Temporal and spatial trends of total aliphatic hydrocarbons of diesel range and trace elements in sediments and mussels of the corral bay area, valdivia, south central chile

• HERNAN PALMA-FLEMING ^[1] ; EDUARDO QUIROZ R ^[1] ; CLAUDIA CAMPILLAY ^[1] ; MAURICIO FIGUEROA ^[1] ; ALEX VARAS ^[1] ; DOMINGO VELÁSQUEZ ^[1] ; BERNARDO JARA ^[1] ; XIMENA PALMA-LARREA ^[1]
  1. [1] Universidad Austral de Chile

     Universidad Austral de Chile

     Valdivia, Chile

     
• Localización: Journal of the Chilean Chemical Society (Boletín de la Sociedad Chilena de Química), ISSN-e 0717-6309, ISSN 0366-1644, Vol. 57, Nº. 2, 2012, págs. 1074-1082
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Sediments and mussel specimens of Mytilus chilensis were analyzed for organic pollutant fingerprints and heavy metals in the Corral Bay area of Valdivia, South Central Chile during the period 2003-2004. GC-MS analysis show hydrocarbon fingerprints corresponding mainly to mixed inputs of aliphatic hydrocarbons of the TPH-diesel fraction and biogenic hydrocarbons, indicating low to medium contamination by petroleum hydrocarbons with high biodegradation of petroleum in sediments at Las Coloradas, La Escuela and Corral Bay (C17/Pri < 1 and C18/Phy < 1). Mussel TPH fingerprints show weathered hydrocarbons resulting in a zone of increased concentration of cyclic respect to acyclic aliphatic components (UCM), indicating the presence of petroleum hydrocarbons. No temporal variation the in concentration of TPH-diesel found in sediments as well as mussels were observed except for samples collected during January 2004. TPH concentration levels in the sediments varied from 0.4 μgg-1 to 33.8 μgg-1 d.w. whereas in mussels varied between 61 μg g-1 and 287 μgg-1 d.w. Heavy metals were also analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry and low concentration as well as no seasonal variations of concentration were found in mussels at each sampling point and a relatively even distribution of metals among stations was observed. Maximum concentrations in all sampling points of sediments were found for Fe (24128-43791 μgg-1) and Mn (181-388 μgg-1) while the minimum concentration was found for Pb (nd-12 μgg-1). According to the Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs-NOAA), the concentration levels of Cu and As in all sediment sampling points are above the "Effects Range-Low" (ERL), indicating that there may be a probable toxicity effect over the biota and attention must be paid on a moderate range of priority.