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Tracing multi-anthropogenic inputs in intertidal mudflat sediments using lead and zinc isotopes
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Tracing multi-anthropogenic inputs in intertidal mudflat sediments using lead and zinc isotopes

Sanny Castro, Wanilson Luiz-Silva, Hyeryeong Jeong, João Barreira, Wilson Machado, Christian Sanders, Jeremie Garnier and Daniel F. Araújo
Marine pollution bulletin, Vol.227, pp.1-8
06/2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119470
PMID: 41780361
Appears in  Recent Faculty of Science and Engineering Publications
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Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0,  Open Access
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Abstract

Industrial contamination Mangrove Marine pollution Pb isotopes Sediment core Trace metal Zn isotopes
Intertidal mudflat sediments are valuable archives of long-term contamination in tropical estuaries, yet isotopic approaches remain underexplored in these environments. In this study, we present new Pb (208 Pb/206 Pb, 206 Pb/207 Pb) and Zn (δ66Zn) isotopic records integrated with previously published Pb and Zn concentration data from a sediment core collected in the Santos–Cubatão Estuarine System (southeastern Brazil), reconstructing the history of contamination in one of the most industrialized coastal areas in Latin America. Pb isotopic ratios clearly separate deeper pre-industrial sediments with geogenic signatures from upper layers influenced by radiogenic Pb inputs associated with emissions from a steel plant. Zn isotopic compositions reveal temporal shifts in contamination: heavier δ66 Zn values correspond to high-temperature industrial processes, whereas lighter values after the mid-1980s reflect increasing contributions from diffuse urban effluents following the implementation of environmental controls. Importantly, isotopic data capture early anthropogenic signals of contamination in sediment layers where elemental concentrations alone still resembled geogenic background conditions. These findings demonstrate that Pb and Zn isotopes provide sensitive tracers of shifting contamination sources, enabling a refined reconstruction of pollution history in mudflats beyond what concentration data can reveal. This study underscores the potential of isotope geochemistry to improve legacy pollution assessments in estuarine systems worldwide.

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