This dataset contains elemental data (Ca, Sr, V, Cr, Ti, Al, Fe and K) of three sediment cores co... more This dataset contains elemental data (Ca, Sr, V, Cr, Ti, Al, Fe and K) of three sediment cores collected in Patos Lagoon, Southern Brazil
The palaeolimnological conditions of Mirim Lagoon, a large coastal shallow lagoon under the influ... more The palaeolimnological conditions of Mirim Lagoon, a large coastal shallow lagoon under the influence of historical human impacts related to the development of the primary sector of the economy were reconstructed. The first significant human impact consisted of locking the estuarine system to induce the transition from brackish to freshwater conditions. During this transition, the sedimentation rate consistently increased from pre-disturbance values of 0.25 cm yr-1 to >1 cm yr-1. A concomitant increase in nitrogen and carbon values was recorded indicating a related eutrophication process. The highest nutrient levels were achieved during the 1990s after the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies for agricultural production such as high-yielding varieties of rice resistant to climate variability and pests, and the use of inorganic fertilisers, pesticides and water supply controlled by irrigation. After 2011, the soybean production boosted and the area cultivated with this oilseed equalled the area of rice paddies, i.e., 2 × 105 ha. A sharp decrease in δ13C from -19 to -24‰ and in δ15N from 6 to 2‰ were observed in the sedimentary record, indicating a major shift in the composition of the organic matter after the agricultural intensification. Trace elements Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn showed a high positive correlation with Al and Fe, and enrichment factors near 1, indicating a natural and terrigenous source of these elements and also unpolluted conditions. However, the increase of As after 1990 and the positive correlation with Pb was associated with agricultural practices. All elemental ratios (K/Al, Ti/Al and V/Cr) showed constant pre-disturbance trends and a turning point ca. the 1990s. Microplastics were detected from the beginning of the 1990s and increased towards recent sediments, thus corroborating an anthropogenically impacted scenario. Therefore, the development of the primary sector of the economy exerted clear impacts on the environmental quality of the system.
El análisis de isótopos estables en sedimentos, vegetales y animales representa una herramienta d... more El análisis de isótopos estables en sedimentos, vegetales y animales representa una herramienta de importancia para estudios ecológicos, reconstrucciones paleoclimáticas y paleoambientales. Con base en la diferenciación isotópica entre productores primarios, esta técnica ha tenido un gran impacto en la identificación de flujos de energía entre ecosistemas terrestres y acuáticos adyacentes y en la estructura trófica. Se sintetizan aquí la nomenclatura y los principios básicos para la aplicación de isótopos estables en estudios de ambientes acuáticos. Además, se muestra su utilidad describiendo tres ejemplos recientes en ambientes costeros de Uruguay con diferentes objetivos: 1) evaluar el origen de la materia orgánica en sedimentos del Río de la Plata, 2) determinar la importancia trófica de una especie de diatomea en playas arenosas de Uruguay, y 3) evaluar la influencia de la materia orgánica antropogénica en la Bahía de Montevideo. La composición isotópica de las fuentes de materi...
This study introduces and discusses inorganic geochemical data from Patos Lagoon, the world’s lar... more This study introduces and discusses inorganic geochemical data from Patos Lagoon, the world’s largest choked coastal lagoon located in southern Brazil. Here, we characterise the sedimentary geochemical environment using different elemental ratios to assess the influence of both anthropogenic activities and the natural hydrological regime on the contemporary geochemical record. Three sediment cores collected in the freshwater domain of Patos Lagoon were analysed. Elements Al, Ca, Cr, Fe, K, Sr, Ti and V were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Strong correlations between Sr and Ca, together with the lack of correlation with detrital elements suggested that carbonate precipitation is particularly important in this system. Lithogenic elements Al, K, Fe and Ti reflected the influence of the Guaíba River on the sedimentary sequences of Patos Lagoon. The K/Al ratio was used to investigate changes in weathering patterns and Ti/Al to evaluate grain size changes. Ti/Ca provided an excellent proxy for inferring historical changes in wetter and drier conditions, and also appears to be sensitive to the influence of ENSO events. Finally, the V/Cr ratio reflected the prevailing reducing conditions of the bottom sediments. Overall, our findings show that processes of sediment weathering, transport and deposition are mostly related to natural process, and given the large size of the system, the dilution processes could play an important role in attenuating geochemical changes related to human impacts.
