Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2016, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (6): 89-101.doi: 10.11978/2015135CSTR: 32234.14.2015135

• Marine Environmental Protection • Previous Articles    

Distribution characteristics of acid-volatile sulfide and simultaneously extracted metals in sediments in the western estuary of Shenzhen, and their toxic effects on organisms

ZHANG Jibiao, YANG Bo, CHEN Tao, CHEN Chunliang   

  1. Monitoring Center for Marine Resources and Environment, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
  • Received:2015-11-10 Revised:2016-05-25 Online:2016-11-30 Published:2016-12-15
  • Contact: ZHANG Jibiao. E-mail: zhjbwxy@163.com
  • Supported by:
    The National Special Research Fund for Non-Profit Marine Sector (201305038-6); The Sea Using Fund of Urban Planning, Land and Resources Commission of Shenzhen Municipality (SZCG2013040968).

Abstract: The horizontal and vertical distributions of acid volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM) in the sediment from seven estuaries along the Shenzhen coast were studied. The potential risks of heavy metals to benthic organisms in the sediment were also preliminary evaluated. The concentration of AVS in the surface sediment ranged from 0.54 to 24.17 μmol·g-1 with an average of 10.74 μmol·g-1. The sediment concentration of AVS in the Shenzhen River estuary was the lowest, and that in the Houhai River estuary was the highest. The spatial distribution of AVS was in the order of Houhai River estuary>Xixiang River estuary>Xinzhen River estuary>Dasha River estuary>Tiegang Reservoir estuary>Fuyong River estuary>Shenzhen River estuary. The concentration of ΣSEM was between 5.58 to 32.18 μmol·g-1 with an average of 15.63 μmol·g-1. The concentration of ΣSEM in the Dasha River estuary was the lowest, and that in the Fuyong River estuary was the highest. The spatial distribution of ΣSEM was in the order of Tiegang Reservoir estuary>Shenzhen River estuary> Fuyong River estuary>Xinzhen River estuary>Xixiang River estuary>Houhai River estuary>Dasha River estuary. The spatial distributions of AVS and SEMs were consistent. The vertical diversification of AVS increased at first and then decreased, which was similar to ΣSEM. The TOC (total organic carbon), particle size and pH were significantly correlated with AVS in the sediment. We found that high organic matter content, large particle size and high pH were favorable to the formation of