Marine pollution bulletin最新文献

{"title":"Assessment of heavy metal contamination in Cystoseira sp. and ecologically distinct fish species from Northern Cyprus","authors":"Hasan Deniz Akbora ,&nbsp;Burak Ali Çiçek ,&nbsp;Deniz Ayas","doi":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118743","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118743","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, <em>Cystoseira</em> sp. samples were collected by snorkeling during summer and winter from five coastal sites within the territorial waters of Northern Cyprus. In addition, herbivorous and carnivorous fish species inhabiting demersal, rocky-sandy, and epipelagic zones were obtained from local fishers across four representative regions. Concentrations of Ag, Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Se, Sr, V, and Zn were measured in <em>Cystoseira</em> sp., and in fish liver and muscle tissues using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Results were compared with previous studies conducted in Cyprus and neighboring Eastern Mediterranean countries. A significant negative correlation was observed between fish trophic levels and concentrations of Cu, Fe, Pb, Sr, and Zn. Metal concentrations were further evaluated against national and international food safety and environmental standards. Notably, some fish muscle samples contained As, Cd, and Pb above permissible limits, suggesting potential risks to human health. To further assess this issue, a human health risk evaluation (non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic) was performed under a realistic exposure scenario of two meals per week. All Hazard Index (HI) values were below 1, demonstrating no non-carcinogenic risk for either adults or children. Carcinogenic risk (CR) values were generally insignificant (&lt;10⁻⁶), although As and Cd in some species reached the tolerable range (10⁻⁶–10⁻⁴) for children, while only As posed tolerable risk levels in adults. Furthermore, elevated As levels in marine organisms may be associated with agricultural runoff, emphasizing the need for tighter monitoring of agricultural practices in coastal areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18215,"journal":{"name":"Marine pollution bulletin","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 118743"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145206792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Metal(loid)s in mesopelagic fishes from the Mediterranean food web","authors":"Mauro Cavallaro ,&nbsp;Teresa Romeo ,&nbsp;Vittorio Lo Presti ,&nbsp;Alessandro Giuffrida ,&nbsp;Filippo Giarratana ,&nbsp;Graziella Ziino ,&nbsp;Luca Nalbone ,&nbsp;Antonino Nazareno Virga ,&nbsp;Nicola Cicero ,&nbsp;Giuseppa Di Bella ,&nbsp;Giovanni Ammendolia ,&nbsp;Monia Renzi ,&nbsp;Pietro Battaglia","doi":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118772","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118772","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the present study, concentrations of different metal(loid)s (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni and Pb) were measured in Mediterranean mesopelagic fish species belonging to the families <em>Gonostomatidae</em>, <em>Microstomatidae</em>, <em>Myctophidae</em>, <em>Paralepididae</em>, <em>Phosichthyidae</em>, <em>Sternoptychidae</em>, and <em>Stomiidae</em>. These fish species represent key prey for top pelagic predators of high commercial value, such as tuna and swordfish, representing not only a relevant but neglected source of metal(loid)s from lower to higher trophic concentrations, but also potential vectors for the trophic transfer of some contaminants, though not necessarily via biomagnification. Different concentrations of As (mean range of 0.350–5.707 μg/g), Cd (mean range of 0.181–0.813 μg/g), Cr (mean range of 0.148–2.680 μg/g), Hg (mean range of 0.026–0.456 μg/g), Ni (mean range of 0.112–2.643 μg/g) and Pb (mean range of 0.076–2.492 μg/g) were determined among the species, likely reflecting variations in their feeding behaviour and ecology. Concentrations of Cd and Pb in some species exceeded the European regulatory limits for fishery products, whereas Hg concentrations remained below legal thresholds, and As, Cr, and Ni are currently not regulated. Although these species are not of high commercial value, their role as prey for large pelagic predators of economic interest highlights the need for such studies in a broader perspective of environmental monitoring and risk assessment, aimed at supporting sustainable management strategies of marine resources and ensuring high standards of food safety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18215,"journal":{"name":"Marine pollution bulletin","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 118772"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145206823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long-term water nutrient variations along the easternmost south American estuarine and coastal areas","authors":"Ester Milena dos Santos ,&nbsp;Mário Barletta ,&nbsp;Francisco José A. Cysneiros ,&nbsp;Doris Veleda ,&nbsp;Pedro Tyaquiçã Santos ,&nbsp;Stephan Carty ,&nbsp;Anderson Luiz Ribeiro de Paiva","doi":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118756","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118756","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The estuarine ecosystem is the connection between the river basin and the ocean. The ecological role of this ecosystem is essential for socioeconomic and subsistence activities. However, this ecosystem faces significant threats from domestic, industrial and agricultural effluents. To assess the influence of factors that could be influencing these impacts, this study investigated the spatio-temporal dynamics of ammonia (NH₃) and phosphorous (P) concentration in the lower portion of the river basins located in the most eastern South American region located in Pernambuco