Nondetrital and total metal distribution in core sediments from the U-Tapao Canal, Songkhla, Thailand

Overall, the data show that total metal concentrations in the surface and near surface core sediments are enriched in varying degrees relative to Al in the order of ∼Zn>Mn>Pb>Fe>Cu. Chemical partitioning shows that the enrichment in the surface and near surface sediments is related to the relatively high proportion of the total metal concentrations (Mn>Zn>Fe>Cu>Pb) that occur in the acetic acid-soluble (nondetrital) fraction, and they generally decrease with depth. Nondetrital Cu, Pb, and Zn likely derive from those metals held in ion exchange positions, certain carbonates, and from easily soluble amorphous compounds of Mn and perhaps those of Fe. Diagenetic processes involving Mn and to a lesser extent, Fe compounds, as well as the vertical changes in the oxidizing/reducing boundaries, appear to be the most important factors controlling the behavior of the metals in these cores. Organic matter and the aluminosilicate minerals, however, appear to be less important carriers of the metals studied.