Heavy metal pollution assessment in marine sediments in the Northwest coast of Sabah,Malaysia

Heavy metal contents along the Northwest coast of Sabah were determined to interpret the pollution level in the marine sediment. The metal abundance is regulated by the physico-chemical properties such as the average sediment pH(7.82, 9.00 and 8.99), organic matter(0.62%, 1.60%, and 2.27%), moisture content(25.00%, 29.70%, and 15.00%) and sandy texture in Kota Belud, Kudat and Mantanani Island,respectively. The major elements show Ca>Fe>Mg>Al>Mn for all study sites, while the heavy metals show Ni>Cr>Zn>Cu>Co>Pb, Cr>Ni>Zn>Cu>Pb>Co and Zn>Pb>Cr>Ni, for Kota Belud, Kudat and Mantanani Island, respectively. The pollution degree of heavy metals was evaluated by using the Sediment Quality Assessment(SQA). The SQA parameters indicated none to moderate pollution in Kota Belud that shows Class 0, Class 1 and Class 2 pollution. The parameters also indicated none to low pollution in Kudat and Mantanani Island that show only Class 0 pollution. The enrichment factor(EF) suggested minor to moderately severe metal enrichment by anthropogenic sources in Kota Belud, whereas only minor enrichment in Kudat and Mantanani Island. The modified pollution degree(MCD<1.5) and pollution load index(0 PLI<1) indicating only low pollution level in the marine sediments for all study sites. The objectives of this study are:(1) to determine the physico-chemical parameters of sediments,(2) interpret the heavy metal contents and(3) evaluate the sediment quality.

Microplastic and Heavy Metals Distributions in Urban Rivers Sediments,China

This study investigated the distribution of microplastics and heavy metals,along with the interaction between the two in the sediments of urban rivers in China.Results showed that the abundance of microplastics ranged from 2412±187.5 to 7638±1312items kg^(-1)dry sediment across different survey stations,with an average abundance at(4388±713)items kg^(-1)dry sediment.Upon further categorization,it was found that transparent fragments were the primary color and type of microplastics present.The potential ecological risk index(RI)of heavy metals in sediments suggested a low level of ecological risk within a majority of the urban rivers studied.Cd was identified as the main potential ecological risk factor in the sediments of the studied areas.There was a relatively good significant linear relationship between the RI of heavy metals and the abundance of microplastics,bolstering the linkage between these two environmental pollutants.However,the concentrations of heavy metals in microplastics were not dependent on their corresponding contents in sediments.In fact,the concentration of Cu,Cd,and As in microplastics were higher than those in the sediments.This finding confirmed that microplastics could serve as carriers of heavy metals and introduce potential risks to aquatic wildlife and human through the food chain.

Progress in the Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution of Water Sediment

In recent years,as China's industrialization process and urban-rural integration strategy have continued to deepen,some industrial and domestic wastewater has been discharged directly into rivers without effective treatment.This has resulted in the continuous accumulation and enrichment of pollutants in water bodies.This phenomenon results in a significant accumulation of heavy metals in the sediment of water bodies,which not only represents a significant threat to the ecological environment but also ultimately poses a risk to human health.The objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive review of the current status of heavy metal pollution in water sediment in China.In addition,this paper analyzes the advantages and limitations of existing techniques for the harmless treatment of heavy metal pollution and forecasts the development direction of this field.

Evaluation of Agricultural Contamination Level by Heavy Metals and Pesticides in Sediments of Rivers and Water Bodies for Shrimp Fishing in the Lower Ouémé: Case of the Aguigadji, Ahlan and Sele Stations in Benin

This study assessed sediment contamination by heavy metals and pesticide active ingredients linked to chemical inputs used in agricultural activities in the lower Ouémé. Pesticide residues from the organochlorine, pyrethroid and organophosphorus families were investigated by gas chromatography, and heavy metals (Cd, Pb, As, Ni, Zn, Fe, Mg, Cr and Hg) by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The metallic pollution indices, the contamination factor (CF) and the ecological risk index were calculated. The results revealed 8 active ingredients in the rainy season and 9 in the dry season. Glyphosate was the active ingredient with the highest concentration at all stations, 9.65 ± 0.84 mg/kg recorded in the dry season at the Aguigadji station. All glyphosate values were above the EQS. DDT, Atrazine and Endosulfan also showed high concentrations in the dry and rainy seasons. Emamectin, Abamectin and Lambda Cyhalothrin also showed high concentrations in the dry season at Aguigadji, Ahlan and Sele. Only glyphosate was recorded at the control station (Toho), but in very low concentrations. Lead showed the highest concentrations at all the stations, 265.96 ± 21.02 mg/Kg in the rainy season and 255.38 ± 79.09 mg/Kg in the dry season, all detected at the Aguigadji station and above the EQS. Zn, Ni, Fe, Cu and Cr were all representative in both the dry and rainy seasons at the contaminated stations. Manganese showed high concentrations in the rainy season. Pb showed very high contamination (FC ≥ 6) at the Aguigadji and Ahlan stations and significant contamination (3 ≤ FC 6) at the Sele station in both the rainy and dry seasons. Ni, Hg and Cd, showed either moderate or significant contamination at the contaminated stations. The risk values showed a considerable ecological Ri (190 ≤ Ri < 380) in the rainy season and a moderate ecological Ri (95 ≤ Ri < 190) in the dry season at these contaminated stations.

