INVESTIGADORES
FERNANDEZ SEVERINI Melisa Daiana
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Cadmium and lead concentrations in mesozooplankton from Bahía Blanca estuary (Argentina)
Autor/es:
FERNÁNDEZ SEVERINI MELISA DAIANA; CHIARELLO MARÍA NEDDA; MENÉNDEZ MARÍA CLARA; HOFFMEYER MÓNICA SUSANA; MARCOVECCHIO JORGE EDUARDO
Lugar:
João Pessoa, Paraiba, Brasil
Reunión:
Simposio; Plankton Symposium IV y I Congresso Brasileiro de Plâncton; 2007
Institución organizadora:
Universidad Federal de Paraiba
Resumen:
Heavy metals (Cd, Pb) were analyzed in mesozooplankton and suspended particulate matter from the Bahía Blanca Estuary, a coastal environment in Argentina, which receives important urban and industrial discharges. Sampling was carried out in five stations of the inner zone of the estuary. Plankton was sampled with a Nansen net (200 µm) and suspended particulate matter (SPM) with a Van Dorn bottle. Physicochemical variables were measured in situ with a multisensor HORIBA U-10 and some of them in the laboratory. It was also carried out a qualitative and quantitative analysis in order to characterize zooplankton samples. Metal concentrations were determined by atomic absorption espectrophotometry with an air/acetylene flame. Cadmium concentrations in zooplankton, along the sampling stations, ranged between 1.94 µg.g-1 and 3.98 µg.g-1 dry weight while in SPM between 0.58 µg.g-1 and 1.49 µg.g-1 d. w. Lead concentrations in zooplankton were between 46.58 µg.g-1 and 73.47 µg.g-1 while in SPM 24.83 µg/g and 146.19 µg/g. Zooplankton were mainly represented by the copepods Eurytemora americana and Acartia tonsa and larvae of Balanus glandula. Environmental variables were in agreement with historical data for the study area. In general, Cd concentrations in zooplankton were in the same range of those from other similar areas of the world, while Pb in the present study showed largely exceeded values. Possible explanations may be related to differences in the species considered, the uptake mechanism, accumulation strategies and metal bioavailability. Finally, though several factors determine metal content in zooplankton, enhanced Pb levels found would imply anthropogenic contamination.