ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Coastal Ocean Processes
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1708328
This article is part of the Research TopicRemote Sensing-Based Intelligent Interpretation and Applications of Coastal AreasView all articles
Spatial variations and potential risks of heavy metals in sediments, seawater, and marine organisms of Yuhuan coastal area, China
Provisionally accepted
- Zhejiang Institute of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology, Ningbo, China
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Heavy metal pollution in coastal ecosystems poses significant ecological and health risks, yet comprehensive multi-compartment assessments in rapidly industrializing regions like Yuhuan remain scarce. To assess the heavy metal pollution status and potential risks in the coastal area of Yuhuan, this study collected 30 surface seawater samples, 16 surface sediment samples, and multiple marine organism samples in 2023. The concentrations and spatial distribution characteristics of seven heavy metals were analyzed. Multiple indices, including the geo-accumulation index, potential ecological risk index, and bioaccumulation factor, along with principal component analysis, were applied to assess ecological risks and identify pollution sources. The results indicated that heavy metal concentrations in sediments, seawater, and organisms all complied with China's Class I marine environmental quality standards. Mercury posed a moderate ecological risk in sediments (mean =41.08) and was the dominant contributor to regional ecological risk (51.80%), though the overall ecological risk level of the area remained low (mean RI=79.31). The pollution load index ranged from 0.003 to 0.09 (mean = 0.04), confirming minimal anthropogenic influence. Marine organisms exhibited a stronger capacity for bioaccumulation of metals from the water column than from sediments, with crustaceans accumulating higher metal levels than fish. PCA revealed that heavy metals in sediments primarily originated from natural processes, agricultural activities, and localized anthropogenic emissions, while those in seawater were mainly associated with industrial wastewater and port activities. This study provides a scientific basis for environmental management, pollution control, and the sustainable development of aquaculture in the Yuhuan coastal area.
Keywords: heavy metals, Yuhuan coastal areas, Sediments quality, marine pollution, ecologicalrisk assessment
Received: 18 Sep 2025; Accepted: 21 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Dong, Wang, Zheng, Chen, Zhou, Yang and Mao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Chao Dong, dc1233@126.com
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