title: Integrated sediment quality assessment in Paranaguá Estuarine System, Southern Brazil.
abstract: Sediment quality from Paranaguá Estuarine System (PES), a highly important port and ecological zone, was evaluated by assessing three lines of evidence: (1) sediment physical-chemical characteristics; (2) sediment toxicity (elutriates, sediment-water interface, and whole sediment); and (3) benthic community structure. Results revealed a gradient of increasing degradation of sediments (i.e. higher concentrations of trace metals, higher toxicity, and impoverishment of benthic community structure) towards inner PES. Data integration by principal component analysis (PCA) showed positive correlation between some contaminants (mainly As, Cr, Ni, and Pb) and toxicity in samples collected from stations located in upper estuary and one station placed away from contamination sources. Benthic community structure seems to be affected by both pollution and natural fine characteristics of the sediments, which reinforces the importance of a weight-of-evidence approach to evaluate sediments of PES.
authors.affiliation: Cátedra UNESCO/UNITWIN/WiCop, Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cádiz, CP. 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Choueri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cesar
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: D M S
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Abessa
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Morais
authors.forename: C D S
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: M R L
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mozeto
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Riba
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: DelValls
mesh_terms: D033304:Amphipoda / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012617:Sea Urchins / Q000187:drug effects; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D053833:Wetlands
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls