title: Sewage contamination of sediments from two Portuguese Atlantic coastal systems, revealed by fecal sterols.
abstract: Fecal sterols in sediments were used to assess the degree of sewage contamination in Ria de Aveiro lagoon and Mondego River estuary for the first time. Coprostanol, the major fecal sterol, averaged 1.82 ± 4.12 μg g(-1), with maxima of 16.6 μg g(-1). The northwestern sector of the Ria and a marina at Mondego estuary showed the highest level of sewage contamination. This scenario was confirmed by several diagnostic ratios based on fecal sterols and other phytosterols. Our data revealed that in spite of the improvements achieved in the last decades, there is still a need for control the organic inputs into the aquatic environment in the studied regions.
authors.affiliation: LabMAM, Chemistry Department, Pontifical Catholic University, 22451-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jesica P A
authors.initials: JPA
authors.lastname: Rada
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry & CESAM, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Armando C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry & CESAM, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pato
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry & CESAM, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal; Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR/CIMAR), University of Porto, Rua dos Bragas 289, P 4050-123 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Anabela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cachada
authors.affiliation: LabMAM, Chemistry Department, Pontifical Catholic University, 22451-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address: carreira@puc-rio.br.
authors.forename: Renato S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Carreira
mesh_terms: D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D004083:Cholestanol / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D063366:Estuaries; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D011174:Portugal; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012722:Sewage / Q000032:analysis*; D013261:Sterols / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage; D013261:Sterols; D004083:Cholestanol
keywords: Coprostanol; Estuary; Lagoon; Portugal; Sediments; Sewage contamination