title: Assessment of heavy metal impact on sediment quality of the Xiaoqinghe estuary in the coastal Laizhou Bay, Bohai Sea: inconsistency between two commonly used criteria.
abstract: Surface sediments in the Xiaoqinghe estuary, southwestern coastal Laizhou Bay, were examined to assess the bio-toxic risk of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) with the effects range-low and effects range-median guidelines (ERL-ERMs) and the concentration ratio of simultaneously extractable metals to acid volatile sulfides ([SEM]/[AVS]). Based on the ERL-ERM guidelines, bio-toxic effect caused by Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn could be expected in the riverine surface sediments of the Xiaoqinghe estuary; and the surface sediments in the marine area were in good quality and only Ni might cause bio-toxic effect occasionally. The AVS-SEM guidelines revealed that no bio-toxic effect could be caused by any of the studied metals in both the riverine and marine sediments, since there were excess sulfides in surface sediments which could form water-insoluble substances with free metal ions and reduce the bioavailability of heavy metals.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, Shandong 264003, China; College of City and Architecture Engineering, Zaozhuang University, Zaozhuang, Shandong 277160, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, Shandong 264003, China. Electronic address: xlgao@yic.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Xuelu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D061006:Bays; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D063366:Estuaries; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D013440:Sulfides / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D013440:Sulfides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: China; Coastal zone; Environmental surveys; Geochemistry; Marine pollution; Sediment analysis