Revisiting methods for the determination of bioavailable metals in coastal sediments

Mirella Peña-Icart; Carolina Mendiguchía; Margarita E Villanueva-Tagle; Mario S Pomares-Alfonso; Carlos Moreno

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.10.034

Revisiting methods for the determination of bioavailable metals in coastal sediments

Mar Pollut Bull. 2014 Dec 15;89(1-2):67-74. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.10.034. Epub 2014 Nov 1.

Authors

Mirella Peña-Icart¹, Carolina Mendiguchía², Margarita E Villanueva-Tagle³, Mario S Pomares-Alfonso⁴, Carlos Moreno²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cadiz, República Saharaui, CP: 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain; Institute of Sciences and Technology of Materials, University of Havana, Zapata s/n, CP: 10400, La Habana, Cuba.
² Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cadiz, República Saharaui, CP: 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
³ Department of General Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Havana, Zapata s/n, CP: 10400, La Habana, Cuba.
⁴ Institute of Sciences and Technology of Materials, University of Havana, Zapata s/n, CP: 10400, La Habana, Cuba. Electronic address: mpomares@imre.oc.uh.cu.

PMID: 25455373
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.10.034

Abstract

A simple methodology for the determination of bioavailability of fourteen metals in coastal sediments has been developed by simulating the conditions of digestive process of marine fishes. With this aim, a representative sediment composite sample was treated with hydrochloric acid solutions at different pH values, temperatures and contact times, in the presence and absence of Pepsin and Trypsin. The addition of Pepsin and Trypsin did not affect the extraction of most elements. As a result of the present study, the digestion with a hydrochloric acid solution at pH 1, 40°C and 12h is proposed. Adjustments of the temperature and time reaction could be made according to the specific ecosystem under study. The amount of metal extracted by other methods based on acetic acid was lower than that extracted by HCl treatment proposed.

Keywords: Aquatic species digestive system; Hydrochloric acid; Metal bioavailability; Pepsin; Sediment metal contamination; Trypsin.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biological Availability
Ecosystem
Environmental Monitoring / methods*
Geologic Sediments / chemistry*
Metals / analysis*
Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*

Substances

Metals
Water Pollutants, Chemical