BaselineSedimentary heavy metal(loid) contamination in the Veracruz shelf, Gulf of Mexico: A baseline survey from a rapidly developing tropical coast

•Heavy metal(loid) inputs were examined in Veracruz Shelf sediments.•All cores showed enrichment in Pb, with EF values up to 5.23.•Arsenic was the only element present which exceeded sediment quality guideline values.•Metal and sediment input is limited compared to more proximal, nearshore areas.•The data give a baseline against which future anthropogenic impact can be assessed.

This study examines sediment texture, geochemistry and sediment accumulation in cores from four sites in the Veracruz shelf area of the Gulf of Mexico, to assess the inputs of heavy metal(loid)s (and their potential biological impacts) in this carbonate-dominated shelf system, and to examine the rate of sedimentation near to the mouths of the La Antigua and Jamapa Rivers. The use of different pollution indices showed enrichment with Pb in all cores studied, although based on sediment quality guidelines As was the only element that has potential to occasionally cause damage to the benthic organisms present in the area. Heavy metal(loid) and sediment input from terrestrial and coastal sources is limited compared to more proximal, near-shore areas. The sediment core data presented however give a baseline dataset for heavy metal(loid) concentrations in the Veracruz shelf, against which future anthropogenic inputs can be assessed.

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