Assessing the Sediment Quality of Estero de Sante Bañez, a Major Tributary along Pasig River
Rey Alfred G. Rañola and Karen S. Santiago
University of Santo Tomas, España Blvd., Manila 1015, Philippines
*This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(Photo Left) This swimming hole, photographed in the late 1940s, is the upper end of Estero de Sante Bañez. (Photo Right) Estero de Sante Bañez revealing its current condition. (photo courtesy of Engr. Ramon F. Vasquez, University of Manila)
ABSTRACT
A study was conducted on heavy metal and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) content of the sediment in Estero de Sante Bañez. Sediment samples were collected from three sampling sites of the estero by a modified grab sampling technique. The samples, collected at one (1) meter depth, were placed in clean amber bottles and analyzed for trace metal contents such as lead (Pb), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and mercury (Hg) using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Analyses showed that there were variable distributions of the heavy metal content (mg/kg, dry wt.) from the three sites of the estero. For Cd (<0.01-8.32), Cr (0.6-0.8), Cu (5.4-11.6), Pb (<0.2-3.4), Ni (6.15-12.3), Hg (0.48-0.61) and Zn (11.9-17.9). Most of the trace metals exist mainly in Site C. On the other hand, PCB isomers were analyzed through gas chromatography (GC) using electron capture (EC) as detector and results showed that the content of PCB derivatives (as arochlors) in the estero were below (<0.0007 μg/g) the limit of detection of the instrument (LOD = 0.0007 μg/g).
REFERENCES
CAEIRO S, COSTA MH, RAMOS TB, FERNANDES F, SILVEIRA N, COIMBRA A, MEDEIROS GMP. 2005. Assessing heavy metal contamination in Sado Estuary sediment: An index analysis approach. Ecological Indicators 5: 151-169.
[CCME] Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. 2001. Canadian sediment quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life Summary tables Updated In: Canadian environmental quality guidelines, 1999. Winnipeg, Canada: Canadian Council Ministers for Environment. 32p.
CHAPMAN P, ALLARD PJ, VIGERS GA. 1999. Development of Sediment Quality Values for Hong Kong Special Administrative Region: A Possible Model for Other Jurisdictions. Marine Pollut Bull 38(3): 161-169.
CHAPMAN P, MANN GS. 1999. Sediment Quality Values (SQVs) and Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA). Marine Pollution Bulletin. 38(5): 339-344.
CHAPMAN P, ANDERSON B, CARR S, ENGLE V, GREEN R, HAMEED J, HARMON M, HAVERLAND P, HYLAND J, INGERSOLL C, LONG E, RODGERS J, SALAZAR M, SIBLEY PK, SMITH PJ, SWARTZ RC, THOMPSON B, WINDOM H. 1997. General Guidelines for using the sediment quality triad. Marine Pollut Bull 34(6): 368-372.
DURUIBE JO, OGWUEGBU MOC, EGWURUGWU JN. 2007. Heavy metal pollution and human biotoxic effects. Int J Physic Sci 2 (5): 112-118.
JAIN CK, RAM D. 199). Adsorption of metal ions on bed sediments. Hydrol Sci 42(5): 713-723.
LONG ER, MORGAN LG. 1990. The potential for biological effects of sediment-sorbed contaminants tested in the National Status and Trends Program. In: NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS OMA 52. Seattle, Washington: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 175p.
MANAHAN S. 2003. Environmental Chemistry. Washington: CRC Press. 219p.
TAUTKUS S, STEPONENIENE L, KAZLAUSKASJ R. 2007. Accumulation of cadmium and zinc in bottom sediments of different waters of Lithuania. Serb Chem Soc 72(6): 579-583.
[US EPA] UNITED STATES EVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. 2001. Methods for Collection, Storage and Manipulation of Sediments for Chemical and Toxicological Analyses: Technical Manual. EPA 823-B-01-002. Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water. 210p.
ZABETOGLOU K, VOUTSA D, SAMARA C. 2002. Toxicity and Heavy metal contamination of surficial sediments from the Bay of Thessaloniki (Northwestern Aegean Sea) Greece. Chemosphere 49: 17-26.
