Combining contamination indexes, sediment quality guidelines and multivariate data analysis for metal pollution assessment in marine sediments of Cienfuegos Bay, Cuba.
The purpose of the present work was to combine several tools for assessing metal pollution in marine sediments from Cienfuegos Bay. Fourteen surface sediments collected in 2013 were evaluated. Concentrations of As, Cu, Ni, Zn and V decreased respect to those previous reported. The metal contamination was spatially distributed in the north and south parts of the bay. According to the contamination factor (CF) enrichment factor (EF) and index of geoaccumulation (Igeo), Cd and Cu were classified in that order as the most contaminated elements in most sediment. Comparison of the total metal concentrations with the threshold (TELs) and probable (PELs) effect levels in sediment quality guidelines suggested a more worrisome situation for Cu, of which concentrations were occasional associated with adverse biological effects in thirteen sediments, followed by Ni in nine sediments; while adverse effects were rarely associated with Cd. Probably, Cu could be considered as the most dangerous in the whole bay because it was classified in the high contamination levels by all indexes and, simultaneously, associated to occasional adverse effects in most samples. Despite the bioavailability was partially evaluated with the HCl method, the low extraction of Ni (<3% in all samples) and Cu (<55%, except sample 3) and the relative high extraction of Cd (50% or more, except sample 14) could be considered as an attenuating (Ni and Cu) or increasing (Cd) factor in the risk assessment of those element.
Institute of Materials Science and Technology (IMRE), University of Havana, CP 10400 Havana, Cuba; Grupo de Análise Instrumental Aplicada (GAIA), Departamento de Química (DQ), Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), PO Box 676, 13565-905 São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
Mirella
M
Peña-Icart
Grupo de Análise Instrumental Aplicada (GAIA), Departamento de Química (DQ), Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), PO Box 676, 13565-905 São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
Edenir Rodrigues
ER
Pereira-Filho
Grupo de Análise Instrumental Aplicada (GAIA), Departamento de Química (DQ), Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), PO Box 676, 13565-905 São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
Lucimar
L
Lopes Fialho
Grupo de Análise Instrumental Aplicada (GAIA), Departamento de Química (DQ), Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), PO Box 676, 13565-905 São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
Joaquim A
JA
Nóbrega
Cienfuegos City Environmental Study Center, St. Castillo de Jagua, km 1 ½, A.P. 5, CP 59350 Cienfuegos City, Cuba.
Carlos
C
Alonso-Hernández
Cienfuegos City Environmental Study Center, St. Castillo de Jagua, km 1 ½, A.P. 5, CP 59350 Cienfuegos City, Cuba.
Yoelvis
Y
Bolaños-Alvarez
Institute of Materials Science and Technology (IMRE), University of Havana, CP 10400 Havana, Cuba. Electronic address: mpomares@imre.oc.uh.cu.
Mario S
MS
Pomares-Alfonso
D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis*; D061006:Bays; D001682:Biological Availability; D003462:Cuba; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001151:Arsenic
Contamination factor (CF); Enrichment factor (EF); Index of geoaccumulation (I(geo)); Marine sediments; Principal component analysis (PCA); Sediment quality guidelines