Julio Cesar Wasserman

Metal concentrations, fluxes, inventories and chronologies in sediments from Sepetiba and Ribeira Bays: a comparative study.

Three sediment cores were sampled at Sepetiba Bay and four cores at Ribeira Bay, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Sediment accumulation rates and chronologies were obtained from (210)Pb activity-depth profiles. Sediment accumulation rates in Ribera Bay ranged from 1.2 mm y(-1) in the inner bay to 2.6 mm y(-1) close to its entrance. In Sepetiba Bay two sediment accumulation rates were observed: a lower rate of 0.35 cm y(-1) before the 1960s and 0.76 cm y(-1) since then. The cause of this change is due to the construction of the Santa Cecília impoundment (1955) that brings water from the Paraíba do Sul Basin into the Guandu River, which increased its flow from the original 20 m(3)s(-1) to 160 m(3)s(-1). Concentration of 44 elements was obtained by ICP-MS after total dissolution of samples from two selected cores. The relative differences between the concentrations of crustal elements, such as Al, Fe and Ti are only about 20% (p<0.05). Cd and Zn are 15 and four times larger in Sepetiba Bay than in Ribeira Bay, respectively. Other major and minor elements show lower statistically significant differences. The enrichment factors and metal inventories show that Sepetiba Bay can be considered polluted with Bi, Cd, Cr, Cu, Sb and Zn. Particularly, Cd and Zn present concentrations three and four times higher than the Brazilian existing limits.

Biogeochemistry of Mercury in the Amazonian Environment

Abstract In this paper, the processes that affect mercury (Hg) cycling in the Amazonian environment were reviewed, criticized and new directions of research are proposed. The discussion of the origin of the mercury contamination, whether natural or anthropogenic is marked by a lack of fundamented arguments from both sides. Undoubtedly mercury inputs from gold mining have locally increased environmental concentrations, but in the whole Amazon, these loads would be insignificant, considering the high concentrations observed by some authors in remote soils. A reasonable process that should explain these elevated concentrations in soil is that B horizons function as a mercury “sponge” that have been accumulating mercury over a geological time scale, releasing it back to cycling during erosion and forest fires. The environmental degradation of the Amazonian forest due to human activities is probably enhancing the release of that mercury to the cycle. Mercury transformations in reduced, anoxic environments—sediments and waters—are also a key problem for the understanding of the environmental methylation. The studies that have been carried out in the Amazonian environment are too restricted and results permit only circumstantial conclusions. Large efforts must be directed to monitoring programs considering time and space variability.

A case study of in situ oil contamination in a mangrove swamp (Rio De Janeiro, Brazil).

Mangroves are sensitive ecosystems of prominent ecological value that lamentably have lost much of their areas across the world. The vulnerability of mangroves grown in proximity to cities requires the development of new technologies for the remediation of acute oil spills and chronic contaminations. Studies on oil remediation are usually performed with in vitro microcosms whereas in situ experiments are rare. The aim of this work was to evaluate oil degradation on mangrove ecosystems using in situ microcosms seeded with an indigenous hydrocarbonoclastic bacterial consortium (HBC). Although the potential degradation of oil through HBC has been reported, their seeding directly on the sediment did not stimulate oil degradation during the experimental period. This is probably due to the availability of carbon sources that are easier to degrade than petroleum hydrocarbons. Our results emphasize the fragility of mangrove ecosystems during accidental oil spills and also the need for more efficient technologies for their remediation.

Combined SEM/AVS and attenuation of concentration models for the assessment of bioavailability and mobility of metals in sediments of Sepetiba Bay (SE Brazil)

This study proposes a new methodology to study contamination, bioavailability and mobility of metals (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) using chemical and geostatistics approaches in marine sediments of Sepetiba Bay (SE Brazil). The chemical model of SEM (simultaneously extracted metals)/AVS (acid volatile sulfides) ratio uses a technique of cold acid extraction of metals to evaluate their bioavailability, and the geostatistical model of attenuation of concentrations estimates the mobility of metals. By coupling the two it was observed that Sepetiba Port, the urban area of Sepetiba and the riverine discharges may constitute potential sources of metals to Sepetiba Bay. The metals are concentrated in the NE area of the bay, where they tend to have their lowest mobility, as shown by the attenuation model, and are not bioavailable, as they tend to associate with sulfide and organic matter originated in the mangrove forests of nearby Guaratiba area.

