Arsenic enrichment in shelf and coastal sediment of the Brazilian subtropics

High levels of As (i.e., above the nationally legislated threshold of 70 mg kg−1) were found in shelf sediment of the Espirito Santo state of Brazil. The elevated content of this metalloid propagated in the sediment to a depth of approximately 1.5 m. The adjacent beach sands and mangrove sediments were also enriched in As. The variation in As levels along the shelf sediment profiles was acompained by calcareous-material distribution, which reflects the paleogeographical circumstances that promote local reef development during the corresponding intervals of sedimentation. Arsenic-rich calcareous bioclast materials migrate to a beach from the surface horizon of nearby shelf sediment, thereby replacing the part of the As that previously entered the marine environment with eroded material from the continent to the littoral zone. The segment of the Brazilian tropical shelf that was studied clearly demonstrated that the As enrichment of the shelf sediment is determined by the exposure of the Barreiras formation on the coast and the development of reefs, which are favorable sites for the settling of bodies of biogenic carbonates.

► The elevated arsenic content was registered in Brazilian shelf sediment.
► Arsenic variation in shelf sediment is defined by calcareous material distribution.
► Continental erosion and reef development, control the anomalous As concentrations in the surface shelf and beach sediments.