Abstract
Bottom sediment quality from the Niterói harbor at Guanabara Bay (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) was evaluated based on concentrations of organic phosphorus (OP) and inorganic phosphorus (IP) and bioavailability of trace metals through BCR fractionation analysis (Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cd). The study area revealed elevated concentrations of fine sediments and organic matter (TOC: 2.26–7.31%). OP presented extremely elevated concentrations between 0.57 and 47.04 μmol/g, whereas IP reached a maximum concentration of 4.99 μmol/g. The anoxic bottom at the study area was confirmed by high TOC/OP values in most stations. Phosphorus enrichment index (PEI) varied between 0.07 and 2.57, pointing to ecological risk at some stations. Trace metals were mostly bonded to the bioavailable fractions (exchangeable, reducible, oxidizable), and decreasing order of mobility was Zn > Cu > Pb > Cr > Ni > Cd. The Risk Assessment Code (RAC) suggested a high risk of bioavailability for Zinc and a medium risk for the other metals. Overall, the Niterói harbor revealed poor sediment quality suggesting a strong anthropogenic pressure in the area.
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Data availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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The authors received financial support from Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).
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Valquíria Maria de Carvalho Aguiar: formal analysis, writing, review, and editing.
José Antônio Baptista Neto: Data acquisition, writing, review, and editing.
Estefan Monteiro da Fonseca: Writing, review, and editing.
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de Carvalho Aguiar, V.M., Neto, J.A.B. & da Fonseca, E.M. Assessment of bottom sediment quality in Niterói harbor (Brazil, South America) through ecological indexes concerning nutrients and trace metals. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 62292–62305 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15173-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15173-x