Pollution History of the Masan Bay, Southeast Korea, from Heavy Metals and Foraminifera in the Subsurface Sediments

Abstract

Heavy metal concentrations and benthic foraminiferal distributions were investigated in three short sediment cores in order to understand the pollution history in Masan Bay. Sedimentation rates were 0.33 cm/yr, 0.20 cm/yr and 0.33 cm/yr in the inner bay, the out fall of Dugdong sewage disposal plant, and bay mouth, respectively. The rapid increases of copper, zinc and lead concentrations at the core depth of 10 cm the upper part indicated that Masan Bay has been polluted with industrial wastes since the 1940s. Benthic foraminifera in core sediments show that the variations in their distribution were followed by industrial pollution in the bay. The number of individuals and species diversity decreased, whereas agglutinated tests increased upward in the cores with increased heavy metal pollution. These shifts effectd the abundance of few tolerant forms and consequently decreased the species diversity. The opportunistic species Eggerella advena and Trochammina pacifica increased in polluted sediments. These species can be used as an indicator for assessments of environmental quality in Masan Bay.