Trace metal pollution and carbon and nitrogen isotope tracing through the Yongdingxin River estuary in Bohai Bay, Northern China.
A tide gate was built in 2010 to prevent seawater from moving upstream into the Yongdingxin River estuary in Bohai Bay, Northern China. We analysed the concentrations of Hg, Cd, Pb, TOC, TN, δ13C and δ15N and studied their variations in the surface layer and vertical profiles of sediment cores collected from the Yongdingxin River estuary. Contamination factors and geo-accumulation indices were calculated for each metal, which revealed high levels of contamination for Hg and Cd in the sediments, likely from anthropogenic sources. δ13C and δ15N were used as natural tracers to determine the sources of TOC and TN. The results revealed that sewage was the main source of TOC, while TN may have more than one source in the Yongdingxin River estuary. Sewage dominated trace metal pollution in the Yongdingxin River estuary. Our results provide a baseline for trace metal contamination in an estuary facing a large water project.
Tianjin Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China.
Conghui
C
Sun
Tianjin Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China.
Qi
Q
Wei
Tianjin Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China.
Lixia
L
Ma
First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Qingdao 266061, China.
Li
L
Li
Tianjin Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China. Electronic address: wuguanghong@hotmail.com.
Guanghong
G
Wu
Tianjin Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China.
Ling
L
Pan
D061006:Bays; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D063366:Estuaries; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D045483:Rivers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Accumulation; Bohai Bay; Carbon and nitrogen isotope ratio; Sediment; Tide gate; Trace metals