AUTHOR=Liang Jian , Ma Chae-Woo , Kim Kwang-Bae 

TITLE=Ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in surface sediments and their impact on macrobenthos in Asan Bay, South Korea

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1450396

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2024.1450396

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=Bay ecosystems with unique economic and ecological value are more vulnerable to heavy metal pollution than other marine ecosystems. In South Korea, rapid economic development has exacerbated heavy metal pollution in bay environments. This study analysed concentrations of seven heavy metals and macrobenthic communities in Asan Bay. Although average concentrations of seven heavy metals were below sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), the average concentration of Cd was close to the threshold effects level (TEL). The nemerow pollution index (Pn) and the potential ecological risk index (RI) indicated that Cd was the primary heavy metal contributing to ecological risk. Spearman correlation, biota-environment matching (BIO-ENV), and redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that heavy metals were main environmental factors influencing macrobenthic communities in Asan Bay. However, five heavy metal indices (PLI, Pn, RI, TRI, and MERMQ) did not show a response to the macrobenthic communities. Overall, low concentrations of heavy metals have a certain negative impact on macrobenthic communities. This study can serve as an important reference for marine environmental protection and policy-making in Asan Bay.