CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Chemical pollutants are commonly associated with fine sediment particles within aquatic environments. In addition, most of estuarine processes are related with the dynamic, transport and distribution of sediment. The geomorphology of these environments favors settling on tidal flats. Bahía Blanca estuary concentrates several urban centers, large industrial nucleus, one of the most important deep harbor systems from the country, and includes a large area used for extensive agricultural-livestock production. The terrestrial drainage, the urban and industrial dumping of wastes, as well as the permanent dredging of channel navigation are potential sources of dangerous elements for the system. The eventual release of those substances sunk and immobilized in sediments to water or biological system could produce negative effects on the ecosystem. So, the concentration and distribution of several heavy metals in surface sediments from tidal flats of Bahía Blanca estuary were determined. For instance, metal contents were recorded in surface sediments, estuarine water, porewater and salt-marsh hallophyte plants in three sampling sites within the inner area of the estuary in a monthly frecuency basis. This presentation includes the results of sediment sample analyses of Cd, Pb and Mn, which were collected with plastic samplers at not upper than 20-30 cm depths. In addition, granulometric analyses of the studied sediments were also performed, and the finest fraction (<63 mm ~ silt-clay) was removed in several campaigns. Total metal concentrations were determined in both total sediment and finest grain size, while geochemical fractioning of these elements in <63 µm were also performed through a sequential extraction procedure. AAS was used in all cases for the corresponding determinations.

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