Sediment metal enrichment and ecological risk assessment of ten ports and estuaries in the World Harbours Project

G F Birch; J-H Lee; E Tanner; J Fortune; N Munksgaard; J Whitehead; C Coughanowr; J Agius; J Chrispijn; U Taylor; F Wells; J Bellas; V Besada; L Viñas; A Soares-Gomes; R C Cordeiro; W Machado; R E Santelli; M Vaughan; M Cameron; P Brooks; T Crowe; M Ponti; L Airoldi; R Guerra; A Puente; A G Gómez; G J Zhou; K M Y Leung; P Steinberg

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111129

Sediment metal enrichment and ecological risk assessment of ten ports and estuaries in the World Harbours Project

Mar Pollut Bull. 2020 Jun:155:111129. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111129. Epub 2020 May 12.

Authors

G F Birch¹, J-H Lee², E Tanner³, J Fortune⁴, N Munksgaard⁵, J Whitehead⁶, C Coughanowr⁶, J Agius⁶, J Chrispijn⁶, U Taylor⁶, F Wells⁶, J Bellas⁷, V Besada⁷, L Viñas⁷, A Soares-Gomes⁸, R C Cordeiro⁹, W Machado⁹, R E Santelli¹⁰, M Vaughan¹¹, M Cameron¹¹, P Brooks¹², T Crowe¹², M Ponti¹³, L Airoldi¹³, R Guerra¹⁴, A Puente¹⁵, A G Gómez¹⁵, G J Zhou¹⁶, K M Y Leung¹⁷, P Steinberg³

Affiliations

¹ School of Geosciences, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: gavin.birch@sydney.edu.au.
² School of Geosciences, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia; Lotsearch, 3/68 Alfred Street, Milsons Point, NSW, 2061, Australia.
³ Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Mosman, NSW, Australia.
⁴ Aquatic Health Unit, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Northern Territory, Australia.
⁵ Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods (RIEL), Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
⁶ Derwent River Program, DPIPWE, Tasmania, Australia.
⁷ Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, 36390, Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain.
⁸ Federal Fluminense University, Marine Biology Department, Valonguinho Campus, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
⁹ Federal Fluminense University, Geochemistry Department, Valonguinho Campus, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
¹⁰ Rio de Janeiro Federal University, Chemistry Institute, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
¹¹ Research and evaluation unit, Auckland Council, New Zealand.
¹² UCD Earth Institute and School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
¹³ Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences and Interdepartmental Research Centre for Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, 48123 Ravenna, Italy.
¹⁴ Department of Physics and Astronomy and Interdepartmental Research Centre of Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, 48123 Ravenna, Italy.
¹⁵ IHCantabria - Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria Avda. Isabel Torres, 15, 39011, Santander, Spain.
¹⁶ The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
¹⁷ The Swire Institute of Marine Science and School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.

PMID: 32469765
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111129

Abstract

Ten global harbours were assessed for sediment quality by quantifying the magnitude of anthropogenic change and ecological risk. Anthropogenic change (enrichment) was high for Derwent River and Sydney estuary, moderate for Santander Harbour, Rio de Janeiro and Dublin Port, slight for Hong Kong, minimal for Darwin. All 10 enrichment indices used showed similar results. Derwent River sediment was rated at high ecological risk, followed by Sydney and Santander estuaries with moderate risk. Auckland and Darwin sediments exhibited minimal ecological risk and sediment in the remaining harbours (Dublin, Hong Kong, Ravenna, Ria de Vigo and Rio de Janeiro) were assessed at slight ecological risk. The extraordinary variety of environments and types/quantities/qualities of data investigated resulted in as much a critique and development of methodology, as an assessment of human impact, including unique techniques for elemental normalisation and contaminant classification. Recommendations for an improved technical framework for sediment quality assessment are provided.

Keywords: Anthropogenic change; Classification scheme; Environmental indices; Normalisation; Sediment quality guidelines.

MeSH terms

Environmental Monitoring
Estuaries
Geologic Sediments
Hong Kong
Humans
Metals, Heavy / analysis*
Risk Assessment
Rivers
Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*

Substances

Metals, Heavy
Water Pollutants, Chemical