Santa Rosalia Abstract

To know the environment impact on a harbor of the Santa Rosala port on the Baja California
peninsula, the concentrations of metals (C, Co, Cu, !n, "b, # an $n% in harbor seiments were
etermine for &' stations an compare with their avera(e upper )arth*s crust abunance+ The
mean enrichment factors, calculate usin( Al as a normali,er, were hi(her than the unit- for A(,
Ba, Bi, C, Co, Cu,!n, .i, "b, Sb, #,/an $n+ Concentrations of sli(htl- enriche C in the
seiments are below the effect ran(e low ()R0% seiment 1ualit- (uielines value onl- at three
stations+ The levels of "b in the harbor seiments at four stations (&, 2, 3 an &&% are between the
)R0 (42+5 m( k(6&% an the effect ran(e meium ()R!% (7&8 m( k(6&%, an "b content in the rest
of the seiment samples is hi(her than the )R!, emonstratin( the hi(h e9tent of the anthropo(enic
impact of this metal on the seimentar- environment+ The total concentrations of the potentiall-
to9ic elements Cu (','3: ; 8:4 m( k(6&% an $n (&,3&2 ; 543 m( k(6&% ver- stron(l- e9cee their
)R!, showin( a hi(h possibilit- of to9icolo(ical an(er for marine biota, livin( insie or enterin(
the harbor+
The bio(eochemical c-cles of metals in the coastal environment re1uire special attention ue to the
interaction of these elements with ifferent components of marine ecos-stems an the to9icit- of
hi(h concentrations of some metals for the marine biota (Clark 7::&%+The levels of these elements
in the ecos-stem epen on the e9istence of natural sources or on the intensit- of human activities
(<erlach &38&= Salomons an >o?rstner &384%+ The harbors of seaports are fre1uentl- pollute b-
metals ischar(e from ship repair or paintin( (0eplan et al+ 7:&:%+ The important anthropo(enic
sources of metals for the marine environment are minin( an smeltin( in the coastal ,one (.ria(u
&334%+
>or e9ample, in the Santa Rosala copper minin( re(ion (central Baja California peninsula%, the
coastal marine seiment composition is influence b- ifferent metals carrie b- arro-os from the
raina(e basin (Conl- et al+ 7::@% or supplie within minin( an smeltin( wastes transporte to the
sea from the raina(e area urin( rains, b- the aeolic pathwa- or ue to past irect umpin( into the
marine environment (Shumilin et al+ 7:::, 7::@, 7:&&, 7:&7= Ror(ue, >i(ueroa 7::4, 7:&:%+
The objective of this stu- is to characteri,e the metal pollution of the surface seiments collecte
in the harbor area of the port of Santa Rosala, activel- use b- fishermen an tourists as an all6
seasons recreation area+
The Santa Rosala harbor is locate in the central part of the eastern coast of the peninsula of Baja
California, !e9ico (>i(+ &%+ This port is more than a centur- ol an was constructe after the
iscover- of copper mineral eposits an the openin( of a smelter for copper in the Santa Rosala
minin( re(ion (Ailson an Rocha &3@@%+
After the termination of the minin( an metallur(ic activities in &384, this port has been use
mainl- for a fisher-, for tourist transportation, for ferr- communication with the port of <ua-mas
on the eastern coast of the <ulf of California an for charter cruises to San !arcos Bslan, a
re(ional center of (-psum minin(+