Threats by heavy metals: human and environmental contamination in Brazil

Moreira, Joventino Fernandes

doi:10.1016/s0048-9697(96)90509-4

Cited by 5 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…Numerous small-scale incidents probably escape the attention of authorities and go unreported or even undetected throughout the region. The UNEP data, for instance, do not include a 1992 explosion at a polyurethane plant near Rio de Janeiro, which apparently was not reported o¤cially to international organizations, but was discussed in scienti¢c journals (Costa Moreira, 1996). As this author noted in 1985, such accidents are likely to occur with increasing frequency given rapid urban growth, especially in the congested settlements of the urban poor that are often sited on undesirable land surrounding factories, refuse disposal areas, and highways and above pipelines and gas storage tanks.…”

Section: Cause For Concern Regionwidementioning

confidence: 99%

“…It was recently reported that Brazil's Paralba do Sul valley was contaminated with manganese, cadmium, mercury, copper, lead, iron, nickel, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, organochloride pesticides, phenols, and cyanides, in addition to sewage and domestic waste (Costa Moreira, 1996). In 1993 Brazil and Argentina, which also have sophisticated industries using radioactive materials, ranked among the top 15 countries in the entire world in the production of food products, textiles and garments, leather and shoes, industrial and other chemicals, iron, steel, and nonferrous metals and metal products (UNIDO, 1996).…”

Section: Cause For Concern Regionwidementioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to one source, artisanal gold mining in the Brazilian Amazon region extends over 16.7 million hectares and releases approximately 40 to 60 tons of mercury per year into the environment (Costa Moreira, 1996). Hundreds of thousands of men work as`f reelance'' or indentured hands in the open gold mines of Brazil.…”

Section: Informal Charcoal Production and Miningmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Environment, Health, and Gender in Latin America: Trends and Research Issues

Wasserman¹

1999

Environmental Research

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Section: Cause For Concern Regionwidementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Cause For Concern Regionwidementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Informal Charcoal Production and Miningmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Environment, Health, and Gender in Latin America: Trends and Research Issues

Wasserman¹

1999

Environmental Research

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“…Contamination by metals has been widely studied, including the study of chromium contamination. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Chromium can be used in the production of stainless steel, pigments, ceramics, rubber, magnetic bands, and leather. 4 In the specific case of leather production, chromium is used to tan leather.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study of Mobility and Environmental Contamination by Chromium from Tannery Industry in two Streams in the Town of Dobrada in the State of São Paulo, Brazil

Gomes¹,

Magdalena²,

Ramos³

et al. 2017

Rev. Virtual Quim.

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Resumo: Cromo é usado no processo de curtimento de couro. Em consequência, o armazenamento impróprio do couro pode impactar o ambiente. Este estudo avaliou a mobilidade do cromo resultante da disposição de aparas de couro e sua influência no solo, na água (águas superficiais e subterrâneas) e sedimentos em dois riachos na cidade de Dobrada, no estado de São Paulo. Os riachos são conhecidos localmente como o Córrego de Paixão e o Córrego de Dobrada. Os resultados obtidos indicam que o solo, os sedimentos e a água na área estudada foram contaminados pelo cromo dos resíduos de curtumes. Além disso, os resultados mostraram que a decomposição deste resíduo modifica o pH e a condutividade do solo e da água e alteram as características físico-químicas da região. Os resultados também revelaram que o cromo está disponível no ambiente biótico e que sua concentração está acima do limite legal para o país. Palavras-chave:Contaminação por Cromo; impacto ambiental pela indústria de couro. AbstractChromium is used in the leather tanning process. As a consequence, improper leather storage can impact the environment. This study has evaluated the mobility of chromium resulting from the disposal of leather trimmings and its influence on soil, water (surface water and underground water), and sediments in two streams in the town of Dobrada, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The streams are known locally as the Paixão Stream and the Dobrada Stream. The results obtained indicate that the soil, sediments, and water in the area studied were contaminated by chromium from tannery waste. Besides that the results showed that the decomposition of this waste modifies the pH and conductivity of the soil and water and changes the physical chemistry characteristics of the region. The results also revealed that chromium is available in the biotic environment and that its concentration is above the legal limit for the country.

