Methodology to assess the mobility of trace elements between water and contaminated estuarine sediments as a function of the site physico-chemical characteristics

Abstract

This work presents an innovative methodology to have a rapid diagnosis about the mobility of selected trace elements of known toxicity and biological risk (Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn and Zn) present in contaminated sediments. The novel strategy presented in this work uses, therefore, the own estuarine water in contact with sediments as the extracting agent to perform the mobility tests, simulating the real situation of the estuary. This water suffers from different physico-chemical conditions (low and high tides) and gives consequently, rather better information than the one obtained by the routine sequential extraction procedures. The final step of this methodology was the use of spatial modelling by kriging method and multivariate chemometric analysis, both for a better interpretation of the results. To achieve this goal, sediment and water samples were strategically collected at eight different points (four in tributary rivers, one in a closed dock, two in the main channel and another one in the mouth) along the Nerbioi-Ibaizabal River estuary (Metropolitan Bilbao, Basque Country) approximately every three months (summer, autumn, winter and spring) during a whole year. Physico-chemical changes, such as pH, carbonate content and organic matter of the sediments, together with variations in water salinity appear to be responsible for metal mobility from the sediment to the water layer. The influence of these variables was higher in the sites located close to the sea. Moreover, the mobility of trace elements was even higher at high tide in sediments with lower metal content.

Keywords: Estuarine sediments; Estuarine waters; Mobilisation process; Mobility of metals; Physico-chemical parameters; Trace elements.