1
|
Alves Martins MV, Hohenegger J, Martínez-Colón M, Frontalini F, Bergamashi S, Laut L, Belart P, Mahiques M, Pereira E, Rodrigues R, Terroso D, Miranda P, Geraldes MC, Villena HH, Reis T, Socorro OAA, de Mello E Sousa SH, Yamashita C, Rocha F. Ecological quality status of the NE sector of the Guanabara Bay (Brazil): A case of living benthic foraminiferal resilience. Mar Pollut Bull 2020; 158:111449. [PMID: 32753225 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The ecological quality status of the NE region of the Guanabara Bay (SE Brazil), one of the most important Brazilian embayments, is evaluated. For this purpose, sediment samples from in the inner of the Guanabara Bay (GB) were collected and analyzed (grain-size, mineralogy, geochemistry and living foraminifera). In this study, it is hypothesized that the potentially toxic elements (PTEs) concentrations, in solution and associated with organic matter (OMPTEs, potential nutrient source), may represent two potential pathways to impact benthic foraminifers. A multiproxy approach applied to complex statistical analyses and ecological indexes shows that the study area is, in general, eutrophic (with high organic matter and low oxygen content), polluted by PTEs and oil. As a consequence, foraminifera are not abundant and their assemblages are poorly diversified and dominated by some stress-tolerant species (i.e., Ammonia tepida, Quinqueloculina seminula, Cribroelphidium excavatum). The results allow us to identify a set of species sensitive to eutrophication and OMPTEs. Factors such as the increase of organic matter contents and OMPTEs and, in particular of Zn, Cd and Pb, the oxygen depletion and the presence of oil, altogether contribute to a marked reduction in the abundance and diversity of foraminifera. Ammonia-Elphidium Index and the Foram Stress Index confirm that the NE zone of GB is, in general, "heavily polluted", with "poor ecological quality status" and experiences suboxic to anoxic conditions. In light of it, special attention from public authorities and policymakers is required in order to take immediate actions to enable its environmental recovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Virgínia Alves Martins
- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Faculdade de Geologia, Departamento de Estratigrafia e Paleontologia, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 524, sala 2020A, Maracanã, 20550-013 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Universidade de Aveiro, GeoBioTec, Departamento de Geociências, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Johann Hohenegger
- Universität Wien, Institut für Paläontologie, Althanstrasse 17, A 1090 Wien, Austria.
| | - Michael Martínez-Colón
- Florida A&M University, School of the Environment, FL, USA, FSH Science Research Center, RM306B, 1515 South MLK Blvd, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA.
| | - Fabrizio Frontalini
- Università degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo", Dipartimento di Scienze Pure e Applicate (DiSPeA), Urbino, Italy.
| | - Sérgio Bergamashi
- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Faculdade de Geologia, Departamento de Estratigrafia e Paleontologia, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 524, sala 2020A, Maracanã, 20550-013 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Lazaro Laut
- Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UNIRIO, Laboratório de Micropaleontologia - LabMicro, Av. Pasteur, 458, IBIO/CCET sala 500 Urca, 22.240-490, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Pierre Belart
- Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UNIRIO, Laboratório de Micropaleontologia - LabMicro, Av. Pasteur, 458, IBIO/CCET sala 500 Urca, 22.240-490, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Michel Mahiques
- Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto Ocenográfico, Departamento de Ocenografia Física, Brazil.
| | - Egberto Pereira
- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Faculdade de Geologia, Departamento de Estratigrafia e Paleontologia, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 524, sala 2020A, Maracanã, 20550-013 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Rene Rodrigues
- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Faculdade de Geologia, Departamento de Estratigrafia e Paleontologia, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 524, sala 2020A, Maracanã, 20550-013 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Denise Terroso
- Universidade de Aveiro, GeoBioTec, Departamento de Geociências, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Paulo Miranda
- Governo Regional dos Açores, Direção Regional dos Assuntos do Mar, Horta, Açores, Portugal.
| | - Mauro César Geraldes
- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Faculdade de Geologia, Departamento de Estratigrafia e Paleontologia, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 524, sala 2020A, Maracanã, 20550-013 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Hélio Heringer Villena
- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Faculdade de Oceanografia, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, 4° andar, Bloco E, sala 4018, CEP 20550-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Tadeu Reis
- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Faculdade de Oceanografia, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, 4° andar, Bloco E, sala 4018, CEP 20550-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Orangel Antonio Aguilera Socorro
- Universidade Federal Fluminense, Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Biologia Marinha, Laboratorio de Paleoecologia e Mudanças Globais Campus de Gragoatá, Bloco M, CEP: 24210-200, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | | | - Cintia Yamashita
- Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto Ocenográfico, Departamento de Ocenografia Física, Brazil.
| | - Fernando Rocha
- Universidade de Aveiro, GeoBioTec, Departamento de Geociências, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Martins VA, Frontalini F, Tramonte KM, Figueira RCL, Miranda P, Sequeira C, Fernández-Fernández S, Dias JA, Yamashita C, Renó R, Laut LLM, Silva FS, Rodrigues MADC, Bernardes C, Nagai R, Sousa SHM, Mahiques M, Rubio B, Bernabeu A, Rey D, Rocha F. Assessment of the health quality of Ria de Aveiro (Portugal): heavy metals and benthic foraminifera. Mar Pollut Bull 2013; 70:18-33. [PMID: 23582314 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2012] [Revised: 02/03/2013] [Accepted: 02/05/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
This work analyses the distribution of heavy metals in the sediments of Ria de Aveiro (Portugal) assessed by total digestion and sequential chemical extraction of the sediments. The influence of environmental parameters on the living benthic foraminiferal assemblages was studied. The most polluted parts in the Ria de Aveiro are areas where the residence time is high and cohesive sediments are deposited. Organic matter, which is an excellent scavenger for a number of metals, is in general more abundant in the finer deposits of this lagoon, which act as sinks of anthropogenic pollutants. This condition is observed in Aveiro canals and Murtosa channel where sediments with the highest concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cu, and Cr are found. The sediments of Murtosa channel are also enriched in As, Co and Hg. In Aveiro canals the enrichment of heavy metals is mostly related to the past industrial production at their margins (ceramic and metallurgy), whereas in Murtosa channel with effluent discharges of the Chemical Complex of Estarreja. Foraminiferal density and diversity reach higher values near the lagoon mouth under higher marine influence and decline in general under very low-oxygen conditions. Some species seems to be indifferent to the increasing of TOC (e.g. Haynesina germanica and Ammonia tepida) and some have an opportunistic behaviour in areas with very depressed levels of oxygen (e.g. A. tepida and Quinqueloculina seminulum) whereas other species can better tolerate sulphide/reducing conditions (e.g. H. germanica, Bolivina ordinaria, Buliminella elegantissima, Bulimina elongata/gibba and Nonionella stella) a widespread condition in this lagoon. Foraminiferal density and some species are negatively correlated with concentrations of heavy metals. A most sensitive group of species to higher concentrations of heavy metals is identified (such as B. ordinaria, B. pseudoplicata and B. elongata/gibba) and another one of more tolerant species (such as H. germanica A. tepida and Q. seminulum). Foraminifera are more tolerate higher available concentrations (AC) of Zn in any phase than higher AC of Cu adsorbed do clay minerals (F1) and associated with Fe and Mn oxides (F2) and of Pb in F2; the phase F2, probably the most mobile phase, and even phase F1 seems to be more toxic than the increasing of metals in organic matter (F3).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Virgínia A Martins
- GeoBioTec, Dpto. Geociências, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|