Coral-inferred historical changes of nickel emissions related to industrial and transportation activities in the Beibu Gulf, northern South China Sea

As one of the most abundant metals in heavy oils, Ni has suffered so notably increasing impacts from industrial and traffic activities that anthropogenic Ni emissions have altered natural geochemical processes. The coral Ni/ Ca has become a reliable proxy for characterizing marine pollution, but this potential has been unexploited for highlighting oil pollution. Here, we utilized a high-resolution record of geochemical parameters (Ni/Ca, delta O-18, and delta C-13) in a Porites coral of an offshore island in the northern South China Sea to reconstruct of Ni distribution patterns in surface seawater from 1984 to 2015. The coral Ni/Ca ratios exhibit minor fluctuations, except for multiple mutation peaks (0.20 +/- 0.42 mu mol/mol) during the period from 1984 to 1993. The ratio was low and stable (0.10 +/- 0.09 mu mol/mol) from 1994 to 2008, and then increased rapidly with significant variations (1.60 +/- 4.56 mu mol/mol) from 2009 to 2015. The coral Ni/Ca ratios captured all significant Ni discharges, and this demonstrates its potential for recording oil spill episodes. The historical variations in the contributions of Ni indicate that industrial and traffic activities should be responsible for changes in the anthropogenic input. The leaks and consumptions of petroleum likely account for the primary Ni emission sources.

Automated summary

The study utilized a coral record from the South China Sea to reconstruct Ni distribution patterns, showing significant fluctuations in Ni/Ca ratios over different years, especially multiple mutation peaks from 1984 to 1993, indicating Ni discharge events and demonstrating its potential in recording oil spill episodes.