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Distribution of heavy metals in the geochemical phases of sediments from the Tietê River, Brazil

2013; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 25; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3184/095422913x13785624164620

2047-6523

Jefferson Mortatti, Helder de Oliveira, Graziela Meneghel de Moraes, Diego Vendramini, Alexandre Martins Fernandes,

Radioactivity and Radon Measurements

The fractionation of heavy metals in riverbed sediments along the Tietê River basin, a highly polluted river in southeast region of Brazil, was investigated using a four-step sequential extraction procedure, in order to determine the concentration and distribution of Cu, Co, Cr, Cd, Zn, Ni and Pb, in the river bottom sediments, related to the potential mobility of geochemical phases. Around the metropolitan area of the City of São Paulo, which has 25 million people, the pollution is associated with municipal wastes and industrial effluents. Potentials of high mobility were observed for Cu and Zn along the entire river basin, associated mainly to the organic fraction, while at the Pirapora and Anhembi stations (upper and middle parts of the basin, respectively) the reactive forms of Ni and Pb were more associated to the Fe and Mn oxides. Near the mouth of the Tietê River, no significant contaminations caused by Cr and Ni in riverbed sediments was verified confirming the presence of these metals in the residual or lithogenous phase.