Distribution and pollution assessment of heavy metals in surface sediments along the Weihai coast, China.

In this study, 78 surface sediment samples were collected from the Weihai coastal area and analyzed for heavy metals. Their concentrations and pollution status were evaluated. The distribution of heavy metals was mainly dominated by sediment grain size, and the sediments in the Weihai, Sanggou, and Rushan Bays, which have finer grain sizes, had higher concentrations. The mean geoaccumulation index values for all heavy metals were <0. Expect for Hg, the mean enrichment factor values of the other metals were <1.5, indicating that they are natural sourced. Overall, the environmental quality of the Weihai costal area was relatively good and should be maintained and protected. The heavy metals that had potential impacts on the ecological environment were Cd and Hg, which were mainly distributed west of Weihai Bay and inside Rushan Bay. They are affected by human activities and must be controlled.