Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Assessment of pollution and ecological risk of heavy metals in the surface sediments of Ulsan Bay, Korea

  • Article
  • Published:
Ocean Science Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Heavy metal concentrations in the surface sediments of specially managed Ulsan Bay were investigated to determine metal distribution, pollution status and its ecological risk using pollution indices (enrichment factor and geo-accumulation index), potential ecological risk index and sediment quality guidelines (SQGs). The order of mean concentration (mg/kg) of metals was Zn (361.9) > Cu (95.6) > Pb (90.7) > Cr (64.7) > Ni (32.2) > Co (16.6) > As (15.8) > Cd (0.40) > Hg (0.16) in sediments of Ulsan Bay. Spatial distribution of metals in sediments showed a significantly higher concentration near industrial complexes, indicating that metal pollution is caused by anthropogenic sources. The results of enrichment factor (EF) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) showed that sediments were significantly accumulated with Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb and Hg, indicating moderate to very severe enrichment (pollution) by these metals. Based on the potential ecological risk index, Hg and Cd posed a very high and a considerable potential ecological risk. Cu and As posed a moderate potential ecological risk, while, other metals (Cr, Co, Ni, Zn and Pb) rarely posed any potential ecological risk to the coastal environments. The sediments in Ulsan Bay showed a very high level of ecological risk, dominated by Hg and Cd. Metal concentrations in sediments were 80% for Cu, 96.7% for Zn, 50% for As, 70% for Pb and 50% for Hg above the threshold effects level (TEL), respectively.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amin B, Ismail A, Arshad A, Yap CK, Kamarudin MS (2009) Anthropogenic impacts on heavy metal concentrations in the coastal sediments of Dumai, Indonesia. Environ Monit Assess 148:291–305

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baek SH, Lee IS, Choi M, Lee BH, Hwang DW, Kim SY, Choi HG (2013) Concentrations and distribution patterns of PCDDs, PCDFs, DL-PCBs, PBDEs in sediment from Ulsan Bay. J Korean Soc Oceanogr 18:186–194.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barlas N, Akbulut N, Aydogan M (2005) Assessment of heavy metal residues in the sediment and water samples of Uluabat Lake, Turkey. Bull Environ Contam Toxiocol 74:286–293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi BW, Jung JH, Choi WJ, Jeon CJ, Shon BH (2006) Distribution characteristics of ambient heavy metals based on the emission sources and their carcinogenic risk assessment in Ulsan, Korea. Korean J Environ Health 32:522–531

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooke JA, Andrews SM, Johnson MS (1990) Lead, zinc, cadmium and fluoride in small mammals from contaminated grass-land established on flurospar tailings. Water Air Soil Pollut 51:43–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Datta DK, Subramanian V (1998) Distribution and fractionation of heavy metals in the surface sediments of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river system in the Bengal Basin. Environ Geol 36:93–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duce RA, Hoffmann GL, Zoller WH (1975) Atmospheric trace metals at remote Northern and Southern Hemisphere sites: Pollution or natural? Science 187:59–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo WH, Liu XB, Liu ZG, Li GF (2010) Pollution and potential ecological risk evaluation of heavy metals in the sediments around Dongjiang Harbor, Tianjin. Procedia Environ Sci 2:729–736

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hakanson L (1980) An ecological risk index for aquatic pollutioncontrol: a sedimentological approach. Water Res 14:975–1011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirner A, Kritsotakis K, Tobschall H (1990) Metal-organic association in sediments-I, comparison of unpolluted recent and ancient sediments and sediments affected by anthropogenic pollution. Appl Geochem 5:491–506

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horowitz AJ, Elrick KA (1987) The relation of stream sediment surface area, grain size and composition to trace element chemistry. Appl Geochem 2:437–451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kang SG, Choi MS, Oh IS, Wright DA, Koh CH (1999) Assessment of metal pollution in Onsan Bay, Korea using Asian periwinkle Littorina brevicula as a biomonitor. Sci Total Environ 234:127–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khim JS, Lee KT, Kannan K, Villeneuve DL, Giesy JP, Koh CH (2001) Trace organic contaminants in sediment and water from Ulsan Bay and its vicinity, Korea. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 40:141–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim KT, Kim ES, Cho SR, Park JK (2009) Distribution and temporal change of heavy metals in the surface sediments of Lake Shihwa and the adjacent sea, Korea. J Coastal Res S56:817–821

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee KW, Kang HS, Lee SH (1998) Trace elements in the Korean coastal environment. Sci Total Environ 214: 11–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lim DI, Choi JW, Shin HH, Jeong DH, Jung HS (2013) Toxicological impact assessment of heavy metal contamination on macrobenthic communities in southern coastal sediments of Korea. Mar Pollut Bull 73:362–368

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Long ER, Field LJ, MacDonald DD (1998) Predicting toxicity in marine sediments with numerical sediment quality guidelines. Environ Toxicol Chem 17:714–727

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald DD, Ingersoll C, Berger T (2000) Development and evaluation of consensus-based sediment quality guidelines for freshwater ecosystem. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 39:20–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MOF(Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries) (2013) Marine water and sediment quality standard in Korea. http://www.mof.go.kr

