Conflicting outcomes of an integrated approach to sediment quality assessment in a Sardinian coastal area subjected to mining activities

Purpose Multidisciplinary research was carried out to verify the best approach for a reliable assessment of sediment quality in marine areas affected by strong metal enrichment. The study was carried out on Sulcis-Iglesiente marine coastal areas (Sardinia, Italy), where a long-lasting past mining operation strongly contaminated marine sediments with heavy metals (Cd, Pb and Zn).