Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Apr 7;19(8):4454. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19084454.
The arctic region is a remote area with relatively few anthropogenic inputs, but there is increasing concern over toxic trace metal contamination in the Arctic Ocean. In this study, distribution characteristics of eight trace metals in the surface sediment of the Pacific Sector of the Arctic Ocean and Bering Strait are analyzed. The geochemical baseline value of each metal element is explored using the relative cumulative frequency curve method; the enrichment factor (), geo-accumulation index () and potential ecological risk index () are applied to assess the ecological risk level of the trace metals. According to the results, Cu, As and Hg had a little more content variation, and their contents in some areas were significantly higher than the previous reports. values show an obvious enrichment of element As, followed by Cr element with the moderate enrichment; the enrichment of the other six elements are not related to human activity. The value shows a moderately contaminated to heavily contaminated level of As and a moderately contaminated level of Cr. According to the potential ecological risk indexes in each site, most sites are at a low ecological risk level except five sites with RI/baseline values exceeding 150 which are at a moderate ecological risk level.
北极地区是一个人类活动输入相对较少的偏远地区，但人们越来越关注北极海洋中有毒痕量金属的污染问题。本研究分析了北极太平洋扇区和白令海峡表层沉积物中 8 种痕量金属的分布特征。采用相对累积频率曲线法探讨了各金属元素的地球化学基线值；应用富集因子（EF）、地累积指数（Igeo）和潜在生态风险指数（RI）评估痕量金属的生态风险水平。结果表明，Cu、As 和 Hg 的含量变化较大，部分地区的含量明显高于以往报道。EF 值显示元素 As 明显富集，其次是 Cr 中度富集；其他 6 种元素的富集与人类活动无关。Igeo 值显示 As 为中度至重度污染，Cr 为中度污染。根据各站位的潜在生态风险指数，除 RI/基线值超过 150 的 5 个站位处于中度生态风险水平外，大部分站位处于低生态风险水平。
