Interaction of Suspended Particulate Material with Cd2+ and Pb2+ in a Brazilian Lagoon Estuarine System

The suspended particulate material (SPM) present in waters has fundamental importance for a better understanding of environmental behaviors of aquatic pollutants. This work determined the physicochemical parameters (pH, temperature, conductivity, total organic carbon and metals concentration) in water samples from Mundaú-Manguaba estuarine-lagoon system, Alagoas, Brazil. This work extracted and characterized the organic matter present in SPM in this estuary and studied the interaction of this organic matter with potentially toxic metals (Cd2+ and Pb2+). The results of the physical-chemical parameters evaluated showed influence of the tide and also of anthropic contributions close to the estuary. In fact, the lead concentrations determined (0.10-1.32 mg L-1) are well above that allowed by Brazilian legislation (< 0.010 mg L-1). The organic matter present in the SPM showed a high degree of humification being similar to the organic matter extracted from water and showed strong interaction by Pb2+ ions.