Spatial distribution and accumulation of heavy metals in tidal flat sediments of Shanghai coastal zone

Surface and core sediments from the high, middle and low tidal flats of Shanghai coastal zone were analyzed for heavy metal (e.g. Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Cd, Fe, Mn) concentrations. Besides Cd, the concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cr and Pb are 2–5 times higher than their background values and show serious pollution trend due to the direct discharge of industrial and municipal sewage along the Shanghai tidal flat, as well as the wet and dry depositions of industrial dusts. It seems that heavy metals prefer to accumulate and be enriched in the sediments near large sewage outlets, high flats, and the subsurface layer at the depth of 10–30 cm. Several main factors, which include the direct sewage discharge along the tidal flat, tidal hydrodynamic action, large engineering activity, early diagenesis and windstorm tide, are considered to be responsible for influencing spatial distribution patterns of heavy metals in the Shanghai tidal flat.