The Distribution of Toxic and Essential Metals in the Florida Everglades

Concentrations of 18 metals, including toxic metals (As, Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb) and essential metals (Al, Ba, Be, Co, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Mn, K, Sr, V and Zn) in various compartments (sediment, floc, and periphyton) were measured in the Florida Everglades to (i) establish the spatial distribution pattern of the metals in the Everglades and (ii) quantify the major sources of the 18 metals present in the Everglades. The highest mean concentrations of all metals analyzed in the Everglades were detected in soil, followed by floc and periphyton. Most metals exhibited random spatial distribution patterns. Risk assessment using Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs) concluded that all toxic metals (Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, Cu, Zn and As) exhibited average concentrations that were well below FL guidelines as well as other domestic and international guidelines. On the basis of the current study, the Everglades can be considered a pristine environment.