title: Heavy metals in coastal wetland sediments of the Pearl River Estuary, China.
abstract: Sediment quality in coastal wetlands of the Pearl River Estuary was concerned since the wetlands were used for land reclamation, aquaculture and wildlife protection, and meanwhile served as one of the main ultimate sinks for large amount of heavy metals discharged from the rapidly developing Pearl River Delta. Total concentrations of heavy metal, such as Zn, Ni, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Cd, and their chemical speciation were investigated. Results showed that the sediments were significantly contaminated by Cd, Zn and Ni with concentration ranges of 2.79-4.65, 239.4-345.7 and 24.8-122.1mg/kg, respectively. A major portion (34.6-46.8%) of Pb, Cd, and Zn was strongly associated with exchangeable fractions, while Cu, Ni and Cr were predominantly associated with organic fractions, residual, and Fe-Mn oxide. Cd and Zn would be the main potential risk and the sediment quality is no longer meeting the demand of the current wetland utilization strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Engineering, JiNan University, Guangzhou 510632, China. liqusheng@21cn.com
authors.forename: Qusheng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhifeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Bei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shasha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Jianhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fang
mesh_terms: D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis; D002681:China; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007220:Industrial Waste; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D009532:Nickel / Q000032:analysis; D045483:Rivers; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis; D053833:Wetlands; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007220:Industrial Waste; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D009532:Nickel; D015032:Zinc