Environmental status of Daya Bay surface sediments inferred from a sequential extraction technique

The chemical partitioning of 12 trace metals (Ba, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sc, Sr, U, Zn) in 9 surface sediments from Daya Bay, northern South China Sea, was studied by a four-step sequential extraction technique to assess their environmental/pollution status. The studied metals take on different fraction composition patterns, and some of them show significant spatial variation especially for Cd. A majority of the studied metals can be considered immobile because of their high percentages in the residual fraction. It seems that the Daya Bay surface sediments have not yet been polluted by the studied heavy metals which are used as parameters to classify marine sediment quality, i.e., Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. For all metals except for Pb, the extent of anthropogenic influences on their total concentrations in the Daya Bay surface sediments is generally imperceptible. The metals’ potential risks to the environment were assessed, and the results showed that they have generally no risk or low risk except for Cd, Mn and Sr.