Trace metal analysis in sea grasses from Mexican Caribbean Coast by particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE)
The growing urban and tourist activity in the Mexican Caribbean coasts has resulted in an increase of chemical substances, metals in particular,discharged to the coastal waters. In order to reach an adequate management and conservation of these marine ecosystems it is necessaryto perform an inventor...
| Autores: | , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2008 |
| País: | México |
| Institución: | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México |
| Repositorio: | Redalyc-UNAM |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:redalyc.org:57054112 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=57054112 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Física, Astronomía y Matemáticas PIXE seagrass biomonitors Trace metals |
| Sumario: | The growing urban and tourist activity in the Mexican Caribbean coasts has resulted in an increase of chemical substances, metals in particular,discharged to the coastal waters. In order to reach an adequate management and conservation of these marine ecosystems it is necessaryto perform an inventory of the actual conditions that reflect the vulnerability and the level of damage. Sea-grasses are considered goodbiological indicators of heavy metal contamination in marine systems. The goal of this preliminary work is to evaluate the concentrationsof trace metals such as Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, and Pb in Thalassia testudinum, a very common sea-grass in the Mexican Caribbean Sea.Samples were collected from several locations in the coasts of the Yucat´an Peninsula: Holbox, Blanquizal and Punta Allen, areas virtuallyuninfluenced by anthropogenic activities. Trace elements in different part plants were determined by particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE).This is a very suitable technique since it offers a fast, accurate and multi-element analysis. Also, the analysis by PIXE can be performeddirectly on powdered leaves without a laborious sample preparation. The trace metal concentration determined in sea-grasses growing inCaribbean generally fall in the range of the lowest valuables reported for sea grasses from the Gulf of Mexico. The results indicate that thestudied areas do not present contamination by heavy metals |
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