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The Last Two Centuries of Lead Pollution in the Southern Gulf of Mexico Recorded in the Annual Bands of the Scleractinian Coral Orbicella faveolata

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Abstract

Lead (Pb) pollution history (1855–2001 A.D.) of the southern Gulf of Mexico (SGM) was reconstructed from the geochemical record contained in the annual bands of the hermatypic coral Orbicella faveolata from the Veracruz Reef System, Mexico. Pb concentrations ranged from 5.5 μg/g in 1889–23.6 μg/g in 1992, with an average of 10.0 ± 4.1 μg/g. These high concentrations are evidence of a highly polluted environment. High statistical correlations were observed between the annual Pb coral time-series and both, the production of alkyl-lead gasoline in Mexico during the second half of the twentieth century (r = 0.86, p < 0.001), and the industrial production of lead in North America for the 1900–1940 years period (r = 0.73, p < 0.001). Hence, this research provides evidence that these two processes generated Pb-rich aerosols that were atmospherically transported, increasing the environmental levels of Pb in the SGM.

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Acknowledgments

We greatly thank the help of Julio Villaescusa-Celaya and Pedro Castro (UABC, IIO) for their support at all the stages of laboratory work. We also acknowledge the fieldwork support provided by the ‘Acuario de Veracruz’, especially to Alberto Ríos and Miguel Ángel Román. Also thanks to Claire Lazareth for providing us the sclerosponge Pb time-series data. The comments of two anonymous reviewers contributed to improve this manuscript. This study was financed in part by a Grant from the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (CONACYT: 46814) to JD Carriquiry; and a scholarship from PASPA-DGAPA-UNAM to G Horta-Puga.

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  1. Guillermo Horta-Puga

    Present address: FES Iztacala, UBIPRO, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. de Los Barrios 1, Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla, 54090, Mexico, Mexico

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Carr. Tijuana-Ensenada km 107, 22800, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

    Guillermo Horta-Puga & José D. Carriquiry

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  1. Guillermo Horta-Puga
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  2. José D. Carriquiry
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Correspondence to Guillermo Horta-Puga.

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Horta-Puga, G., Carriquiry, J.D. The Last Two Centuries of Lead Pollution in the Southern Gulf of Mexico Recorded in the Annual Bands of the Scleractinian Coral Orbicella faveolata . Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 92, 567–573 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-014-1222-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-014-1222-9

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