title: Trace element contamination in the Guadalquivir River Estuary ten years after the Aznalcóllar mine spill.
abstract: Sediments, clams Scrobicularia plana and worms Hediste diversicolor from the Guadalquivir estuary were collected ten years after the Aznalcóllar mine spill and analyzed for metals. Significant seasonal and spatial effects were detected for most elements, so data from different sampling periods and locations were treated separately. Overall, the most polluted sites were found upstream, although Zn and Cu tended to accumulate at the estuary mouth. A significant decline of Zn in sediments and clams was observed compared to levels reported following the spill, so the estuarine ecosystem has recovered. However, the concentrations of some elements in S. plana were still higher than those of heavily contaminated regions. In this mollusk, Pb and As levels were higher in 2008 than in previous years, suggesting a new source entering into the estuary. Metals in sediments presented low bioavailability for biota, so other sources must account for the concentrations observed in these species.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus Universitario Río San Pedro, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain; Water Resources Unit, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Via Enrico Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, VA, Italy. Electronic address: victoriatornero@ub.edu.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tornero
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus Universitario Río San Pedro, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
authors.forename: Alberto M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Arias
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Campus Universitario Río San Pedro, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
authors.forename: Julián
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blasco
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001682:Biological Availability; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000378:metabolism*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D063366:Estuaries; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008906:Mining; D011077:Polychaeta / Q000378:metabolism*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013030:Spain; D013997:Time Factors; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Aznalcóllar mine spill; Hediste diversicolor; Scrobicularia plana; Sediments; Trace elements