Toxic metals in a highly urbanized industry-impacted estuary (Bahia Blanca Estuary, Argentina): spatio-temporal analysis based on GIS

SEVERINI, MELISA DAIANA FERNÁNDEZ; CARBONE, MARÍA ELIZABETH; VILLAGRAN, DIANA MARIEL; MARCOVECCHIO, JORGE EDUARDO

Environmental Earth Sciences

Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Año: 2018 vol. 77 p. 243 - 340

1866-6280

Cadmium, chromium, nickel, and lead were evaluated in the particulate fraction at one of the most industrialized estuariesat the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean, through Geographic Information System (GIS). Concentrations were analyzed at 21stations during 2008?2010. The highest metal concentrations (Cd: 8,9; Cr: 256,49; Ni: 27,02; Pb: 78,43 μg g− 1 d. w.) wererecorded at the stations located near industrial and urban discharges situated along the estuary. In addition, Pb presented adifferent seasonal and spatial behavior in comparison with Cd, Cr and Ni. Winter and spring presented the higher concentrationsof Pb, and the inner stations presented the higher values. The estuary is considered a moderate to strongly polluted andsignificantly polluted according to the Index of geoaccumulation (Igeo) and the Enrichment Factor of Cd, respectively. TheMultidimensional Scaling plot showed three groups of stations: the inner, associated to low levels of metals (G1), middlestations (G2) with intermediate levels and the outer (G3) with the highest ones. In addition, this work reveals the usefulnessof the GIS-mapping techniques in the distribution of pollutants along an estuarine environment and the environmental qualityassessment of estuarine systems.