Distribution and environment assessment of heavy metals in surface sediments of the Sanggou Bay and adjacent area

Distribution characteristics of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn) from 200 surface sediments in the Sanggou Bay and adjacent area in the northeastern Shandong Peninsula was analyzed and possible effects of heavy metals on the environment were discussed using different evaluation methods. Results show that the contents of most of heavy metals in the surface sediments decreased from the inner bay to the surrounding area. The average contents of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn were 6.51, 0.11, 64.86, 18.05, 0.015, 27.74, and 75.21 μg/g, respectively. The overall quality of surface sediment on the seabed is good, the overall pollution level of heavy metals is low, and the potential ecological hazard is slight.