title: Effects of harbor activities on sediment quality in a semi-arid region in Brazil.
abstract: Tropical marine environments are rich in biodiversity and the presence of harbor activities in these areas can harm the coastal ecosystems. In this study, we assessed sediment quality of two harbors from a tropical region in Brazil by applying multiple lines-of-evidence approach. This approach included the integration of results on: (1) grain size, organic matter, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, trace metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, linear alkylbenzenes, and tributyltin; (2) acute toxicity of whole sediments and chronic toxicity of liquid phases; and (3) benthic community descriptors. Our results revealed that the main contaminants detected in sediments from Mucuripe and Pecém Harbors were chromium, copper, nitrogen, zinc, and tributyltin. These toxicants arise from typical harbor activities. However, the changes in benthic composition and structure appear to depend on a combination of physical impacts, such as the deposition of fine sediments and the toxic potential of contaminants, especially in Mucuripe. Thus, apart from toxicants physical processes are important in describing risks. This information may assist in management and conservation of marine coastal areas.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil; Núcleo de Estudos em Poluição e Ecotoxicologia Aquática, UNESP - São Vicente, Brazil. Electronic address: lburuaem@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lucas B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: Instituto do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Santos, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ítalo B
authors.initials: ÍB
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hortellani
authors.affiliation: Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo - São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvio T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.affiliation: Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo - São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Satie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.affiliation: Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo - São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mônica A V
authors.initials: MAV
authors.lastname: Petti
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG) - Rio Grande, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fillmann
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jorge E S
authors.initials: JES
authors.lastname: Sarkis
authors.affiliation: Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo - São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Márcia C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bícego
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leticia V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Costa-Lotufo
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Estudos em Poluição e Ecotoxicologia Aquática, UNESP - São Vicente, Brazil.
authors.forename: Denis M S
authors.initials: DMS
authors.lastname: Abessa
mesh_terms: D001555:Benzene Derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D001938:Brazil; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D012767:Ships; D014220:Trialkyltin Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D014329:Tropical Climate; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D001555:Benzene Derivatives; D008670:Metals; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014220:Trialkyltin Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D010758:Phosphorus; C011559:tributyltin; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Dredging; Environmental management; Marine pollution; Sediment quality triad; Sediment toxicity; Tropical environments