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The Sepetiba Bay (SB), located in the state of Rio de Janeiro (SE Brazil), is a transitional ecosystem highly anthropized. Because of its great environmental, economic, and social importance, the SB has been the target of several studies to investigate the sources of pollution and their environmental impact. However, studies on the response of foraminifera to pollution are rare. This study applies for the first time in the SB the Ecological Quality Ratio (EQR) based on the biotic index exp(H’bc), related to foraminiferal diversity, coupled with granulometric, mineralogical, and geochemical data and a robust age model (based on 210Pb and 137Cs activity). This study aims to evaluate the paleo-ecological quality status (PaleoEcoQS) along core SP5, collected in the inner central region of the SB. In the sedimentary record of the first half of the 20th century, no foraminifera were found, and the moderate enrichment in lithogenic elements was probably related not only to weathering and erosion of rocks but also to mining activities in the region. From the second half of the 20th century, the study area was under higher marine influence. Progressive siltation took place because of anthropogenic interventions in river courses, eutrophication, and metal pollution. Weak hydrodynamic conditions favored the accumulation of fine-grained sediments and organic matters. In the same period, low diversified benthic foraminiferal assemblages, including mainly opportunist species, were developed. Paleo-ecological conditions inferred by the biotic index exp(H’bc) were poor around 1970 and worsened after the metal spill released by Companhia Ingá Mercantil (a zinc ore processing plant). After that, progressively recovery has led to good ecological conditions in 2015. This study shows how benthic foraminiferal methods could represent a very useful tool to track changes in the evaluation of PaleoEcoQS.

The use of geochemical normalizers has been applied in sedimentological studies in several study contexts, such as pollution, diagenetic and provenance assessment. Selected textural and mineralogical data of 137 surface sediment samples were compared by statistical analyses with geogenic elements concentrations normalized by the Al, Be, Ce, Fe, Fe+Al, Li, Rb and Sc aiming to identify the best normalizer to trace different sources of bottom sediments for the Aveiro Lagoon entrance (NW of Portugal). The study area is heterogenous in terms of hydrodynamics and sedimentary processes.The most commonly applied geochemical normalizer for the sediments elemental concentrations has been the aluminum. However, the statistical analyses evidenced that the best normalizer was the scandium, since Principal Components Analysis results have evidenced that the element/Sc values are largely independent of sediment granulometry and thus have allowed the identification of compositional differences not related to grain size. Statistical analyses have also allowed to discriminate groups of stations that: i) trace the entry and exit of mixed sources sediments of the lagoon due to the action of tidal currents; ii) contain materials provided from the erosion of granitoids present mainly along the Douro River basin, located to the north, and transported southward by coastal drift; iii) encompasse sediments provided from the erosion of the Schist–Greywacke Complex crossed by the Vouga River that drains into the inner central zone of the lagoon and; iv) represent an area of sediment accumulation located near the entrance of Mira Channel, where lithogenic materials, provided by mixed lithologies in addition to organic matter, are being deposited. The results of this work contribute to the knowledge of the sedimentary dynamics of the Aveiro Lagoon, a coastal system which is part of a littoral stretch that is being strongly eroded, due to natural and anthropic causes and should be applicable to other coastal systems with similar characteristics. ResumoO uso de normalizadores geoquímicos tem sido aplicado em estudos sedimentológicos em diversos contextos, como por exemplo, de poluição, avaliação diagenética e de proveniência de sediments. Dados texturais e mineralógicos selecionados de 137 amostras de sedimentos superficiais foram comparados através de análises estatísticas com concentrações de elementos geogênicos normalizadas por Al, Be, Ce, Fe, Fe + Al, Li, Rb e Sc. O estudo visou identificar o melhor normalizador para traçar diferentes fontes de sedimentos de fundo para a entrada da Lagoa de Aveiro (NW de Portugal), uma área heterogênea em termos de processos hidrodinâmicos e sedimentares.O normalizador geoquímico mais comumente aplicado em sedimentos tem sido o alumínio. No entanto, as análises estatísticas evidenciaram que o melhor normalizador foi o escândio, uma vez que os resultados da análise de componentes principal evidenciaram que os valores das razões elemento/Sc são amplamente independentes da granulometria sedimentar e permitiram a identificação de diferenças composicionais não relacionadas com o tamanho do grão. Análises estatísticas também permitiram discriminar grupos de estações que: i) traçam a entrada e saída de fontes mistas de sedimentos da laguna, devido à ação das correntes de maré; ii) contêm materiais provenientes da erosão de granitóides presentes principalmente ao longo da bacia do Rio Douro, localizada a norte, e transportados para sul por deriva litoral; iii) contêm sedimentos provenientes da erosão do Complexo Xisto-grauvaquico atravessado pelo Rio Vouga, que desagua na zona central interna da laguna e; iv) representam uma área de acumulação de sedimentos localizada perto da entrada do Canal Mira, onde materiais litogênicos, fornecidos por litologias diversificadas, além de matéria orgânica, estão sendo depositados.Os resultados deste trabalho contribuem para o conhecimento da dinâmica sedimentar da Laguna de Aveiro, um sistema costeiro que faz parte de um trecho litorâneo fortemente erodido, devido a causas naturais e antrópicas and may be applicable to other coastal systems with similar characteristics.