Applying enzymatic biomarkers of the in situ microbial community to assess the sediment risk from Sepetiba Bay (Brazil)

Moreira, Vanessa Almeida; Carvalho, Angelo Cezar Borges de; Fontana, Luiz Francisco; Bidone, Edison Dausacker; Sabadini-Santos, Elisamara

Applying enzymatic biomarkers of the in situ microbial community to assess the sediment risk from Sepetiba Bay (Brazil)

2021

Moreira, Vanessa Almeida | Carvalho, Angelo Cezar Borges de | Fontana, Luiz Francisco | Bidone, Edison Dausacker | Sabadini-Santos, Elisamara

The Quality Ratio (QR) index was applied in Sepetiba Bay to integrate geochemical and microbiological parameters of the in situ microbial community in order to classify the ecological risk of sediments. Total concentrations (C) of Hg, Cd, As, Pb, Cr, Cu and Zn (indicators of the mixture of contaminants) were determined at 26 stations and at a background area (C₀) to calculate the contamination factor (CF = C/C₀) and the degree of contamination (ΣCF). Enzymatic biomarkers of energy production into cell (dehydrogenase - DHA) and hydrolase of organic matter outside the cell (esterases - EST) were determined. The QR, a function of the microbial term (DHA/EST) and the geochemical term (TOC × ΣCF/fine-grained content), was able to segregate stations into the internal sector (east of the bay with the largest continental contributions) and the external sector (west of the bay), proving its accessibility (low-cost and fast) and efficiency for assessing ecological risk.

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