Abstract

Spatial risk assessment and sources of heavy metals in surface sediments from Yangpu Port in the western Hainan Island

Author(s): Linglong Cao, Mingli Zhao, Ping Shi, Jian Xie, Haitao Tian, Liang Wang

Surface sediments collected from the largest port in Hainan Island, the Yangpu Port and its surrounding coastal area, were detected by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and atomic fluorescence spectrometry for Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, and Hg, respectively. The present work attempts to determine the status of five heavy metals distribution in sediments, and their ecological risks’ assessment in the studied area. Sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) and Hakanson's method were used to determine potential risk of heavy metal contamination. The results indicated that the mean contents of selected metals were never exceeded TEL, which would likely not cause occasionally effects in the studied areas. The calculated mean potential ecological risk degrees were in the descending order of Pb, Hg, Cd, Cu and Zn. Besides, multivariate statistical analyses revealed that Zn, Pb and Cu mainly originated from industrial waste water and sewage which were probably in the close relationship with characteristics about the Coastal industrial; Cd and Hg mainly derived from agricultural wastewater and oil leak. This research provides managers with information needed to better regulate the environment of the Yangpu Port.