TY - JOUR
T1 - Ecological risk and pollution history of heavy metals in Nansha mangrove, South China
AU - Wu, Qihang
AU - Tam, Nora F.Y.
AU - Leung, Jonathan Y.S.
AU - Zhou, Xizhen
AU - Fu, Jie
AU - Yao, Bo
AU - Huang, Xuexia
AU - Xia, Lihua
N1 - Funding Information:
The project was supported by Guangzhou Science and Technology Project (No. 11C72010683 ), Guangzhou Municipal Colleges and Universities Science and Technology Project (No. 10A064 ), Open fund of Key Laboratory of Water Quality Safety and Protection in Pearl River Delta (No. GZ201102 ), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41203058 ).
PY - 2014/6
Y1 - 2014/6
N2 - Owing to the Industrial Revolution in the late 1970s, heavy metal pollution has been regarded as a serious threat to mangrove ecosystems in the region of the Pearl River Estuary, potentially affecting human health. The present study attempted to characterize the ecological risk of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in Nansha mangrove, South China, by estimating their concentrations in the surface sediment. In addition, the pollution history of heavy metals was examined by determining the concentrations of heavy metals along the depth gradient. The phytoremediation potential of heavy metals by the dominant plants in Nansha mangrove, namely Sonneratia apetala and Cyperus malaccensis, was also studied. Results found that the surface sediment was severely contaminated with heavy metals, probably due to the discharge of industrial sewage into the Pearl River Estuary. Spatial variation of heavy metals was generally unobvious. The ecological risk of heavy metals was very high, largely due to Cd contamination. All heavy metals, except Mn, decreased with depth, indicating that heavy metal pollution has been deteriorating since 1979. Worse still, the dominant plants in Nansha mangrove had limited capability to remove the heavy metals from sediment. Therefore, we propose that immediate actions, such as regulation of discharge standards of industrial sewage, should be taken by the authorities concerned to mitigate the ecological risk posed by heavy metals.
AB - Owing to the Industrial Revolution in the late 1970s, heavy metal pollution has been regarded as a serious threat to mangrove ecosystems in the region of the Pearl River Estuary, potentially affecting human health. The present study attempted to characterize the ecological risk of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in Nansha mangrove, South China, by estimating their concentrations in the surface sediment. In addition, the pollution history of heavy metals was examined by determining the concentrations of heavy metals along the depth gradient. The phytoremediation potential of heavy metals by the dominant plants in Nansha mangrove, namely Sonneratia apetala and Cyperus malaccensis, was also studied. Results found that the surface sediment was severely contaminated with heavy metals, probably due to the discharge of industrial sewage into the Pearl River Estuary. Spatial variation of heavy metals was generally unobvious. The ecological risk of heavy metals was very high, largely due to Cd contamination. All heavy metals, except Mn, decreased with depth, indicating that heavy metal pollution has been deteriorating since 1979. Worse still, the dominant plants in Nansha mangrove had limited capability to remove the heavy metals from sediment. Therefore, we propose that immediate actions, such as regulation of discharge standards of industrial sewage, should be taken by the authorities concerned to mitigate the ecological risk posed by heavy metals.
KW - Ecological risk assessment
KW - Heavy metal
KW - Mangrove
KW - Phytoremediation
KW - Pollution
KW - Sediment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84896673515&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2014.02.017
DO - 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2014.02.017
M3 - Article
C2 - 24675443
AN - SCOPUS:84896673515
SN - 0147-6513
VL - 104
SP - 143
EP - 151
JO - Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
JF - Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
IS - 1
ER -