江苏如东互花米草盐沼湿地重金属分布及其污染评价

为了解互花米草(Spartina alterniflora)对盐沼湿地环境的影响,于2010年7月在江苏如东潮间带,依据互花米草的有无及其长势设置站点,对表层沉积物的8种重金属含量、粒度组成、总有机碳进行分析,采用地累积指数法(Igeo)和Hkanson潜在生态风险指数法进行污染评价.结果表明,如东滩涂表层沉积物中Pb、Cd、As、Hg、Cr、Cu、Ni、Zn的平均含量低于海洋沉积物标准I类,其中Cd、Hg、Ni、Zn的含量高于中国大陆沉积物-浅海粉砂背景值.整体上,8种元素在米草覆盖区平均含量均高于邻近光滩.地累积指数显示该盐沼带重金属为无污染状态,而Hkanson潜在生态风险评价显示为低污染和中度污染的临界状态,风险指数为低;两方法均显示该区域污染以Cd和Hg最重.由海向陆随米草长势渐好(垂直岸线断面),As、Cu及Hg元素的含量、地累积指数、潜在生态风险系数呈渐增趋势;拓殖1年左右的米草斑块区内(平行岸线断面),8种元素在植被覆盖区的含量、污染程度及潜在生态风险均高于邻近无植被覆盖区.此外,斑块分布区中,Cd、Cu含量显著低于垂直断面的茂盛分布区.互花米草是大部分重金属污染物在沉积物中富集的重要驱动力之一,且互花米草群落可阻滞污染物直接扩散入海,因而降低生态危害.互花米草对重金属分布的影响与米草的拓植年限、金属元素存在形态和来源有关.

Distribution Patterns and Pollution Assessments of Heavy Metals in the Spartina alterniflora Salt-Marsh Wetland of Rudong, Jiangsu Province

To understand the ecological impact of Spartina alterniflora on the coastal wetland environment, field survey was carried out in July, 2010, over the intertidal areas of Rudong coast, Jiangsu province; sediment samples were collected from a series of stations with different conditions of vegetation cover and S. alterniflora growth. The contents of eight heavy metals, together with sediment composition and total organic carbon were analyzed to reveal the distribution patterns of the heavy metals. Environmental quality status was evaluated using both the index of geoaccumulation (I_geo) and the index of the Håkanson ecological risk. The analytical results showed that the average contents of Pb, Cd, As, Hg, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn were below the standard for the Category I sediment quality, among which Cd, Hg, Ni and Zn exceeded the sediment background value of the region. On the whole, the contents of eight heavy metals in vegetation areas were higher than those associated with the adjacent bare flat areas. These data sets indicate a non-polluted condition in term of I_geo estimation; however, a critical state of low to moderate degrees of pollution and a low level of risk were deduced according to the index of the Håkanson potential ecological risk. Both indices suggested that the pollution level of Hg and Cd were the highest among the eight metals measured. Along the transection from seaward to landward, the contents of As, Cu and Hg, their indices of I_geo and Håkanson ecological risk all showed an increasing tread, in accordance with the condition of vegetation cover. Along the coastline with S. alterniflora being distributed in patchiness, all metal contents and their ecological risk level values for the marshes were higher than those for the unvegetated sediments nearby; moreover, except for Hg, other seven metals exhibited relatively low values than those in the shore-normal section with a better S. alterniflora growth. These findings indicate that S. alterniflora is one of important factors to enrich the heavy metal in tidal flat sediment. Thus, ecological risk of the heavy metal is reduced or blocked, due to the filtering effect of salt-marsh, which prevents metals from entering the open sea directly. The distribution of heavy metal is influenced by a combination of colonization time of vegetation, chemical form of metals and their origins.