Analysis of metal pollutants in the Houston Ship Channel by inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry

Trace metal pollutants in the surface mater of the Houston Ship Channel mer e determined using inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry (ICP/MS). M etal concentrations varied according to sampling sites. Barium, cobalt, chr omium, molybdenum, silver, beryllium, antimony, lead, and mercury concentra tions were relatively similar throughout the channel averaging 83.25, 0.55, 6.31, 6.66, 0.02, 0.017, 3.61, 0.68, and 0.055 mu g/L, respectively. Titan ium, manganese, copper, zinc, nickel, and selenium concentrations were foun d to be higher at stations closer to the Galveston Bay (as the water is tur ning from relatively fresh water to sea water) with concentration ranges of 102.5-351.7, 0.3-25, 0.3-25, 30-280, 16-77, 6.2-26.5, and 0.0-6.2 mu g/L, respectively. Aluminum was found to be much higher at the Buffalo Bayou sta tion (341 ug/L) followed by the San Jacinto station (104 mu g/L) with an av erage of 42 ug/L in the other two stations. Vanadium was found to be unusua lly high at the Washburn Tunnel station (116 mu g/L) and at much lower conc entrations in the other three stations, averaging 6.5 mu g/L. Iron was also higher at the Buffalo Bayou station (143 mu g/L) but was absent at the Lyn chburg Ferries station. Arsenic was not found at the Lynchburg and San Jaci nto stations. However, arsenic had similar concentrations of 1.983 and 1.83 5 mu g/L at Buffalo Bayou and Washburn Tunnel, respectively. Cadmium was hi gher at the Lynchburg Ferries station (3.3 mu g/L) and ranged from 0.3 to 0 .96 mu g/L in the other locations. Thallium was not found in any of the sta tions. (C) 1999 Academic Press.