Copper, Zinc and Lead Enrichments in Sediments from Guacanayabo Gulf, Cuba, and Its Bioaccumulation in Oysters, Crassostrea rhizophorae O. Dı ´az Rizo • S. Olivares Reumont • J. Viguri Fuente • O. Dı ´az Arado • N. Lo ´pez Pino • K. D’Alessandro Rodrı ´guez • D. de la Rosa Medero • A. Gelen Rudnikas • G. Arencibia Carballo Received: 11 December 2008 / Accepted: 28 October 2009 / Published online: 14 November 2009 Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009 Abstract Levels of iron, copper, zinc and lead were determined in sediments and soft tissue of the oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae collected from Guacanayabo Gulf, Cuba. Metal-to-Iron ratio in sediments shows an average enrichment for Cu (5,1), Pb (11,7) and Zn (1,3) in the last 20 years. Metal concentrations found in soft tissue of C. rhizophorae are site dependent. The average biota- sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) obtained for Fe, Cu and Pb are less than unity in all cases, indicating that only a little fraction of Cu and Pb in the sediments is bioavailable, independently of their enrichments. Zinc has an average BSAF value of 2.4 and may represent a serious impact in the area. The concentrations of zinc and copper in some of the oysters are above typical public health recommended limits. Keywords Heavy metals  Oysters  Sediments  Guacanayabo Gulf Guacanayabo is the largest gulf of Cuba. Its shores are part of three provinces: Camagu ¨ey, Las Tunas and Granma. Hundreds of rivers and streams have its exit outlets in Guacanayabo waters, including Cauto River–the largest river of Cuba. The gulf area is superior to 8,000 km 2 and the deep range between 2 and 13 m. Those characteristics, jointly with an average temperature around the 25°C and an annual average oxygen dissolved concentration above five, create an historical habitat for species of high relevance in the Fishery Industry and so for the breading. Previous study of Guacanayabo Gulf coast sediments (Arencibia et al. 1988) reported the concentrations of Al, Pb, Fe, Zn and Cu using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS). According to obtained results, the Guacanayabo Gulf was considered unpolluted. In the last two decades, different industries around Guacanayabo Gulf (metal platting, tanneries, battery and textile plants, etc.) were installed. The aim of the present study was the investigation of the current state of heavy metal pollution of Guacanayabo Gulf coast sediments, taking into account the decrease of species capture in the last few years. Additionally, the determination of metal content in the soft tissue of a filter feeder mollusk, the oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae, collected in practically all studied stations was included. This specie has been con- sidered as a useful sentinel of contamination (at leads for Cu and Zn) in tropical and subtropical coast (Soto-Jime ´nez et al. 2001), consequently it could represent a good bio- monitor of bioavailable metals present in waters and sediments. Materials and Methods The surface sediments were collected using a Van Veen snapper in 7 points of the gulf (Fig. 1) during the same journey. Stations were selected near to the outlets of the O. Dı ´az Rizo (&)  S. Olivares Reumont  O. Dı ´az Arado  N. Lo ´pez Pino  K. D’Alessandro Rodrı ´guez  D. de la Rosa Medero  A. Gelen Rudnikas Instituto Superior de Tecnologı ´as y Ciencias Aplicadas, Salvador Allende Ave. and Luaces, POB 6163, 10600 La Habana, Cuba e-mail: odrizo@instec.cu J. Viguri Fuente Universidad de Cantabria, Ave. Los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Espan ˜a G. Arencibia Carballo Centro de Investigaciones Pesqueras, 5th Ave and 246 st., Playa, 17100 La Habana, Cuba 123 Bull Environ Contam Toxicol (2010) 84:136–140 DOI 10.1007/s00128-009-9898-y