Abstract
With the development of industrialization and urbanization, metal and metalloid pollution is one of the most serious environmental problems in China. Current contamination status of metals and metalloid and their potential ecological risks along China’s coasts were reviewed in the present paper by a comprehensive study on metal contents in marine waters and sediments in the past few decades. The priority metals/metalloid cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As), which were the target elements of the designated project “Comprehensive Prevention and Control of Heavy Metal Pollution” issued by the Chinese government in 2011, were selected considering their high toxicity, persistence, and prevalent existence in coastal environment. Commonly used environmental quality evaluation methods for single and combined metals were compared, and we accordingly suggest the comprehensive approach of joint utilization of the Enrichment Factor and Effect Range Median combined with Pollution Load Index and Mean Effect Range Median Quotient (EEPME); this battery of guidelines may provide consistent, internationally comparable, and accurate understanding of the environment pollution status of combined metals/metalloid and their potential ecological risk.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Campana O, Blasco J, Simpson SL (2013) Demonstrating the appropriateness of developing sediment quality guidelines based on sediment geochemical properties. Environ Sci Technol 47:7483–7489
Chalmers AT, Argue DM, Gay DA, Brigham ME, Schmitt CJ, Lorenz DL (2011) Mercury trends in fish from rivers and lakes in the United States, 1969–2005. Environ Monit Assess 175:175–191
Chan KM (1995) Concentrations of copper, zinc, cadmium and lead in rabbitfish (Siganus oramin) collected in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. Mar Pollut Bull 31:277–280
Che Y, He Q, Lin W-Q (2003) The distributions of particulate heavy metals and its indication to the transfer of sediments in the Changjiang Estuary and Hangzhou Bay, China. Mar Pollut Bull 46:123–131
Cheung MS, Wang W-X (2008) Analyzing biomagnification of metals in different marine food webs using nitrogen isotopes. Mar Pollut Bull 56:2082–2088
Deng B, Zhang J, Zhang G, Zhou J (2010) Enhanced anthropogenic heavy metal dispersal from tidal disturbance in the Jiaozhou Bay, North China. Environ Monit Assess 161:349–358
Dong J, Yang Q-w, L-n S, Zeng Q, S-j L, Pan J, X-l L (2011) Assessing the concentration and potential dietary risk of heavy metals in vegetables at a Pb/Zn mine site, China. Environ Earth Sci 64:1317–1321
Environment Canada and Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs du Québec (2007) Criteria for the assessment of sediment quality in Quebec and application frameworks: prevention, dredging and remediation
Fang T-H, Li J-Y, Feng H-M, Chen H-Y (2009) Distribution and contamination of trace metals in surface sediments of the East China Sea. Mar Environ Res 68:178–187
Gao X, Li P (2012) Concentration and fractionation of trace metals in surface sediments of intertidal Bohai Bay, China. Mar Pollut Bull 64:1529–1536
Gao X, Li P, Chen C-TA (2013) Assessment of sediment quality in two important areas of mariculture in the Bohai Sea and the northern Yellow Sea based on acid-volatile sulfide and simultaneously extracted metal results. Mar Pollut Bull 72:281–288
Ghaleno OR, Sayadi M, Rezaei M, Kumar CP, Somashekar R, Nagaraja B (2015) Potential ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments of water reservoir case study: Chah Nimeh of Sistan. Proc Int AE-Eco Environ Sci 5:89–96
Guo W, Liu X, Liu Z, Li G (2010) Pollution and potential ecological risk evaluation of heavy metals in the sediments around Dongjiang Harbor, Tianjin. Procedia Environ Sci 2:729–736
Hakanson L (1980) An ecological risk index for aquatic pollution control. A sedimentological approach. Water Res 14:975–1001
He Z, Song J, Zhang N, Xu Y, Zheng G, Zhang P (2008) Variation characteristics and controlling factors of heavy metals in the South Yellow Sea surface seawaters. Environ Sci 29:1153–1162
He Z, Song J, Zhang N, Zhang P, Xu Y (2009) Variation characteristics and ecological risk of heavy metals in the south Yellow Sea surface sediments. Environ Monit Assess 157:515–528
He Q, Bertness MD, Bruno JF, Li B, Chen G, Coverdale TC, Altieri AH, Bai J, Sun T, Pennings SC (2014) Economic development and coastal ecosystem change in China. Sci Rep 4
Hirose K (2006) Chemical speciation of trace metals in seawater: a review. Anal Sci 22:1055–1063
