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Ecological risk assessment of sediment management areas: application to Sado Estuary, Portugal

Ecotoxicology volume 18, pages 1165–1175 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to integrate different methodologies to assess the potential ecological risk of estuarine sedimentary management areas, using the Sado Estuary in Portugal as case study. To evaluate the environmental risk of sediment contamination, an integrative and innovative approach was used involving assessment of sediment chemistry, sediment toxicity, benthic community structure, human driving forces and pressures and management areas organic load levels. The basis for decision-making for overall assessment was a statistical multivariate analysis appended into a score matrix tables, using a best expert judgment. The integrated approach allowed to identify from the 19 management areas analyzed, three with no risk but other three with high risk to cause adverse effects in the biota, related with the contaminants analyzed. The methodologies used showed to be effective as a support for decision making leading to future estuarine management recommendations.

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Acknowledgments

Sandra Caeiro’s work was partially supported by a PRODEP Program grant. The research was approved by the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation and POCTI (Research Project POCTI/BSE 35137/99) and financed by FEDER.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Science and Technology, Portuguese Distance Learning University, R. Fernão Lopes, 9, 1269-001, Lisbon, Portugal

    Sandra Caeiro

  2. IMAR, Instituto do Mar, Faculty of Science and Technology, New University of Lisbon, Campus da Caparica, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal

    Sandra Caeiro & Maria Helena Costa

  3. Faculty of Environmental and Sea Sciences, Cadiz University, Polígono río San Pedro s/n, 11510, Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain

    Angel DelValls

  4. Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Centro de Oceanografia-FCUL, Avenida Nossa Senhora do Cabo n°939, 2750-374, Cascais, Portugal

    Tiago Repolho

  5. GDEH, Faculty of Science and Technology, New University of Lisbon, Campus da Caparica, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal

    Margarida Gonçalves

  6. SPECANALITICA, Equipamentos Científicos Lda., Av. S. Miguel, 249, Edifício Arcadas de S. Miguel Encosta, Esc.15, 2775-750, Carcavelos, Portugal

    Alice Mosca

  7. Laboratory of Chemical, Physical and Biological Analysis, CONTROLAB, 2625-161, Póvoa de Santa Iria, Portugal

    Ana Paula Coimbra

  8. CENSE, Department of Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, New University of Lisbon, Campus da Caparica, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal

    Tomás B. Ramos

  9. ISEGI/CEGI, Institute for Statistics and Information Management, New University of Lisbon, Campus de Campolide, 1070-312, Lisbon, Portugal

    Marco Painho

Authors
  1. Sandra Caeiro
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  2. Maria Helena Costa
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  3. Angel DelValls
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  4. Tiago Repolho
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  5. Margarida Gonçalves
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  6. Alice Mosca
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  7. Ana Paula Coimbra
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  8. Tomás B. Ramos
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  9. Marco Painho
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sandra Caeiro.

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Caeiro, S., Costa, M.H., DelValls, A. et al. Ecological risk assessment of sediment management areas: application to Sado Estuary, Portugal. Ecotoxicology 18, 1165–1175 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-009-0372-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-009-0372-8

Keywords

  • Sediment quality
  • Ecological risk assessment
  • Ecosystems disturbance
  • Sado estuary
  • Pollution effects