Health risks due to the presence of heavy metals in agricultural products cultivated in areas abandoned by gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon

Abstract

a.Riesgos para la salud por metales pesados en productos agrícolas cultivados en áreas abandonadas por la minería aurífera en la Amazonía peruana Health risks due to the presence of heavy metals in agricultural products cultivated in areas abandoned by gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon Resumen El objetivo del estudio fue de analizar las concentraciones de As, Cd, Pb y Hg en suelos y productos agrícolas (plátano y yuca) en áreas abandonadas por minería aurífera, sureste de la Amazonía peruana. Se analizó la concentración y bioacumulación de metales pesados, según órgano de la planta (raíz, tallo, hoja y fruto). Se encontró que las concentraciones de Hg en suelo (< 0,01 mg/kg) fueron similares en plantaciones contaminadas y no contaminadas; mientras que las concentraciones de As, Cd y Pb fueron superiores en las contaminadas. Las concentraciones de As, Pb y Cd en yuca y plátano fueron superiores en las plantaciones contaminadas. En yuca se encontró una elevada acumulación de Pb y As en las raíces y tallos (> 2,9 mg/kg). En frutos de plátano se encontraron las concentraciones más bajas de todos los metales analizados (< 0,01 mg/kg). El grado de bioacumulación de As y Pb fue intenso para la yuca en sitios contaminados. Las concentraciones de As y Pb en raíces de yuca superan los niveles recomendados por la FAO/OMS. Por estas razones es esencial la evaluación, monitoreo y mayor control en la comercialización de productos agrícolas cultivados en zonas abandonadas por la minería aurífera para evitar la toxicidad en humanos. Palabras clave: Bioacumulación; minería artesanal; Manihot esculenta; Musa paradisiaca; metalespesados; minería del oro. AbstractThe present study aimed to determine the concentrations of As, Cd, Pb and Hg in soil and crops (banana and cassava) in areas abandoned by gold mining, southeast of the Peruvian Amazon. The concentration and bioaccumulation of heavy metals was analyzed, according to the plant organ (root, stem, leaf and fruit). Soil Hg concentrations (< 0.01 mg/kg) were found to be similar in contaminated and uncontaminated plantations; while the concentrations of As, Cd and Pb were higher in the contaminated ones. The concentrations of As, Pb and Cd in cassava and banana were higher in the contaminated plantations. In cassava, a high accumulation of Pb and As was found in the roots and stems (> 2.9 mg/kg). In banana fruits, the lowest concentrations of all the metals analyzed were found (< 0.01 mg/kg). The degree of bioaccumulation of As and Pb was intense for cassava in contaminated areas. The concentrations of As and Pb in cassava roots exceed the levels recommended by the FAO/ WHO. For these reasons, evaluation, monitoring and greater control in the commercialization of agricultural products cultivated in areas abandoned by gold mining are essential to avoid toxicity in humans.

Lead, Cadmium, and Arsenic in Raw Milk Produced in the Vicinity of a Mini Mineral Concentrator in the Central Andes and Health Risk

“…In the context of Peru, in Tiquillaca, Puno, a department located in southern Peru, the averages of Pb, Cd, and As in the soil were 276.74, 1.45, and 5.35 mg/kg, respectively, values similar to our study and attributed to the dumping of mining waste whose dispersion causes soil contamination [ 32 ], a problem similar to that of the present study, where the stable is adjacent to a mini mineral concentrator. In another study, Soto-Benavente et al [ 61 ], in the Peruvian Amazon, in soils abandoned by gold mining, report values of 12.6, 0.79, and 6.67 mg/kg for Pb, Cd, and As, respectively, being much lower in Pb and Cd than our study, but higher in As and would be due to the chemical compounds used in informal gold mining.…”

Influence of Distance from Forest Edges on Spontaneous Vegetation Succession Following Small-Scale Gold Mining in the Southeast Peruvian Amazon

“…A common method to restore post-mining areas, in general, is reforestation (restoration or rehabilitation), which includes complex landscape preparation, planting, and maintenance techniques [3]. However, spontaneous succession can, in many cases, lead to the establishment of a functional forest ecosystem in disturbed areas, including post-mining sites [11,12], but it can be limited by the level of degradation [6] in soil quality, both in terms of structure and chemical properties [13,14]. On the other hand, ASGM is still an important part of the local economy in many developing countries [1].…”

Desarrollo estructural y composición florística arbórea en áreas afectadas por minería aurífera en la Amazonía peruana: a 20 años de su reforestación

“…Madre de Dios (capital de la biodiversidad del Perú) es una de las zonas mejor conservadas de la Amazonía (Joshi, 2016). Sin embargo, esta mega diversidad está siendo amenazada por actividades forestales, agrícolas y minería aurífera, además de que la ASGM es señalada como la fuente principal de emisiones de mercurio antropogénico a nivel mundial, generando riesgos a la salud pública de las poblaciones locales (Moody et al, 2020;Soto-Benavente et al, 2020). La minería aurífera remueve toda la vegetación y degrada severamente la estructura del suelo (Asner y Tupayachi, 2016;Walker y del Moral, 2003; apéndice 1).…”