Human Health Risk Assessment for Exposure to Heavy Metals via Dietary Intake of Rainbow Trout in the Influence Area of a Smelting Facility Located in Peru

Abstract

Abandoned mining–metallurgical sites can significantly impact the environment and human health by accumulating heavy metals in aquatic ecosystems. The water in the sub-basin near an abandoned smelting facility in the city of La Oroya, Peru, is primarily used for pisciculture. The objective of this study was to assess the risk to human health from exposure to heavy metals via dietary intake of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the influence area of a smelting facility located in the central Andean region of Peru. The bioconcentration factor, biosediment accumulation factor, and consumption risks were evaluated using the Monte Carlo method. The results showed that the concentrations of elements (Zn > Pb > Cu > As) in rainbow trout muscle did not exceed the maximum limit (ML). However, the water significantly exceeded the ML for Pb in all sectors and As in the lower and middle parts of the river. The concentration of Pb in sediments also significantly exceeded the ML in the upper and lower parts of the river. Consequently, rainbow trout consumption in the study area presents risks to human health due to the bioaccumulation of heavy metals, with a 1.27% carcinogenic risk in samples from the lower part of the river.

Potential ecological risk from heavy metals in surface sediment of lotic systems in central region Peru

“…Heavy metals can enter the human body through a wide range of food chains and reach toxic amounts (Jaishankar et al, 2014;Isroni and Maulida, 2022;Peñaloza et al, 2023). Prolonged exposure to heavy metals can alter biochemical processes, lead to their accumulation in the liver and kidneys and induce toxicity in many organs of the body with carcinogenic, teratogenic, and cardiovascular consequences (Algül and Beyhan, 2020;Bakshe and Jugade, 2021;Alam et al, 2023).…”

Study of Ecosystem Degradation Dynamics in the Peruvian Highlands: Landsat Time-Series Trend Analysis (1985–2022) with ARVI for Different Vegetation Cover Types

“…Likewise, in this place, agricultural, livestock, urban expansion, and mining activities are carried out that constantly contribute to the degradation of vegetation and, consequently, to the alteration of these ecosystems. Similarly, nearby anthropogenic activities such as open-pit mining and metallurgy generate atmospheric pollution by heavy metals [4] in combination with anomalies of environmental factors such as temperature, precipitation, and evapotranspiration, altering plant dynamics over time [5,6]. Although the importance and fragility of these ecosystems are recognized, the degradation of high-Andean vegetation and its environmental, economic, and social consequences have not received adequate attention for formulating adaptive monitoring plans [7].…”