State of Brazil. The monitoring data collected between 2005 and 2019 reveal significant NH₃ and P concentration variations, influencing annual, seasonal, and spatial factors. The Generalized Addictive Model for Location, Scales, and Shape (GAMLSS) was utilized to assess the data NH₃, and P water concentrations often exceed the ideal limits (NH₃ ≤ 0.7 mg.L-¹ and <em>P</em> ≤ 0.186 mg.L-¹). The environmental variables of dissolved oxygen, distance from the coastline, rainfall, and ENSO were the most important factors influencing the concentration of NH₃ and P in this portion of South America. The highest concentrations of these nutrients were found principally in the metropolitan sector during the dry season (NH₃ = 4.1 mg.L-¹ e <em>P</em> = 0.604 mg.L-¹). The La Niña phenomenon, particularly during moments of extreme drought (e.g. 2006 and 2017), has led to a significant increase in the concentration of these pollutants, indicating potential risks for the occurrence of eutrophication events in these estuarine ecosystems. Based on our findings, intensifying efforts to sustain and expand the monitoring program is necessary. These measures will enhance the effectiveness of habitat restoration and help achieve optimal environmental conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18215,"journal":{"name":"Marine pollution bulletin","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 118756"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145186304","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of mean composition values, trends and correlations of a 4000 km2 north Atlantic area considering data uncertainty: Nutrients, salinity and temperature","authors":"Carlos Borges ,&nbsp;Dora Carinhas ,&nbsp;Carla Palma ,&nbsp;Ricardo Bettencourt da Silva","doi":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118767","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118767","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The assessment of vast and heterogenous areas is demanding due, mainly, to the large uncertainty associated with limited collected information on the system. Larger systems should be more thoroughly characterized, and their models should express a conservative uncertainty of the reported information. This work presents a tool based on Monte Carlo simulation of monitoring data, applicable to up to 100 sampling points, that considers the uncertainty of collected samples and sampling positioning. This tool was successfully applied to assess the spatial distribution, seasonal variation and correlation of characteristic features of an oceanic area with approximately 4000 km² between two seasons. A metrologically significant reduction of temperature, salinity and some nutrient concentrations was observed, consistent with the typical upwelling regime on the western coast of continental Portugal, demonstrating that the developed methodology is robust to the extension and complexity of the spatial distribution of the system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18215,"journal":{"name":"Marine pollution bulletin","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 118767"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145199957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nitrogen enrichment determines coral mortality during a marine heatwave","authors":"Kelly E. Speare ,&nbsp;Deron E. Burkepile ,&nbsp;Thomas C. Adam ,&nbsp;Hunter S. Lenihan ,&nbsp;Erin M. Winslow ,&nbsp;Russell J. Schmitt ,&nbsp;Sally J. Holbrook ,&nbsp;Mary K. Donovan","doi":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118758","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118758","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change is killing foundation species worldwide and understanding how local environmental conditions interact with changing climatic conditions is a major goal in ecology. On coral reefs, marine heatwaves cause coral to die from bleaching, with the effects of marine heatwaves potentially modified by inorganic nutrients. Here we show that following an intense marine heatwave in Moorea, French Polynesia, patterns of mortality in two genera of branching coral are complex functions of heat stress and nitrogen enrichment. Two metrics of coral mortality (Prevalence: the proportion of colonies with at least some partial mortality; Severity: the proportion of a colony that died for those that exhibited mortality) were greater among <em>Acropora</em> than <em>Pocillopora</em> corals<em>.</em> For <em>Acropora</em>, nitrogen enrichment interacted with the intensity of heat stress to influence the prevalence, but not severity, of mortality<em>.</em> Greater nitrogen enrichment reduced prevalence at low heat stress, but increased it at high heat stress. Conversely, for <em>Pocillopora</em>, nitrogen interacted with heat stress to alter the severity, but not prevalence, of mortality. At low heat stress, nitrogen enrichment increased severity, but this effect declined as heat stress increased. Our work shows that nitrogen enrichment can either mitigate or exacerbate coral death from marine heatwaves depending on heat stress intensity and the taxa involved.