Environmental geochemistry reflected by rare earth elements in Bohai Bay (North China) core sediments

Abstract

In Bohai Bay sediment, two cores were collected to estimate the source of sediments, and assess the environmental changes. Sequential extractions were carried out in this study. Rare earth elements (REE) were leached out from four labile fractions: Exchangeable (L1), Bound to carbonates (L2), Bound to Fe–Mn oxides (L3), Bound to organic matter (L4), and the remainder was Residual (R5). The percentages of REE in different fractions follow the order: R5 > L3 > L2 > L4 > L1. With heavy REE depletion and no pronounced REE fractionation, NASC-normalized REE patterns of Bohai Bay sediments are quite consistent with that of Haihe River sediment, which is the key river of Bohai Bay. Y/Ho ratios of total contents are all much lower than the average value of continental crust, while Y/Ho ratios of L2 are higher than those of other fractions. Based on the patterns of REE and Y/Ho ratios of samples, sediments of Bohai Bay mainly come from terrigenous matters, which are mainly brought by Haihe River. And REE combined with carbonates may be partly inherited from anthropogenic matter. Moreover, environmental changes exert significant influences on the patterns and fractionations of REE, and they can be deduced from the characteristics of REE. Our results on the patterns and burial fluxes of REE reflect two environmental changes: Bohai Bay has been shifting towards more reducing conditions in the last one hundred years, and there was a large flood in 1939.