Fractionation of heavy metals in shallow marine sediments from Jinzhou Bay,China

This work investigated the distribution and speciation of Cd, Cu, Pb, Fe and Mn in the shallow sediments of Jinzhou Bay, Northeast China, which has been heavily contaminated by nonferrous smelting activities. The concentrations of Cd, Cu and Pb in sediments were found to be 100, 13 and 7 times, respectively, being higher than the national guideline （GB 18668-2002）. Sequential extraction test showed that 39%-61% of Cd were exchangeable fractions, indicating that Cd in the sediments posed a high risk to local environments. While Cu and Pb were at moderate risk levels. According to the relationships between percentage of metal speciation and total metal concentration, it was concluded that the distributions of Cd, Cu and Pb in some geochemical fractions were dynamic in the process of pollutants migration and the stability of metals in sediments of Jinzhou Bay decreased in the order of Pb 〉 Cu 〉 Cd.

Impact of anions on the heavy metals release from marine sediments

Marine sediments from Lianshan Bay in Huludao, China, were studied in laboratory. A series of simulated experiments were carried out to investigate the influences of three kinds of anions CL^-, SO4^2- and HCO3^- on the release ofCd, Pb, Cu and Zn from the sediments. The results showed that the sequences about the impact of the three anions were Cl^-〉HCO3^-〉SO4^2＋. The release potential of heavy metals in the presence of each anions was in the following order： Cd≥Cu 〉Zn≈Pb. The correlations were positive between CI content and the quantity of Cd released from the marine sediment, whereas there was no significant relationship between CI content and amount of Cu and Zn released. For SO4^2- and HCO3^-, the release of the heavy metals from marine sediments was not obvious.

Ecological Risk of Heavy Metals in Sediment Around Techeng Island Special Marine Reserves in Zhanjiang Bay

The concentrations of five metals(Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd and Hg) were measured in sediments obtained before and after the establishment of Techeng Island Special Marine Reserves(TCISMR) in Zhanjiang Bay to evaluate the ecological risk of heavy metals. The results showed that average values of potential ecological risk indexes of heavy metals at all stations increased slightly from 32.09 to 30.54 after establishment of TCISMR. Optimal semivariance simulation showed that the contents of five heavy metals have strong spatial correlations in August 2010(before), while this correlations weakened in April 2013(after establishment of TCISMR), suggesting that the main sources of heavy metals changed. The Hakanson Risk Index(HRI) values in Donghai levee, central and southern parts of Zhanjiang harbor were high up to 60.13 and 46.46, respectively. And Zhanjiang Bay Channel, the areas around special marine reserves, the artificial reef areas and mangrove areas at south of Techeng Island are the areas with low ecological risk and high ecological value, which should be treated as the prior ecological protection areas. Our study provided a priority control pattern of heavy metal pollution in TCISMR, which greatly benefits the sustainable development and resource protection in Zhanjiang Bay.

Heavy metal content in coral reef sediments from Red Sea of Yemen and its significance on marine environment

In order to determine and assess the concentrations of trace elements in coral reefs sediments from Red Sea of Yemen, sediment samples were collected, treated and analyzed for cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, manganese, nickel, lead, iron, zinc and vanadium by the atomic absorption spectrometric analysis. The result is that cadmium, cobalt and lead concentrations were high and other elements are low or the same as natural background. It is concluded that the high cadmium, cobalt and lead levels in coral reefs sediments will have negative effects on marine life of the sites, so further researches are needed to characterize the sources fate, biogeochemical processes and impacts of these trace elements on coral reefs and marine of the region.

