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Trace elements: water-sediment interactions in tropical rivers

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Abstract

This research aimed to determine the water-sediment interaction (partition coefficient Kd) of trace element (Cd, Cu, total Cr, Pb, and Zn) in tropical rivers of the Upper Paraná River basin, Central Brazil. Three trace elements (Cu, total Cr, and Zn) presented quantifiable concentration values in the water and sediment. Neither the element trace considered nor the rivers displayed a similar water-sediment interaction. The evaluation of Kd values indicates the tendency of total Cr to be adsorbed into the sediment (min Kd = 6.244, max Kd = 131.389), mainly in one sampling station (São Francisco River, Kd = 131.389) and the availability of Zn in the water column in all sampling stations (min Kd = 0.234, max Kd = 1.289). The sediment concentrations of Cr in the São Francisco sampling station (0.118 mg L−1) are above international reference values suggesting a risk of contamination for the biota, whereas in four rivers, Cr concentrations represent a risk. The water-sediment interaction of Cu is influenced by water temperature, whereas the pH influenced the Zn interaction.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the staff of the Aquatic Biology Center/Escola de Ciências Agrárias e Biológicas/PUC Goiás, mainly Mr. Waldeir Francisco de Menezes for the help on field data collection, the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Goiás (FAPEG) by funding grant (No. 201200546180122) of the project, which is part of this manuscript, and two anonymous reviewers by their valuable suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Doutorado em Biotecnologia e Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Rua 235, s/n, Setor Leste Universitário, Goiânia, GO, 74605-050, Brazil

    Henrique Santana Costa & Cleonice Rocha

  2. Centro de Biologia Aquática, Escola de Ciências Agrárias e Biológicas, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás, Campus II, Av. Engler, s/n, Jd. Mariliza, Goiânia, GO, 74605-010, Brazil

    Francisco Leonardo Tejerina-Garro

  3. Programa de Mestrado em Sociedade, Tecnologia e Meio Ambiente, UniEVANGÉLICA, Av. Universitária, km 3,5, Cidade Universitária, Anápolis, GO, 75083-515, Brazil

    Francisco Leonardo Tejerina-Garro

  4. Escola de Ciências Exatas e da Computação, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás, Rua 235, s/n, Setor Leste Universitário, Goiânia, GO, 74605-010, Brazil

    Cleonice Rocha

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  1. Henrique Santana Costa
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  2. Francisco Leonardo Tejerina-Garro
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Correspondence to Henrique Santana Costa.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Costa, H.S., Tejerina-Garro, F.L. & Rocha, C. Trace elements: water-sediment interactions in tropical rivers. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 22018–22025 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9698-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-9698-6

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