WESTERN BOHAI BAY ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY, TIANJIN, CHINA

- in collaboration with Professor Jianhua Tao (Tianjin University) and Professor Qiufeng Zhang (Tianjin Marine Environmental Monitoring and Forecasting Center) and their research groups

This cooperative research between Chinese and US scientists gears primarily toward better understanding of sediment and contaminant movements, and ultimately their environmental effects, in western Bohai Bay. The primary objectives of this research are to:

1. Measure sediment accumulation/erosion patterns;
2. Characterize the dynamics and transport pathways of sediments and their associated contaminants;
3. Identify mechanisms governing the temporal and spatial variations in sediment accumulation/erosion patterns;
4. Characterize hydrodynamic features, environmental assimilative capacity, and temporal and spatial distribution of contaminants;
5. Identify contaminant sources and map sediment “hot spots”;

 In order to accomplish the goals, a sampling plan was developed to characterize western Bohai Bay and the Port of Tianjin environmental status.  The field sampling was conducted in the Haihe River estuary, the Yongdin River estuary, Tianjin Port and western Bohai Bay (Figure 1).  Water and sediment samples were collected at each station.