Geochemical elements in suspended particulate matter of Ensenada de La Paz Lagoon, Baja California Peninsula, Mexico: Sources, distribution, mass balance and ecotoxicological risks
Muthuswamy Ponniah Jonathan , Sandra Soledad Morales-García , Pilar de Acacia Pérez- Escamilla , Suresh Babu Sujitha , Pichaimani Godwyn-Paulson , Andrés Felipe Zúñiga-Cabezas
DOI:10.1016/j.jes.2022.08.033
Received April 12, 2022,Revised , Accepted August 25, 2022, Available online September 15, 2022
Volume 36,2024,Pages 422-436
The present study aimed to evaluate multi-element concentrations (Al, As, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sr) in suspended particulate material (SPM) collected from Ensenada de La Paz (ELP) lagoon, Baja California Sur, Mexico in two different periods (September and May) to comprehend their origin, geochemical behavior, mass transfer and associated ecotoxicological risks. The 24 hr variation coefficient of volumetric SPM levels were found to be 51.7% in September and 40.5% in May, signifying the effects of oceanic waters. The calculated enrichment factor (EF) values for all the studied elements were of higher magnitude because of the high surface area and oxide nature of SPM, and in this study, Mo had the highest EF of 46.77 probably due to its origin from continental weathering. From the ecotoxicological perspective, the integrated toxic risk index revealed low toxic risk to the benthic community. However, the mean-ERM-Quotient calculated using the particulate concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb indicated 9% probability of toxicity to biota. The comprehensive geochemical and ecotoxicological assessment of particulate metal concentrations in the ELP lagoon signify low to moderate contamination.
