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

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution Vol. 197; no. 1-4; pp. 165 - 174
• Main Authors: Ruelas-Inzunza, Jorge, Páez-Osuna, Federico, Zamora-Arellano, Nydia, Amezcua-Martínez, Felipe, Bojórquez-Leyva, Humberto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01.02.2009; Springer Netherlands; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; aquatic organisms; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; Biota; Brackish; Brackish water ecosystems; clams; Climate Change/Climate Change Impacts; Contamination; Corbicula fluminea; Creeks & streams; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environment; Environmental impact; Environmental monitoring; Estuaries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Gills; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Hydrogeology; Industrial areas; Marine; marine fish; Mercury; Metals; Mollusks; Polymesoda caroliniana; Rainy season; Rivers; Seasonal distribution; seasonal variation; Seasonal variations; Seasons; sediment contamination; Sediments; Soil Science & Conservation; spatial distribution; Studies; Synecology; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Mexico; Gulf of Mexico; ASW, Mexico Gulf; ASW, Mexico, Veracruz, Coatzacoalcos Estuary; Mexico, Veracruz, Coatzacoalcos R; Human consumption; Gulf of Mexico; Seasonal variation; Surficial sediments; Mercury; Biota; Human; Brackish water environment; Estuaries; Sediments; Heavy metal; Marine environment; Aquatic environment; Pollutant; Biocenosis; Water pollution
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1007/s11270-008-9799-4

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.