Obtención de niveles de remediación de suelo aplicando una evaluación de riesgo ecológico en un sitio contaminado por hidrocarburos y metales en Cd. Madero, Tamaulipas

Abstract

An ecological risk assessment (ERA) was performed on a site contaminated by hydrocarbons to evaluate the potential harms to wildlife. The site was located in Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas, Mexico and the assessment targets were the terrestrial organisms found at the place (8 mammal species and 13 bird species). The Hazard Quotient (HQ) method was applied, considering only the ingestion route of exposure. The information gathered during the assessment was used to obtain transfer factors that made possible to calculate protective soil concentrations which are expected to protect the health of the organisms evaluated. The contaminants considered for the assessment were the 16 PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) belonging to the prioritary pollutants as defined by the U.S.EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency), BTEX (Benzene, Toulene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylenes), as well as 8 metals (Aluminum, Cadmium, Chromium, Iron, Nickel, Lead, Vanadium, and Zinc). The results indicated risk only in the case of lead, and this was for three species of birds; this is the information presented in this work.