Sediment quality in the Douro river estuary based on trace metal contents, macrobenthic community and elutriate sediment toxicity test (ESTT)

Journal of Environmental Monitoring : JEM
Ana P MuchaM Teresa S D Vasconcelos

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the sediment quality in the mesotidal Douro River estuarine environment, in order to identify areas where sediment contamination could cause ecosystem degradation. Samples were obtained in five locations and sediment characterised for grain size, total organic matter, total-recoverable metals (Al, Fe, Cu, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cd, Zn and Mn), as well as acid volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM). In situ effects were evaluated by examining the macrobenthic community structure. An elutriate sediment toxicity test (ESTT) was used to estimate the amount of metals and nutrients that could be exchanged with the water column through resuspension, and its positive or negative effects on the growth of the micro-alga Emiliania huxleyi in a 10 day test. Anthropogenic metal contamination was identified at the north bank of the Douro estuary, with deleterious effects on the macrobenthic community, namely decrease in number of species and diversity. This contamination could possibly also be toxic for water column organisms, in case of resuspension, as shown by the ESTT. Sediments from the salt marsh at the south bank showed an impoverished macrobenthic community and elutriate toxicity, ...Continue Reading

Citations

Mar 28, 2008·Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·Cláudia RibeiroMaria João Rocha
Dec 30, 2009·Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·Herman J HaringMichael C Schaub
May 17, 2013·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Lucyna Polak-Juszczak
Jul 9, 2008·The Science of the Total Environment·C Marisa R AlmeidaM Teresa S D Vasconcelos
May 12, 2012·Environmental Pollution·Siobhan RyanOrla O'Donovan
Jul 10, 2018·Journal of Environmental Science and Health. Part A, Toxic/hazardous Substances & Environmental Engineering·C M C M CoutoA Almeida
Feb 13, 2019·Microscopy and Microanalysis : the Official Journal of Microscopy Society of America, Microbeam Analysis Society, Microscopical Society of Canada·Dércia SantosSandra M Monteiro

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