Early diagenesis and clay mineral adsorption as driving factors of metal pollution in sediments: the case of Aveiro Lagoon (Portugal).

This work aims to define the factors driving the accumulation of metals in the sediment of the lagoon of Aveiro (Portugal). The role of initial diagenetic processes in controlling trace metal retention in surface sediment is traced by mineralogy, magnetic susceptibility and geochemical analyses. Although several studies have focused on the metal distribution in this polihaline and anthropized coastal lagoon, most of them have been solely focused on the total metal concentrations. This study instead represents the first attempt to evaluate in a vast area of the Aveiro Lagoon the role of biogeochemical processes in metal availability and distribution in three extracted phases: exchangeable cations adsorbed by clay and elements co-precipitated with carbonates (S1), organic matter (S2) and amorphous Mn hydroxides (S3). According to the sediment guideline values, the sediment is polluted by, for instance, As and Hg in the inner area of the Murtosa Channel, Pb in the Espinheiro Channel, Aveiro City canals and Aveiro Harbour, and Zn in the northern area of the Ovar Channel. These sites are located near the source areas of pollutants and have the highest total available concentrations in each extracted phase. The total available concentrations of all toxic metals are however associated, firstly, with the production of amorphous Mn hydroxides in most of the areas and, secondly, with adsorption by organic compounds. The interplay of the different processes implies that not all of the sites near pollution sources have polluted surface sediment. The accumulation of metals depends on not only the pollution source but also the changing in the redox state of the sediments that may cause alterations in the sediment retention or releasing of redox-sensitive metals. Results of this work suggest that the biogeochemical processes may play a significant role in the increase of the pollutants in the sediment of the Aveiro Lagoon.

Protists and bacteria interactions in the presence of oil.

Little is known about the role of protists and bacteria interactions during hydrocarbon biodegradation. This work focused on the effect of oil on protists from three different locations in Guanabara Bay and bacteria from Caulerpa racemosa (BCr), Dictyota menstrualis (BDm) and Laurencia obtusa (BLo) during a 96 h bioassay. Cryptomonadida (site 1, 2 and 3), Scuticociliatida (site 2) and Euplotes sp.1 and Euplotes sp.2 (site 3) appeared after incubation. The highest biomass observed in the controls was as follows: protist site 3 (6.0 µgC.cm-3, 96 h) compared to site 3 with oil (0.7 µgC.cm-3, 96 h); for bacteria, 8.6 µgC.cm-3 (BDm, 72 h) and 17.0 µgC.cm-3 (BCr with oil, 24 h). After treatment, the highest biomasses were as follows: protists at site 1 and BLo, 6.0 µgC.cm-3 (96 h), compared to site 1 and BLo with oil, 3.31 µgC.cm-3 (96 h); the bacterial biomass was 43.1 µgC.cm-3 at site 2 and BDm (96 h). At site 3 and BLo with oil, the biomass was 18.21 µgC.cm-3 (48 h). The highest biofilm proportions were observed from BCr 1.7 µm (96 h) and BLo with oil 1.8 µm (24 h). BCr, BLo and BDm enhanced biofilm size and reduced the capacity of protists to prey.