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Fecal Sterols in Estuarine Sediments as Markers of Sewage Contamination in the Cubatão Area, São Paulo, Brazil

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Abstract

Sterol biomarkers serve as an alternative method for detecting sewage pollution. Sterols were extracted from samples of surface sediment collected in Cubatão (the Vila dos Pescadores and Vila Esperança communities) and quantified using GC–MS after Soxhlet extraction, cleanup, and derivatization. Fecal contamination was evaluated based on the concentration of coprostanol and the ratio of the selected sterols. The most abundant sterol was cholestanol, followed by coprostanol. The concentrations of coprostanol in surface sediments ranged from a minimum of 4.21 μg g−1 dry sediment (Vila dos Pescadores station) to a maximum of 8.32 μg g−1 dry sediment (Vila Esperança station). A coprostanol concentration of about 10 μg g−1 was found, indicating areas of high sewage contamination. Coprostanol levels at sewage stations were higher than in other Brazilian coastal areas, which may be attributed to the fraction of the population without sanitation services.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the following Brazilian research supporting agencies: INCT-EMA (National Institute of Science and Technology for Environmental Studies) and CEPEMA-USP (Center for Environmental Research and Training). We thank also the ALCOA Foundation’s Conservation and Sustainability Fellowship Program for their collaboration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Campus de Sorocaba, UNESP—Univ Estadual Paulista, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Valquíria Campos, Renata Fracácio, Leonardo F. Fraceto & André H. Rosa

  2. Centro de Capacitação e Pesquisa em Meio ambiente, CEPEMA, Univ São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Valquíria Campos

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  1. Valquíria Campos
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  2. Renata Fracácio
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  3. Leonardo F. Fraceto
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  4. André H. Rosa
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Correspondence to Valquíria Campos.

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Campos, V., Fracácio, R., Fraceto, L.F. et al. Fecal Sterols in Estuarine Sediments as Markers of Sewage Contamination in the Cubatão Area, São Paulo, Brazil. Aquat Geochem 18, 433–443 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10498-012-9167-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10498-012-9167-2

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