Metal pollution is a well-known anthropogenic impact of highly developed estuaries, with dire consequences to the ecosystem. This study investigated the metal concentrations (Al, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) in the sediment colonized by Salicornia tegetaria, a dominant salt marsh plant in the lower intertidal zone of the Swartkops Estuary. The samples were collected at five sites along the banks of the middle and lower reaches of the estuary, and analyzed using an Inductively Coupled Plasma –Optical Emission Spectrometer. Metal contamination was determined using established normalized baseline models. It was found that all the sites contained metal enrichment, with the estuary mouth experiencing the least enrichment. Salicornia tegetaria holds a substantial amount of anomalous metals within its rhizosediment—providing a valuable ecosystem service to a highly developed Swartkops Estuary.

中文翻译：

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Salicornia tegetaria 的根际沉积物表明潮间带河口区存在金属污染

金属污染是高度发达的河口众所周知的人为影响，对生态系统造成了可怕的后果。本研究调查了 Salicornia tegetaria 定殖的沉积物中的金属浓度（Al、Cr、Cu、Fe、Mn、Ni、Pb、Zn），Salicornia tegetaria 是 Swartkops 河口较低潮间带的主要盐沼植物。在河口中下游沿岸的五个地点采集样品，并使用电感耦合等离子体-光学发射光谱仪进行分析。使用已建立的标准化基线模型确定金属污染。发现所有地点都含有金属富集，河口的富集最少。