Assessment of human-induced change and biological risk posed by contaminants in estuarine/harbour sediments: Sydney Harbour/estuary (Australia)

作者：Birch G F^*

来源：Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2017, 116(1-2): 234-248.

DOI：10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.01.013

• Sediment quality guidelines
• Enrichment
• Metals
• Organochlorine pesticides
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
• Background concentrations

A rapid, simple yet scientifically sound scheme providing two important types of information used in assessment of estuarine sediments is presented. The mean enrichment quotient (MEQ) (fine contemporary sediment metal concentration/fine fraction background metal concentration) for Cu, Pb and Zn provides the magnitude of human-induced change, (deviation from the pristine condition), while sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) assess the risk posed by sedimentary contaminants to the benthic community.
Maximum metal enrichment for sediment in Sydney estuary (Australia) is >100 times for Cu, Pb and Zn and the MEQis >10 times for most of the estuary. Adverse effect on benthic populations due to Cu, Pb and Zn are expected in 2%, 50% and 36% of the waterway, respectively. SQGs for contaminant mixtures predict-2% of the estuary has the highest risk of adverse effects, while 25% has intermediate risk. The scheme is well suited to initial assessments of estuarine sediments worldwide.

• 出版日期2017-3-15