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Trace element fluxes in sediments of an environmentally impacted river from a coastal zone of Brazil

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Abstract

Data regarding trace element concentrations and fluxes in suspended sediments and bedload are scarce. To fill this gap and meet the international need to include polluted rivers in future world estimation of trace element fluxes, this study aimed to determine the trace element fluxes in suspended sediment and bedload of an environmentally impacted river in Brazil. Water, suspended sediment, and bedload from both the upstream and the downstream cross sections were collected. To collect both the suspended sediment and water samples, we used the US DH-48. Bedload measurements were carried out using the US BLH 84 sampler. Concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn were determined by inductively coupled plasma (ICP-OES). As and Hg were determined by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AA-FIAS). The suspended sediments contributed more than 99 % of the trace element flux. By far Pb and to a less extent Zn at the downstream site represents major concerns. The yields of Pb and Zn in suspended sediments were 4.20 and 2.93 kg km2 year−1, respectively. These yields were higher than the values reported for Pb and Zn for Tuul River (highly impacted by mining activities), 1.60 and 1.30 kg km2 year−1, respectively, as well as the Pb yield (suspended + dissolved) to the sea of some Mediterranean rivers equal to 3.4 kg km2 year−1. Therefore, the highest flux and yield of Pb and Zn in Ipojuca River highlighted the importance to include medium and small rivers—often overlooked in global and regional studies—in the future estimation of world trace element fluxes in order to protect estuaries and coastal zones.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Brazilian Government, MEC/MCTI/CAPES/CNPq/FAPs EDITAL N° 61/2011-Science Without Borders Program, project number (402603/2012-5), and by FACEPE process number (IBPG-0889-5.01/11).

Conflict of interests

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agronomy Department, Soil Conservation Engineering Laboratory, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), Dom Manuel de Medeiros street, s/n - Dois Irmãos, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil

    Yuri Jacques Agra Bezerra da Silva & José Ramon Barros Cantalice

  2. Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department and Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-2117, USA

    Vijay P. Singh

  3. Agronomy Department, Soil Fertility Laboratory, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), Dom Manuel de Medeiros street, s/n Dois Irmãos, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil

    Clístenes Williams Araújo do Nascimento

  4. Rural Technology Department, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), Dom Manuel de Medeiros street, s/n - Dois Irmãos, 52171-900, Recife, PE, Brazil

    Victor Casimiro Piscoya & Sérgio M. S. Guerra

Authors
  1. Yuri Jacques Agra Bezerra da Silva
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  2. José Ramon Barros Cantalice
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  3. Vijay P. Singh
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  4. Clístenes Williams Araújo do Nascimento
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  5. Victor Casimiro Piscoya
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  6. Sérgio M. S. Guerra
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Correspondence to Clístenes Williams Araújo do Nascimento.

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Responsible editor: Céline Guéguen

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da Silva, Y.J.A.B., Cantalice, J.R.B., Singh, V.P. et al. Trace element fluxes in sediments of an environmentally impacted river from a coastal zone of Brazil. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 14755–14766 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4670-9

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