Distribution and Pollution Assessment of Heavy Metals in Beidaihe Near-Shore Marine Sediments

The concentrations of heavy metals, Cd, Hg, Pb, Cu and As in marine sediments from 138 sites located in the Beidaihe near-shore area of Bohai bay, were analyzed to find out the distribution characteristics of these heavy metals. Potential Ecological Risk index were adopted to assess the heavy metals contamination, and the assessment results indicated that the content of heavy metals in this area is in a low to moderate level, while high values were found in the southwest and northeast region, and the value in the middle region is comparatively low. The high pollution hazard sites were close to the Renzaohe estuary and Shihe estuary and the high risk is mainly led by Hg.

Distribution and Speciation of Heavy Metals in Water and Sediments of the Coastal Marine Areas of Tanzania

The present study investigated the concentration and species of heavy metals As, Hg, Cr, Pb and Zn in water and As, Hg, Cr, Pb and Zn in sediments collected along the coastal marine areas of Tanzania so as to determine their behaviour and remobilization potential in the environment and the degree of their availability to edible aquatic biota for monitoring purposes. Sequential extraction revealed the presence of a significant proportion of heavy metals Cr, Pb and Zn bound to available fractions of sediments. Arsenic had the highest concentration in non available residual fractions. PCA analysis found that As-Hg, Cr-Pb were strongly correlated and that the two may be derived from the same source most likely from storm water drainage of waste water discharges, while Zn may have come from the different source like watershed erosion. Further, PCA clearly confirms the same. Generally, Zn among all heavy metals analysed was the most available to aquatic biota due to its higher average concentrations in the acid soluble fraction, followed by chromium. However, high percentages of metal species studied in Tanzania coastal marine areas were found in non available fractions which indicated that the edible aquatic biota was safe for human consumptions.

Distribution,risk evaluation,and source analysis of the heavy metals in the sediment deposition of the lower Shichuanhe River,Shaanxi,China

In this study, 30 sediment samples were collected from the lower reaches of the Shichuanhe River in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China, to test the distribution of heavy metal elements in this area and for an analysis of the pollution levels of this area, hope to provide guidance on agricultural production activities in this region. The results show that the heavy metal elements in this area are mainly concentrated at the Qinghe River and Shichuanhe River confluences. Furthermore, the element contents are higher than that of the background levels of the continental crust(UCC) and close to the background levels of the soil from Shaanxi Province;the two most enriched elements are Cd and As, with contents of 0.79 and 22.7 mg·kg-1, respectively, and their contents are 3.8 and 1.72 times higher than that of the background values. Herein, the heavy metal pollution assessment methods applied indicated that Cd and As are the two most abundant pollutant elements in the area’s soils. As has a peak geo-accumulation index value of 3, and the pollution level is high, while Cd exhibits high potential ecological risks due to its high toxicity(potential risk index of 143) and an active fraction of more than 64%.In addition, a principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis study showed that there are two sources of the heavy metals in this area. The Zn, As, Ni, Cu, Pb,and Cr are mainly from natural sources, and the Cd likely comes from a discharge of untreated agricultural wastewater in the region. The Cd which poses a high potential risk and mainly results from human activities, needs to be further monitored.

Distribution Characteristics and Controlling Factors of Heavy Metals in Surface Sediments from the Bay-Island-Estuary System(BIES):A Case Study in Coastal Waters of Fujian Province,China

Based on the contents of six heavy metal elements in surface sediments from coastal areas of Fujian Province,the distribution characteristics and controlling factors of six heavy metals in a bay-island-estuary system(BIES)were studied.This paper focuses on the influence of the hydrodynamic environment,and systematically discusses how grain size compositions,chemical environment,tidal current,ocean circulation and human activities influence the distribution and transportation of the heavy metals.The results indicated that the distribution and migration of Cu,Pb,Zn and Cr elements were mainly controlled by natural factors such as regional geological background,grain size compositions,and tidal residual currents.In contrast,As and Hg was mainly affected by human factors such as agriculture and industrial manufacturing.In the BIES,where the chemical environment exerted limited influence,the accumulation and migration of heavy metals are mainly influenced by human activities and enhanced by estuary processes as well as the complex sedimentary dynamic environment caused by many bays and islands.

