title: Bioavailability of trace elements in surface sediments from Kongsfjorden, Svalbard.
abstract: The bioavailability of trace elements in marine sediments from Kongsfjorden (Svalbard Islands, Norwegian Arctic) was assessed and discussed. Total concentrations of several elements were determined in two granulometric fractions and their bioavailability evaluated by both applying a sequential-selective extraction procedure and using a biomimetic approach based on proteolytic enzymes. Total concentration values and solid speciation patterns indicated overall that the anthropogenic impact of trace elements in the investigated area is negligible, although a minor enrichment with respect to crustal values was found for As, Cd, Cr, Ni, and V. Enrichment of trace elements in the <63-μm fraction compared to the coarser one was evident for As, Cd, Cr, and Ni. The evaluation of the bioavailable fractions showed that a large part of the total content of trace elements cannot enter the aquatic food chain and emphasised the risk of overestimating the environmental impact of heavy metals if the assessment is only based on total concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Genoa, Via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, Italy. Electronic address: grotti@unige.it.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grotti
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Soggia
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ianni
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Magi
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Udisti
mesh_terms: D001110:Arctic Regions; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis; D013538:Svalbard; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014131:Trace Elements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Enzymatic extraction; Heavy metals; Norwegian Arctic; Sediment; Sequential extraction