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| Author(s): |
Patrícia Ferreira Silverio
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Doctoral Thesis |
| Press: | São Carlos. |
| Institution: | Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC/SBD) |
| Defense date: | 2003-12-11 |
| Examining board members: |
Antonio Aparecido Mozeto;
Jose Roberto Ferreira;
Marco Tadeu Grassi;
Maria Beatriz Bohrer Morel;
Valdir Schalch
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| Advisor: | Antonio Aparecido Mozeto |
| Abstract | |
This work was part of a project FAPESP (QualiSed Project), where three institutions from São Paulo were involved (UFSCar, UNICAMP, CETESB) and that had as intention to lift data for the future derivation of Sediment Quality Values Guidelines (SQVG) for metals and xenobiotic organic compounds. The specific objective of this work is to generate data for the derivation of SQVG for metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn) in five dams of Tietê River, Billings, Rasgão, Barra Bonita, Bariri and Promissão. The studies were addressed to the biogeochemical characterization of the sediments of those environments through the determinations of the concentrations of the total nutrients and acid volatile sulfide (AVS), the study of the partition of metals among the total sediments and interstitials waters, the determination of the fraction of metals associated with AVS in the total sediments. The lifted up data were interpreted in association to the results of the structure of the benthic community and toxicity tests. It was also accomplished, an Toxicity Identification Evaluation (TIE) with sediments from Rasgão Dam. These procedures use toxicity-based fractionation schemes to characterize (Fase I), to identify (Fase II) and to confirm (Fase III) the compounds responsible for the toxicity of the sample. In a series of laboratory experiments Hyalella azteca and Tubifex tubifex were also used in bioessays with spiked sediments, being used sediments from Promissão Dam. The results of this work showed that, the levels of concentration of nutrients in the studied dams are high (total C: 3 - 6%; total N: 0,3 - 1,3%; total P and 0,2 - 0,5%), what is an indication that those environments are eutrophicated. The concentrations of the SEM presented the tendency of a concentration gradient, decreasing the concentration of metals in the sediments of the dams of the capital to the interior (however happening an inversion between Barra Bonita and Bariri). This inversion was attributed to the discharge of coming sewers of the entrance of the rivers Jaú and Bauru in the Bariri Dam. For AVS the same gradient was observed, also happening an inversion between Barra Bonita and Bariri. According to the solid phase SQVG, praised for USEPA, metals are controlled by sulfídric phase (Billings, Rasgão, Barra Bonita) or by total organic carbon (TOC) (Bariri and Promissão). The interstitial water value guide toxic Units (IWVGTU), applied to the different dams was violated by all studied environments. In this case, those values should be compared with the toxicity tests, because even in cases where the IWVGTU is violated, the toxicity cannot be due to the metals of the sediments. In the same way that in AVS SQVG, it can be having a control for binding phases in the pore water (ligands dissolved) that act attenuating the bioavailability and consequently the toxicity. Evaluating the results of the studies of metal spiking in sediment, only the dams of Rasgão and Billings had reached the concentration strip where there was manifestation of effects in the experiments of metal spiking. Such results are also in agreement with SQVG of Canada. However, those environments possess a sulfides stock that would be unbioavailabling the metals and therefore, these pollutants would not be causing deleterious effects to the local aquatic organisms. The results from TIE with the sediments from Rasgão Dam are a surprise only in respect to the substances or group of them that cause the toxicity (ammonia) given that the presence of significant concentrations of metals and organic compounds was detected and found in this environment. The data are an alert to the responsible public agencies for the administration of hydric resources of the State of São Paulo and they should serve as base for the establishment of measures or effective actions in the contention of the progress of the degradation of the quality in cascade of Tietê River´s dams. The data from this study in association to others data from the QualiSed Project (UFSCar-UNICAMP-CETESB) formed the base for the proposition of a program of sediment quality hierarchical and integrated evaluation (SQHIE), where SQVG in use in Canada and USA are used as guidelines values to some actions (physical analyses, chemistries, biological and ecotoxicological) in the different stages of the program (decision tree). (AU) | |