Is the Negro River Basin (Amazon) impacted by naturally occurring mercury?

Fadini, Pedro S.; Jardim, Wilson F.

doi:10.1016/s0048-9697(00)00855-x

Cited by 175 publications

(130 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…The resulting mercury pollution of the aquatic environment is taken up by the halieutic resources (Farella et al, 2001;Roulet et al, 2001). These important pathways of exposure, later confirmed for other watersheds of the Amazonian Basin (Fostier et al, 2000;Lechler et al, 2000;Fadini and Jardim, 2001;Wasserman et al, 2003;Lacerda et al, 2004;Almeida et al, 2005;Bastos et al, 2006;Farella et al, 2006Farella et al, , 2007Mainville et al, 2006), constitute a continuous source of mercury exposure for the large number of traditional and immigrant communities of the region that rely on fish consumption as a dietary mainstay.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 77%

Daily mercury intake in fish-eating populations in the Brazilian Amazon

Passos

Silva

Lemire

et al. 2007

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol

113

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Although high levels of fish consumption and bioindicators of mercury exposure have been reported for traditional populations in the Amazon, little is known about their actual daily intake of Hg. Using an ecosystem approach, calculate daily mercury intake in adult fish-eaters, examine the relations between mercury intake and bioindicators of exposure and the factors that influence these relations. A cross-sectional dietary survey on fish and fruit consumption frequency was carried out with 256 persons from six villages of the Tapajo´s River. Fish portion per meal was determined. Mercury concentration was determined for 1123 local fish specimens. Daily mercury intake (mg/kg/day) was determined for men and women from each village using the average fish-mercury concentration for the fish caught in their fishing zone, the average quantity of fish per meal, fish-species frequency consumption and participants' body weight. Fish-mercury averaged 0.33 mg/g70.33. Daily mercury intake varied between 0 and 11.8 mg/kg/day (mean 0.92 mg/kg/day70.89) and varied by gender and village. Mean blood-and hair-mercury were 58.7736.1 mg/l and 17.9711.5 mg/g, respectively. There was a strong and positive relation between blood-mercury and daily mercury intake, with an inverse relation for fruit intake and schooling; significant variations were observed with immigrant status, and among villages. Hair-mercury was directly associated with daily mercury intake and inversely related to schooling and fruit consumption. Fruit consumption modified the relation between daily mercury intake and blood-mercury levels: for the same daily mercury intake, persons eating more fruit had lower blood-mercury concentrations (ANCOVA Interaction term: F ¼ 10.9, Po0.0001). The median difference of the ratio of blood-mercury to daily mercury intake between low and high fruit consumers was 26, representing a 26.3% reduction. These findings reveal high levels of daily mercury intake. Rigorous studies for developing risk-based reference doses in the Amazon should be undertaken to orient viable risk-management strategies to reduce exposure, while maintaining fish diet.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 77%

Daily mercury intake in fish-eating populations in the Brazilian Amazon

Passos

Silva

Lemire

et al. 2007

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol

113

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…It is also suggested that burning and deforestation would allow long term atmospheric mercury deposited on soils, to run-off into rivers, justifying the high Hg concentrations in areas without a gold mining history (Veiga et al, 1994;Lacerda, 1995;Malm, 1998). Studies performed in distant areas and without gold mining activities registrations in the high Negro River reveal elevated Hg concentrations, what it carries to consider its natural source (Fadini & Jardim, 2001). Continually, deposited Hg in soils and sediments suffers continuous transformations and interactions with environmental compartments, which eventually transform and remobilize Hg to food chains, including the increase of its bioavailability through methylation (Malm et al, 1990;Roulet et al, 1998;Lacerda, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A description of mercury in fishes from the Madeira River Basin, Amazon, Brazil

et al. 2008

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Over the last 20 years several projects carried on the Madeira River basin in the Amazon produced a great amount data on total Hg concentration in different fish species. In this paper we discuss temporal trends in Hg contamination and its relation to body weight in some of those fishes, showing that even within similar groups, such as carnivorous and non-migratory fish, the interspecies variability in Hg accumulation is considerable.

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“…Even in regions with low anthropogenic presence, mercury concentrations in rivers and lakes are naturally high and mercury bioaccumulation may occur due to the continuous metal release from soils, causing public health problems (Fadini and Jardim, 2001). As a consequence, any further input of mercury in the Amazonian rivers should be carefully evaluated.…”

Section: A B C Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in the study of giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis): ecology, behavior, and conservation: a review

Duplaix

Evangelista

Rosas

2015

Lat. Am. J. Aquat. Mamm.

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Giant otters, once targeted by the pelt trade to near extinction, are now legally protected and have made a comeback in some parts of their range. Our state of knowledge about the behavior and ecology of this apex predator has increased substantially since the first studies in the 1970s but remains incomplete. Negative anthropogenic pressures and conflicts affecting giant otters are intensifying and now take many forms, from extensive habitat loss and degradation, pollution, ecotourism with heavy impacts, to gold mining. We review the corpus of giant otter field research and findings since 1980 and discuss new findings and our shortfall of knowledge and their implications for the long-term conservation of the species.Resumo: O abate de ariranhas para o comércio de suas peles no passado levou a espécie quase à extinção. Atualmente a caça à ariranha está proibida e algumas populações têm dado sinais de recuperação em partes de sua distribuição. O conhecimento acerca do comportamento e ecologia deste predador de topo de cadeia aumentou substancialmente desde a realização do primeiro estudo com a espécie na década de 1970, mas permanece incompleto. Conflitos e pressões antrópicas negativas têm se intensificado e abrangem desde a perda extensiva de habitat, poluição, ecoturismo pobremente manejado ou planejado, até a mineração de ouro. Neste artigo nós revisamos o conhecimento atual gerado pelas pesquisas com ariranha após 1980 e discutimos as novas informações, as deficiências de conhecimento ainda existentes e suas implicações para a conservação desta espécie. †

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Is the Negro River Basin (Amazon) impacted by naturally occurring mercury?

Cited by 175 publications

References 49 publications

Daily mercury intake in fish-eating populations in the Brazilian Amazon

Daily mercury intake in fish-eating populations in the Brazilian Amazon

A description of mercury in fishes from the Madeira River Basin, Amazon, Brazil

Advances in the study of giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis): ecology, behavior, and conservation: a review

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