TITLE:
Evaluation of Environmental and Ecological Effects Due to the Accident in an Oil Pipe from Petrobras in Guanabara Bay, RJ, Brazil
AUTHORS:
Patrícia P. B. Eichler, Beatriz Beck Eichler, Felipe Mendonça Pimenta, Evelyn da Rocha Mendes Pereira, Helenice Vital
KEYWORDS:
Foraminifera, pH, Oxygen Concentration, Guanabara Bay, Environmental Quality
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Marine Science,
Vol.4 No.4,
October
30,
2014
ABSTRACT: We aim to evaluate the
quality of the Guanabara Bay sediments and the ecological changes due to the
PETROBRAS crude oil leak in January 2000. Twenty-six sediment samples collected
in July 2000 and in February 2001 were analyzed for pH, dissolved oxygen, and foraminiferal
composition. In the northwest and central parts of the bay, low oxygen
dissolved values are related to waste discharges with the dominance of Buliminella elegantissima. In winter,
near Iguaçu River, the pH of the sediment is low, therefore highly acidic. The
acidity is responsible for the foraminiferal low diversity limiting the
occurrence of species with fragile tests. On the other hand, thicker tests of Elphidium spp. disappeared last,
therefore increasing its relative dominance in winter. In summer, this is a
barren zone. The explanation lies in the continuous dissolution of tests that
culminated with the total disappearance of these microorganisms one year after
the accident.