This study is aimed to identify the different sources of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) within ... more This study is aimed to identify the different sources of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) within Montevideo coastal zone (MCZ). To this end δC, δN and C/N ratio were analysed in surface sediments and a sediment core. Sediment core analysis showed that until ~1950CE SOM was mainly marine, observing a shift towards lower δC in recent sediments, evidencing an estuarine composition. This trend was associated to the climatic variability, which exerted a major influence on the SOM composition, leading to an increased input of terrigenous material and associated anthropogenic contaminants. Surface sediments collected during different El Niño South Oscillation (ENSO) phases did not show inter-annual variability in SOM composition, which was mainly marine in both eastern and western region of MCZ and estuarine in Montevideo Bay. This spatial pattern provides new insights on the dynamics and factors affecting organic matter sources available for primary consumers along the study region.
The Science of the total environment, Jan 22, 2017
Human activities in the Antarctica including tourism and scientific research have been raised sub... more Human activities in the Antarctica including tourism and scientific research have been raised substantially in the last century with the concomitant impact on the Antarctic ecosystems through the release of wastewater mainly from different scientific stations activities. The aim of this study was to assess the wastewater contamination of surface waters and sediments of three melt-water streams (11 sites) by leaking septic tanks located in the vicinity of the Uruguayan Scientific Station in the Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica, during summer 2015. For this purpose, we combined the analysis of fecal steroids in sediments by using gas chromatography and six enteric viruses in surface waters by quantitative and qualitative PCR. Coprostanol concentrations (from 0.03 to 3.31μgg(-1)) and fecal steroids diagnostic ratios indicated that stations C7 and C8 located in the kitchen stream presented sewage contamination. Rotavirus was the only enteric virus detected in five sites ...
This dataset contains elemental data (Ca, Sr, V, Cr, Ti, Al, Fe and K) of three sediment cores co... more This dataset contains elemental data (Ca, Sr, V, Cr, Ti, Al, Fe and K) of three sediment cores collected in Patos Lagoon, Southern Brazil
Abstract The concentration and pollution level of heavy metals and As in surface sediments from M... more Abstract The concentration and pollution level of heavy metals and As in surface sediments from Montevideo coastal zone (Rio de la Plata estuary) were measured in 18 sites in March 2015, ranging from the western portion at the mouth of Santa Lucia river to the east at the mouth of Carrasco stream. The study area receives a continuous discharge of untreated domestic and industrial effluents through two streams and one submarine sewage pipe. Sediments were analysed for sediment fractions, organic matter content and heavy metal and As concentrations (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Sc, Al, Fe and Mn). Results showed that in the study area the contribution of sand was low, with exception of the innermost region of Montevideo Bay at the mouth of Miguelete and Pantanoso streams. Total organic matter contents were in general high (ranged between 3.82 and 15.72%), and values are typical for estuarine, low energy and anthropized ecosystems. Concentrations in a descending order was Zn>Cr>Cu>Pb>Ni>As>Sc>Cd and highest concentrations were found in the innermost stations of the bay, while lower in the western portion of the study area. Pearson correlation and principal component analysis suggest the similar distinctiveness of Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn. The different indices applied suggest that the study area can be considered from low to mildly polluted by metals in general, and compared with previous results all the studied metals showed marked reductions, highlighting the importance of management measures. In this sense, efforts made by the government and industries some years ago apparently had positive results in terms of reclamation/reduction of particular metallic elements.
Aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs and PAHs) were investigated in soil and meltw... more Aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs and PAHs) were investigated in soil and meltwater stream sediments near the Uruguayan Artigas Research Station (BCAA). Gas chromatography with flame ionization detection and gas chromatography mass spectrometry were used to determine the composition of AHs and PAHs, respectively. Total AH concentrations were in the range 0.57–2333 µg g-1, while total PAH concentrations were in the range 1.36–51 650 ng g-1. Based on AH and PAH concentrations, sites in the service area and next to the boat storeroom are highly contaminated, while the other sites sampled have moderate to low contamination levels or are not impacted. High unresolved complex mixture concentrations indicate the occurrence of previous petrogenic contamination, but the dominance of low molecular weight and alkyl PAHs indicate recent oil introductions. Anthropogenic hydrocarbons dominate and are related to diesel fuel and organic residue combustion, fuel storage and boat tr...
