Concentration of elements in suspended matter discharges
to Lerma River, Mexico
P. Avila-Pe
´
rez
•
G. Zarazu
´
a
•
L. Carapia
•
S. Tejeda
•
I. Barcelo
´
-Quintal
•
T. Martinez
Received: 9 April 2010 / Published online: 2 November 2010
Ó Akade
´
miai Kiado
´
, Budapest, Hungary 2010
Abstract The S, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn and Pb
concentration and the elemental composition of particles in
suspended matter from principal discharges to Lerma
River, have been evaluated. The elemental concentration in
suspended matter has been obtained by Energy Dispersive
X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry. The elemental compo-
sition of particles has been obtained by means of Energy
Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (EDS). The results show
that K, Ca, Ti, Mn and Fe are mainly from natural origin in
the Upper Course of the Lerma River (UCLR), where the
principal contributions probably come from dragging of
soils and sediments in the rainy season and Cr, Cu, Zn and
Pb are mainly from anthropogenic origin where the
principal contributions come from urban and industrial
untreated discharge. The application of Energy Dispersive
X-Ray Spectrometry plus Scanning Electron Microscopy is
useful in the characterization of suspended matter in nat-
ural, anthropogenic and mixed water discharges.
Keywords Suspended matter Á Energy dispersive X-ray
fluorescence spectrometry Á Water pollution Á Heavy metals
Introduction
In many of its regions, Mexico currently faces an imbal-
ance between water demand and availability, primarily due
to natural water scarcity as well as uneven water quality
distribution. Rapid urban and industrial growth, among
others economic and social factors, have made this worse.
Water quality has been deteriorated because urban and
industrial effluents are often discharged with no previous
treatment. Furthermore, Mexico is slowly overcoming a
severe economic and financial crisis which has limited
hydraulic infrastructure development and impoverished
large population sectors [1].
The Upper Course of the Lerma River, giving rise to the
Upper Basin of the Lerma River, is situated in an area
known as the Mexican Highlands. This area is an important
center for industrial and agricultural activity, with a high
population density and enormous demands for water,
which are being met almost exclusively from groundwater.
The water quality of the Lerma River has been deterio-
rating over time as a result of the inflow of both urban and
industrial wastewater, which has combined with the effect
of a decrease in water volume. The reduction in freshwater
volume and the deterioration of the water quality has result
in an important decrease in wild life in the region [2].
P. Avila-Pe
´
rez (&) Á G. Zarazu
´
a Á S. Tejeda
Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Gerencia de
Ciencias Ambientales, Apartado Postal 18-1027, C.P. 11801
Me
´
xico, DF, Me
´
xico
e-mail: pedro.avila@inin.gob.mx
P. Avila-Pe
´
rez Á S. Tejeda
Divisio
´
n de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigacio
´
n, Instituto
Tecnolo
´
gico de Toluca, Apartado Postal 890, C.P. 52140
Metepec, Me
´
xico, Me
´
xico
L. Carapia
Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Gerencia de
Ciencias Aplicadas, Apartado Postal 18-1027, C.P. 11801
Me
´
xico, DF, Me
´
xico
I. Barcelo
´
-Quintal
Unidad Azcapotzalco, Departamento de Ciencias Ba
´
sicas,
Universidad Auto
´
noma Metropolitana, Av. San Pablo 180, Col.,
Reynosa Tamaulipas, C.P. 02200 Me
´
xico, DF, Me
´
xico
T. Martinez
Facultad de Quimica, Universidad Nacional Auto
´
noma de
Me
´
xico, Edificio D, C.U. 04510 Me
´
xico, DF, Mexico
123
J Radioanal Nucl Chem (2011) 287:383–391
DOI 10.1007/s10967-010-0887-8