Arsenic Contamination of Drinking Water: A Study of the Exposure to Residents From the Passagem De Mariana, A Historical Gold Mining Town in the Quadrilátero Ferrifero, Brazil

Abstract

Human biomonitoring is one of the important tools for assessing exposure to toxic chemicals. A history of arsenic contamination via drinking water from gold mines in the Passagem district of Mariana, Brazil, is a way of incorporating this element into the body. This study aimed to evaluate water quality consumed by residents of Passagem de Mariana and to analyze biological samples, and investigate the magnitude of the exposure to arsenic. The results showed the presence of this trace element in higher concentrations than the maximum value permitted by the law. In two samples, concentrations were above 10 µg L− 1, regardless of the season, for two years. As for biological samples, arsenic concentrations in hair samples (0.048 to 0.925 µg g− 1) were lower than the normal level (< 1µg g− 1). Arsenic was quantified in urine, both in individuals in the exposed (9.80 to 211 µg L− 1) and in the reference group (8.20 to 55.7 µg L− 1), whose content is capable of affecting a degree of medium and high toxicological risk (> 15 µg L− 1). This group was affected by other sources contributing to arsenic exposure, making it necessary to study other environmental matrices as well as foods. After confirming the exposure, continued biomonitoring was recommended since the adverse effects caused by arsenic can be manifested in the long term.