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Organic Sunscreen Contaminants at Depths in Mexico’s Riviera Maya Sinkholes (Cenotes)


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Created: Aug 09, 2024 at 9:35 p.m.
Last updated: Aug 09, 2024 at 10:01 p.m.
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Abstract

The Yucatan Peninsula's limestone (karst) along with the area's inclement climate allows for quick groundwater recharge during large precipitous events. This rapid infiltration into the karst aquifer allows for contaminants of all kinds to be swept into the peninsula's main source of drinking water, whether from surface runoff or sinkholes (cenotes). Organic chemical sunscreens protect our skin by absorbing light and converting solar rays into non-damaging heat. When tested, these UV filters have been shown to bioaccumulate in various aquatic animals and freshwater bodies. As tourism increases in the Riviera Maya area of the Yucatan Peninsula, tourists have begun to flock inland to participate in activities involving the area's abundant cenotes, likely increasing the water's levels of chemical sunscreens. Previous research into sunscreen contamination in cenotes has shown increased presence of organic UV filters in these freshwater bodies. However, less research has been conducted to analyze trends within deeper cenotes, some of which pass through the saltwater halocline below the karst aquifer. Samples from two cenotes were collected, with one of the cenotes crossing the halocline at 50 m depth. It is hypothesized that there will likely be a decrease in organic UV filter concentrations with depth and that there would be higher concentrations in the freshwater than in the saltwater. This would be due to the organic material not passing through the denser saltwater layer. Our preliminary results have shown two organic sunscreen contaminants, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid (PBSA) and Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate (DHHB), present at nearly all depths, with higher concentrations at and around the halocline layer of the 85 m deep cenote. Analyzing sunscreen contaminants at different depths within cenotes, specifically those with freshwater and haloclines, can offer a new perspective on sunscreen contamination and general pollution, given increasing human activity, development, and the need for clean drinking water in the region.

Subject Keywords

Coverage

Spatial

Coordinate System/Geographic Projection:
WGS 84 EPSG:4326
Coordinate Units:
Decimal degrees
North Latitude
21.1794°
East Longitude
-86.8414°
South Latitude
20.6381°
West Longitude
-87.6462°

Content

Credits

Funding Agencies

This resource was created using funding from the following sources:
Agency Name Award Title Award Number
National Science Foundation This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grants #2244453 (REU Northern Illinois University), #2320748 (MRI Northern Illinois University), and #1852263 (REU Northeastern Illinois University).

How to Cite

Asensio Arkin, A., V. Tsang, K. Tucker, M. Lenczewski (2024). Organic Sunscreen Contaminants at Depths in Mexico’s Riviera Maya Sinkholes (Cenotes), HydroShare, http://www.hydroshare.org/resource/939dc0897dc1441dba71d6723d6081bf

This resource is shared under the Creative Commons Attribution CC BY.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
CC-BY

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