Trace element contamination in the Guadalquivir River Estuary ten years after the Aznalcóllar mine spill
2014
Tornero, Victoria | Arias, Alberto M. | Blasco, Julián | European Commission | Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (España)
Sediments, clams Scrobicularia plana and worms Hediste diversicolor from the Guadalquivir estuary were collected ten years after the Aznalcóllar mine spill and analyzed for metals. Significant seasonal and spatial effects were detected for most elements, so data from different sampling periods and locations were treated separately. Overall, the most polluted sites were found upstream, although Zn and Cu tended to accumulate at the estuary mouth. A significant decline of Zn in sediments and clams was observed compared to levels reported following the spill, so the estuarine ecosystem has recovered. However, the concentrations of some elements in S. plana were still higher than those of heavily contaminated regions. In this mollusk, Pb and As levels were higher in 2008 than in previous years, suggesting a new source entering into the estuary. Metals in sediments presented low bioavailability for biota, so other sources must account for the concentrations observed in these species.
Show more [+] Less [-]While doing this work, V. Tornero was fully supported by a I3P contract from the Programa Nacional de Potenciación de Recursos Humanos del Plan Nacional de Investigación Científica, Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica (2000–2003). The presented study was supported as a part of the projects CTM2005-07282-C03-02/TECNO (Spanish Science and Technology National Plan) and Interreg IIIA REDCONTAMAR SP5 (SP3.E101/03).
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