Heavy metal distribution in the sediment profiles of the Sauípe River Estuary, north seashore of the Bahia State, Brazil

Abstract

The distribution of the elements Al, Fe and selected heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu and Cr) plus the organic matter in the sedimentary substratum of the mangrove ecosystem that surrounds the estuary of the Sauípe River (Bahia, Brazil) is presented. Mangrove sediments were collected from six stations from where each sample was collected from the interface water-sediment till the depth of 50 cm and its location was in accordance to the inter-tidal transection in order to characterize the three mangrove stands (proximal, intermediate and distal spatial position in relation to the main river channel). The results are important to subsidize any further studies in this region that require local geochemical references. The substratum of the Sauípe River's mangrove is in accordance with the other mangroves that occur in the Bahia State where there is no evidence of anthropic source of pollution.