Aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments as a tool for the assessment of the contamination status of mangrove forests in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

Milena Ceccopieri; Cássia O Farias; Michelle Araújo; Mario L G Soares; Gustavo C D Estrada; Angela Wagener; Cláudia Hamacher

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115049

Aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments as a tool for the assessment of the contamination status of mangrove forests in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

Mar Pollut Bull. 2023 Jul:192:115049. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115049. Epub 2023 May 16.

Authors

Milena Ceccopieri¹, Cássia O Farias², Michelle Araújo², Mario L G Soares³, Gustavo C D Estrada³, Angela Wagener⁴, Cláudia Hamacher²

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Biscayne Bay Campus, North Miami, FL 33181, USA; Laboratório de Geoquímica Orgânica Marinha (LAGOM), Faculdade de Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20550-013, Brazil. Electronic address: mceccopi@fiu.edu.
² Laboratório de Geoquímica Orgânica Marinha (LAGOM), Faculdade de Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20550-013, Brazil.
³ Núcleo de Estudos em Manguezais (NEMA), Faculdade de Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20550-013, Brazil.
⁴ Laboratório de Estudos Marinhos e Ambientais (LabMAM), Departamento de Química, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, RJ 22451-900, Brazil.

PMID: 37201352
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115049

Abstract

The distribution of aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments from mangrove forests of the Rio de Janeiro State was investigated. Ten sampling stations were selected in the mangroves of Sepetiba Bay and the Jacarepaguá Lagoon Complex (JLC), which are areas affected by multiple human activities. The total aliphatic hydrocarbons concentrations showed marked variation between samples (27-407 μg g^-1), mostly related to the total organic carbon contents. The total PAHs concentration ranged between 38 and 792 ng g^-1. Diagnostic indices and statistical analysis showed that the mangrove forests can be divided into three groups: the western portion of Sepetiba Bay with the lowest level of contamination; the inner portion of the bay with the most intense presence of local sources of contamination, especially of pyrolytic character; and the JLC with a greater accumulation of hydrocarbons, mainly derived from petroleum combustion, resultant from the intense urbanization.

Keywords: Anthropogenic contaminants; Coastal ecosystems; Organic matter; Petrogenic and pyrolytic sources; Sepetiba Bay; n-Alkanes.

MeSH terms

Brazil
Environmental Monitoring
Geologic Sediments / analysis
Humans
Hydrocarbons / analysis
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons* / analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis
Wetlands

Substances

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Hydrocarbons