Concentration of Heavy Metals in Sediment and Seagrasses Tissue of the Red Sea Coastal Water of the Sudan

The study investigated the concentration of Lead, Cadmium, Nickels and Chromium in sediment and seagrass tissues at six selected sites along the Sudanese Red Sea coast. The findings of the study added some important and necessary information about the status and condition of the coastal environment in the Sudanese Red Sea coast in terms of the extent of pollution with heavy metals. The study sites included: Marsa Bashayer, Marsa Dama Dama, Green Area, Shipyard, Marsa Halout and Dungonab Bay. The Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer was used to measure Lead, Cadmium and Nickels. The colorimetric detection method was used for Chromium using the Spectrophotometer. Marsa Dama Dama site revealed high levels concentration of heavy metals in sediment for Lead (60.5) μg/g, Cadmium (0.22) μg/g and Chromium (146.65) μg/g. Marsa Halout showed the highest mean concentration of Nickel in sediment at 14 μg/g. The variation of concentration of metals in sediment between the sites was not significant. The mean concentration of metals in seagrass species tissues ranged from 3.9 to 26.25 μg/g for Lead, 0.1 to 0.90 μg/g for Cadmium, 0.38 to 5.96 μg/g for Nickel and 0.15 to 0.495 μg/g for Chromium. The differences of concentration of heavy metals in seagrass tissues among the sites were significant for Lead and not significant for Cadmium;Nickel and Chromium.

Source, Contamination Assessment and Risk Evaluation of Heavy Metals in the Stream Sediments of Rivers around Olode Area SW, Nigeria

In order to investigate the source,contamination,and risk of heavy metals such as Pb,Zn,Cu,Ni,Co,Fe,Mn,and Cr,twelve(12)stream sediments and ten(10)rock samples were collected from pegmatite mining sites at Olode and its environs inside Ibadan,Southwestern Nigeria.The average values and order of abundance obtained followed the pattern:Mn(595.09)>Ba(80)>Cr(50.82)>V(45.09)>Zn(29.73)>Cu(13.82)>Co(13.82)>Sr(10.46)>Ni(9.73)>Pb(9.09)>Fe(1.59).These were greater than the background values,indicating that mining has a negative impact on the study area,as indicated by the high coefficient of variation and correlation values(>0.6)for Copper-Lead(0.929),Copper-Vanadium(0.970),Copper-Chromium(0.815),Lead-Vanadium(0.884),and others.On the basis of the enrichment factor(EF),the Olode sediments show extremely high enrichment for Mn and Ba in the research region.Cu and Ni are most likely to blame for the elevated contamination levels,according to CF values.The degree of contamination(CD),pollution load index(PLI),pollution index(PI),and modified pollution index(MPI)all revealed high levels of contamination in all stream sediment samples,whereas Igeo shows that the Olode stream sediments are“practically uncontaminated to extremely contaminated by Ni,Co,and Mn”.Ni and Cu are the major regulating factors that are most likely causing the possible Eri.As a result,these findings give important information for conducting appropriate ecological management research.

Assessment of heavy metals in sediment in a heavily polluted urban river in the Chaohu Basin, China

The Nanfei River （Anhui Province, China） is a severely polluted urban river that flows into Chaohu Lake. In the present study, sediments were collected from the river and analyzed for their heavy metal contents. Multivariate statistics and the fuzzy comprehensive assessment method were used to determine the sources of pollution, the current pollution status, and spatial and temporal variations in heavy metal pollution in sediments. The concentrations of arsenic （As）, cadmium （Cd）, chromium （Cr）, copper （Cu）, mercury （Hg）, nickel （Ni）, lead （Pb）, and zinc （Zn） in sediments ranged from 5.67-113, 0.08-40.2, 41.6-524, 15.5-460, 0.03-4.84, 13.5-180, 18.8-250, and 47.9-1 996 mg/kg, and the average concentrations of each metal were 1.7, 38.7, 1.8, 5.5, l 8.8, 1.3, 2.5, and 11.1 times greater than the background values, respectively. Multivariate statistical analysis demonstrated that Hg, Cu, Cr, Cd, and Ni may have originated from industrial activities, whereas As and Pb came from agricultural activities. The fuzzy comprehensive assessment method, based on the fuzzy mathematics theory, was used to obtain a detailed assessment of the sediment quality in the Nanfei River watershed. The results indicated that the pollution was moderate in the downstream tributaries of the Nianbu and Dianbu Rivers, but was severe in the main channel of the Nanfei River and in the upstream tributaries of the Sill and Banqiao Rivers. Therefore, sediments in the Nanfei River watershed are heavily polluted and urgent measures should be taken to remedy the status.

