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Article Abstract
Heavy metals (HMs), recognized as global pollutants, pose a serious threat to ecological security and human health. HMs sources and pollution characteristics exhibit considerable complexity under varying climatic conditions and regional environmental contexts. This study investigates the migration patterns, sources, and spatial distribution of HMs in sediments from representative estuaries and bays in China between 2017 and 2020. The results show regional contamination levels vary due to runoff and land-based pollutants. According to the geo-accumulation index (Igeo), Cd exhibited the most severe contamination, particularly in the Pearl River Estuary, the Hangzhou Bay, and the Yangtze River Estuary (moderately to highly polluted). Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) showed industrial sources contributed most to HMs (46.7 %), followed by natural (30.7 %), agricultural (12.3 %), and shipping sources (10.3 %). Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCoA) and spatial distribution patterns further demonstrated a more pronounced distance-decay relationship during the rainy season. Mass load estimations showed that the Yangtze River Estuary (215,111.2 t) and the Pearl River Estuary (551,271.3 t) had the highest pollutant loads, suggesting their potential role as secondary sources of pollution for adjacent regions. This study offers a comprehensive view of HMs contamination in sediments from major Chinese estuaries and bays, supporting environmental protection and risk warning efforts.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118420 | DOI Listing |
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