SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
vol.34 número1 índice de autoresíndice de materiabúsqueda de artículos
Home Pagelista alfabética de revistas  

Servicios Personalizados

Articulo

Indicadores

Links relacionados

  • En proceso de indezaciónCitado por Google
  • En proceso de indezaciónSimilares en Google

Compartir


Water SA

versión On-line ISSN 1816-7950
versión impresa ISSN 0378-4738

Water SA vol.34 no.1 Pretoria ene. 2008

 

The effects of increased freshwater inflow on metal enrichment in selected Eastern Cape estuaries, South Africa

 

 

KK OrrI; JE BurgessII; PW FronemanI

IDepartment of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
IIDepartment of Biochemistry, Microbiology & Biotechnology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa

Correspondence

 

 


ABSTRACT

The concentrations of select metals (Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Pb, Ni and Zn) within the water column and sediment of the permanently open Kariega Estuary and temporary open/closed Riet and East Kleinemonde Estuaries were investigated during a dry and a wet season. Enrichment factors (EFs), using Fe as a reference element, and baseline linear regression models for metals vs Fe were used to assess the extent of metal enrichment in the sediments. The results of the study indicate that Cd, Co Ni and Pb were enriched above baseline concentrations (1.0 < EF < 4.1) in the sediments of all three estuaries. Co, Pb and Ni enrichment in the Kariega Estuary sediments was significantly higher during the dry season, and the mean concentrations of Pb and Cd in the water column were 19-fold and 66-fold higher in the dry season. The elevated concentration of metals during the dry season could be related to accumulation of diffuse pollution from human activities within the catchment area. Conversely, inflow of freshwater into the estuary had the net effect of reducing the concentration and enrichment of these metals within the Kariega Estuary due to scouring and outflow of estuarine water and sediment into the marine environment.
The temporal variations in metal concentrations and enrichment factors were less pronounced in the temporary open/ closed estuaries than the Kariega Estuary. The observed trend can probably be related to the low anthropogenic impact within the catchment areas of these systems, and the relatively smaller size of the catchments. Significant spatial variations existed in metal enrichment in the sediment of both the East Kleinemonde and Riet Estuaries, with the highest degrees of enrichment occurring in the sediments from the marine environment and lower reaches.

Keywords: metal enrichment, estuaries, sediment and water, South Africa


 

"Full text available in PDF"

 

References

ACEVEDO-FIGUEROA D, JIMENEZ BD and RODRIGUEZ-SIERRA CJ (2006) Trace metals in sediments of two estuarine lagoons from Puerto Rico. Environ. Pollut. 141 336-342.         [ Links ]

BADENHORST P (1998) Report on the Dynamics of the Kleinemonde West and East Estuaries (CSE 13 & 14). CSIR Report EMA/T 8805. 14 pp.         [ Links ]

BATE GC, WHITFIELD AK, ADAMA JB, HUIZINGA P and WOOLDRIDGE TH (2002) The importance of the river-estuary interface (REI) zone in estuaries. Water SA 28 (3) 271-280.         [ Links ]

BCLME (2006) The Development of a Common Set of Water and Sediment Quality Guidelines for the Coastal Zone of BCLME, South Africa, CSIR Report No: CSIR/NRE/ECO/2006/0011/C.         [ Links ]

BETTET-CHAMBERS M, DAVIES P and KNOTT B (1999) Cadmium in aquatic ecosystems in Western Australia: A legacy of nutrient-deficient soils. J. Environ. Manage. 57 283-295.         [ Links ]

BINEY CH, AMUZU AT, CALAMARI D, KABA N, MBOME IL, NAEVE H, OCHUMBE PB, OSIBANJO O, RADEGONDE V and SAAD MAH (1994) Review of heavy metals in the African aquatic environment. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 28 134-159.         [ Links ]

BINNING K and BAIRD D (2001) Survey of heavy metals in the sediments of the Swartkops River Estuary, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Water SA 27 (4) 461-466.         [ Links ]

BROOKS RR, PRESLEY BJ and KAPLAN IR (1967) APDC-MIBK extraction system for the determination of trace elements in saline waters by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry. Talanta 14 809-816.         [ Links ]

