『Abstract
Concentrations of Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn have been measured, by
atomic absorption spectrophotometry, in the fine fraction (<63
μm) of surface sediments collected in 30 sites in the Palermo
Gulf (Sicily, Italy) in order to assess the levels and the spatial
distribution of these elements. Enrichment factors calculated
with respect to clean areas have been considered to discriminate
between levels due to background or to pollution contributions.
The sampling stations, which form a grid inside these areas, are
characterized by geographic proximity and by the presence of pollution
sources. Ratio matching technique along with hierarchical clustering,
minimum spanning tree and principal component analysis have been
used for the statistical analysis of data, allowing to better
describe the spatial distribution of metal levels. Our work allowed
to assess the anthropogenic contribution to the pollution of the
area under investigation through industrial and domestic wastes,
presence of an harbour area and river inflow.
Keywords: Marine sediments; Heavy metals; Enrichment factors;
Ratio matching; Hierarchical analysis; Marine pollution; Sicilian
coast 』
1 Introduction
2 Methods
2.1 Environmental and geological settings
2.2 Sampling methods
2.3 Sample treatment and metal analysis
2.4 Statistical analysis
3 Results and discussion
4 Conclusions
Acknowledgement
References