Xian Hanbiao, Zhang Jinqiu, Xu Weijian, Li Yan, Yang Hanfei, Wang Yajing, Bennion Helen, Jeppesen Erik, Dong Xuhui
School of Geography and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Centre for Climate and Environmental Changes, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
School of Geography and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
Water Res. 2025 Nov 1;286:124192. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2025.124192. Epub 2025 Jul 8.
Despite the importance of the status, pattern and source of trace element (TE) pollution in China's coastal lagoons to the sustainable development of coastal zones, little attention has been given to this in previous research. In this study, TE analyses were conducted of surface sediments from 39 coastal lagoons along the coast of southern China. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed the lithologic sources of V, Tl, Cr, Ni, Co, and Mn and the anthropogenic contribution to Zn, Cu, As, Pb, and Cd. The results showed that the current contamination of the lagoons is generally light, except for some lagoons showing median to high pollution levels of Cd, Cu, and Zn. These polluted lagoons are commonly characterized by higher geological background concentrations coupled with aquaculture and vessel activities contributions, but tidal exchange affords some dilution of the pollutants. Spatial analysis revealed an obvious seaward declining gradient of pollution risk in half of the researched lagoons, highlighting the terrestrial sources of TEs and the role of sea water exchange in pollutant migration. Systematic comparison with other water bodies in southern China revealed the following contamination gradient: urban lakes > reservoirs > rivers > coastal lagoons > continental shelf. The two gradients indicate that coastal lagoons form a transitional zone of TE pollution between land and sea, suggesting that coastal lagoons sensitively record interactions between human activities and sea-land interactions. Our findings provide essential insights into the pollution patterns of coastal lagoons and are also significant for environmental management and ecological restoration of coastal zones.
尽管中国沿海泻湖微量元素（TE）污染的现状、模式和来源对沿海地区的可持续发展至关重要，但以往研究对此关注甚少。本研究对中国南部沿海39个沿海泻湖的表层沉积物进行了TE分析。多元统计分析揭示了V、Tl、Cr、Ni、Co和Mn的岩性来源以及人为因素对Zn、Cu、As、Pb和Cd的贡献。结果表明，目前泻湖的污染总体较轻，但部分泻湖的Cd、Cu和Zn污染水平处于中度至高度。这些受污染的泻湖通常具有较高的地质背景浓度，同时受到水产养殖和船舶活动的影响，但潮汐交换对污染物有一定的稀释作用。空间分析显示，在一半的研究泻湖中，污染风险存在明显的向海递减梯度，突出了TE的陆地来源以及海水交换在污染物迁移中的作用。与中国南部其他水体的系统比较显示出以下污染梯度：城市湖泊＞水库＞河流＞沿海泻湖＞大陆架。这两个梯度表明，沿海泻湖形成了陆地和海洋之间TE污染的过渡带，表明沿海泻湖灵敏地记录了人类活动与海陆相互作用之间的相互关系。我们的研究结果为沿海泻湖的污染模式提供了重要见解，对沿海地区的环境管理和生态恢复也具有重要意义。
