Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China.
Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10010, China.
Sci Total Environ. 2017 Oct 15;596-597:342-350. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.076. Epub 2017 Apr 22.
Ports are facing increasing environmental concerns with their importance to the global economy. Numerous studies indicated sediment quality deterioration in ports; however, the deterioration is not discriminated for each port activity. This study investigated a spectrum of contaminants (metals and organic pollutants) in surface sediments at 20 sampling points in Port Ningbo, China, one of the top five world ports by volume. The spectrum of contaminants (metals and organic pollutants) was quantified following marine sediment quality guidelines of China and USA and surface sediment quality was assessed according to thresholds of the two guidelines. Coupling a categorical matrix of port activities with the matrix of sedimentary contaminants revealed that contaminants were highly associated with the port operations. Ship repair posed a severe chemical risk to sediment. Operations of crude oil and coal loadings were two top activities related to organic pollutants in sediments while port operations of ore and container loadings discharged metals. Among the 20 sampling points, Cu, Zn, Pb, and DDT and its metabolites were the priority contaminants influencing sediment quality. Overall, surface sediments in Port Ningbo had relatively low environmental risks but ship repair is an environmental concern that must be addressed. This study provides a practical approach for port activity-related quality assessment of surface sediments in ports that could be applicable in many world sites.
港口对全球经济至关重要，但也面临着越来越多的环境问题。许多研究表明港口沉积物质量恶化，但这种恶化并没有针对每个港口活动进行区分。本研究调查了中国宁波港 20 个采样点表层沉积物中的一系列污染物（金属和有机污染物），宁波港是按吞吐量计算的全球前五大港口之一。根据中国和美国的海洋沉积物质量指南，对污染物（金属和有机污染物）进行了定量分析，并根据这两个指南的阈值对表层沉积物质量进行了评估。将港口活动的分类矩阵与沉积物污染物的矩阵相结合，结果表明污染物与港口作业高度相关。船舶修理对沉积物造成严重的化学风险。原油和煤炭装卸作业是与沉积物中有机污染物相关的两项最重要的活动，而矿石和集装箱装卸作业则排放金属。在 20 个采样点中，Cu、Zn、Pb 和 DDT 及其代谢物是影响沉积物质量的优先污染物。总的来说，宁波港的表层沉积物环境风险相对较低，但船舶修理是一个必须解决的环境问题。本研究为港口活动相关的港口表层沉积物质量评估提供了一种实用方法，该方法可能适用于许多世界站点。
