Siegel
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Correspondence to Xuyin Yuan.

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Yuan, X., Chen, Y., Li, B. et al. Source of sediments and metal fractionation in two Chinese estuarine marshes. Environ Earth Sci 60, 1535–1544 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-009-0288-x

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