Journal
JOURNAL OF COASTAL RESEARCH
Volume 33, Issue 5, Pages 1196-1209Publisher
COASTAL EDUCATION & RESEARCH FOUNDATION
DOI: 10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-16-00151.1
Keywords
Suspended particles; pollution; estuarine system; persistent contaminants
Funding
- National Agency for Promotion of Science and Technology (ANPCyT) [BID 2010-2012 PICT 910, BID 2012-2014 PICT 2796]
- National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET)
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were studied in the Bahia Blanca Estuary (BBE), one of the most anthropogenically disturbed estuaries in the SW Atlantic Ocean. This study evaluated metal concentrations in the microplankton and seston for the first time, as well as their role in the transport of contaminants in a disturbed coastal environment of the SW Atlantic. Spatial patterns of metals in suspended particulate matter (SPM; seston > 0.45 mu m) and microplankton (20-200 mu m) were analyzed at sampling sites located at sewage or industrial discharges and, also far from this area, during warm months in 2012 and 2013. Dissolved inorganic nutrients, particulate organic matter (POM), and chlorophyll alpha (Chl-alpha) were also analyzed. The POM and Chl-alpha concentrations were higher near to the sewage discharges; however, metals showed different concentrations between sampling site stations. Those located far from human disturbances showed similar levels to the sites at the sewage or industrial discharges in some cases. In general, the SPM had higher concentrations of metals than the microplankton. In particular, Cr presented important levels in this fraction, which was potentially associated with industrial discharges. On the other hand, a contrasting partition was found for Pb, Zn, and Cu that exhibited higher levels in the microplankton-net material. The high levels of Pb in the microplankton of the BBE may indicate a high availability of this metal in the environment and high uptake rates, with potential health risks to humans and marine life attributable to its toxic effects.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available