IDENTIFICATION OF CONTAMINATION SOURCES USING THE POSITIVE MATRIX FACTORIZATION (PMF) MODEL IN MARINE SEDIMENTS OF CALLAO BAY, PERU; [IDENTIFICAÇÃO DE FONTES DE CONTAMINAÇÃO POR MEIO DO MODELO DE FATORAÇÃO DE MATRIZ POSITIVA (PMF) EM SEDIMENTOS MARINHOS DA BAÍA DO CALLAO, PERU]

Méndez L.D.N.; Saavedra R.Z. · Interciencia (2026)

Resumen

Callao Bay, the main port of Peru, concentrates intense port and industrial activities that compromise the quality of its marine sediments. The study aimed to identify the sources of contamination in marine sediments from Callao, Peru, through the application of the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model to geochemical data corresponding exclusively to 33 subtidal stations. The analysis was complemented with Spearman correlations to assess the relationships among 16 heavy metals: Aluminum (Al), Antimony (Sb), Arsenic (As), Barium (Ba), Cadmium (Cd), Cobalt (Co), Copper (Cu), Chromium (Cr), Strontium (Sr), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb), Titanium (Ti), Vanadium (V), Zinc (Zn), Mercury (Hg), and Manganese (Mn). The results allowed the identification of three main sources of contamination. The first corresponds to a geological source, representing 48% of the total contribution, and is associated with elements such as Al, Ti, Mn, and Ba, derived from natural processes of erosion and sedimentation. The second source is linked to domestic and industrial wastewater, contributing 33%, and is characterized by Co, Ni, As, Cr, Cu, and Hg, associated with urban and industrial discharges. Finally, the third source is related to port activities and the petroleum industry, representing 19% of the total contribution, and is evidenced by Cd, V, Hg, and Sb, elements associated with maritime traffic, hydrocarbon spills, and port operations. The results indicate that, although natural processes predominate, human activities significantly contribute to sediment contamination, providing key information for environmental management and the mitigation of contaminants along the Callao coastline.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal