title: Trace metals in a sediment core from the largest mariculture base of the eastern Guangdong coast, South China: Vertical distribution, speciation, and biological risk.
abstract: A sediment core collected from Zhelin Bay, the biggest mariculture base of the eastern Guangdong Province, was analyzed for trace metal concentrations and chemical fractions. Average total concentrations (mg/kg) were 20.7±15.4 (Pb), 74.6±11.6 (Cr), 40.7±6.0 (Ni), 55.9±13.0 (Cu), and 169.0±11.9 (Zn), with the concentrations of Cr, Ni, Cu and Zn being significantly higher than their corresponding background values. We identified two vertical distribution patterns of the trace metals in the sediment core. In all sub-samples, Pb was mainly associated with the reducible fraction, whereas a major portion (62.2 to 95.2%) of Cr, Ni, Cu, and Zn was strongly associated with the residual fractions. Biological risk assessment based on the mean effects range-median quotient suggests that the Zhelin Bay sediment core has a 21% probability of being toxic.
authors.affiliation: South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fishery Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510300, China; Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Development and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Guangzhou 510300, China. Electronic address: hydrobio@163.com.
authors.forename: Yang-Guang
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fishery Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou 510300, China; Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Development and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Guangzhou 510300, China.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Biological risk; Mariculture; Metal fraction; Metals; Sediment core