This dataset contains elemental data (Ca, Sr, V, Cr, Ti, Al, Fe and K) of three sediment cores co... more This dataset contains elemental data (Ca, Sr, V, Cr, Ti, Al, Fe and K) of three sediment cores collected in Patos Lagoon, Southern Brazil
The palaeolimnological conditions of Mirim Lagoon, a large coastal shallow lagoon under the influ... more The palaeolimnological conditions of Mirim Lagoon, a large coastal shallow lagoon under the influence of historical human impacts related to the development of the primary sector of the economy were reconstructed. The first significant human impact consisted of locking the estuarine system to induce the transition from brackish to freshwater conditions. During this transition, the sedimentation rate consistently increased from pre-disturbance values of 0.25 cm yr-1 to >1 cm yr-1. A concomitant increase in nitrogen and carbon values was recorded indicating a related eutrophication process. The highest nutrient levels were achieved during the 1990s after the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies for agricultural production such as high-yielding varieties of rice resistant to climate variability and pests, and the use of inorganic fertilisers, pesticides and water supply controlled by irrigation. After 2011, the soybean production boosted and the area cultivated with this oilseed equalled the area of rice paddies, i.e., 2 × 105 ha. A sharp decrease in δ13C from -19 to -24‰ and in δ15N from 6 to 2‰ were observed in the sedimentary record, indicating a major shift in the composition of the organic matter after the agricultural intensification. Trace elements Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn showed a high positive correlation with Al and Fe, and enrichment factors near 1, indicating a natural and terrigenous source of these elements and also unpolluted conditions. However, the increase of As after 1990 and the positive correlation with Pb was associated with agricultural practices. All elemental ratios (K/Al, Ti/Al and V/Cr) showed constant pre-disturbance trends and a turning point ca. the 1990s. Microplastics were detected from the beginning of the 1990s and increased towards recent sediments, thus corroborating an anthropogenically impacted scenario. Therefore, the development of the primary sector of the economy exerted clear impacts on the environmental quality of the system.
El análisis de isótopos estables en sedimentos, vegetales y animales representa una herramienta d... more El análisis de isótopos estables en sedimentos, vegetales y animales representa una herramienta de importancia para estudios ecológicos, reconstrucciones paleoclimáticas y paleoambientales. Con base en la diferenciación isotópica entre productores primarios, esta técnica ha tenido un gran impacto en la identificación de flujos de energía entre ecosistemas terrestres y acuáticos adyacentes y en la estructura trófica. Se sintetizan aquí la nomenclatura y los principios básicos para la aplicación de isótopos estables en estudios de ambientes acuáticos. Además, se muestra su utilidad describiendo tres ejemplos recientes en ambientes costeros de Uruguay con diferentes objetivos: 1) evaluar el origen de la materia orgánica en sedimentos del Río de la Plata, 2) determinar la importancia trófica de una especie de diatomea en playas arenosas de Uruguay, y 3) evaluar la influencia de la materia orgánica antropogénica en la Bahía de Montevideo. La composición isotópica de las fuentes de materi...
This study introduces and discusses inorganic geochemical data from Patos Lagoon, the world’s lar... more This study introduces and discusses inorganic geochemical data from Patos Lagoon, the world’s largest choked coastal lagoon located in southern Brazil. Here, we characterise the sedimentary geochemical environment using different elemental ratios to assess the influence of both anthropogenic activities and the natural hydrological regime on the contemporary geochemical record. Three sediment cores collected in the freshwater domain of Patos Lagoon were analysed. Elements Al, Ca, Cr, Fe, K, Sr, Ti and V were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Strong correlations between Sr and Ca, together with the lack of correlation with detrital elements suggested that carbonate precipitation is particularly important in this system. Lithogenic elements Al, K, Fe and Ti reflected the influence of the Guaíba River on the sedimentary sequences of Patos Lagoon. The K/Al ratio was used to investigate changes in weathering patterns and Ti/Al to evaluate grain size changes. Ti/Ca provided an excellent proxy for inferring historical changes in wetter and drier conditions, and also appears to be sensitive to the influence of ENSO events. Finally, the V/Cr ratio reflected the prevailing reducing conditions of the bottom sediments. Overall, our findings show that processes of sediment weathering, transport and deposition are mostly related to natural process, and given the large size of the system, the dilution processes could play an important role in attenuating geochemical changes related to human impacts.