Planning dredging services in contaminated sediments for balanced environmental and investment costs

Dredging of contaminated sediments has shown to be a harmful activity for the environment, because a number of contaminants can be resuspended and become available to the organisms. Furthermore, dredged contaminated sediments may cause significant damages in the dumping site. In order to avoid the drawbacks of this activity, better techniques have to be developed and the present article presents a new procedure for the planning of dredging that reduces the environmental impacts by reducing the amount of dredged sediments and, at the same time, reduces costs. The new technique uses screening of contaminant concentrations in the sediments that are normally part of the environmental impact assessment for dredging activity. A detailed mapping of the contamination, layer by layer is carried out and the areas where the action levels are reached are outlined with polygons, establishing limits within which sediments have to be dredged with safe procedures. In the case presented, construction of a harbor in Sepetiba Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the safe procedure is cutter/suction dredging and pumping into a sub-aquatic confined disposal facility (CDF). A detailed evaluation of costs showed that if the whole layers of sediment were to be dumped into the CDF, the cost of the activity would be at least 63.82% more expensive than the proposed procedure, constituting an attractive advantage. Furthermore, as the size of the CDF is significantly smaller, less dredging is necessary, causing smaller environmental impact.

An overview of mercury contamination research in the Amazon basin with an emphasis on Brazil

This article provides an overview of research on mercury contamination in the Amazon Basin and its evolution from 1990 to 2005. The assessment was based on an extensive and systematic review using bibliographic databases available online and a review of projects by research groups. Brazilian research groups were identified using the database of the Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq). A geographic information system was used to determine the location of the studies. Different aspects of mercury contamination were evaluated (environmental studies, impacts on human health, technological improvements). For 1990-2005, a total of 455 publications were identified. The main advances and remaining gaps in relation to environmental issues and human health were identified and discussed. Although the scientific output varied considerably over the period, there was a general increase in the total number of publications per year from the early 1990s (fewer than 20) until 2005 (more than 30), considering the articles published in indexed journals.

Mercury speciation in fish of the Cabo Frio upwelling region, SE-Brazil

Mercury distribution in the oceans is controlled by complex biogeochemical cycles, resulting in retention of trace amounts of this metal in marine biota. The impact of upwelling processes in this metal behavior has been overlooked. Data from literature are insufficient to evaluate the risks associated with the presence of mercury in the fish collected in upwelling areas and its consumers. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to perform a study of mercury speciation in four fish species belonging to different trophic levels from Cabo Frio-Brazil upwelling region. The total mercury content vary of 53 ng g-1 (Sardinella brasiliensis -sardine) to 1215 ng g-1 (Cynoscion striatus -striped weakfish) and, with exception of the planktivorous fish, methylmercury levels reaches circa 90% of total mercury concentration.

Mercury in soils and sediments from gold mining liabilities in Southern Amazonia

The 1980-1990 Amazonian gold rush left an enormous liability that increasingly has been substituted by developing fish aquaculture. This work aimed at the identification of the mercury levels in the environment, associated with fish farms located in the North of Mato Grosso State, Southern Amazon. Sediment and soil samples were analyzed for total organic carbon and total mercury. Results indicate that the chemical characteristics of the sediment largely depend on the management procedures of the fish pond (liming, fish food used and fish population). The soils presented relatively low concentrations when compared with other data from the literature.

Relationships between nutrients and macroalgal biomass in a brazilian coastal lagoon: the impact of a lock construction

The Piratininga Lagoon is a coastal, choked, and brackish ecosystem in SE Brazil, where uncontrolled discharge of domestic sewage led to eutrophication, increasing massive proliferation of benthic macroalgae, and decrease of the lagoon mean depth. In 1992, a dam was constructed by the local Municipality at its tidal channel aiming at stabilising its water level. Main physico-chemical parameters, together with macroalgae biomass, nutrient concentrations in the water column, particulate organic carbon, and chlorophyll a were recorded monthly at 4 sampling stations within the Piratininga lagoon from April 1994 to April 1995. The data, compared with “before-lock” existing studies, show that nutrients and chlorophyll a concentrations significantly increased after the lock construction. Based on the functioning of the ecosystem, we propose to harvest the algal mats before their decomposition period in order to partly remove the nutrient stocks from the lagoon and the future ecosystem modelling to predict the impact of natural and anthropogenic eutrophication.

Geochemical Characterization of Rain Water Particulate Material on a Coastal Sub-Tropical Region in SE: Brazil

Airborne contamination has been of concern for a number of scientist in temperate regions. In the tropics, a very small amount of data is available. In this work, rain water particulate material was monitored in two sites in Rio de Janeiro State (Brazil): the first (Sepetiba), subjected to high inputs of metals from industrial activities and the second (Iguaba), subjected to very mild contamination. Particulate material was obtained by filtration of rain water samples. The filters were analysed by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The results show three important features: 1) the element enrichment patterns could be split into two groups, crustal and anthropogenic derived; 2) uniformity of element loads in rain water particles is observed; 3) enrichment of certain trace elements in airborne particles is probably an important source of contaminants to soils, sediments and the marine environment.