Abstract

DIAZ LOPEZ, Cristina; CARRION JIMENEZ, José Manuel  and  GONZALEZ BUCIO, José Luis. Estudio de la contaminación por Hg, Pb, Cd y Zn en la bahía de Chetumal, Quintana Roo, México. Rev. Soc. Quím. Perú [online]. 2006, vol.72, n.1, pp.19-31. ISSN 1810-634X.

The environmental pollution by heavy metals in Chetumal Bay was studied, quantifying mercury, lead, cadmium and zinc concentrations in mussels tissue (Mytilopsis sallei) and sea sediments by collecting samples in two seasons of the year (drought and rainy). Moreover, determining the motion of Cd, Pb and Zn in sediments using a BCR’s sequential extraction scheme and identifying the different mineral phases by X-ray diffraction. From this study, it was observed that the Pb, Cd and Zn concentrations were lower in mussels than sediments. However the concentrations profiles for these metals are similar in mussels and sediments. Statistical correlations from the results are presented and discussed. The results obtained are in good agreementwith published values for polluted sediments.

Keywords : heavy metals; bioaccumulation.