title: Trace metals in surface sediments of the Taiwan Strait: geochemical characteristics and environmental indication.
abstract: The concentration and geochemical fractionation of six trace metals related with environmental quality assessment, namely Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn, in 30 surface sediments from both inshore and offshore areas of the Taiwan Strait were measured to investigate their distribution characteristics, evaluate their potential mobility, and assess their pollution status. The geoaccumulation index results indicated that, on average, the studied metals presented an order of Cd > Pb > Ni > Zn > Cu > Cr and were practically in uncontaminated status except Cd. The results of the sequential extraction analysis indicated that, on average, the studied metals were mostly accumulated in residual fraction except Cd whose concentration was the highest in the acid soluble fraction presenting a high risk to the environment, and their mobility decreased in the sequence of Cd > Pb > Ni > Cu > Zn > Cr. Based on the mean probable effect level quotients, the combination of the studied metals had an 8 % probability of being toxic at two sampling sites and had a 21 % probability of being toxic at the rest of sites. The spatial distribution of the studied metals in total concentrations and different geochemical fractions corroborated the previous findings about the possible sediment transportation routes in and around the Taiwan Strait.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oceanography, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, 804, Taiwan.|Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, Shandong, 264003, China.
authors.forename: Xuelu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gao
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.
authors.forename: Fengxia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Oceanography, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, 804, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hon-Kit
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Science, Naval Academy, Tsoying, Kaohsiung, 813, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jiann-Yuh
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lou
authors.affiliation: Department of Oceanography, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, 804, Taiwan. ctchen@mail.nsysu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Chen-Tung Arthur
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: College of City and Architecture Engineering, Zaozhuang University, Zaozhuang, Shandong, 277160, China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhuang
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D013624:Taiwan; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Chemical fractionation; Environmental assessment; Marginal sea; Marine pollution; Sequential extraction