• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.133-147
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• 2004

Environmental quality(water and sediment) was analyzed in the tidal flat of Saemangum of Jeonbuk Province, the west coast of Korea, using the 101 sediment samples and 69 water samples collected in September 4~13, 2001. Major water quality parameters with the means of 69 surface water samples are as follows; $25.51{\pm}0.68^{\circ}C$ for water temperature, $29.88{\pm}5.01$ for salinity, $1.40{\pm}0.78mg/L$ for COD, $0.352{\pm}0.417mg/L$ for DIN, and $0.027{\pm}0.023mg/L$ for phosphate, respectively. Higher values were found at the subestuary of Dongjin and Mangyung River, and lower values at the Saemangum embayment and Gomso Bay. There was a significant negative correlation between salinity and the other water quality parameters(p<0.0001) such as COD, nutrients, SS and N/P. This correlation suggested that the major pollution sources be from terrestrial inputs through tributaries in this area. Principal component analysis clearly revealed a spatial variation of water quality; stations with higher values of nutrients and COD located subestuary of tributaries. 14 sediment quality parameters including 8 trace metals were measured using the 101 surface sediment samples. Average values for the parameters are as follows; Al $2.28{\pm}0.92%$, Cd $0.61{\pm}0.27ppm$, Cu $8.95{\pm}4.06ppm$, Fe $1.19{\pm}0.37%$, Mn $182.31{\pm}77.45ppm$, Ni $10.83{\pm}4.97ppm$, Pb $15.20{\pm}4.35ppm$, Zn $41.34{\pm}34.62ppm$, COD $2.68{\pm}1.85mg/g\;dry$, AVS $0.04{\pm}0.08mg/g\;dry$, IL $1.29{\pm}1.08%$, water content $24.11{\pm}4.49%$, TN $0.02{\pm}0.02%$, TC $0.22{\pm}0.30%$. Spatial variations of sediment quality were not clear as water quality. Some higher values were found at the subestuary of Gum River and lower values at the other area. There was a significant positive correlation between the heavy metal concentrations and organic materials within the sediment(p<0.05). Enrichment factors showed the ranges of 1~2 for most of the metals in the sediment except zinc(1~6), indicating no serious exogenous input of heavy metals in the study area. Also, the heavy metal concentrations in the sediment were within the ranges found at the natural marine environments.