Huang X, Zhang S, Huo Z (2005) Heavy metal distribution in seawater in Dapeng Bay of Shenzhen and the Pearl River estuary. Trans Oceanol Limnol 4:38–44
Huang L, Pu X, Pan J-F, Wang B (2013) Heavy metal pollution status in surface sediments of Swan Lake lagoon and Rongcheng Bay in the northern Yellow Sea. Chemosphere 93:1957–1964
Jin H, Shao X (2003) Analysis of water quality off Zhejiang. J Zhejiang Ocean Univ (Nat Sci) 22:327–331
Li J, Li J, Zheng L, Wang Z, Chen F, Wang X (2013) Distribution of heavy metals in the mid-south part of South China Sea water. Environ Monit China 29:65–71
Liang Y, Wong MH (2003) Spatial and temporal organic and heavy metal pollution at Mai Po Marshes Nature Reserve, Hong Kong. Chemosphere 52:1647–1658
Lin J (2008) Concentrations and distribution of heavy metals in surface sediment of Luoyuan Bay, Fujian Province. J Oceano Taiwan Strait 27:362
Lin C, Liu Y, Li W, Sun X, Ji W (2014) Speciation, distribution, and potential ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in Xiamen Bay surface sediment. Acta Oceanol Sin 33:13–21
Liu L, Li F, Xiong D, Song C (2006) Heavy metal contamination and their distribution in different size fractions of the surficial sediment of Haihe River, China. Environ Geol 50:431–438
Long ER, MacDonald DD, Smith SL, Calder FD (1995) Incidence of adverse biological effects within ranges of chemical concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments. Environ Manag 19:81–97
Long ER, MacDonald DD, Severn CG, Hong CB (2000) Classifying probabilities of acute toxicity in marine sediments with empirically derived sediment quality guidelines. Environ Toxicol Chem 19:2598–2601
Luo W, Lu Y, Wang T, Hu W, Jiao W, Naile JE, Khim JS, Giesy JP (2010) Ecological risk assessment of arsenic and metals in sediments of coastal areas of northern Bohai and Yellow Seas, China. Ambio 39:367–375
Luo W, Lu Y, Wang T, Kong P, Jiao W, Hu W, Jia J, Naile JE, Khim JS, Giesy JP (2013) Environmental concentrations and bioaccumulations of cadmium and zinc in coastal watersheds along the Chinese Northern Bohai and Yellow Seas. Environ Toxicol Chem 32:831–840
Mao T, Dai M, Peng S, Li G (2009) Temporal-spatial variation trend analysis of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Hg) in Bohai Bay in 10 years. J Tianjin Univ 42:817–825
Pacyna EG, Pacyna J, Sundseth K, Munthe J, Kindbom K, Wilson S, Steenhuisen F, Maxson P (2010) Global emission of mercury to the atmosphere from anthropogenic sources in 2005 and projections to 2020. Atmos Environ 44:2487–2499
Pan K, Wang W-X (2012) Trace metal contamination in estuarine and coastal environments in China. Sci Total Environ 421:3–16
Pan J, Pan J-F, Wang M (2014) Trace elements distribution and ecological risk assessment of seawater and sediments from Dingzi Bay, Shandong Peninsula, North China. Mar Pollut Bull 89:427–434
Qiao Y-m, Huang C-j (2009) A study on concentration and distribution characteristics of heavy metals in surface sediment of the Shantou Estuary in China [J]. Acta Oceanol Sin 1:014
Qiu Y, Yu K (2011) Accumulation of heavy metals in sediment of mangrove wetland from Hainan Island. J Trop Oceanogr 30:102–108
Qiu Y, Zhu L, Li M, Wang Q (2004) Distribution characteristics of heavy metals and grain size of sediments from Hailing Bay. Mar Sci Bull 6:007
Ravichandran M, Baskaran M, Santschi PH, Bianchi TS (1995) History of trace metal pollution in Sabine-Neches estuary, Beaumont, Texas. Environ Sci Technol 29:1495–1503
Ren J, Shang Z, Tao L, Wang X (2015) Multivariate analysis and heavy metals pollution evaluation in Yellow River surface sediments. Pol J Environ Stud 24
Ritter KJ, Bay SM, Smith RW, Vidal-Dorsch DE, Field LJ (2012) Development and evaluation of sediment quality guidelines based on benthic macrofauna responses. Integr Environ Assess Manag 8:610–624
Ruilian Y, Xing Y, Yuanhui Z, Gongren H, Xianglin T (2008) Heavy metal pollution in intertidal sediments from Quanzhou Bay, China. J Environ Sci 20:664–669
Saleem M, Aftab J, Hasaney SI, Kahkishan S, Haider SW, Muzaffar M (2016) Toxicity levels, ecological risk assessment of heavy metals and distribution in the surface sediment of Hub River, Hub River estuary and Gadani coast. J Biodivers Environ Sci 8: 2222–3045
SEPA (State Environmental Protection Administration of China) (2002) Marine sediment quality (GB 18668–2002). Standards Press of China, Beijing
Sutherland R (2000) Bed sediment-associated trace metals in an urban stream, Oahu, Hawaii. Environ Geol 39:611–627