BRULAND KW, KNAUER GA and MARTIN JH (1978) Cadmium in northeast Pacific waters. Limnol. Oceanogr. 23 (4) 618-625.         [ Links ]

BRYAN GW and LANGSTON WJ (1992) Bioavailability, accumulation and effects of heavy metals in sediments with special reference to United Kingdom estuaries: a review. Environ. Pollut. 76 89-131.         [ Links ]

BUCHMAN MF (1999) NOAA Screening Quick Reference Tables, NOAA HAZMAT Report 99-1, Seattle WA, Coastal Protection and Restoration Division. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 12 pp.         [ Links ]

BUNTSAMA J and CASEY-LEFKOWITZ S (1999) Summary Workshop: Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Compliance, Workshop Summary: 41 - Nonpoint Source Compliance. Proc. 5th Int. Conf. on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement, 16-20 Nov 1998, Monterey, California, USA. International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement 383-386.         [ Links ]

CHEN CW, KAO CM, CHEN CH and DONG CD (2007) Distribution and accumulation of heavy metals in the sediments of Kaohsiung Harbour, Taiwan. Chemosphere 66 (8) 1431-1440.         [ Links ]

DASKALAKIS KD and O'CONNOR TP (1995) Normalization and elemental sediment contamination in the coastal United States. Environ. Sci. Technol. 29 470-477.         [ Links ]

DE GROOT AJ, SALOMONS WA and ALLERSMA E (1976) Processes affecting heavy metals in estuarine sediments. In: Burton LJW and Liss PS (eds.) Estuarine Chemistry. Academic Press, London. 131-157.         [ Links ]

EURACHEM (1998) The Fitness for Purpose of Analytical Methods: A Laboratory Guide to Method Validation and Related Topics (Edn. 1). LGC Ltd. Teddington. United Kingdom.         [ Links ]

FATOKI OS and MATHABATHA S (2001) An assessment of heavy metal pollution in the East London and Port Elizabeth harbours. Water SA 27 (2) 233-240.         [ Links ]

GIBBS RJ (1994) Metals in sediments along the Hudson River Estuary. Environ. Int. 20 (4) 507-516.         [ Links ]

GOBEL P, DIERKES C and COLDEWEY WG (2007) Storm water runoff concentration matrix for urban areas. J. Contam. Hydrol. 91 26-42.         [ Links ]

GRANGE N and ALLANSON BR (1995) Influence of freshwater inflow on the nature, amount and distribution of seston in estuaries of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Est. Coast. Shelf Sci. 40 403-420.         [ Links ]

HARRISON TD, COOPER JAG and RAMM AEL (2000) State of South African Estuaries; Geomorphology, Ichthyofauna, Water Quality and Aesthetics. State of the Environment Series, Report No. 2. Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Pretoria, South Africa.         [ Links ]

HENNIG HF-KO (1985) Review of metal concentrations in Southern African coastal waters, sediments and organisms. S. Afr. Natl. Sci. Programmes Rep. No 108, CSIR, Pretoria. South Africa.         [ Links ]

JENNINGS ME (2005) Nutrient dynamics in and offshore of two permanently open South African estuaries with contrasting fresh-water inflow. M.Sc. Thesis, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.         [ Links ]

KANAI H, INOUYE V, GOO R and WAKATSUKI H (1979) Solubility of 4-methyl-2-pentanone in aqueous phase of various salt concentrations. Anal. Chem. 51 1019-1021.         [ Links ]

KENNISH MJ (1997) Practical Handbook of Estuarine and Marine Pollution. CRC Press Inc., New York, USA. 253-298.         [ Links ]

LI X, SHEN Z, WAI OWH and LI YS (2001) Chemical forms of Pb, Zn and Cu in the sediment profiles of the Pearl River Estuary. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 42 (3) 215-223.         [ Links ]

LIU WX, LI XD, SHEN ZG, WANG DC, WAI OWH and LI YS (2003) Multivariate statistical study of heavy metal enrichment in sediments of the Pearl River Estuary. Environ. Pollut. 121 377-388.         [ Links ]

LOEWE M (2007) Fertilizer saga: supplier to face R70m lawsuit. The Herald, Saturday 13 July. Port Elizabeth, South Africa.         [ Links ]

