Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

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

  • Published:
Ecotoxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Society for Testing and Material – ASTM (1993) Standard guide for conducting 10–day static sediment toxicity testes with marine and estuarine amphipods. E 1367–92, Vol. 11.04. Annual Book of ASTM Standard, ASTM, Philadelphia, PA, pp 1138–1163

  • APSS (2003) Porto de Setúbal. Available via http://www.portodesetubal.pt/foto/FOTOS/Fotos.htm. Accessed 20 February 2003

  • Araujo R, Vasconcelos L, Painho M (2002) SADIND-Sistema de Visualizaçăo Interpretativa para a Gestăo Ambiental do Estuário do Sado. Biologia 20:97–107

    Google Scholar 

  • Burton GA, Batley EG, Chapman PM, Forbes VE, Smith EP, Reynoldson T, Schlekat CE, Besten PJ, Bailer AJ, Green AS, Dwyer RLA (2002a) Weight-of-evidence framework for assessing sediment (or other) contamination: improving certainty in the decision-making process. Hum Ecolo Risk Assess 8:1675–1696

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burton GA, Chapman PM, Smith EP (2002b) Weight-of-evidence approaches for assessing ecosystem impairment. Hum Ecolo Risk Assess 8:1657–1673

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caeiro S, Goovaerts P, Painho M, Costa MH (2003a) Delineation of estuarine management areas using multivariate geostatistics: the case of Sado estuary. Environ Sci Technol 37:4052–4059

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Caeiro S, Nunes LM, Goovaerts P, Painho M, Costa MH (2003b) Optimization of sediment estuarine monitoring program using contamination data. In: Proceedings of Fifth International Symposium on GIS and Computer Cartography for Coastal Zone Management. GISIG- Geographical Information System International Group and International Center of Coastal and Ocean Policy Studies. Genova, Italy, pp 1–9

  • Caeiro S, Mourăo I, Costa MH, Painho M, Ramos TB, Sousa S (2004a) Application of the DPSIR model to the Sado Estuary in a GIS context—social and economical pressures. In: Toppen F, Prastacos P (eds) Proceedings of 7th Conference on Geographic Information Science. Crete University Press. AGILE, Crete, pp 391–402

    Google Scholar 

  • Caeiro S, Nunes L, Goovaerts P, Costa MH, Cunha MC, Painho M, Ribeiro L (2004b) Optimization of an estuarine monitoring program: selecting the best spatial distribution. In: Soares A, Gomez-Hernandez J, Froidevaux R (eds) GeoENV IV Geostatistical for Environmental Applications. Kluwer Academic Press, Dordrecht, pp 355–366

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Caeiro S, Costa MH, Ramos TB, Fernandes F, Silveira N, Coimbra AP, Medeiros G, Painho M (2005a) Assessing sediment heavy metals contamination in Sado Estuary: a index analysis approach. Ecol Indic 5:151–169

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Caeiro S, Costa MH, Goovaerts P, Martins F (2005b) Benthic biotope index for classifying habitats in the Sado Estuary: Portugal. Mar Environ Res 60(5):570–593

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cardellicchio N, Buccolieri A, Giandomenico S, Lopez L, Pizzulli F, Spada L (2007) Organic pollutants (PAHs, PCBs) in sediment from the Mar Piccolo in Taranto (Ionian Sea, Southern Italy). Mar Pollut Bull 55:451–458

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cesar A, Choueri RB, Riba I, Morales-Caselles C, Pereira CDS, Santos AR, Abessa DMS, DelValls TAA (2007) Comparative sediment quality assessment in different littoral ecosystems from Spain (Gulf of Cadiz and Brazil (Santos and São Vicente estuarine system). Environ Int 33:429–435

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman PM, McDonald BG, Lawrence GS (2002) Weight-of-evidence issues and frameworks for sediment quality (and other) assessments (2002). Hum Ecolo Risk Assess 8:1489–1515

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman PM, Wang F, Janssen CR, Goulet RR, Kamunde CN (2003) Conducting ecological risk assessments of inorganic metals and metalloids: current status. Hum Ecolo Risk Assess 9:641–697

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Correia R, Florêncio M (2002) Estudo da Sensibilidade Ambiental do Estuário do Sado face às actividades antropogénicas nele desenvolvidas. Trabalho de Projecto da Licenciatura em Engenharia do Ambiente. Escola Superior de Tecnologia de Setúbal. Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal. Setúbal, Portugal

    Google Scholar 

  • Costa FO, Correia AD, Costa MH (1998) Acute marine sediment toxicity: a potential new test with the Amphipod Gammarus locusta. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 40:81–87

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Costa PM, Caeiro S, Diniz MS, Lobo J, Martins M, Ferreira AM, Caetano M, Vale C, DelValls TA, Costa MH (in press) Biochemical endpoints on juvenile Solea senegalensis exposed to estuarine sediments: the effect of contaminant mixtures on metallothionein and CYP1A induction. Ecotoxicology. doi:10.1007/s10646-009-0373-7

  • Donze M, Nieuwendijk C, Boxtel A, Quaak M (1990) Shaping the Environment: Aquatic Pollution and Dredging in the European Community. Delwel Publishers Hague, The Netherlands

    Google Scholar 

  • Grapentine L, Anderson J, Boyd D, Burton A, DeBarros C, Johnson G, Marvin C, Milani D, Painter S, Pascoe T, Reynoldson T, Richman L, Solomon K, Chapman PM (2002) A decision making framework for sediment assessment developed for the great lakes. Hum Ecolo Risk Assess 8:1641–1655

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laws EA (1993) Aquatic Pollution. Wiley, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Long ER, Chapman PM (1985) A sediment quality triad: measures of sediment contamination, toxicity and infaunal community composition in puget sound. Mar Pollut Bull 16:405–415

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Long ER, MacDonald DD (1998) Recommended uses of empirically derived, sediment quality guidelines for marine and estuarine ecosystems. Hum Ecolo Risk Assess 4:1019–1039

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Macdonald D, Carr S, Clader FD, Long ED, Ingersoll CG (1996) Development and evaluation of sediment quality guidelines for Florida coastal waters. Ecotoxicology 5:253–278

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald DD, Lindskoog RA, Smorong DE, Greening H, Pribble R, Janicki T, Janicki S, Grabe S, Sloane G, Ingersoll CG, Eckenrod S, Long ER (2000) Development of an Ecosystem-Based Framework for Assessing and Managing Sediment Quality Conditions in Tampa Bay. Florida. Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Florida

    Google Scholar 

  • Neves RJJ (1985) Biodimensional model for residual circulation in coastal zones: application to the Sado Estuary. Ann Geophys 3:465–472

    Google Scholar 

  • Nipper M (2000) Current approaches and future direction for contaminant-related impact assessment in coastal environments: Brazilian perspective. Aquat Ecosyst Health Manag 3:433–447

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nowell LH, Capel PD, Dileanis PD (1999) Pesticides in Stream Sediments and Aquatic Biota - Distribution, Trends and Governing Factors. CRC Press, Boca Raton Pesticides in the Hydrological System series

    Google Scholar 

  • Pekey H, Karakas D, Ayberk S, Tolun L, Bakoglu M (2004) Ecological risk assessment using trace elements from surface sediments of Izmit Bay (Northeastern Marmara Sea) Turkey. Mar Pollut Bull 48(9–10):946–953

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pereira TPM (2003) Impacte da Utilização de Pesticidas em Ecossistemas Orizícolas sobre a Qualidade de Águas superficiais. Doctoral Thesis. Universidade Técnicas de Lisboa. Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Lisbon

  • Quevauviller P, Lavigne R, Cortez L (1989) Impact of industrial and mine drainage wastes on the heavy metal distribution in the drainage basin and Estuary of the Sado River (Portugal). Environ Pollut 59:267–286

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Riba I, Forja J, Gómez-Parra A, DelValls A (2004) Sediment quality in littoral regions of the Gulf of Cádiz: a triad approach to address the influence of mining activities. Environ Pollut 132:341–353

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rolland G, Guedes L, Quintino V (1999) Comparative toxicity of experimental effluent eucalyptus pulp kraft bleaching. Ecotoxicol Environ Restor 2:19–25

    Google Scholar 

  • RIVM (1995) General Strategy for Integrated Environmental Assessment at the European Environmental Agency. The Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection, Bilthoven

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner A, Martino M, Roux SM (2002) Trace metals distribution coefficients in the Mersey Estuary, UK: evidence for salting out of metals complexes. Environ Sci Technol 36:4578–4584

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wenning RJ, Batley GE, Ingersoll CG, Moore DW (eds) (2005) Use of sediment quality guidelines and related tools for the assessment of contaminated sediments. SETAC Press, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang L, Xin Y, Feng H, Jing Y, Ouyang T, Xingtian Y, Liang R, Gao C, Chen W (2007) Heavy metal contamination in western Xiamen Bay sediments and its vicinity, China. Mar Pollut Bull 54:974–982

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

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.

Author information

Authors and 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
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Maria Helena Costa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Angel DelValls
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tiago Repolho
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Margarida Gonçalves
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Alice Mosca
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Ana Paula Coimbra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Tomás B. Ramos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Marco Painho
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sandra Caeiro.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (PDF 112 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

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

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

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

Keywords

Search

Navigation