Weixia Huang

Spatial and temporal distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments from Daya Bay, South China.

The spatial and temporal distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been investigated in Daya Bay, China. The total concentration of the 16 USEPA priority PAHs in surface sediments ranged from 42.5 to 158.2 ng/g dry weight with a mean concentration of 126.2 ng/g. The spatial distribution of PAHs was site-specific and combustion processes were the main source of PAHs in the surface sediments. Total 16 priority PAH concentration in the cores 8 and 10 ranged from 77.4 to 305.7 ng/g and from 118.1 to 319.9 ng/g respectively. The variation of the 16 PAH concentrations in both cores followed the economic development in China very well and was also influenced by input pathways. Some of the PAHs were petrogenic in core 8 while pyrolytic source was dominant in core 10. In addition, pyrolytic PAHs in both cores were mainly from the coal and/or grass and wood combustion.

Distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments from Zhanjiang Bay and Leizhou Bay, South China

The concentrations and spatial distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have been investigated in two adjacent bays of Zhanjiang and Leizhou, China. The total concentrations of the 16 USEPA priority PAHs were ranged from 41.96 to 933.90 ng/g dry weight with an average concentration of 315.98 ng/g and ranged from 21.72 to 319.61 ng/g with an average concentration of 103.91 ng/g in Zhanjiang and Leizhou Bays, respectively. The spatial distribution of PAHs was site-specific and appeared to be somewhat positively correlated with TOC and negatively correlated with sediment grain size in the two bays. The values of Phe/Ant, BaA/228 and InP/276 were higher than 10, less than 0.2, and from 0.2 to 0.5, respectively, indicating that the sources of PAHs in the two bays were mainly from petroleum and its combustion, which predominantly originated from those ships and boats coming and going in the two bays.

Antibiotics in riverine runoff of the Pearl River Delta and Pearl River Estuary, China: Concentrations, mass loading and ecological risks

Ten antibiotics belonging to three groups (macrolides, fluoroquinolones and sulfonamides) were investigated in riverine runoff of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) and Pearl River Estuary (PRE), South China for assessing the importance of riverine runoff in the transportation of contaminants from terrestrial sources to the open ocean. All antibiotics were detected in the eight outlets with concentrations ranging from 0.7 to 127 ng L(-1). The annual mass loadings of antibiotics from the PRD to the PRE and coast were 193 tons with 102 tons from the fluoroquinolone group. It showed that antibiotics decreased from the riverine outlets to the PRE and open ocean. Risk assessment showed that most of these antibiotics showed various ecological risks to the relevant aquatic organisms, in which ofloxacin (OFL), erythromycin (ETM) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) posed high ecological risks to the studied aquatic environments.

Occurrence and distribution of synthetic musks and organic UV filters from riverine and coastal sediments in the Pearl River estuary of China

This study reports the occurrence and distribution of synthetic musks (SMs) and organic UV filters (UVFs) in sediment samples collected in 8 riverine runoffs from the Pearl River and Pearl River estuary (PRE). Here, 6 of the 8 target compounds were detected in all sediments with concentrations ranging from 0.35ngg(-1) to 456ngg(-1). Higher concentrations of SMs and UVFs were evident in the eastern outlets compared to the western suggesting greater input of these contaminants from the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. All the compounds showed a decreasing trend toward the seaward side which confirming that riverine runoff was the most important source of SMs and UVFs to the coastal environment. Notably, high levels of SMs and UVFs were detected in two fishing harbors in the PRE area. In comparison to UVFs, the SM compounds exhibited a significant correlation with TOC content in the sediments.

Mercury profiles in surface sediments from ten bays along the coast of Southern China

Spatial and temporal variations of mercury (Hg) were investigated from ten representative bays along the coast of Southern China. The total Hg (THg) in surface sediments varied widely with concentrations from 25 to 264 ng/g. As a whole, Hg pollution in several bays occupied by busy sea traffic and industrial activities, such as Shantou (ST) Bay and Dapeng (DP) Bay were remarkably more serious than others, which reflected the direct effects of anthropogenic activities around the coastal areas. Hg variations in sediment cores clearly display upcore rising trend which obviously correlates with the trend of economic development and urbanization in the last five decades. No significant correlations were found between Hg and organic matter and particle size, suggesting that the distribution of Hg is not fully controlled by these variables.

Organic matters and lipid biomarkers in surface sediments from the northern South China Sea: Origins and transport

In this study, content and distribution of organic matters (OM) and lipid biomarkers in surface sediments from northern South China Sea (SCS) were identified to reveal the sources and transport of fine-grained sediments. Organic matters and lipid biomarkers exhibited distinct spatial variation in northern SCS. Terrestrial discharge from the Pearl River and some mountainous rivers in southwestern Taiwan may contribute to the relatively high organic matters in the corresponding sea areas. The detection of unsaturated fatty acid homologues suggested the algal and/or bacterial OM contribution to surface sediments. The composites and distribution of lipid biomarkers indicate their mixed sources from terrestrial plants, marine algae and bacterial. Together with the proof of clay mineral composites in the sediments, the results suggested that the currents, including the Guangdong Coastal Current and Kuroshio Current, control the transport and distribution of terrestrial sediment and the sedimentary environment in the northern SCS.

Rare metal elements in surface sediment from five bays on the northeastern coast of the South China Sea

We studied the distribution of rare metal elements (RME) (Zr, Sn, Ti, Y, Nb, Ta, Ce, La, Nd, and Th) in surface sediments from five bays along the northeastern coast of the South China Sea. The results of the study elucidated the main controlling factors and the mineralization potential of these bays as metals placers. The RME contents of surface sediments are highly variable but show clear geographic regularities. The content of all studied elements in this area decreases from east to west, with the maximum average content in Shantou (ST) bay, which also contains the overall maximum element content. The minimum overall contents were found in Daya (DY) bay. The weak correlation between the fine sediment fraction and these elements suggests that they occur mainly in the form of metallic minerals. The relative abundance of these elements in the two easternmost bays [ST and Zhelin (ZL) bays] is attributed to the large amounts of terrigenous material input by the Hanjiang River, and other small rivers. ST and ZL bays sediments are rich in zircon, cassiterite, ilmenite (or rutile), xenotime, monazite, niobium tantalite, and other rare metal minerals. Thus, these bays are good prospects as rare metal placer resources. Shanwei (SW) and Dapeng (DP) bays show mineralization potential mostly for zircon and ilmenite (or rutile), respectively.