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Marinas are central hubs of global maritime leisure and transport, yet their operations can deteriorate the environmental quality of sediments. In response, this study investigated the metal contamination history associated with antifouling paint uses in a sediment core collected from Bracuhy marina (Southeast Brazil). Analysis target major and trace elements (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd and Sn), rare earth elements (REEs), and Pb isotopes. The modification in Pb isotopic ratios and REEs pattern unequivocally revealed sediment provenance disruption following the marina construction. Metal distribution in the sediment core demonstrates that concentrations of Cu and Zn increased by up to 15 and 5 times, respectively, compared to the local background. This severe Cu and Zn contamination coincides with the onset of marina operations and can be attributed to the use of antifouling paints.

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In 2019, the Brumadinho dam rupture released a massive amount of iron ore mining tailings into the Paraopeba River. Up to now, it remains a public health issue for the local and downstream populations. The present study aims to assess the behavior and fate of metal contamination following the disaster. Using new sampling strategies and up-to-date geochemistry tools, we show that the dissolved metal concentrations (< 0.22 µm cutoff filtration) remained low in the Paraopeba River. Although the tailings present high metal concentrations (Fe, Mn, Cd, and As), the high local background contents of metals and other previous anthropogenic contamination hamper tracing the sediment source based only on the geochemical signature. The Pb isotopic composition coupled with the metals enrichment factor of sediments and Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) constitutes accurate proxies that trace the fate and dispersion of tailing particles downstream of the dam collapse. This approach shows that 1) The influence of the released tailing was restricted to the Paraopeba River and the Retiro Baixo reservoir, located upstream of the São Francisco River; 2) The tailings' contribution to particulate load ranged from 17 % to 88 % in the Paraopeba River; 3) Other regional anthropogenic activities also contribute to water and sediment contamination of the Paraopeba river.

RESUMO

Total concentrations of Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, Zn, and As together with Sr and Pb isotopic compositions of seabed sediments from the worldwide famous tourist destination of Acapulco Bay, Guerrero (southern Mexico) were determined to reveal the origin of detritus and toxic elements (TEs), their potential natural and anthropogenic sources, elemental distribution and their ecological risk. Sediments derive entirely from the nearby Acapulco Granite and their concentrations of TEs are variable and rather low, although, several are above the Local Geochemical Baseline in some sites of the bay. The enrichment factor (EF) and Pb isotopes indicate that TEs derive from the Acapulco Granite with contributions of an anthropogenic source represented, very likely, by ship-bottom paints. Wastewaters are a significant source of Pb and Cu. The ecological risk of TEs is low and only Cu represents a moderate ecological risk in a few sites.

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The evolution of the impacts of anthropogenic activities in Todos os Santos Bay was evaluated by profiles of trace metals and Pb isotopes determined in sediment cores. Fluxes of metals increased up to 12, 4 and 2 times for Cu, Pb, and Zn, respectively, compared to those recorded in the beginning of the 20th century. Stable Pb isotopes identified a decommissioned lead smelter and burning of fossil fuels as the main sources of Pb. Most metals showed minor to moderate enrichment factors (EF<4), but Cu and Pb were highly enriched (EF=28 and 6, respectively) at the Aratu harbor. Temporal changes in sediments were associated to different activities, namely Pb smelting, burning of fossil fuels, maritime traffic, petroleum related activities, inputs of domestic effluents, and changes in land uses. The effects of the implementation of environmental policies to improve the waters of the bay could not be identified in the evaluated cores.

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The sediments from the Coari lake, a “terra firme” lake sculpted into Plio-Pleistocene deposits, and the Acará lake, a flooding-type lake developed on Quaternary sediments in the floodplain of the mid-Solimões river, in the western Amazônia, Brazil, were studied to investigate the environmental condition of their developing. This study includes mineral composition, geochemistry, Pb isotope, palinology, radiocarbon-age and morphological framework of the lakes obtained from SRTM satellite images. The geological and the environmental conditions in the two lakes are highly variable and suggest that their evolution reflect autogenic processes under humid rainforest condition. Although kaolinite, quartz, muscovite, illite, and smectite are the main minerals in both lakes, the geochemistry indicates distinct source, the Acará lake sediments have higher concentrations of Al2O3, Fe2O3, FeO, CaO, K2O, MgO, Na2O, P2O5, Ba, V, Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb, Sr, Li, Y and La and have more radiogenic Pb than the Coari lake sediments. The radiocarbon ages suggest that at 10160 yr BP the Coari lake started to be developed due to avulsion of the Solimões river, and the Acará lake was formed by the meander abandonment of Solimões river retaining its grass dominated shore at ca. 3710 yr BP.

