Dahlia C. Apodaca,** Charo T. Balgua-Ocampo, Gina Flor C. Frankera-Resubal and Edita M. Macalalad

Mines and Geosciences Bureau, North Avenue Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines 1100 
**Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Monitoring of total metal concentration in water and sediments is not sufficient to assess the impact of heavy metals in environmental compartments. Metals, once distributed in the environment may assume different physico-chemical forms, which directly influence their corresponding fate, transport and toxicity to aquatic and terrestrial organisms. It is therefore imperative, that “speciation” of heavy metals be conducted to achieve better understanding of mechanisms by which metals participate in geochemical processes and affect impacted environment, for example, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, speciation of copper (Cu), lead (Pb), arsenic (As) and chromium (Cr) in marine sediments collected from the Calancan Bay, Sta. Cruz, Marinduque, Philippines was performed, employing the Tessier et al. speciation scheme to assess the mobility of these heavy metals in marine sediments impacted by mine tailings disposal. Results indicate that copper present in sediment samples was found mostly in the organic fraction, while Pb was found associated with iron (Fe)/manganese (Mn) oxides and hydroxides fractions. Further, speciation data ascertain that As and Cr are both present in the lithogenic fraction of the sediment.

Keywords: heavy metals, chemical speciation, marine sediments, mine tailings, mobility

*Apodaca, D. C., Ocampo, C. B., Resubal, G. F. F. and Macalalad, E. M. Trace Metal Speciation in Sediments of Calancan Bay, Sta. Cruz, Marinduque, Philippines, SYLVATROP, The Technical Journal of Philippine Ecosystems and Natural Resources, 2013, 23 (1&2), 21-52.