IADO   05364
INSTITUTO ARGENTINO DE OCEANOGRAFIA
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
artículos
Título:
The role of the smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora and associated sediments in the heavy metal biogeochemical cycle within Bahía Blanca estuary salt marshes.
Autor/es:
MICHAEL HEMPEL; SANDRA BOTTE; VANESA NEGRIN; MARIA NEDDA CHIARELLO; JORGE MARCOVECCHIO
Revista:
JOURNAL OF SOILS AND SEDIMENTS (PRINT)
Editorial:
Springer Sci.Publ.
Referencias:
Lugar: Berlin / Heidelberg, Alemania; Año: 2008 vol. 8 p. 289 - 297
ISSN:
1439-0108
Resumen:
AbstractBackground, aim, and scope Bahía Blanca estuary ischaracterized by the occurrence of large intertidal areas,including both naked tidal flats and salt marshes denselyvegetated with Spartina alterniflora. The estuary is stronglyaffected by human activities, including industrial andmunicipal discharges, harbor maintenance, cargo vesselsand boat navigation, oil storage and processing, etc. Evennumerous studies have reported the occurrence and distributionof heavy metals in sediments and biota from thisestuary, although the function of the halophyte vegetationon metals distribution was at present not studied. The mainobjective of the present study was to understand thepotential role of the salt marshes as a sink or source ofmetals to the estuary, considering both the obtained data onmetal levels within sediments and plants from the studiedareas at naked tidal as well as vegetated flats.Materials and methods The selected study area, namedVilla del Mar, was located in the middle estuary coast. Thesampling was carried out under low tide conditions, and thesampling area was divided into two parts: A (close to Villadel Mar) and B (north-westerly of Villa del Mar). In eachpart, two integrated samples of S. alterniflora (the first inthe medium-salt marsh and the second in the higher one)were collected. Also sediments associated with the roots ofS. alterniflora were taken at the same locations, in additionto another sediment sample from the naked zones of thetidal flats (without any vegetation). After correspondingtreatment at the laboratory, plant and sediment sampleswere mineralized according to Marcovecchio and Ferrer, JCoast Res 21:826–834, 2005), in order to measure theirmetal concentrations by atomic absorption spectroscopy(AAS). Analytical quality (AQ) was checked againstcertified reference materials from NIES, Tsukuba (Japan).Results Most of the Spartina samples have shown highestCd and Mn concentrations in the aerated parts of the plants,indicating an allocation process from the roots up to theleaves. Most of the samples have presented non-detectablePb and Cr values. Cu, Fe, Ni, and Zn have presentedhighest concentrations in the underground parts of theplant, suggesting an accumulation process in the roots andrhizomes. In the case of sediments, samples from those sites AbstractBackground, aim, and scope Bahía Blanca estuary ischaracterized by the occurrence of large intertidal areas,including both naked tidal flats and salt marshes denselyvegetated with Spartina alterniflora. The estuary is stronglyaffected by human activities, including industrial andmunicipal discharges, harbor maintenance, cargo vesselsand boat navigation, oil storage and processing, etc. Evennumerous studies have reported the occurrence and distributionof heavy metals in sediments and biota from thisestuary, although the function of the halophyte vegetationon metals distribution was at present not studied. The mainobjective of the present study was to understand thepotential role of the salt marshes as a sink or source ofmetals to the estuary, considering both the obtained data onmetal levels within sediments and plants from the studiedareas at naked tidal as well as vegetated flats.Materials and methods The selected study area, namedVilla del Mar, was located in the middle estuary coast. Thesampling was carried out under low tide conditions, and thesampling area was divided into two parts: A (close to Villadel Mar) and B (north-westerly of Villa del Mar). In eachpart, two integrated samples of S. alterniflora (the first inthe medium-salt marsh and the second in the higher one)were collected. Also sediments associated with the roots ofS. alterniflora were taken at the same locations, in additionto another sediment sample from the naked zones of thetidal flats (without any vegetation). After correspondingtreatment at the laboratory, plant and sediment sampleswere mineralized according to Marcovecchio and Ferrer, JCoast Res 21:826–834, 2005), in order to measure theirmetal concentrations by atomic absorption spectroscopy(AAS). Analytical quality (AQ) was checked againstcertified reference materials from NIES, Tsukuba (Japan).Results Most of the Spartina samples have shown highestCd and Mn concentrations in the aerated parts of the plants,indicating an allocation process from the roots up to theleaves. Most of the samples have presented non-detectablePb and Cr values. Cu, Fe, Ni, and Zn have presentedhighest concentrations in the underground parts of theplant, suggesting an accumulation process in the roots andrhizomes. In the case of sediments, samples from those sites