    Google Scholar 

  • Müller G (1969) Index of geo-accumulation in sediments of the Rhine River. Geol J 2:108–118

    Google Scholar 

  • Müller G (1981) Die Schwermetallbelastung des sediment des Neckars und seiner Nebenflusse: Eine Bestandsaufnahme. Chemiker-Zeitung 105:157–164

    Google Scholar 

  • Ra K, Bang JH, Lee JM, Kim KT, Kim ES (2011) The extent and historical trend of metal pollution recorded in core sediments from the artificial Lake Shihwa, Korea. Mar Pollut Bull 62:1814–1821

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ra K, Kim ES, Kim KT, Kim JK, Lee JM, Choi JY (2013a) Assessment of heavy metal contamination and its ecological risk in the surface sediments along the coast of Korea. J Coastal Res SI65:105–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Ra K, Kim JK, Kim ES, Kim KT, Lee JM, Lee HJ, Choi JY, Won EJ (2013b) Spatial and temporal variations of trace metals in sediments from the artificial Saemangeum Lake, Korea. Geochem J 47:475–487

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renberg I, Persson MW, Emteryd O (1994) Pre-industrial atmospheric lead contamination detected in Swedish lake sediments. Nature 368:323–326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salati S, Moore F (2010) Assessment of heavy metal concentration in the Khoshk River water and sediment, Shiraz, Southwest Iran. Environ Monit Assess 164:677–689

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Selvaraj K, Ram Mohan V, Szefer P (2004) Evaluation of metal contamination in coastal sediments of the Bay of Bengal, India: Geochemical and statistical approaches. Mar Pollut Bull 49:174–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sin SN, Chua H, Lo W, Ng LM (2011) Assessment of heavy metal cations in sediments of Shing Mun River, Hong Kong. Environ Int 26:297–301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh KP, Malik A, Sinha VK, Murthy RC (2005) Estimation of source of heavy metal contamination in sediments of Gomti river (India) using principal component analysis. Water Air Soil Pollut 166:321–341

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor SR (1964) Abundance of chemical elements in the continental crust: a new table. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 28:1273–1285

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • USEPA (United State Environmental Protection Agency) (2008) National Coastal Condition Report III. United State Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Office of Water, Washington DC, EPA/842-R-08-002, 300 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Windom HL, Schropp SJ, Calder FD, Ryan JD, Smith RG, Burney LC, Lewis FG, Rawlinson CH (1989) Natural trace metal concentrations in estuarine and coastal marine sediment of the southeastern United States. Environ Sci Technol 23:314–320

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yeats PA, Bewers JM (1983) Discharge of metals from the St. Lawrence River. Canadian J Earth Sci 19:981–982

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahra A, Hashmi MZ, Malik RN, Ahrned Z (2014) Enrichment and geo-accumulation of heavy metals and risk assessment of sediments of the Kurang Nallah-Feeding tributary of the Rawal Lake Reservoir, Rakistan. Sci Total Environ 470–471:925–933

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang LP, Ye X, Feng H, Jing Y, Ouyang T, Yu X, Liang R, Gao S, Chen W (2007) Heavy metal contamination in western Xiamen Bay sediments and its vicinity, China. Mar Pollut Bull 54:974–982

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang N, Wang Q, Liang Z, Zheng D (2008) Characterization of heavy metal concentrations in the sediments of three freshwater rivers in Huludao City, Northeast China. Environ Pollut 154:135–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zoller WH, Gladney ES, Duce RA (1974) Atmospheric concentrations and sources of trace metals at the South Pole. Science 183:198–200

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Environments and Conservation Research Division, KIOST, Ansan, 426-744, Korea

    Kongtae Ra, Joung-Keun Kim, Seung-Yong Lee & Kyung-Tae Kim

  2. Oil & POPs Research Group, South Sea Research Institute, KIOST, Geoje, 656-834, Korea

    Sang Hee Hong, Un Hyuk Yim & Won Joon Shim

  3. South Sea Environment Research Division, South Sea Research Institute, KIOST, Geoje, 656-839, Korea

    Young-Ok Kim

  4. Marine Environmental Chemistry and Biology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 305-350, Korea

    Sang Hee Hong, Un Hyuk Yim, Won Joon Shim & Kyung-Tae Kim

  5. Geologic Environment Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Daejeon, 305-350, Korea

    Jaesoo Lim

  6. Oceanographic Measurements and Instrument Calibration Service Center, KIOST, Ansan, 426-744, Korea

    Eun-Soo Kim

Authors
  1. Kongtae Ra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Joung-Keun Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sang Hee Hong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Un Hyuk Yim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Won Joon Shim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Seung-Yong Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Young-Ok Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Jaesoo Lim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Eun-Soo Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Kyung-Tae Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kyung-Tae Kim.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ra, K., Kim, JK., Hong, S.H. et al. Assessment of pollution and ecological risk of heavy metals in the surface sediments of Ulsan Bay, Korea. Ocean Sci. J. 49, 279–289 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12601-014-0028-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12601-014-0028-3

Key words

Search

Navigation