A Detailed Insight into the Detrital and Diagenetic Mineralogy of Metal(oid)s: Their Origin, Distribution and Associations within Hypersaline Sediments

Abstract

Hypersaline environments are among the most vulnerable coastal ecosystems and are extremely noteworthy for a variety of ecological reasons. Comprehensive assessment of metal(oid) contamination in hypersaline sediments from Sečovlje (Northern Adriatic, Slovenia) was addressed by introducing the detrital and diagenetic mineralogy and geochemical properties within the solid sediment material. Close associations between Fe/Mn oxides and oxyhydroxides with As, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn, and between organic matter with Cu, Pb and Zn were confirmed using X-ray powder diffraction, SEM-EDS and ICP emission spectrometry analysis. Possible incorporation or adsorption on the crystal lattices of clay minerals (As, Cr, Pb, Sn and Zn), halite (As) and aragonite/calcite (Cd, Cu, Pb, Sr and Zn) were also detected. All presented correlations were highlighted by various statistical analyses. The enrichment factor (EF) values showed a low degree of anthropogenic burden for As, Bi, Hg and Zn, while Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sn and Sr originated from the geological background. These results emphasise that a detailed mineralogical and geochemical characterisation of solid (especially detrital and diagenetic) sediment particles is crucial in further understanding the metal(oid) translocation within the hypersaline ecosystems.