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18215,"journal":{"name":"Marine pollution bulletin","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 118758"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145199928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Marine litter pollution on Amazonian beaches: A risk assessment study with focus on non-urban beaches","authors":"Ingrid Padilha de Souza ,&nbsp;Luci Cajueiro Carneiro Pereira ,&nbsp;Brenda Ribeiro Padilha da Silva ,&nbsp;Rauquírio Marinho da Costa","doi":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118747","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118747","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To better understand the impacts of marine litter, this study focused on the development and application of the Macro-Litter Risk Index-MLRI using two Amazonian beaches, rural and village beaches. This index facilitates comparisons between different beaches, offering a detailed classification of risks and contributing to impact assessment and mitigation through the formulation of appropriate public policies. The MLRI is based on five sub-indices, of which two were adapted for non urban beach settings to ensure its applicability. No weighting was assigned to the sub indices, reinforcing their equal importance in the final result. Each sub-index was rated on a scale from 1 (Very High risk) to 5 (Very Low risk), with the MLRI value calculated as the arithmetic mean of these ratings. On each beach, macro-litter was manually collected in four pre-defined areas, each measuring 400 m². These areas were located within the intertidal zone, with their upper boundary set at the high tide line. The items were quantified and characterized according to marine litter survey and monitoring protocols. According to the MLRI, the rural beach was classified as Low risk (score 4) due to its low level of impact, while the village beach was classified as Moderate risk (score 3), indicating moderate environmental, public health, and economic impacts. The results highlight the vulnerability of each beach according to the sub-indices and emphasize the need for public policy implementation. Overall, this index can be applied to any non-urban beach worldwide, providing valuable insights to support the development of public policies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18215,"journal":{"name":"Marine pollution bulletin","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 118747"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145186264","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microplastics selectively enrich potential plastic-degrading bacteria in estuaries","authors":"Xuri Dong ,&nbsp;Yanru He ,&nbsp;Changjun Li ,&nbsp;Qingqing Li ,&nbsp;Lixin Zhu ,&nbsp;Daoji Li","doi":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118731","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118731","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Being the transition zones between rivers and the ocean, estuaries are critical pathways for the transport of millions of tons of land-based microplastics (MPs) into the ocean. These dynamic systems facilitate significant transformation processes for MPs, particularly through their interactions with microbial communities. However, the dynamics of the Plastisphere, particularly how it varies across different types of estuaries and in response to seasonal environmental changes, remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, comprehensive samples were collected from four major estuaries (Qiantangjiang, Jiaojiang, Oujiang, and Minjiang River Estuaries) in Southeast China during both spring and autumn. The diversity of microorganisms associated with water, sediment, MPs, and particulate organic matter (wood) surfaces was analyzed. Our results indicated that bacterial species on MPs varied across estuaries in spring but exhibited no significant variation in autumn. The bacterial diversity on MPs was significantly different from that in water or sediment samples, but exhibited a similar pattern to that on particulate organic matter, with dominant species being more abundant on MPs. Eukaryotic diversity on MPs closely mirrored that in water, although more specific fungal species were found in the water. Despite these similarities, bacteria on MP surfaces exhibited higher levels of xenobiotic biodegradation and metabolism compared to the other three matrices. Species classification and functional annotation revealed a higher proportion of potential plastic-degrading bacteria on MP surfaces, indicating that the enrichment of potential plastic-degrading bacteria on MPs was driven by their direct association with plastic degradation, rather than their planktonic state or surface attachment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18215,"journal":{"name":"Marine pollution bulletin","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 118731"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145154620","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of different anchoring techniques for seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) restoration","authors":"Gema Hernán ,&nbsp;Laura Royo ,&nbsp;Tatí Benjumea ,&nbsp;José Escaño ,&nbsp;Fiona Tomas","doi":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118746","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118746","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Seagrass ecosystems face threats from multiple human-derived stressors that are causing the loss of these important habitats worldwide. Active restoration using innovative, cost-effective techniques, particularly with uprooted fragments that avoid damage to donor meadows, offers potential for recovery. However, non-ecological factors such as cost, logistics or supply are rarely considered but are essential for decision-making and implementation. This two-year study evaluates the feasibility and effectiveness of four anchoring techniques for securing uprooted <em>Posidonia oceanica</em> fragments to the substrate, integrating ecological success with feasibility to identify optimal methodologies. Experiments were conducted in two bays in Mallorca characterized by historical <em>P. oceanica</em> presence. Big staples, small staples, bamboo sticks and calcite pegs, were tested to fix fragments with plagiotropic rhizomes. Across sites, small staples and bamboo sticks supported high establishment success (94 %) while having a low carbon footprint, and ease of use. These methods effectively utilized smaller fragments, which are more commonly available, making them practical for large-scale projects. Although larger fragments may develop more new shoots, their limited availability restricts widespread application. As expected, shoot survival declined, a common patter observed early in <em>P. oceanica</em> restoration process, indicating that a two-year period is insufficient to fully assess long-term restoration success. Consistent performance across sites indicates broad applicability of these techniques in Mediterranean shallow, sheltered areas. Non-ecological indicators also highlight the socio-environmental benefits of bamboo sticks and small staples, making them well-suited for sustainable restoration. These findings underscore the need for a balanced, integrated approach that aligns ecological outcomes with efficiency metrics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18215,"journal":{"name":"Marine pollution bulletin","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 118746"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145154653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Floating black TiO2-HGMs (hollow glass microspheres) with tunable defects for boosted seawater splitting and petroleum pollutants degradation","authors":"Lei Liang ,&nbsp;Youzhi Liu ,&nbsp;Lei Shi","doi":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118762","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118762","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Developing photocatalytic materials with both recyclability and high activity has been a challenging task that has garnered increasing attention. In order to address this challenge, the black TiO₂ coated on the surface of hollow glass microsphere (HGMs) was prepared by using a facile sol-gel method and NaBH₄ solid-state reduction. Ti³⁺ and oxygen vacancies with tunable defects can be introduced by adjusting the amount of NaBH₄, which can not only enhance the absorption of visible light, but also improve the separation efficiency of photo-generated carriers. The as-prepared black TiO₂/HGMs manifested excellent recyclability and high photocatalytic activity in splitting seawater for H₂ evolution and degradation of diesel pollutants. Its hydrogen evolution rate and degradation efficiency are increased by 2.5 times and 1.3 times respectively compared to white TiO₂/HGMs and possess excellent cycling stability. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) and band gap analysis reveal the reason for the excellent photocatalytic performance of black TiO₂/HGMs. This study offers a unique approach for designing and preparing high-performance photocatalysts that can be easily recycled, which has potential applications in the environmental restoration and energy conversion fields.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18215,"journal":{"name":"Marine pollution bulletin","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 118762"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145154621","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Geospatial distribution of hazardous metals and other elements in stream sediments of Akum, Cameroon: Insights into mineral exploration and ecosystem health using indexical and multivariate approaches","authors":"Ngambu Aloysius Afahnwie ,&nbsp;Lemnyuy Prosper Yiika ,&nbsp;Chofor Sezawo Marian ,&nbsp;Fatemeh Kachoueiyan ,&nbsp;Nitu Gupta ,&nbsp;Kouankap Nono Gus Djibril ,&nbsp;Marie Claire Birnila ,&nbsp;Bertrand Kehding Fomekong ,&nbsp;Ayoub Simou ,&nbsp;Pierre Wochoko","doi":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118761","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.marpolbul.2025.118761","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates base metal mineralisation possibilities, pollution, toxicity and human health risk of hazardous metals (HMs) in stream sediments of Akum, Cameroon. This area lacks base metal assessment despite growing concerns about metal enrichment and pollution in an area of sand mining, urbanisation, and unusual semi-precious stone recovery, although in low quantities. Fifteen sediment samples (15–25 cm) were digested and analysed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS); contamination and risk were evaluated using pollution and health risk indices. The mean concentrations of As, Cd, Mo, Pb, Sn and Zn surpassed upper continental crust values, suggesting base metal anomalies having implications for mineral exploration. The kurtosis findings indicate platykurtic to leptokurtic distribution pattern of elements. The concentration of Cr, As, Cd and Zn were above the benchmark limits, indicating toxic stress responses to benthic organisms in the ecosystem. Pollution parameters (CF: 0.005–9.410; Cdeg: 16.60–52.09; PLI: 0.480–1.543; EF: 0.151–9.235) suggest moderate to high contamination levels in sediments. Ecological risk assessment (Er: 0.126–22.814; RI: 20.382–51.193) and toxicity indices (TRI: 3.662–8.068; TUs: 1.916–4.595) indicate low potential ecological risk and toxicity impact of HMs. Health risk assessments (THI, and TCR) are within the acceptable threshold limits (THI &lt; 1; TCR: 1 × 10⁻⁴ and 1 × 10⁻⁶), suggesting minimal risks to human health. According to the Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC), principal component analysis (PCA) and dual hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), most HM are primarily derived from lithogenic sources. In addition, Cd, As, Pb and Sn had strong anthropogenic signals and lithogenic contributions. This study highlights important concentrations of some elements above upper continental crust values that prove profitable for future mineral exploration ventures. These findings highlight the need for targeted monitoring and management strategies to mitigate health and ecological risks in these vulnerable sediment environments based on growing anthropogenic pressure on aquatic ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":18215,"journal":{"name":"Marine pollution bulletin","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 118761"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145154622","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}