Metal Distribution and Contamination in Sediments

Abstract

Heavy metals analysis was performed on the sediments from various south Louisiana waterways. Objectives of the study were to determine vertical heavy metal distributions, to evaluate a proposed statistical method used to make qualitative assessments of cultural contamination based on trace metalconservative metal relationships, and to attempt to determine heavy metal contamination in sampled sediments. Cores were obtained from three distinct areas in south Louisiana. Area 1 consisted of waterways located in heavily industrialized areas. Area 2 sample consisted of a 110 m deep core obtained just off the present Mississippi River delta. Area 3 samples were obtained from a shallow urban lake. The vertical metal concentration distribution of the deep core revealed very consistent concentrations for metals throughout the entire depth. The relative atomic variation (RAV) method, used to reduce the grain size effects on heavy metal accumulations in sediments by correlating element pairs, was evaluated. The evaluation of the method in this study uncovered serious limitations. Metal contamination was determined by comparing both absolute concentrations and trace metal‐conservative metal concentration ratio values to their respective deep core background values.