Mercury in Biota and Surficial Sediments from Coatzacoalcos Estuary, Gulf of Mexico: Distribution and Seasonal Variation

Ruelas-Inzunza, Jorge; Páez Osuna, Federico; Zamora-Arellano, Nydia; Amezcua-Martínez, Felipe; Bojórquez-Leyva, Humberto

Mercury in Biota and Surficial Sediments from Coatzacoalcos Estuary, Gulf of Mexico: Distribution and Seasonal Variation

2009

Ruelas-Inzunza, Jorge | Páez Osuna, Federico | Zamora-Arellano, Nydia | Amezcua-Martínez, Felipe | Bojórquez-Leyva, Humberto

Variation of mercury (Hg) in sediments and biota from Coatzacoalcos estuary during the dry, rainy and windy seasons was estimated. In sediments, Hg concentrations ranged from 0.07 μg g⁻¹ in site 13 (Ixhuatepec) located upstream, to 1.06 μg g⁻¹ in site 3 (Coatzacoalcos river), located in the industrialized area. Highest enrichment factor (EF) and index of geoaccumulation (I geo) in surficial sediments were 53 and 5.1 respectively. From EF and I geo, it is considered that Coatzacoalcos estuary is from moderately contaminated to contaminated. In most fish species from Coatzacoalcos estuary, the sequence of Hg concentration was liver>muscle>gills. Average Hg concentrations in soft tissue of bivalves ranged from 0.09 μg g⁻¹ in Corbicula fluminea to 0.18 μg g⁻¹ in Polymesoda caroliniana. Biota-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) ranged from 0.9 in P. caroliniana during the rainy season (site 4) to 3.8 in P. caroliniana from the same site during the windy season.

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