TY - JOUR
T1 - Ecological risk of chlorinated organic pollutants in a semi-enclosed bay impacted by aquaculture
AU - Yu, Xiaoxuan
AU - Gutang, Qilin
AU - Chen, Xiaohan
AU - Sanganyado, Edmond
AU - Li, Ping
AU - Liu, Wenhua
N1 - Funding information:
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 41676166, 41776174, 41877379 and 41401582) Ministry of Agriculture (Chinese White Dolphin Conservation Action), CNOOC Foundation, Key Special Project for Introduced Talents Team of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) (grant number GML2019ZD0606), and Shantou University Research Start-Up Program (grant number NTF20002), Li Ka Shing Foundation Interdisciplinary Research Project (grant number 2020LKSFG04E).
PY - 2021/8/20
Y1 - 2021/8/20
N2 - Semi-enclosed bays are used for critical economic activities such as ports, aquaculture, and human settlement due to their topography and ocean connectivity. However, the role of these geomorphological characteristics on the accumulation of chlorinated organic pollutants in semi-enclosed bays is poorly understood. We investigated the spatiotemporal distribution and potential ecological risk of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediments from Shantou Bay, a semi-enclosed bay. The ∑PCB concentration was 258–1297 ng g−1 and 59.6–651 ng g−1 in the dry season and wet season, respectively. Sediments collected downstream and upstream the aquaculture farms had significantly lower DDT concentrations than those collected close to the aquaculture discharge points. The ratio of DDT and its metabolites indicated that there was possible fresh input of DDTs into Shantou Bay. However, no significant spatial trend was observed in the PCB profiles. The concentrations of PCBs and OCPs in Shantou Bay were above the China Marine Sediment Quality Class I suggesting remediation was essential to ensure the aquatic systems could be safely used for fisheries, swimming, or as marine protected areas. Furthermore, the potential ecological risk of DDTs was high as it exceeded the effects thresholds at all sites. Seasonal variations in human activities, resuspension of historical contaminants due to physical oceanographic, climatic and hydrological factors, and contaminant trapping probably contributed to the changes in organic pollutant distribution in the semi-enclosed bay.
AB - Semi-enclosed bays are used for critical economic activities such as ports, aquaculture, and human settlement due to their topography and ocean connectivity. However, the role of these geomorphological characteristics on the accumulation of chlorinated organic pollutants in semi-enclosed bays is poorly understood. We investigated the spatiotemporal distribution and potential ecological risk of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediments from Shantou Bay, a semi-enclosed bay. The ∑PCB concentration was 258–1297 ng g−1 and 59.6–651 ng g−1 in the dry season and wet season, respectively. Sediments collected downstream and upstream the aquaculture farms had significantly lower DDT concentrations than those collected close to the aquaculture discharge points. The ratio of DDT and its metabolites indicated that there was possible fresh input of DDTs into Shantou Bay. However, no significant spatial trend was observed in the PCB profiles. The concentrations of PCBs and OCPs in Shantou Bay were above the China Marine Sediment Quality Class I suggesting remediation was essential to ensure the aquatic systems could be safely used for fisheries, swimming, or as marine protected areas. Furthermore, the potential ecological risk of DDTs was high as it exceeded the effects thresholds at all sites. Seasonal variations in human activities, resuspension of historical contaminants due to physical oceanographic, climatic and hydrological factors, and contaminant trapping probably contributed to the changes in organic pollutant distribution in the semi-enclosed bay.
KW - Chlorinated organic pollutants
KW - Aquaculture
KW - Semi-enclosed bay
KW - Risk assessment
KW - Source apportionment
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147000
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147000
M3 - Article
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 783
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
M1 - 147000
ER -
