Spatial Distribution of Trace Elements in Sub-Surficial Marine Sediments: New Insights from Bay I of the Mar Piccolo of Taranto (Southern Italy)

Contaminated marine and coastal sediments represent the main source of secondary pollution for the aquatic environment and marine fauna, affecting, directly and indirectly, ecosystems and human health. The assessment of the distribution of chemical pollutants in marine sediments can therefore be considered a preliminary step for understanding the possible circulation of pollutants in the marine environment and planning any targeted and efficient reclamation activity. This study provides new insights on the environmental status of Bay I of Mar Piccolo basin (Southern Italy) by proposing an integrated investigation approach to define the distribution of trace metals and evaluate the thickness of the sediments potentially affected by pollution. To this aim, the concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sn, and Zn are estimated for sediment samples collected from 19 cores, and specific environmental indices are calculated. Due to its remarkable environmental and economic relevance, the area of Taranto has been selected as a case study to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method in supporting the identification of hotspot areas for which priority remediation activities are needed.