Heavy metal distribution in recent sediments along the Tietê River basin (São Pauro, Brazil)

Jefferson Mortatti (1) , Graziela Meneghel de Moraes (1) , Jean-Luc Probst (2)

1 CENA - Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura
2 LEFE - Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement

The distribution of heavy metals in recent sediments deposited along the Tietê River, a highly polluted river in southeast region of Brazil was studied. Around the metropolitan area of São Paulo city (25 million people), the pollution is related to municipal wastes and industrial effluents with reinforced downstream by agricultural activities. The observed increase of heavy metal concentrations is particularly important for Zn in the upper basin and Cu, Co and Cr at mouth. Geo-accumulation index calculation, related to the regional background, showed that the sediments along the basin are seriously polluted by heavy metals of anthropogenic origin, mainly Cu, Co, Cr and Zn. Calculated index suggests medium to very strongly pollution.

Mots clés: Heavy metals; Tietê River; Sediments; Geo-accumulation index; Pollution

Domaines: Biodiversité et Ecologie; Géochimie

Jefferson Mortatti, Graziela Meneghel de Moraes, Jean-Luc Probst. Heavy metal distribution in recent sediments along the Tietê River basin (São Pauro, Brazil). Geochemical Journal, 2011, 46 (1), pp.13-19. ⟨hal-03542265⟩