Characterization and distribution of metals in surficial sediments in Southwestern Taiwan

This study analyses copper, zinc, lead, iron, nickel, chromium and cadmium concentrations in surficial sediments sampled from major river estuaries, harbours and ocean outfall fields in southwestern Taiwan. Grain size effect, normalization technique of iron concentration and guidelines of hazardous assessment suggested by Ontario Ministry of Environment, Canada are also discussed and/or compared. According to this comparison, the Kaohsiung coast appears to be the most polluted area with respect to enrichment of copper and zinc among all the stations studied. Metal contamination has reached a remote and undeveloped area, the Feng-Kung Chi estuary. The results demonstrate that normalization techniques of grain size and iron concentration can characterize polluted marine sediments.