Abstract
The increase in heavy metal contamination in the marine and terrestrial environments of the Pacific basin has raised concerns, as studies continue to display evidence of heavy metal bioaccumulation and chronic toxicity. Volcanism is a major source of the distribution of heavy metals through rock formation and weathering. The main Hawaiian Islands (State of Hawaii) were formed by hot spot activity in the central northern Pacific Ocean, where upwelling of a magmatic plume containing heavy metals solidified into an archipelago of volcanic islands over a five-million-year period. The combination of natural and anthropogenic metal(loid) sources generates the critical need to assess the heavy metal concentrations that could affect the flora and fauna residing in these biologically diverse areas. The concentrations of 16 metals (Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mo, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Sn, V, Zn) were analyzed via Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS) in sediments from remote and developed locations on four Hawaiian Islands - Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Hawaii. Concentrations exceeded the Elemental Action Level (EAL) for Co and the Upper Bound Concentration (UBC) for Co, Fe, and Ni, as established by the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH). Statistical tests and ecological indices were calculated to better determine the extent of heavy metal contamination in the state of Hawaii. Locations on all four islands indicated high risk on the potential ecological risk index (PER) and strong contamination of either As, Fe, Ni, or Mn on the geo-accumulation index (Igeo).
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Dimitrios Giarikos, Dr. Amy C. Hirons
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-2-2025 12:45 PM
End Date
4-3-2025 12:00 AM
Heavy Metal Distribution in Volcanic Hawaiian Sediment from Five Million Years Ago to Present
Alvin Sherman Library
The increase in heavy metal contamination in the marine and terrestrial environments of the Pacific basin has raised concerns, as studies continue to display evidence of heavy metal bioaccumulation and chronic toxicity. Volcanism is a major source of the distribution of heavy metals through rock formation and weathering. The main Hawaiian Islands (State of Hawaii) were formed by hot spot activity in the central northern Pacific Ocean, where upwelling of a magmatic plume containing heavy metals solidified into an archipelago of volcanic islands over a five-million-year period. The combination of natural and anthropogenic metal(loid) sources generates the critical need to assess the heavy metal concentrations that could affect the flora and fauna residing in these biologically diverse areas. The concentrations of 16 metals (Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mo, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Sn, V, Zn) were analyzed via Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS) in sediments from remote and developed locations on four Hawaiian Islands - Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Hawaii. Concentrations exceeded the Elemental Action Level (EAL) for Co and the Upper Bound Concentration (UBC) for Co, Fe, and Ni, as established by the Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH). Statistical tests and ecological indices were calculated to better determine the extent of heavy metal contamination in the state of Hawaii. Locations on all four islands indicated high risk on the potential ecological risk index (PER) and strong contamination of either As, Fe, Ni, or Mn on the geo-accumulation index (Igeo).
