Multiple biogeochemical indicators of environmental quality in tropical estuaries reveal contrasting conservation opportunities

摘要: Abstract Estuaries are under major impacts from pollution even when managed as conservation units. Here we used multiple biogeochemical indexes of contamination and trophic status, including faecal sterols, biopolymers trace metals, to determine compare environmental quality two tropical estuaries with contrasting status. In the metropolitan estuary, eutrophic/hypereutrophic conditions high concentrations (>1.0 µg g−1) coprostanol were spatially correlated sources raw sewage input. Unexpected eutrophic sediments also detected at estuarine reserve, but low indicating that organic availability burial predominated. The natural or polluted determined by comparing indexes, which indicated sediment within estuary. This study indicates long-term ecosystems on Atlantic coast Brazil threatened a typically poor treatment suggests need be evaluated proxies before can included in spatial planning.