Contribution of Oil Industry Activities to Environmental Loads of Heavy Metals in the Tabasco Lowlands, Mexico

Abstract

In Tabasco the petroleum industry pollutes soil recurrently by oil spills. We analysed Pb, V, Ni and Cr concentrations in water samples, and total metal contents and metal fractions in soil samples of contaminated and non-contaminated soils and in sediments. Besides, we determined Eh, pH, DOC and major ions in water and Eh, pH, C org in soils and sediments. Sediments contained considerably larger heavy metal (HM) concentrations than soils. Local background concentrations of V, Ni and Cr in soils are larger than global means and oil spillages have not added these metals in quantities that exceed the natural variation. Spillage of formation water increases Pb concentrations in soils, particularly in mobile fractions. The contribution of the oil industry to HM loads is diluted by large fluvial water and sediment discharges and difficult to assess by comparison of total metal contents. Therefore, easily mobile metal fractions are much better indicators.

American oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and sediments as a coastal zone pollution monitor by heavy metals

“…The rainy season has a greater influence on the accumulation of Ba and V. Vanadium is an uncommon heavy metal which has been detected in the sediments of the lagoons in the State of Tabasco (Fiedler et al 2008), showing a tendency to increase in relation to the depth. The presence of V and other heavy metals is attributed to the industrial activities related to the exploration of hydrocarbons in the area.…”

“…Accordingly, different studies have reported significant amounts of V, Ni, Ba, Cr, Pb and Cd (Vázquez et al 2002;Vázquez and Sharma 2004). Fiedler et al (2008) attributed the presence of V to the proximity to the oil-extraction areas in the lagoons of Tabasco.…”

Spatiotemporal Distributions of Sr and Ba along an Estuarine River with a Large Salinity Gradient to the Gulf of Mexico

“…For instance, Spangenbery and Cherr [21] showed that adverse effects on mussel embryos occurred when Ba concentration was between 200 and 900 µg/L. In addition to their natural occurrence, the level of trace metals in waterways could be elevated from petrochemical industry [24]. Offshore oil and gas drilling use two primary types of drilling fluids: water-based fluids and non-aqueous drilling fluids.…”

Los cromosomas de las tortugas tropicales: Kinosternon leucostomum, Trachemys scripta y Staurotypus triporcatus (Testudines: Kinosternidae/Emydidae)

“…En México se han identificado microcromosomas "B" en diversas especies de organismos acuáticos como los caracoles de tinte Plicopurpura pansa y Plicopurpura columellaris (Arias-Rodriguez, González-Hermoso, Fletes-Regalado, Rodrí-guez-Ibarra & Del Valle-Pignataro, 2007), en los peces tropicales Petenia splendida y Atractosteus tropicus (Arias-Rodriguez et al, 2008; y en la rana arborícola Smilisca baudinii (Hernández-Guzmán et al, 2011), por lo que la presencia de microcromosomas "B" en las tortugas K. leucostomum, T. scripta y S. triporcatus de Tabasco incrementa el número de incidencia de especies con presencia de cromosomas supernumerarios, encontrando una relación constante en las especies con este citotipo cariológico específico, en donde todos los organismos con microcromosomas "B" son acuáticos o semiacuáticos. La hipótesis del origen de los microcromosomas "B" presentes en la biodiversidad mexicana, puede tener relación con la presencia de componentes xenobióticos en niveles o concentraciones elevadas (Arias-Rodriguez et al, 2007;2008;Hernández-Guzmán et al, 2011); esta idea es reforzada por los antecedentes históricos de presencia de metales pesados en sistemas acuáticos y terrestres del Golfo de México y principalmente del estado de Tabasco, de donde son procedentes las tres especies de tortugas K. leucostomum, T. scripta y S. triporcatus (Rosas et al, 1983;Villanueva & Botello, 1992;Fiedler et al, 2009;De la Cruz-Pons et al, 2012). También algunos estudios han demostrado la relevancia de los microcromosomas, por ejemplo en la tortuga Pelodiscus sinensis en la que el 50% de los genes funcionales se encuentran alojados en los microcromosomas (Kuraku et al, 2006), los cuales son ricos en secuencias de Guanina-Citosina más que en los macrocromosomas, a pesar de que los microcromosomas sólo representan el 23% del total de ADN (Olmo, Capriglione & Odierna, 2002;Olmo, 2008).…”