The Origin,Historical Variations,and Distribution of Heavy Metals in the Qiongzhou Strait and Nearby Marine Areas

We analyzed heavy metal concentrations in a number of surface sediments and cores from the Qiongzhou Strait and surrounding marine areas.The areas of high concentrations are primarily outside the eastern mouth of the Qiongzhou Strait and on the west side of the Leizhou Peninsula,whereas the areas of low concentrations are located primarily in the eastern Qiongzhou Strait.The maximum Cd,Pb and Zn concentrations in the samples collected in our study do not exceed the official standards for marine sediments,whereas the concentrations of Cr and Cu slightly exceed the standards.Correlations exist between the concentrations of Cu,Pb,Zn,Cr and Cd,and the concentrations of these metals are positively correlated with the mean particle size(φ value),indicating that the finer sediments have adsorbed greater amounts of heavy metal elements than the coarser sediments.An evaluation of the potential environmental risks demonstrates that certain indices of heavy metal pollution and environmental risks are relatively low and may be assigned low risk levels,thereby indicating that,in terms of heavy metals,the marine sedimentary environment in this region is only mildly impacted.Our analysis of the contaminant origins shows that the heavy metals in this region primarily originate in the Pearl River Estuary and that a small amount of them is derived from local runoff.The elevated heavy metal concentrations from the upper sections of the cores started 130 years ago,which indicats that heavy metals in the surface sediments are primarily due to human activities associated with industrialization.

Removal of Heavy Metal Ions from Wastewater by Using Biosorbents from Marine Algae-A Cost Effective New Technology

Heavy metal pollution from industrial wastewater is a worldwide environmental issue. Biosorption of heavy metals by using biosorbents derived from various types of biomass has been shown to be effective for the uptake of heavy metal ions. In this study, biosorbents derived from the biomass of a group of marine macroalgae were used for the removal and recovery of heavy metal ions from aqueous solutions. Results indicated that the biosorbents have high uptake capacities and affinities for a number of heavy metal ions. The uptake capacities of the biosorbents were in the range of 1.0 to 1.5mmol·g-1 for divalent heavy metal ions. The kinetics of the uptake process was fast and the process can be used in both batch and fixed-bed operations. It appears that the biosorption process by using biosorbents from marine macroalgae can be an efficient and cost effective technology for the treatment of heavy metal containing wastewater.

Marine Invertebrates as Bioindicators of Heavy Metal Pollution

Atmosphere, earth and water compose the environment. The presence of heavy metals in the environment has grown because of their large employment in some industrial and agricultural activities. Although these metals are terrestrial products, they flow into the sea through effluents and sewage or are directly discharged from industries placed on the seawater front. It should be considered that metals concentrations vary widely according to different seawater latitudes and depths and can be strongly influenced by fresh water discharges from heavily polluted rivers. In this review recent studies on heavy metal pollution in marine ecosystems and their organisms will be presented. Metal speciation, bioaccumulation in biota, as well as abiotic and biotic factors affecting their bioavailability will be reviewed. Moreover, the use of bioindicator organisms for the biomonitoring of heavy metal toxicity and their ecological effects will be defined. Many marine invertebrate species fulfill the following criteria: Sensitivity to a wide range of chemicals (especially to heavy metals), cost-effectiveness for repeatable tests, readily interpretable biological consequences of pollution. Among the most important marine invertebrates used as bioindicators, the sea urchin embryo is one of the most suitable, especially to assess metal/heavy metal pollution.

Heavy-Metal Tolerance and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Red Pigmented Bacteria Isolated from Marine Environment

This study was undertaken to determine heavy metal resistance and antibiotic susceptibility of three non-pathogenic red pigmented bacteria namely WPRA3, SM11-3j and SC-G18, isolated from marine environments of Malaysia. The bacteria isolates were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing and by biochemical and morphological tests. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of all isolates showed ≥96% similarity to Serratia spp. Antibiotic susceptibility test of isolates was assayed according to the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. All isolates were highly resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics, but were susceptible to quinolone antibiotics. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of nine heavy metals (Ni2+, Co2+, Cr3+, Zn2+, Mn2+, Pb2+, Hg2+, Cd2+ and Cu2+) against the bacteria isolates were determined via the plate-dilution method. The isolates exhibited resistance to Ni2+, Co2+, Cr3+ and Zn2+. Isolates WPRA3 and SM11-3j showed higher multiple tolerances to heavy metals. The results obtained indicate that bacteria from marine environments of Malaysia present interesting metabolic activities, which should be studied and explored for potential biotechnological applications.

Heavy Metal Adsorption Properties of Marine Algae Durvilliea Potatorum,Ecklonia Radiata and Laminaria Japonica

1 INTRODUCTIONBiosorption of heavy metals using biosorbents derived from suitable biomass is a new tech-nology for the removal and recovery of heavy metals from industrial waste waters.The ad-vantages of the biosorption technology include rapid reduction of dissolved heavy metal ionsconcentration to 10-6and 10-9levels,use of inexpensive and non-hazardous biosorbents,useof existing adsorption process equipment and therefore low operating costs,high uptake ca-pacity and specificity for selective heavy metal removals,and low interference from