Amostras de cabelo foram utilizadas como bioindicador para avaliar os níveis de As, Cd, Pb e Hg na população residente na área "Volta Grande" do rio Xingu, no Norte do Brasil. As concentrações de As e Cd estão de acordo com os valores encontrados na literatura, no entanto, foram encontrados valores anômalos de Pb e Hg , o que pode sugerir uma variação inter-regional. Os elevados valores encontrados de Pb e Hg, em cabelos de moradores da Ilha do Canteiro, podem ser atribuídos à exposição ambiental das famílias, por estarem em uma área ambiental impactada pela mineração de ouro. A aplicação dos métodos de estatística multivariada mostrou que a concentração dos metais, estudados neste trabalho, pode ser classificatória entre pessoas de localidades diferentes do município de Altamira. Os resultados neste trabalho refletem o impacto ambiental destes elementos sobre a saúde dos habitantes desta área de garimpagem de ouro.Human hair was used as a bioindicator to evaluate the levels of As, Cd, Pb and Hg in the resident population of the "Volta Grande" area of the Xingu river, in the North of Brazil. The concentrations of As and Cd are in agreement with the values found in the literature, however, the Pb and Hg concentration is very different, which can suggest an inter-regional variation. Moreover, the high values found for these elements in the residents of the Canteiro Island can be attributed to environmental exposure of this population in an area with environmental impact from activities of gold mining. The application of these methods showed that the concentrations of the metals studied in this work can correctly classify two different localities in the Altamira district. The results reflect the impact of these elements on the health of the inhabitants of this auriferous area.Keywords: arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, hair, Altamira, environmental, chemometric methods, multivariate statistics
IntroductionThe Amazon region possesses one of the biggest hydrographic basins of our planet. The construction of a hydroelectric dam in Monte Belo, Pará state, will help to resolve some of Brazil´s energy demand. However, its construction points to conflicts with respect to the socialeconomics of the environment and of the population living in Altamira and in other localities near the "Volta grande" area of the Xingu river, in the North of Brazil.The exploitation of hydroeletric energy implies a significant environmental impact that can not be neglected. The formation of the accumulation basin behind the dam will provoke flooding of the forests, the disappearance of important fauna from the submersed area as well as land used for agriculture, and villages and towns with traditional and cultural knowledge. The dam will also provoke displacement of the population, changes in the quality of the water, increases in production of gaseous carbon compounds (CO 2 , CH 4 ) and, nitrogen compounds) and other disruptions.
1,2All these environmental factors modify the biodisponibility of the metals in the aquatic environment and modifies...