title: Impact of terrestrial mining and intensive agriculture in pollution of estuarine surface sediments: Spatial distribution of trace metals in the Gulf of Urabá, Colombia.
abstract: The Gulf of Urabá (northwestern Colombia) is a geostrategic region, rich in biodiversity and natural resources. Its economy is mainly based on agribusinesses and mining activities. In this research is determined the impact of these activities in bottom surface sediments of the estuary. Thus, grain size, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, carbonates, Ag, Al, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn concentrations from 17 surface sediment samples were obtained and enrichment factors (EF) as well as geo-accumulation indices (Igeo) were calculated to determine the contamination level in the gulf. EF and Igeo values revealed that the estuary is extremely contaminated with Ag and moderately contaminated with Zn. Therefore, the observed enrichment of Ag may be explained as a residue of the extraction of gold and platinum-group metals and the enrichment with Zn associated mainly to pesticides used in banana plantations.
authors.affiliation: Researching group in management and environmental modeling (GAIA), University of Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia. Electronic address: vallejo.pedropablo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Pedro Pablo
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Vallejo Toro
authors.affiliation: Researching group in management and environmental modeling (GAIA), University of Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia.
authors.forename: Luis Fernando
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Vásquez Bedoya
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth Sciences, University EAFIT, Medellin, Colombia.
authors.forename: Iván Darío
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.affiliation: School of Geosciences and Environment, National University of Colombia, Medellin, Colombia.
authors.forename: Gladys Rocío
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Bernal Franco
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical, Chemical and Geological Oceanography, Oceanographic Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alcántara-Carrió
authors.affiliation: Researching group in management and environmental modeling (GAIA), University of Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia.
authors.forename: Jaime Alberto
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Palacio Baena
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D003105:Colombia; D004777:Environment; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D063366:Estuaries; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis; D008906:Mining; D028521:Musa; D010575:Pesticides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D010575:Pesticides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Enrichment factor; Estuarine pollution; Geo-accumulation index; Trace metals