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Temporal and spatial accumulation of heavy metals in the sediments at Paiva Castro Reservoir (São Paulo, Brazil)

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Abstract

The analysis of heavy metals in sediments, associated with geochronology, can identify the historical accumulation of these contaminants that occurred over time as a result of anthropogenic activities. A study was conducted at Paiva Castro Reservoir, a tropical reservoir in Brazil, to (1) establish baseline values for the metals Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Mn, Al and Fe; (2) investigate the history of heavy metal accumulation through geochronology using 210Pb; and (3) identify the main variables that differentiate the sampled regions. A gravity corer was released twice in three reservoir areas. Each core was sliced at intervals of 2 cm and stored in a sealed plastic bag. One core was used for the determination of metals and for dating using the 210Pb technique. The other core was used for the determination of organic matter and particle size. The baseline values for heavy metals were calculated according to the mean bottommost samples of the three core analysed. In terms of the levels of heavy metals, the greatest impacts in the region occurred during periods prior to the period of reservoir operation. In surface sediments, Cu exceeded several times (97.0 mg kg−1) the background (24.0 mg kg−1). This result may be a consequence of the application of copper sulphate for controlling algal blooms. A canonical discriminant analysis indicated that the variables that significantly differentiated the three sampled areas were related to the elements Al, Fe, and Mn and to particle size. These data indicate that the main differences are due to lithological variations and to the dynamic operation of reservoirs that provide a larger particle size fraction in the area where the uptake of water for the public water supply is located and in the area upstream from Paiva Castro, where there is higher flow energy. Evidence of the degradation of Paiva Castro Reservoir is already being reflected in the sediments. It is necessary that public policies are actually applied to counteract the degradation of this important ecosystem; otherwise, the reservoir’s ‘good quality’ will be at risk.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the Ecology Department of the Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo and the Oceanography Institute, University of São Paulo. The authors thank two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments which have improved the quality of our manuscript. Financial support for this work has been provided by FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo); Grant 470443/2008-1; CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior); and CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Ciências Ambientais, UNESP- Campus Sorocaba, Avenida Três de Março, 511 - Alto da Boa Vista, Sorocaba, SP, 18087-180, Brazil

    Sheila Cardoso-Silva & Viviane Moschini-Carlos

  2. Dep. de Oceanografia Química, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Paulo Alves de Lima Ferreira & Rubens César Lopes Figueira

  3. Dep. de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Marcelo Pompêo

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  1. Sheila Cardoso-Silva
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  2. Paulo Alves de Lima Ferreira
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  3. Viviane Moschini-Carlos
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  4. Rubens César Lopes Figueira
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  5. Marcelo Pompêo
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Correspondence to Sheila Cardoso-Silva.

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Cardoso-Silva, S., de Lima Ferreira, P.A., Moschini-Carlos, V. et al. Temporal and spatial accumulation of heavy metals in the sediments at Paiva Castro Reservoir (São Paulo, Brazil). Environ Earth Sci 75, 9 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4828-2

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