Arsenic Mobility in Sediments from Paracatu River Basin, MG, Brazil

Abstract

Paracatu River Basin, Minas Gerais, Brazil, houses long areas of irrigated agriculture and gold-, lead-, and zinc-mining activities. This region has a prevalence of sulfide minerals and a natural occurrence of high levels of arsenopyrite. In this work, surface water, groundwater, sediments and local vegetable samples were collected in October 2010 and November 2011 and were analyzed to evaluate arsenic (As) distribution, mobility, and transport in these environmental compartments. All sediment samples (738-2,750 mg kg(-1)) and 37 % of the water samples [less than the limit of detection (LOD) to 110 µg L(-1)] from the rivers and streams of Paracatu had As concentrations greater than the quality standards established by national and international environmental organizations (5.9 mg kg(-1) for sediments and 10 µg L(-1) for water). Most vegetable samples had As concentrations within the normal range for plants (lower than the LOD to 120 mg kg(-1)). A correlation among As concentrations in water, sediment, and vegetable samples was verified.

Comparison between Ultrasound Assisted Extraction and Microwave Digestion in the Determination of Arsenic in Edible Grains

“…Those grains are cultivated with irrigation pivots in an area near gold mining activities suspected to be contaminated with arsenic. 29 Soybeans come from two different farms and were cultivated in the summer crop. Corn and bean also originate from the same farms, and were grown in the winter crop.…”

Chronic arsenic intoxication diagnostic score (CAsIDS)

“…During the last 30 years (i.e., since the beginning of the mining activities in 1987), this patient has been chronically exposed to the inorganic arsenic released from the rocks of the gold mine. The already meaningful CAsE since 1987 increased from 2007 with the controversial expansion of the mine operations (Acangau Foundation, 2009;Boudaoud & France TV, 2017;Dani, 2009bDani, , 2009cDani, , 2009dDani, 2011aDani, , 2011bDani, 2012;Dani, 2014;Dani & Santos, 2014;Enríquez, 2007;KGC, 2006KGC, , 2010KGC, , 2012KGC, , 2014KGC, , 2015KGC, , 2016aKGC, , 2016bLisboa, 2015;Lukacs & Groves, 2013;Minas Gerais, 2007;Moura, Rezende, Nascentes, Costa, & Windmoeller, 2008;MPF, 2009;MPT, 2008;Neiva & Silveira, 2008;Ono et al, 2011;Ono, Tappero, Sparks, & Guilherme, 2016;Rezende, 2009;Rezende, Costa, & Windmöller, 2015;Santos, 2012;Santos & Dani, 2016;Terrier, 2011). The patient complained of chronic headache, abdominal pain, pruriginous dark skin lesions of the feet, poor vision, symmetrical numbness and tingling of her hands and feet, bronchitis, arterial hypertension and malaise.…”

A Química Ambiental no Brasil nos 40 anos da SBQ

“…[95][96][97][98][99][100][101][102] Outro elemento de interesse do ponto de vista ambiental e de saúde pública é o arsênio, que tem sido estudado em águas doces, estuarinas, sedimentos, águas de abastecimento público e mesmo em humanos. [103][104][105][106][107][108][109][110][111][112] Não obstante o artigo de Lara e Barreto, 81 mencionado anteriormente como pioneiro no contexto ambiental, estudos envolvendo contaminantes orgânicos têm sido conduzidos em anos mais recentes, quando comparados àqueles envolvendo espécies metálicas, em ambientes aquáticos brasileiros. A presença de hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos (HPA) em amostras de chorume de um lixão em Niterói (RJ) foi registrada em 2002.…”