title: Potential bioavailability assessment, source apportionment and ecological risk of heavy metals in the sediment of Brisbane River estuary, Australia.
abstract: A weak acid extraction was used to mobilize the loosely bound metals in estuary sediment samples. More than 30% of Ag, As, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Hg, Mn Ni, Pb and Zn were leached from the sediment showing that these metals are significantly present in the bioavailable form. PCA/APCS identified three sources of the metals, namely: lithogenic accounting for 72%, shipping related contributing 15% and traffic related representing 13% of the total load. Application of pollution index (PI) and modified pollution index (MPI) revealed that the sediment range from unpolluted to heavily polluted while ecological risk index (RI) classifies the sediment as posing low ecological risk modified ecological risk index (MRI) suggests considerable to very high ecological risk. To provide holistic insights into the ecological risks posed by metals, enrichment factor, MPI and MRI are recommended for the assessment of sediment in complex environments such as estuaries.
authors.affiliation: Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Science and Engineering Faculty, School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering, 2 George St, QLD 4001, Australia.
authors.forename: Godfred Odame
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Duodu
authors.affiliation: Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Science and Engineering Faculty, School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, 2 George St, QLD 4001, Australia.
authors.forename: Ashantha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goonetilleke
authors.affiliation: Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Science and Engineering Faculty, School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechanical Engineering, 2 George St, QLD 4001, Australia. Electronic address: g.ayoko@qut.edu.au.
authors.forename: Godwin A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Ayoko
mesh_terms: D001682:Biological Availability; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D063366:Estuaries; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D045483:Rivers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Brisbane River sediment; Heavy metal; Modified ecological risk index; Modified pollution index; PCA/APCS; PROMETHEE