A Multi-Geochemical Characterization to Evaluate Anthropogenic Contamination in Marine Sediments from Port of Suape, Northeast of Brazil

Abstract

To investigate the anthropogenic contamination of the Port of Suape, five surface sediments were collected and subjected to a geochemical characterization based on the determination of environmental biomarkers such as sterols, aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and also metals and arsenic. Sterol analyses point to a moderate level of sewage contamination, while n-alkanes analyses indicated contamination by petroleum in an early stage of biodegradation. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons analyses pointed to a mixture of contributions for the organic matter, which were predominantly found for petrogenic and pyrolytic sources. The quantification of trace metals indicated a low risk to the environment, except for As, which was identified as displaying moderate contamination. During the analysis of all biomarkers, the sediment collected near one of the shipyards was the most affected. These results enable comprehension of the level of contamination in an important Brazilian port and the need to develop remediation policies.