This study is aimed to identify the different sources of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) within ... more This study is aimed to identify the different sources of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) within Montevideo coastal zone (MCZ). To this end δC, δN and C/N ratio were analysed in surface sediments and a sediment core. Sediment core analysis showed that until ~1950CE SOM was mainly marine, observing a shift towards lower δC in recent sediments, evidencing an estuarine composition. This trend was associated to the climatic variability, which exerted a major influence on the SOM composition, leading to an increased input of terrigenous material and associated anthropogenic contaminants. Surface sediments collected during different El Niño South Oscillation (ENSO) phases did not show inter-annual variability in SOM composition, which was mainly marine in both eastern and western region of MCZ and estuarine in Montevideo Bay. This spatial pattern provides new insights on the dynamics and factors affecting organic matter sources available for primary consumers along the study region.
The Science of the total environment, Jan 22, 2017
Human activities in the Antarctica including tourism and scientific research have been raised sub... more Human activities in the Antarctica including tourism and scientific research have been raised substantially in the last century with the concomitant impact on the Antarctic ecosystems through the release of wastewater mainly from different scientific stations activities. The aim of this study was to assess the wastewater contamination of surface waters and sediments of three melt-water streams (11 sites) by leaking septic tanks located in the vicinity of the Uruguayan Scientific Station in the Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica, during summer 2015. For this purpose, we combined the analysis of fecal steroids in sediments by using gas chromatography and six enteric viruses in surface waters by quantitative and qualitative PCR. Coprostanol concentrations (from 0.03 to 3.31μgg(-1)) and fecal steroids diagnostic ratios indicated that stations C7 and C8 located in the kitchen stream presented sewage contamination. Rotavirus was the only enteric virus detected in five sites ...
This dataset contains elemental data (Ca, Sr, V, Cr, Ti, Al, Fe and K) of three sediment cores co... more This dataset contains elemental data (Ca, Sr, V, Cr, Ti, Al, Fe and K) of three sediment cores collected in Patos Lagoon, Southern Brazil
Abstract The concentration and pollution level of heavy metals and As in surface sediments from M... more Abstract The concentration and pollution level of heavy metals and As in surface sediments from Montevideo coastal zone (Rio de la Plata estuary) were measured in 18 sites in March 2015, ranging from the western portion at the mouth of Santa Lucia river to the east at the mouth of Carrasco stream. The study area receives a continuous discharge of untreated domestic and industrial effluents through two streams and one submarine sewage pipe. Sediments were analysed for sediment fractions, organic matter content and heavy metal and As concentrations (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Sc, Al, Fe and Mn). Results showed that in the study area the contribution of sand was low, with exception of the innermost region of Montevideo Bay at the mouth of Miguelete and Pantanoso streams. Total organic matter contents were in general high (ranged between 3.82 and 15.72%), and values are typical for estuarine, low energy and anthropized ecosystems. Concentrations in a descending order was Zn>Cr>Cu>Pb>Ni>As>Sc>Cd and highest concentrations were found in the innermost stations of the bay, while lower in the western portion of the study area. Pearson correlation and principal component analysis suggest the similar distinctiveness of Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn. The different indices applied suggest that the study area can be considered from low to mildly polluted by metals in general, and compared with previous results all the studied metals showed marked reductions, highlighting the importance of management measures. In this sense, efforts made by the government and industries some years ago apparently had positive results in terms of reclamation/reduction of particular metallic elements.
Aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs and PAHs) were investigated in soil and meltw... more Aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs and PAHs) were investigated in soil and meltwater stream sediments near the Uruguayan Artigas Research Station (BCAA). Gas chromatography with flame ionization detection and gas chromatography mass spectrometry were used to determine the composition of AHs and PAHs, respectively. Total AH concentrations were in the range 0.57–2333 µg g-1, while total PAH concentrations were in the range 1.36–51 650 ng g-1. Based on AH and PAH concentrations, sites in the service area and next to the boat storeroom are highly contaminated, while the other sites sampled have moderate to low contamination levels or are not impacted. High unresolved complex mixture concentrations indicate the occurrence of previous petrogenic contamination, but the dominance of low molecular weight and alkyl PAHs indicate recent oil introductions. Anthropogenic hydrocarbons dominate and are related to diesel fuel and organic residue combustion, fuel storage and boat tr...
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