Open AccessLong‐term records of trace metal content of western Mediterranean seagrass ( Posidonia oceanica ) meadows: Natural and anthropogenic contributions
Author(s) -
TovarSánchez Antonio,
Serón Juan,
Marbà Núria,
Arrieta Jesús M.,
Duarte Carlos M.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: biogeosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2009jg001076
Subject(s) - posidonia oceanica , seagrass , mediterranean sea , mediterranean climate , rhizome , trace metal , archipelago , environmental chemistry , environmental science , oceanography , geology , botany , metal , chemistry , ecology , biology , ecosystem , organic chemistry
We discuss Al, Ag, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn contents in seagrass Posidonia oceanica rhizomes from the Balearic Archipelago for the last 3 decades. Time series of metal concentration in P. oceanica were measured by dating rhizomes using retrospective procedures. The highest concentrations of Al (174.73 μ g g −1 ), Cd (3.56 μ g g −1 ), Cr (1.34 μ g g −1 ), Cu (32.15 μ g g −1 ), Pb (8.51 μ g g −1 ), and Zn (107.14 μ g g −1 ) were measured in meadows located around the largest and most densely populated island (Mallorca Island). There was a general tendency for Ag concentration to decrease with time (up to 80% from 1990 to 2005 in sample from Mallorca Island), which could be attributed to a reduction of the anthropogenic sources. Nickel and Zn concentrations were the unique elements that showed a consistent temporal trend in all samples, increasing their concentrations since year 1996 at all studied stations; this trend matched with the time series of UV‐absorbing aerosols particles in the air (i.e., aerosols index) over the Mediterranean region (r 2 : 0.78, p < 0.001 for Cabrera Island), suggesting that P. oceanica could be an efficient recorder of dust events. A comparison of enrichment factors in rhizomes relative to average crustal material indicates that suspended aerosol is also the most likely source for Cr and Fe to P. oceanica .