Os sedimentos do lago Coari, de ambiente de terra firme eesculpido nos depósitos do Plio-Pleistocenos, e o Acará, típico lago de várzea e ambos formados nos sedimentos quaternários da planície de inundação do médio Solimões, no oeste da Amazônia, Brasil, foram estudados para investigar as condições ambientais durante sua formação. Este estudo inclui dados da composição mineralógica, química, isótopos de Pb, palinologia, datações de radiocarbono e a configuração morfológica dos lagos obtida por imagens SRTM. As condições geológica e ambiental dos lagos variam e sugerem que suas evoluções refletem processos autogenéticos em condições de floresta úmida e chuvosa. Embora caulinita, quartz, muscovita, illita e esmectita sejam os principais minerais em ambos os lagos, a geoquímica indica fonte distinta, os sedimentos do lago Acará têm maior concentração de Al2O3, Fe2O3, FeO, CaO, K2O, MgO, Na2O, P2O5, Ba, V, Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb, Sr, Li, Y e La e têm mais Pb radiogênico que os sedimentos do lago Coari. As idades de radiocarbono sugerem que há aproximadamente 10160 anos AP o lago Coari iniciou o desenvolvimento devido a avulsão do rio Solimões, enquanto o lago Acará foi formado devido ao abandono de meandro do rio Solimões e retendo o domínio das gramíneas nas suas praias há aproximadamente 3710 anos AP.

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Age determinations using the 235U and 238U radioactive decay series to the daughter isotopes 207Pb and 206Pb, respectively, using the mineral zircon (ZrSiO4), are widely used to decipher geological processes. A new method developed in the last couple of years, the laser ablation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS), overcomes previous laborious sample preparation, and yields isotopic ratios and age data with a high spatial resolution of ten of microns. The present study describes the analytical set-up and data reduction process as presently applied at the Laboratory for Geochronology of the University of Brasília. It explores the precision and accuracy of the method by cross-analysing three international zircon standards. We arrive at a precision of 1.9 to 3.7 percent (2σ SD) and an accuracy of 0.6 to 3.8 percent (2σ SD) for and U isotopic ratios of the standards. We also apply the method to two natural zircon samples, which have previously been dated by other analytical methods. A comparison of the results show a good conformity of the age data,being whitin the error limits. The data demonstrate the great analytical potential of the method for rapid, precise and accurate U-Pb isotopic analyses on the micron scale.

A determinação de idades através do decaimento dos isótopos radioativos 235U e 238U para os isótopos radiogênicos 207Pb e 206Pb, respectivamente, utilizando o mineral zircão (ZrSiO4), é amplamente aplicada para decifrar processos geológicos. Um novo método tem sido desenvolvido nos últimos anos, a ablação a laser multi-coletor espectrometria de massas com plasma indutivamente acoplado (LA-MC-ICP-MS), superando o laborioso trabalho anteriormente necessário em outros métodos, na preparação de amostras, e permite obtenção de razões isotópicas com alta resolução espacial de micrômetros. O presente estudo descreve os procedimentos analíticos e os métodos usados na redução de dados que estão sendo aplicados no Laboratório de Geocronologia da Universidade de Brasília. Explora-se a precisão e exatidão do método através da análise de três padrões internacionais de zircão. Observa-se uma precisão entre 1,9 a 3,7 por cento (2σ desvio padrão) e uma exatidão de 0,6 a 3,8 por cento (2σ desvio padrão) para as razões isotópicas de Pb e U dos padrões. Também foram obtidas idades pelo método LA-ICP-MS de duas amostras de zircões naturais, que já foram datadas anteriormente por outros métodos analíticos. A comparação dos resultados mostra uma boa conformidade das idades obtidas, dentro dos limites de erro.Os dados demonstram o grande potencial do método analítico para análises isotópicas rápidas, precisas e exatas de U-Pb, numa escala de micrômetros.