Gonzalez Cano Wendy Tatiana, Lonin Serguei, Kim Kyoungrean
Marine Environmental Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of Korea.
KIOST School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Busan 49111, Republic of Korea.
Toxics. 2025 May 22;13(6):421. doi: 10.3390/toxics13060421.
Harmful heavy metals (HHMs) in marine sediments pose significant ecological and human health risks. This research developed a novel one-dimensional mathematical model to investigate the desorption rates and background concentrations (Cbg) of HHMs in cohesive sediments of coastal environments, using Cartagena Bay (CB), Colombia, as a reference for estuarine systems. The model integrates mass balance and molecular diffusion equations incorporating porosity and tortuosity. Both the particulate and dissolved phases of HHMs were considered. Numerical experiments were conducted over 28 years with a daily time step, simulating four primary hydrodynamic processes: molecular diffusion, desorption, sedimentation, and turbulent water exchange. The spatiotemporal evolution of Cbg provides valuable insights for sediment modeling, policy development, and advancing the understanding of HHM pollution in sediments. Results of the model align closely with empirical data from CB, demonstrating its applicability not only to local conditions but also to similar contaminated areas through a generalized approach. This model can be used as a reliable computational tool for managing coastal environments.
海洋沉积物中的有害重金属对生态和人类健康构成重大风险。本研究开发了一种新型一维数学模型，以研究沿海环境粘性沉积物中有害重金属的解吸速率和背景浓度（Cbg），并以哥伦比亚的卡塔赫纳湾（CB）作为河口系统的参考。该模型整合了包含孔隙率和曲折度的质量平衡和分子扩散方程。同时考虑了有害重金属的颗粒相和溶解相。采用每日时间步长进行了28年的数值实验，模拟了四个主要水动力过程：分子扩散、解吸、沉积和紊流水交换。Cbg的时空演变可为沉积物建模、政策制定以及增进对沉积物中有害重金属污染的理解提供有价值的见解。该模型的结果与来自卡塔赫纳湾的经验数据密切吻合，表明其不仅适用于当地条件，而且通过通用方法也适用于类似的污染区域。该模型可作为管理沿海环境的可靠计算工具。
