Journal
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH
Volume 25, Issue 4, Pages 387-396Publisher
KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBL
DOI: 10.1023/B:EGAH.0000004552.15486.f5
Keywords
fish; metals (Pb, Zn, Cd); sediment survey; subsistence fishing survey; urban environment
Ask authors/readers for more resources
This research examines the pattern of sediment contamination of an urban bayou of New Orleans ( formerly a natural waterway) and the potential for human exposure from consumption of fish caught in the bayou. Sediments and soils of Bayou Saint John were evaluated for lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd). Sediment cores were collected at bridges (n= 130) and sites between the bridges ( n= 303) of the bayou. In addition, soil samples ( n= 66) were collected along the banks of the bayou. Sediments below the bridges contain significantly more (p- value similar to 10(-7)) Pb and Zn (medians of 241 and 230 mg kg(-1), respectively) than bayou sediments located between bridges (medians of 64 and 77 mg kg(-1), respectively). Sediments below bridges of the upper reaches of the bayou contain significantly larger amounts of metals (p< 10(-14) for Pb and Zn and p &SIM; 10(-8) for Cd) ( medians of 329, 383 and 1.5, respectively) than sediments below bridges in the lower reaches of the bayou ( medians of 43, 31 and 0.5 for Pb, Zn and Cd, respectively). Likewise, medians for sediments located between bridges contain significantly (p< 10(-14)) higher quantities of Pb, Zn and Cd (170, 203 and 1.8 mg kg(-1), respectively) in the upper bayou than Pb, Zn, and Cd (48, 32, and 0.8 mg kg(-1), respectively) in the lower reaches of the bayou. The potential risk for human exposure may be magnified by the fact that fishing generally occurs from the numerous bridges that cross the bayou. Poor and minority people do most of the fishing. Most people (87%) indicated they ate fish they caught from the Bayou.
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