Trace Analysis And Ecological Risk Assessment Of Heavy Metals In Several Corals

With the development of the economy,heavy metal pollution has become increasingly serious.Coral is a low-level organism.Compared with water,heavy metals are more likely to be enriched in corals.Therefore,the analysis of the level of heavy metals in corals and the assessment of the ecological risks in Xiamen’s sea areas provide scientific basis for the further realization of management and protective development of coral resources in Xiamen sea areas.The study investigate 105 coral samples and 16 surface sediment samples in the sea areas of Xiamen,in June 9,2017 to July 3,2017.Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to determine the content of 11 heavy metals in 105 samples of 8 species corals(Anthogorgia sp.、Astrogrogia sp.、Paris fruticosa)、Menella sp.、Paraplexaura sp.、Guaiagorgia anas、Carijoa sp.、Echinogorgia sp.)and 16 sediment samples.Which analyze the level of heavy metals in corals,study the differences in heavy metal content among different species of corals,and the correlation between heavy metals and the main sources of heavy metals in corals;Which analyze the level of heavy metals in surface sediments.Based on the correlation analysis of heavy metal elements in sediments and sources of pollution,the potential ecological risk factors of heavy metals in sediments were calculated and used for ecological risk assessment.Ecological risk assessment of heavy metal pollution on corals.The result is as follows:1)There were detected heavy metals from 8 kinds of coral species in Xiamen sea area.The content of Zn and Mn in the 11 heavy metal elements was higher than the other 9 elements.The content of heavy metals in corals is not higher than other sea areas.2)The corals in different sampling points have different contents.Because of different coral growth areas,the same kinds of corals have different heavy metal contents in the corals.There are significant species differences in the heavy metal content of corals,that is,different types of corals have also large differences in heavy metal content from corals.Through the principal component analysis method,it was found that heavy metals of coral were derived from human activities:discharge of port domestic sewage,ship paint,paint erosion,electroplating industry,shipbuilding,etc.3)In the sediment samples,the Mn content is the highest and the Sb content is the lowest.The levels of the 11 heavy metals were not much different,and they comply with the national marine sediment quality standards.From the overall sampling point,the spatial distribution of Pb is not uniform.The distribution of six heavy metal elements,such as Mn,Cu,Zn,As,Sb,and Pb,is more obvious in the geographical distribution.Human activities are the main source of heavy metals,which may come from alloys and electroplating of industrial sources,as well as the discharge of domestic sewage.The content of sediments in Xiamen sea area is lower than that of China’s marine sediment quality standards.The potential ecological damage coefficient is less than 20,and the RI of the comprehensive index of ecological hazards is less than 80,indicating that the comprehensive ecological hazards are at a slight degree.4)Zn and Sn of corals are significantly higher than those of sediments in the sea areas of Xiamen.ln the southwestern waters and western part of Xiamen,the content of Mn of corals is significantly higher than that of sediments.There is no significant difference in the other heavy metal elements.5)The content in the Xiamen sea area is higher than Venezuelan waters,and northern Taiwan seas,but it is higher than the coral area of the Great Barrier Reef,and it needs to draw attention.6)There was estimated heavy metal ecological risk of Cr,Mn,Cu,Zn,As,and Pb in corals in Xiamen Sea area.This was serious pollution in Xiamen’s western sea area.Cr is a light pollution level,and the remaining four heavy meal elements,Cu,Zn,As,Pb,belong to the level of pollution-free.