A Method for Identifying Pollution Sources of Heavy Metals and PAH for a Risk-Based Management of a Mediterranean Harbour.

Ombretta Paladino,Arianna Moranda,Mahdi Seyedsalehi

doi:10.1155/2017/4690715

Ombretta Paladino, Arianna Moranda + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/4690715

Copy DOI

Abstract

A procedure for assessing harbour pollution by heavy metals and PAH and the possible sources of contamination is proposed. The procedure is based on a ratio-matching method applied to the results of principal component analysis (PCA), and it allows discrimination between point and nonpoint sources. The approach can be adopted when many sources of pollution can contribute in a very narrow coastal ecosystem, both internal and outside but close to the harbour, and was used to identify the possible point sources of contamination in a Mediterranean Harbour (Port of Vado, Savona, Italy). 235 sediment samples were collected in 81 sampling points during four monitoring campaigns and 28 chemicals were searched for within the collected samples. PCA of total samples allowed the assessment of 8 main possible point sources, while the refining ratio-matching identified 1 sampling point as a possible PAH source, 2 sampling points as Cd point sources, and 3 sampling points as C > 12 point sources. By a map analysis it was possible to assess two internal sources of pollution directly related to terminals activity. The study is the prosecution of a previous work aimed at assessing Savona-Vado Harbour pollution levels and suggested strategies to regulate the harbour activities.

Highlights

Mediterranean coastal habitats are subject to intense environmental contamination since they are densely populated and characterized by the presence of industrial plants and economic and tourism activities [1, 2]
In this paper we propose the use of principal component analysis (PCA) applied to sampling points in order to individuate the possible sources of internal contamination, followed by a ratio matching of the individuated sampling points in order to cluster the samples supposed to be contaminated by the same internal source
The novelty of the proposed method consists in the combined use of PCA applied to sampling points in order to individuate the possible sources of internal contamination with a ratio matching of the individuated sampling points in order to cluster the samples supposed to be contaminated by the same internal source

Summary

Introduction

Mediterranean coastal habitats are subject to intense environmental contamination since they are densely populated and characterized by the presence of industrial plants and economic and tourism activities [1, 2] Both heavy metals (HM) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) have been found in sediments of most Mediterranean harbours, including Porto of Vado, Savona, Italy. By measuring pollutants concentrations in bottom sediments, some insight can be provided on the sources and sites of accumulation, as well as on the quality of the coastal ecosystem and the potential risk for human beings and marine organisms [6] Disadvantages in using these data for source identification are in the interpretation of contaminant distributions, which can be made difficult by the different grain size of the collected sediments and their related chemical-physical and transport properties, which can vary even in areas close to each other [7,8,9]

Methods

Results

Conclusion