Distribution Characteristics of Simultaneously Extracted Metals in Licun River Estuary Sediments of Jiaozhou Bay

Three sediment short column cores were collected form Licun estuary of Jiaozhou Bay. Acid volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM, including Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb and Zn) were analyzed. The distribution characteristics and biological availability of heavy metals were studied. AVS contents in sediment samples ranged from 0.5μmol/g to 114.1μmol/g with an average value of 21.7μmol/g, which indicates an obvious sulfur-rich sediment environment in our study area. SEM in sediments showed with a relatively low level of 0.4 -3.9μmol/g, with an average value of 1.8μmol/g, which likely is affected by materials from Licun River. Heavy metals in SEM showed an order as Zn>Cu>Ni>Pb>Cd. The lower ratio of SEM/AVS (<;1) provide an evidence that heavy metals exist mainly as sulfide forms with low Bio-Toxicity. Generally high correlations among different species of SEM indicate that SEM species have a similar source and geochemical behavior in early diagenesis processes.