title: Sediment quality assessment in a tropical estuary: the case of Ceará River, Northeastern Brazil.
abstract: The present study aimed to assess the sediment quality in a tropical estuary located in the northeast of Brazil under semi-arid conditions and multiple sources of contamination, using both toxicity bioassays and metal distribution. The metal distribution followed a concentration gradient decreasing one order of magnitude from the inner station toward the outer estuary, with amounts in the following order: Fe > Al > Zn > Cr > Pb > Cu. The index of geoaccumulation indicated a metal enrichment in the Ceará river sediment, mainly at inner sites, considered from moderately to strongly contaminated by Al, Cu, Cr and Zn. Sediment samples were considered toxic by means of whole sediment tests with copepods (reproduction) and amphipods (survival), and also elutriate fraction and sediment-water interface with sea urchin embryos (development). Acute and chronic toxicity did not exhibit a significant correlation with metals, emphasizing the influence of other contaminants mainly related to the pollution sources installed in the mid-estuary.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ecotoxicologia Marinha, Instituto de Ciências do Mar (Labomar), Universidade Federal do Ceará, Av. Abolição 3207, Fortaleza 60165-081, Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jeamylle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nilin
authors.forename: Lucas Buruaem
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: José Edvar
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Aguiar
authors.forename: Rozane
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marins
authors.forename: Denis Moledo
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: de Souza Abessa
authors.forename: Tito Monteiro
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: da Cruz Lotufo
authors.forename: Letícia Veras
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Costa-Lotufo
mesh_terms: D033304:Amphipoda / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D033342:Copepoda / Q000187:drug effects; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000187:drug effects; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D045483:Rivers; D012617:Sea Urchins / Q000187:drug effects; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014329:Tropical Climate; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Environmental monitoring; Estuarine ecosystems; Metals; Pollution; Sediment; Toxicity