Analysis of Metal Pollutants in the Houston Ship Channel by Inductively Coupled Plasma/Mass Spectrometry

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety 1999-09, Vol.44 (1), p.113-117
• Main Authors: Saleh, Mahmoud A., Wilson, Bobby L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring; Fresh water environment; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Houston Ship Channel; ICP/MS; inorganic pollutants; Mass Spectrometry; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Spectrophotometry, Atomic; Texas; trace metals; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1006/eesa.1999.1807

Trace metal pollutants in the surface water of the Houston Ship Channel were determined using inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry (ICP/MS). Metal concentrations varied according to sampling sites. Barium, cobalt, chromium, molybdenum, silver, beryllium, antimony, lead, and mercury concentrations were relatively similar throughout the channel averaging 83.25, 0.55, 6.31, 6.66, 0.02, 0.017, 3.61, 0.68, and 0.055 μg/L, respectively. Titanium, manganese, copper, zinc, nickel, and selenium concentrations were found to be higher at stations closer to the Galveston Bay (as the water is turning from relatively fresh water to sea water) with concentration ranges of 102.5–351.7, 0.3–25, 0.3–25, 30–280, 16–77, 6.2–26.5, and 0.0–6.2 μg/L, respectively. Aluminum was found to be much higher at the Buffalo Bayou station (341 μg/L) followed by the San Jacinto station (104 μg/L) with an average of 42 μg/L in the other two stations. Vanadium was found to be unusually high at the Washburn Tunnel station (116 μg/L) and at much lower concentrations in the other three stations, averaging 6.5 μg/L. Iron was also higher at the Buffalo Bayou station (143 μg/L) but was absent at the Lynchburg Ferries station. Arsenic was not found at the Lynchburg and San Jacinto stations. However, arsenic had similar concentrations of 1.983 and 1.835 μg/L at Buffalo Bayou and Washburn Tunnel, respectively. Cadmium was higher at the Lynchburg Ferries station (3.3 μg/L) and ranged from 0.3 to 0.96 μg/L in the other locations. Thallium was not found in any of the stations.