title: [Source characteristics and contamination evaluation of heavy metals in the surface sediments of Haizhou Bay].
abstract: Based on the investigation data from 17 sampling stations in the sea area of Haizhou Bay in 2009, the geo-statistics analysis was used to estimate the source characteristics of heavy metals in surface sediments, and the potential ecological risk index was applied to evaluate the status of the ecological risk. The contents of heavy metals showed a landward as well as northeastward increasing trend. The spatial distribution characteristics reflected that land-based inputs of pollution were the main sources of heavy metals. According to the analysis of Pearson correlation coefficients, the contents of organic carbon, sulfide and grain-size of sediments were important factors for the content and distribution of heavy metals. The results of potential ecological risk evaluation indicated that the Haizhou bay as a whole can be ranked as "moderate potential ecological risk". The high risk zone was in the coastal waters between Longwang estuary and Linhong estuary. The sequence of the potential ecological risk posed by the metals was Cd > As > Cu > Pb > Cr > Zn. Cd was the major pollutant among the metals in consideration, while the pollution related to others was less significant.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D061006:Bays; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D063366:Estuaries; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical