Heavy metal concentration in mangrove surface sediments from the north-west coast of South America

Fernandez-Cadena, JC; Andrade, S.; Silva-Coello, CL; De la Iglesia, R

Abstract

Mangrove ecosystems are coastal estuarine systems confined to the tropical and subtropical regions. The Estero Salado mangrove located in Guayaquil, Ecuador, has suffered constant disturbances during the past 20 years, due to industrial wastewater release. However, there are no published data for heavy metals present in its sediments and the relationship with anthropogenic disturbance. In the present study, metal concentrations were evaluated in surface sediment samples of the mangrove, showing that B, Cd, Cu, Pb, Se, V, and Zn levels exceeded those declared in international environmental quality standards. Moreover, several metals (Pb, Sn, Cd, Ag, Mo, Zn and Ni) could be linked to the industrial wastewater present in the studied area. In addition, heavy metal levels detected in this mangrove are higher than previous reports on mangrove sediments worldwide, indicating that this mangrove ecosystem is one of the most disrupted on earth. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Más información

Título según WOS: Heavy metal concentration in mangrove surface sediments from the north-west coast of South America
Título según SCOPUS: Heavy metal concentration in mangrove surface sediments from the north-west coast of South America
Título de la Revista: MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
Volumen: 82
Número: 1-2
Editorial: PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
Fecha de publicación: 2014
Página de inicio: 221
Página final: 226
Idioma: English
DOI:

10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.03.016

Notas: ISI, SCOPUS