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Heavy metal contamination and provenance of sediments recovered at the Grijalva River delta, southern Gulf of Mexico

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Abstract

This study examines textural characteristics, carbonate, organic carbon and chemical composition of sediment samples recovered in the nearshore region (~3–19 m water depth) at the Grijalva River mouth, southern Gulf of Mexico. The aim of this study is to assess the heavy metal contamination and provenance variations in sediments between the dry and northers (rainy) seasons. The proportion of sand, carbonate, and organic carbon contents were abundant at sites located near to the Grijalva River mouth, principally in northers season. Silt content is dominant in the dry season, especially in the sites located away from the Grijalva River mouth. The Chemical Index (CIX) values obtained for the dry (~76–84) and northers (~75–87) seasons indicated a moderate to high intensity of weathering and a humid climate in the source area. The low K2O/Al2O3 ratio values (<0.5) in the dry and northers seasons indicated a higher proportion of aluminosilicates than detrital minerals, due to moderate-to-high intensity of weathering. The correlation among elemental concentrations revealed the association of Cr, Nb, Zr, Hf, Y, and rare earth elements (REE) with detrital minerals rather than aluminosilicates. The major element concentrations, Th/Sc, La/Sc, Co/Th, and Cr/Ni elemental ratios indicated the derivation of sediments from intermediate and mafic igneous rocks. A similarity in the North American Shale Composite (NASC) normalized rare earth element (REE) patterns and Eu anomaly between the dry and northers seasons suggested that the variations in sediment input played a less significant role and the provenance of sediments remained constant. The enrichment factor (EF) showed moderate to severe enrichment for Cr, Ni, and Sb (EF = ~2.63–7.57), highest in the northers season, especially at the Grijalva River mouth, although the index of geo-accumulation (Igeo) for these elements suggested as moderately polluted (Igeo = 0.34–2.0). The slightly elevated EF values for Cr, Ni, and Sb during northers season were probably due to an increase in sediment discharge into the sea during the northers season. We inferred that the enrichment of Cr, Ni, and Sb in sediments was due to both lithogenic and anthropogenic origins. The sediments were influenced by the intermediate and basic igneous rocks of the Chiapas Massif Complex, and the waste generated by the urban areas located within the Grijalva River drainage basin.

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Acknowledgements

Ayala-Pérez is thankful to the Posgrado en Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia (PCML) postgraduate program and to Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT) for a doctoral fellowship. We acknowledge the financial assistance provided by a CONACyT project ‘Cambio global y sustentabilidad en la Cuenca del Usumacinta y zona marina de influencia: Bases para la adaptación al cambio climático desde la ciencia y la gestión territorial (FORDECyT 273646)’ for sample collection. This work was also supported by the CONACyT Ciencia Basica (no: A1-S-21287) and Programa de Apoyo a Proyectos de Investigación e Innovación Tecnológica (PAPIIT; IN107020) projects. We are grateful to Eduardo Alfredo Morales, Ricardo Martínez Domínguez, Susana Santiago-Perez, and Arturo Ronquillo Arvizu for their help during sample preparation, and to Alejandro Rodríguez-Ramírez and members of the FORDECYT project for sample collection. We acknowledge our sincere thanks to Ofelia Pérez Arvizu for ICPMS analysis, carried out at the Ultra Clean Laboratory, UNAM, Juriquilla.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Posgrado en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City, CDMX, Mexico

    Martha Patricia Ayala-Pérez

  2. Unidad de Procesos Oceánicos y Costeros, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, Mexico City, CDMX, Mexico

    John S Armstrong-Altrin & María Luisa Machain-Castillo

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  1. Martha Patricia Ayala-Pérez
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  2. John S Armstrong-Altrin
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  3. María Luisa Machain-Castillo
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Contributions

Ayala-Pérez participated in sample analysis, analyzed the data, prepared the tables and figures and wrote the first version of the manuscript. Machain-Castillo conceptualized the project and field work, interpreted the data and revised the text. Armstrong-Altrin revised the figures, data, text and prepared the final version for publication.

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Correspondence to John S Armstrong-Altrin.

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Communicated by Santanu Banerjee

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Ayala-Pérez, M.P., Armstrong-Altrin, J.S. & Machain-Castillo, M.L. Heavy metal contamination and provenance of sediments recovered at the Grijalva River delta, southern Gulf of Mexico. J Earth Syst Sci 130, 88 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-021-01570-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-021-01570-w

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