Historical trend of mercury pollution in Caribbean coastal

zones derived from Pb-210 and Cs-137 chronology

RLA7012

Carlos M. Alonso-Hernández

CEAC-Cuba

Ana Carolina Ruiz Fernández

UNAM-Mexico

Alberto Quejido-Cabezas

CIEMAT-Spain

Joan-Albert Sánchez-Cabeza

UAB- Spain

Victor Martínez-Herrera

CIRA-Nicaragua

Jane Gerardo-Abaya

TC-IAEA

Maria Betti

NAEL-IAEA

A B

C D

E

F G

H

L M

N

I

J K

A= Havana Bay

B= Sagua Estuary

C=Golfo Batabano

D= Cienfuegos Bay

E=Río Coatzacoalcos

F= Amatique Bay

G=Puerto Cortés

H= Bluefields Bay

I= Almirante Bay.

J= Cartagena Bay

K=Golfo Cariaco

L= Kingston Bay

M=Port-auPrince Bay

N= Haina Estuary

Colombia

Cuba

Rep. Dominicana

Haití

Honduras

Jamaica

México

Nicaragua

Venezuela

Muestreo en 2007-2009

Total mercury concentrations were determined

using an Direct Mercury Analyzer

(DMA-80)

210Pb and 226Ra were analyzed

by high-resolution gamma

spectrometry, using a low

background intrinsic Ge well

detector.

Pérdidas por

ignición.

CEAC-CUBA

Análisis de 210Po por alfa espectrometría.

MEL-IAEA-MONACO

50

40

30

20

10

010 20 30 40

210Pb

ex (Bq.kg

-1)

De

pth

(cm

)

Cartagena bay Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

0,1

1

10

Antropogenic Levels

Natural Levels

Hg

(m

icro

g g

-1)

Mercury concentration (mg/kg) in sediment cores of Caribbean Sea

Cartagena bay Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Cartagena bay

Mercury concentration (mg/kg) in sediment cores of Caribbean Sea

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

g

cm

-1 y

-1

Cartagena Bay

• Incomplete treatment

of the chlor-alkali plant

residuals.

• Stop in 1978.

• Area of high risk for

the mobilization of

polluted sediments

(Dredged, Hurricanes,

etc)

Historical trend of mercury pollution in Cartagena Bay, Colombia

1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 20000,0

0,1

0,2

0,3

0,4

g

cm

-2 y

-1

Sagua la Grande Estuary

M. Díaz-Asencio et al. / Marine Pollution Bulletin 59 (2009) 108–115

Historical trend of mercury pollution in Sagua Estuary, Cuba

• Operation of the mercury-

cell chlor-alkali plant for the

production of NaOH from

1980.

• Improved system of

treatment of residual in

1990

• Area of high risk for the

mobilization of polluted

sediments (Dredged,

Hurricanes, etc)

1890 1905 1920 1935 1950 1965 1980 1995 2010

0,0

0,2

0,4

0,6

0,8

1,0

1,2

1,4

1,6

1,8

2,0

g

cm

-2 y

-1

Havana Bay

Historical trend of mercury pollution in Havana Bay, Cuba

• Highly populated city.

• It is considered by UNEP

“Highly Polluted Bay”

•Established program of

environmental management

from 1990

• At the present time it shows

signs of environmental

recovery.

1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 20000,0

0,1

0,2

0,3

0,4

g

cm

-2 y

-1

Port-au-Prince Bay

Historical trend of mercury pollution in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

?

Summary

• High concentrations of mercury are obtained for the Bay of Cartagena, Sagua la Grande Estuary, Havana Bay and Port Prince.

• The main source in the region is the waste of the chlor-alkali plant.

• The databases obtained by the nuclear techniques applied in this project, will help to evaluate the efficiency of the politicians and management programs of the coastal zone in the Caribbean