Abstract
Ten sites along the Tecate River, Mexico were sampled to evaluate the cadmium, lead, nickel and chromium concentrations in sediments. The result shows contamination for cadmium in most of the sites, where two sites were class 4 (polluted to strongly polluted) according to geoaccumulation index proposed by Muller. Two sites were found polluted for all the heavy metals analyzed (Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni), indicating the effect of anthropogenic activities. A correlation between Ni and Cd concentration had been found indicating a common source. These metals are usually used in electroplating industry. The results of this study can be used for decision makers to prioritize measures to control the pollution for these metals.
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Acknowledgments
This research has been conducted with the support of Universidad Autonoma de Baja California. The authors would like to thank Mario Del Valle for correcting the draft of this paper and the anonymous reviewers for their useful comments.
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Wakida, F.T., Lara-Ruiz, D., Temores-Peña, J. et al. Heavy metals in sediments of the Tecate River, Mexico. Environ Geol 54, 637–642 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-0831-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-0831-6