Assessment of Heavy Metals Eluted from Materials Utilized in Artificial Reefs Implemented in South Korea

In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of artificial reefs (ARs) made from concrete, steel, and steel slag on the concentrations of As, Cd, Cr6+, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn in marine ecosystems. We conducted a field investigation of the concentration of heavy metals (HMs) in seawater and marine organisms in the East Sea, South Korea and complemented it with an indoor elution experiment. The concentrations of the eight HMs in the field investigation and elution experiment satisfied the environmental standards. In the elution experiment, elution of Cr6+ from the concrete models was confirmed; however, it may be insignificant in marine ecosystems. These results revealed that the effect of ARs made from concrete, steel, and steel slag on the concentration of HMs in the marine environment was insignificant.