Produção Nacional
Revisado por pares
Tracking the historical sewage input in South American subtropical estuarine systems based on faecal sterols and bulk organic matter stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N)
2018; Elsevier BV; Volume: 655; Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.150
ISSN1879-1026
AutoresAna Caroline Cabral, Marines Maria Wilhelm, Rubens César Lopes Figueira, César C. Martins,
Tópico(s)Marine and coastal ecosystems
ResumoFaecal sterols and stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) from bulk organic matter (OM) were analysed in three sedimentary cores collected in two subtropical bays located in the South Atlantic to evaluate historical trends in the sewage input and to track possible changes in the bulk isotopic composition of OM in recent decades. The values of δ13C and δ15N ranged from −27.4 to −25.0‰ and from 0.5 to 3.9‰, respectively, without a clear trend in the variation over the whole period covered by sediment cores and with no conclusive interpretation of a specific range value typically related to the sewage input for these areas. The maximum coprostanol concentration was 0.19 μg g−1 in the upper 4 cm of one core, which was not considered contaminated by evaluation of the sterols diagnostic ratios. Even at low levels, the coprostanol concentrations followed variations in urban and economical regional development. Baseline values for faecal sterols (in average between 0.03 and 0.05 μg g−1), which may represent a previous non-impacted environment scenarios, were calculated for use in comparative perspectives for future evaluations of the sewage input and contamination.
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