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. 2020 Apr;42(4):1057-1068.
doi: 10.1007/s10653-019-00316-4. Epub 2019 May 22.

The legacy of industrial pollution in estuarine sediments: spatial and temporal variability implications for ecosystem stress

Kiri Rodgers  1   2 , Iain McLellan  3 , Tatyana Peshkur  4 , Roderick Williams  5 , Rebecca Tonner  4 , Charles W Knapp  4 , Fiona L Henriquez  5 , Andrew S Hursthouse  3
Affiliations

The legacy of industrial pollution in estuarine sediments: spatial and temporal variability implications for ecosystem stress

Kiri Rodgers et al. Environ Geochem Health. 2020 Apr.

Abstract

The direct impacts of anthropogenic pollution are widely known public and environmental health concerns, and details on the indirect impact of these are starting to emerge, for example affecting the environmental microbiome. Anthropogenic activities throughout history with associated pollution burdens are notable contributors. Focusing on the historically heavily industrialised River Clyde, Scotland, we investigate spatial and temporal contributions to stressful/hostile environments using a geochemical framework, e.g. pH, EC, total organic carbon and potentially toxic elements: As, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn and enrichment indicators. With regular breaches of the sediment quality standards in the estuarine system we focused on PTE correlations instead. Multivariate statistical analysis (principle component analysis) identifies two dominant components, PC1: As, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn, as well as PC2: Ni, Co and total organic carbon. Our assessment confirms hot spots in the Clyde Estuary indicative of localised inputs. In addition, there are sites with high variability indicative of excessive mixing. We demonstrate that industrialised areas are dynamic environmental sites dependant on historical anthropogenic activity with short-scale variation. This work supports the development of 'contamination' mapping to enable an assessment of the impact of historical anthropogenic pollution, identifying specific 'stressors' that can impact the microbiome, neglecting in estuarine recovery dynamics and potentially supporting the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in the environment.

Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance; Ecosystems; Legacy pollution; Metals; Sediments.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Location of sample sites along the River Clyde. Code + seaward distance from Glasgow tidal weir (km: 1: HNB: Helensburgh (33.17); 2: GNK: Greenock (37.9); 3: CAR: Cardross (28.47); 4: KBP: Kelburn Park (27.88); 5: DBW: Dumbarton West (25); 6: CYV: Clydeview (23.5); 7: DBC: Dumbarton Castle (22.45); 8: GRB: Gruggies Burn 22.05); 9: PGS: Port Glasgow (22.05); 10: BOW: Bowling (17.42); 11: BSP: Bishopton (16.44); 12: ESK: Erskine Harbour (15.5); 13: NSI: Newshot Island (13.67); 14: RSD: Rothesay Dock; 15: WCB: White Cart Bridge (4.75); 16: WCE: White Cart Estuary;17:  KGD: King George V Dock; 18: KLC: Kelvin Confluence; 19: CUN: Cuningar Loop (− 5.4)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Heat map showing summary of geoaccumulation data along the River Clyde (downstream from the tidal weir in central Glasgow) and various depths (0–10 cm, 10–20 cm and 20–30 cm)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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