Heavy metal background levels and pollution temporal trend assessment within the marine sediments facing a brownfield area (Gulf of Pozzuoli, Southern Italy).

ABSTRACT: In this study, site-specific natural background levels (NBLs) were determined for 18 elements (Al, As, Be, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Hg, K, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Tl, U, V, and Zn) in two sediment cores collected offshore the Bagnoli-Coroglio brownfield site (Gulf of Pozzuoli, southern Italy) to accurately assess the degree of contamination and the historical trends in Heavy Metals (HMs) enrichment. This objective was pursued taking in account the high temporal and spatial variability of the geochemical properties of the area due to the local geothermal activity. Moreover, the temporal variation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) was investigated.²²⁶Ra was used as an extraordinary marker to confirm ²¹⁰Pb dating. It especially allowed defining the geochronological framework

SUBMITTER: Armiento G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9492602 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature