Phosphorus chemical speciation in surface sediments from Cananéia – a non-impacted estuary
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/Keywords:
Phosphorus speciation, Organic phosphorus, Organic carbon, CIELC, Autochthonous and allochthonous originsAbstract
Phosphorus (P) is found in estuarine sediments, which belong to the biogeochemical cycle of this element
in aquatic environments. This study examines the distribution of P in different chemical speciations in
surface sediments at 14 stations in the southern region of the Cananéia-Iguape Estuarine-Lagoon Complex.
P chemical fractions were determined using a sequential extraction method of fractional extraction that
measures five P forms: (i) exchangeable P (Pexch), loosely adsorbed or exchangeable; (ii) P-Fe (P-Fe),
P-bound Fe oxyhydroxides; (iii) authigenic P (P-CFAP), including carbonate fluorapatite, biogenic apatite
(fish debris), and P-bound calcium carbonate; (iv) detrital P (P-FAP), igneous or metamorphic apatites;
(v) organic P (Porg); and (vi) total P (Ptotal). The P fractions associated with the sedimentary properties of
grain size and organic content can be used as a proxy for understanding environmental conditions. The
average percentage of each P fraction of the surface sediments in this region follows the sequence:
P-Fe (38%) > Porg (32%) > Pexch (14%) > P-FAP (9%) > P-CFAP (7%). In all stations, P-Fe and Porg were the
main fractions of P in the sediments. CaCO3
accounted for less than 30% of it, essentially indicating lithoclastic
characteristics, whereas organic carbon (Corg) showed values below 2%. Finally, Ptotal showed concentrations
that are consistent with an unpolluted environment, with values below 16 µmol g-1.
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