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Microbial Activities and Bioavailable Concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Pb in Sediments from a Tropic and Eutrothicated Bay

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Abstract

Stressed communities show changes in energetics and nutrient demand and recovery. The evaluation of microbial communities energy demand can be measured by enzyme activities. Thus, by using such approaches, it might be possible to determine the microbial response to metal contaminations. Guanabara Bay surface sediments were sampled in 20 stations. Grain size, bioavailable metals, total organic carbon, total sulfur, dehydrogenase activity, esterase activities, viable bacterial cells, carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins were determined in all samples. Bioavailable metal concentration ranges from below detection limit in sandy stations in the entrance of the bay by up to the same order of magnitude as total concentrations obtained by other authors. Biopolymers were mainly lipids and carbohydrates, and minimum concentrations were also observed in sandy sediments. C:S ratio of 4.4 ± 1.3 (mean ± standard deviation) expresses the reduced tendency conditions of the bay, negatively correlated to viable bacteria cells (in order of 107 cell g−1). Esterase enzyme activities positively correlated with organic and fine sediment content. Stations with the highest metals and organic contents also have the highest esterase activities and dramatic decline of bacterial cells. In these locations occur better water renewal and subsequent aeration, which increases the efficiency of the organic matter oxidation and decreases matrix geochemical sequestration of metals and renders them bioavailable.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge the staff of the Laboratory of Marine Microbiology from Fluminense Federal University by microbial analysis in sampling data. The authors also thank a master grant from the Brazilian Research Council (CNPq) to T. S. da Silva and two anonymous reviewers that provided valuable comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Geoquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, 24020-150, Brazil

    Elisamara Sabadini-Santos & Thiago D. Lopes-Rosa

  2. Departamento de Biologia Marinha, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, 24020-150, Brazil

    Tabatta S. da Silva & Mirian A. C. Crapez

  3. Laboratório de Palinofácies & Fácies Orgânica (LAFO), Departamento de Geologia, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21.949-900, Brazil

    Thiago D. Lopes-Rosa & João Graciano Mendonça-Filho

  4. Departamento de Química Analítica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-909, Brazil

    Ricardo E. Santelli

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  1. Elisamara Sabadini-Santos
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  2. Tabatta S. da Silva
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Sabadini-Santos, E., da Silva, T.S., Lopes-Rosa, T.D. et al. Microbial Activities and Bioavailable Concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Pb in Sediments from a Tropic and Eutrothicated Bay. Water Air Soil Pollut 225, 1949 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-014-1949-2

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