LUTJEHARMS JRE, COOPER J and ROBERTS M (2000) Upwelling at the inshore edge of the Agulhas Current. Cont. Shelf Res. 20 737-761.         [ Links ]

NEWMAN BK and WATLING RJ (2007) Definition of baseline metal concentrations for assessing metal enrichment of sediment from the south-eastern Cape coastline of South Africa. Water SA 33 (5) 675-681.         [ Links ]

PERRET D, GAILLARD JF, DOMINIK J and ATTEIA (2000) The diversity of natural hydrous iron oxides. Environ. Sci. Technol. 34 3540-3546.         [ Links ]

ROACH AC (2005) Assessment of metals in sediments from Lake Mac-quarie, New South Wales, Australia, using normalisation models and sediment quality guidelines. Mar. Environ. Res. 59 453-472.         [ Links ]

RSA DWAF (1995) Republic of South Africa Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, South African Water Quality Guidelines for Coastal Marine Waters 1. Natural Environment. Pretoria, South Africa.         [ Links ]

RUIZ JM and SAIZ-SALINAS JI (2000) Extreme variation in the concentration of trace metals in sediments and bivalves from the Bilbao estuary (Spain) caused by the 1989-1990 drought. Mar. Environ. Res. 49 307-317.         [ Links ]

SCHARLER UM and BAIRD D (2003) The influence of catchment management and phytoplankton biomass of Eastern Cape estuaries, South Africa. Est. Coast. Shelf Sci. 56 753-748.         [ Links ]

SCHROPP SJ, LEWIS G, WINDOM HL, RYAN JD, CALDER FD and BURNEY LC (1990) Interpretation of metal concentrations in estuarine sediments of Florida using aluminum as a reference element. Estuaries 13 (3) 227-235.         [ Links ]

SCHUMACHER BA (2002) Methods for the Determination of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) in Soils and Sediments. United States Environmental Protection Agency, Las Vegas, United States.         [ Links ]

STANDARD METHODS (1998) Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater (20th edn.) Chapter 3. APHA, AWWA and WEF , Washington, USA.         [ Links ]

SUMMERS JK, WADE TL, ENGLE VD and MALAEB ZA (1996) Normalization of metal concentrations in estuarine sediments from the Gulf of Mexico. Estuaries 19 (3) 581-594.         [ Links ]

TAKESUE RK and GEEN (2002) Nearshore circulation during upwelling inferred from the distribution of dissolved cadmium off the Oregon coast. Limnol. Oceanogr. 47 (1) 176-185.         [ Links ]

TAM NFY and YAO MWY (1998) Normalization of heavy metal contamination in mangrove sediments. Sci. Tot. Environ. 216 33-39.         [ Links ]

TOVAR-SANCHEZ A, SANUDO-WILHELMY SA and FLEGAL AR (2004) Temporal and spatial variations in the biogeochemical cycling of cobalt in two urban estuaries: Hudson River Estuary and San Francisco Bay. Est. Coast. Shelf Sci. 60 (4) 717-728.         [ Links ]

US-EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) (1996) Method 3050B, Acid Digestion of Sediment Sludges and Soils (2nd revision). December. 1-12.         [ Links ]

US-EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) (1993) EPA 840-B-92-002 Guidance Specifying Management Measures for Sources of Nonpoint Pollution in Coastal Waters. Chapter 1: Polluted Runoff (January) (Nonpoint Source Pollution).         [ Links ]

WATLING RJ (1988) Metal studies in the coastal environment of the Eastern Cape: A review. In: Bruton MN and Guess FW (eds.) Towards an Environmental Plan for the Eastern Cape. Grocott and Sherry. Grahamstown. South Africa.         [ Links ]

WATLING RJ and WATLING HR (1983) Metal surveys in South African estuaries VII: Bushmans, Kariega, Kowie and Great Fish Rivers. Water SA 8 (2) 115-119.         [ Links ]

 

 

 Correspondence:
+27 46 603-8525
Fax: +27 46 622-8959
E-mail: kylaorr@gmail.com

Received 21 May 2007;
Accepted in revised form 7November 2007.

Creative Commons License Todo el contenido de esta revista, excepto dónde está identificado, está bajo una Licencia Creative Commons