Tang A, Liu R, Ling M, Xu L, Wang J (2010) Distribution characteristics and controlling factors of soluble heavy metals in the Yellow River Estuary and Adjacent Sea. P. Environ Sci 2:1193–1198
Tessier A, Campbell PG, Bisson M (1979) Sequential extraction procedure for the speciation of particulate trace metals. Anal Chem 51:844–851
Tomlinson D, Wilson J, Harris C, Jeffrey D (1980) Problems in the assessment of heavy-metal levels in estuaries and the formation of a pollution index. Helgoländer Meeresuntersuchungen 33:566
USEPA (2001) National primary drinking water regulations: arsenic and clarifications to compliance and new source contaminants monitoring. Fed Regist 66:6975–7066
Vane CH, Harrison I, Kim A, Moss-Hayes V, Vickers B, Hong K (2009) Organic and metal contamination in surface mangrove sediments of South China. Mar Pollut Bull 58:134–144
Wan L, Wang N, Ding Q, Zhang Q, Yu B (2007) Comprehensive assessment of the situation of water quality of Liaodong Bay in summer. Trans Oceanol Limnol 4:87–92
Wang J, Liu R, Ling M, Yu P, Tang A (2010a) Heavy metals contamination and its sources in the Luoyuan Bay. Procedia Environ Sci 2:1188–1192
Wang S, Jia Y, Wang S, Wang X, Wang H, Zhao Z, Liu B (2010b) Fractionation of heavy metals in shallow marine sediments from Jinzhou Bay, China. J Environ Sci 22:23–31
Wang J, Liu R, Yu P, Tang A, Xu L, Wang J (2012) Study on the pollution characteristics of heavy metals in seawater of Jinzhou Bay. Procedia Environ Sci 13:1507–1516
Wang S-L, X-R X, Sun Y-X, Liu J-L, Li H-B (2013) Heavy metal pollution in coastal areas of South China: a review. Mar Pollut Bull 76:7–15
Yang J-H, Jiang S-Y, Wang X-R, Wang Y (2004) Heavy metals in coastal waters from Sanya Bay, Hainan Island: implication for human impact on the estuarine coastal environments. J Coastal Res:171–178
Yang J, Cao L, Wang J, Liu C, Huang C, Cai W, Fang H, Peng X (2014) Speciation of metals and assessment of contamination in surface sediments from Daya Bay, South China Sea. Sustainability 6:9096–9113
Yang D, Wang F, Sun Z, Zhao X, Zhu S (2015) Vertical distribution and settling pool of chromium in the bay mouth of Jiaozhou Bay. Adv Engr Res
Yin S, Wu Y, Xu W, Li Y, Shen Z, Feng C (2016) Contribution of the upper river, the estuarine region, and the adjacent sea to the heavy metal pollution in the Yangtze Estuary. Chemosphere 155:564–572
Yu X, Yan Y, Wang W-X (2010) The distribution and speciation of trace metals in surface sediments from the Pearl River Estuary and the Daya Bay, Southern China. Mar Pollut Bull 60:1364–1371
Yu G, Liu Y, Yu S, Wu S, Leung A, Luo X, Xu B, Li H, Wong M (2011) Inconsistency and comprehensiveness of risk assessments for heavy metals in urban surface sediments. Chemosphere 85:1080–1087
Zhang YF, Wang LJ, Huo CL, Guan DM (2008) Pollution evaluation on heavy metals in surface sediments in Jinzhou Bay. Mar Environ Sci 27:258–260
Zhang D, Zhang X, Tian L, Ye F, Huang X, Zeng Y, Fan M (2013) Seasonal and spatial dynamics of trace elements in water and sediment from Pearl River Estuary, South China. Environ Earth Sci 68:1053–1063
Zhang L, Shi Z, Zhang J, Jiang Z, Wang F, Huang X (2015) Spatial and seasonal characteristics of dissolved heavy metals in the east and west Guangdong coastal waters, South China. Mar Pollut Bull 95:419–426
Zhao X, Barlow J, Taylor BL, Pitman RL, Wang K, Wei Z, Stewart BS, Turvey ST, Akamatsu T, Reeves RR (2008) Abundance and conservation status of the Yangtze finless porpoise in the Yangtze River, China. Biol Conserv 141:3006–3018
Zhou X, Wang E, Liu X, Wang W (2004) Environmental geochemistry of heavy metals in bottom sediments of the river mouths in Liaodong Bay. Geochimica 33:286–290
Zuo P, Wang Y, Min F, Cheng J (2009) Distribution characteristics of heavy metals in surface sediments and core sediments of the Shenzhen Bay in Guangdong Province, China. Acta Oceanol Sin 28:53–60
Acknowledgements
This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41276104) and Public Science and Technology Research Funds Projects of Ocean (Grant No. 201505034-2, 20130543-4).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Additional information
Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Manzoor, R., Zhang, T., Zhang, X. et al. Single and combined metal contamination in coastal environments in China: current status and potential ecological risk evaluation. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25, 1044–1054 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0526-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0526-9