Bioacumulación de elementos potencialmente tóxicos (EPT) por sarcocornia neei en un humedal costero del Perú

The objective of the study was to evaluate the bioaccumulation of potentially toxic elements (EPT) by the Sarcocornia neei stem of the Regional Conservation Area (ACR) Humedales de Ventanilla, Callao Region, Peru. Samples of the stem of S. neei and of the surface soil (0-10 cm) were extracted from three geographical areas of the wetland: tourist zone (ZT), wild use zone (ZS) and recovery zone (ZR). 15 EPT concentrations of the plant and the soil obtained by Inductively Coupled Plasm-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), physicochemical parameters of the soil and bioaccumulation factors of each EPT were analyzed. A Euclidean similar-ity dendrogram was performed between the zoning according to the concentrations of EPT in the soil and a Spearman correlation between the variables evaluated. The concentrations of Pb (lead) in soil in ZT₁ (99.1 mg kg^-1) and in ZS₁ (120 mg kg^-1) exceeded the environmental quality standard of Peru (70 mg kg^-1). According to the Codex Alimentarius, the EPT in the stem of S. neei exceeded the values for arsenic (As) (0.35 mg kg^-1) the ZT₂ and ZR₁, for cadmium (Cd) (0.4 mg kg^-1) the ZT₃ and ZS₂ and for Pb (0.4 mg kg^-1) the ZT₂, ZT₃, ZR₂ and ZR₃, respectively. Sarcocornia neei presented the three accumulation strategies of EPT (exclusor, tolerant and accumulator). The zoning did not present a significant relationship with the soil EPT, the S. neei stem EPT, nor with the bi-accumulation factors (FB) of S. neei. Only electrical conductivity and organic matter were associated with the bioaccumulation of two EPTs (Co and Fe). It is concluded that zoning does not determine the concentration of EPT in surface soil and presents a low contamination by EPT. Finally, the accumulation strategies of EPT by S. neei are highly variable.