Characterization of organic matter in sediment cores of the Todos os Santos Bay, Bahia, Brazil, by elemental analysis and 13C NMR

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 62; no. 8; pp. 1883 - 1890
• Main Authors: Costa, A.B., Novotny, E.H., Bloise, A.C., de Azevedo, E.R., Bonagamba, T.J., Zucchi, M.R., Santos, V.L.C.S., Azevedo, A.E.G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-08-2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average; Biological and medical sciences; Brackish; Brazil; Carbon - analysis; Cores; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental impact; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geologic Sediments - analysis; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; Human; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy - methods; Marine; Marine and brackish environment; Nitrogen - analysis; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Organic Chemicals - analysis; Principal Component Analysis; Refineries; Refinery; Sea water ecosystems; Seawater - analysis; Seawater - chemistry; Sedimentation; Sediments; Spectra; Sulfur - analysis; Synecology; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; South America; Brazil; America; ASW, Brazil, Bahia, Todos os Santos Bay; ASW, Brazil; Cores; Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average; Refinery; Principal Component Analysis; Environmental impact; Characterization; Marine environment; Organic matter; C-13; Environment impact; Bay; Sediments; Principal component analysis
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.06.005

► The impact of human activity on the sediments of Todos os Santos Bay in Brazil was evaluated by EA and 13C NMR. ► This article reports a study of six sediment cores collected at different depths and regions. ► The elemental profiles of cores suggest an abrupt change in the sedimentation regime, corresponds to about 50years ago, coinciding with the implantation of major onshore industrial projects. ► The results presented illustrate several important aspects of environmental impact of human activity on this bay.
The impact of human activity on the sediments of Todos os Santos Bay in Brazil was evaluated by elemental analysis and 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (13C NMR). This article reports a study of six sediment cores collected at different depths and regions of Todos os Santos Bay. The elemental profiles of cores collected on the eastern side of Frades Island suggest an abrupt change in the sedimentation regime. Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) analysis corroborates this result. The range of depths of the cores corresponds to about 50years ago, coinciding with the implantation of major onshore industrial projects in the region. Principal Component Analysis of the 13C NMR spectra clearly differentiates sediment samples closer to the Subaé estuary, which have high contents of terrestrial organic matter, from those closer to a local oil refinery. The results presented in this article illustrate several important aspects of environmental impact of human activity on this bay.