Recent sedimentary history of anthropogenic impacts on the Culiacan River Estuary, northwestern Mexico: geochemical evidence from organic matter and nutrients

Pb-210 geochronology and sediment profiles of carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen were used to study time dependent changes in nutrients fluxes to Culiacan River Estuary. Results indicate that the release of urban sewage and agriculture wastes transported through Culiacan River has produced historically increased carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen fluxes to the study area. C:N:P elemental ratios showed that increments in the nutrients input begins simultaneously for C, N and P in 1948 with the clearing of the catchment for agriculture, although excess of nutrients input increased most importantly around the 1970s to roughly follow the rapidly growing population of Culiacan City. C/N ratios, delta(13)C and delta(15)N suggested that nutrient enrichment is mostly influenced by sewage delivered through Culiacan River. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.