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“…De nombreux travaux de recherche ont été menés au Brésil au cours des deux dernières décennies sur la contamination mercurielle dans le bassin de l'Amazone (rivières Tapajos et Madeira par exemple), dans le cadre de programmes nationaux et internationaux (Bidone et al, 1997 ;Boischio & Henshel, 1996 ;Carmouze et al, 2001 ;Dorea et al, 1998 ;Lacerda & Salomons, 1998 ;Moreira, 1996 ;Reuther, 1994 ;Roulet et al, 1998Roulet et al, , 2000Veiga et al, 1999). En Guyane française, très peu de données scientifiques étaient disponibles (Richard et al, 1999(Richard et al, , 2000Roulet et Lucotte, 1995) avant la mise en place par le CNRS/PEVS du Programme de recherche pluridisciplinaire « Mercure en Guyane » (1997Guyane » ( /2002.…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Chercheurs d'or et contamination par le mercure des systèmes aquatiques continentaux de Guyane – Risques à l'égard des populations humaines

Boudou¹,

Maury-Brachet²,

Durrieu³

et al. 2006

Hydroécol. Appl.

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Résumé -La pollution par le mercure en Amazonie brésilienne et en Guyane française est principalement liée aux activités d'orpaillage, qui rejettent des quantités importantes de mercure élémentaire (Hg • ) lors des étapes d'amalgamation et amplifient les apports de Hg inorganique (HgII) via l'érosion des sols et des sédiments, naturellement riches en métal. Dans le cadre du programme de recherche interdisciplinaire « Mercure en Guyane », initié en 1997 par le CNRS/PEVS, une étude approfondie a été menée sur la contamination de la composante biologique des hydrosystèmes guyanais. Les résultats présentés dans cet article reposent sur une approche systémique, mise en oeuvre au niveau de 3 sites à proximité du barrage hydroélectrique de Petit-Saut : 2 cours d'eau similaires au regard des caractéristiques hydrologiques mais différents par la présence ou l'absence d'activités d'orpaillage sur leur bassin-versant (criques Leblond et Courcibo, respectivement) ; une station à l'aval de la retenue, sur le fleuve Sinnamary. La bioamplification joue un rôle prépondérant et conduit à des concentrations de mercure dans le tissu musculaire des poissons carnivores/piscivores élevées, voire très élevées, par rapport à la norme de l'OMS (0,5 mg/kg, pds frais), alors que les niveaux de contamination de la colonne d'eau sont extrêmement faibles, de l'ordre du ng/L. Si les activités d'orpaillage contribuent à un accroissement très significatif des quantités de mercure au sein de la colonne d'eau, principalement sous forme particulaire, la comparaison entre les niveaux de contamination des poissons communs aux deux criques Leblond et Courcibo ne révèle pas de différences significatives. En fait, les concentrations de méthylmercure (MeHg) dans la phase dissoute de la colonne d'eau sont comparables et peuvent expliquer cette surprenante similarité. Par contre, à l'aval de la retenue du barrage de Petit-Saut, les poissons sont nettement plus contaminés, et les concentrations en MeHg dans la colonne d'eau sont aussi beaucoup plus élevées. Ceci peut s'expliquer par les conditions anoxiques d'une large part de la colonne d'eau de la retenue qui conduisent à une forte production de MeHg, via les bactéries sulfato-réductrices. Dans ces conditions, la consommation des poissons situés en fin de réseau trophique présente des risques pour les populations humaines, qui sont illustrés par les travaux Mots clés -orpaillage, mercure, méthylmercure, bioamplification, poissons, santé humaine Abstract -Mercury pollution in the Amazon basin and in French Guiana is essentially linked to goldmining activities, with elemental mercury (Hg • ) release during the amalgamation step and increased inorganic mercury (HgII) discharge through the erosion of soils and sediments, which are naturally rich in mercury. Within the multidisciplinary programme "Mercury in Guiana", set up in 1997 by the French CNRS/PEVS, a detailed study was set up in order to investigate mercury contamination of the biological component of freshwater systems. Here we present results from a...

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Threats by heavy metals: human and environmental contamination in Brazil

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

Environment, Health, and Gender in Latin America: Trends and Research Issues

Environment, Health, and Gender in Latin America: Trends and Research Issues

Study of Mobility and Environmental Contamination by Chromium from Tannery Industry in two Streams in the Town of Dobrada in the State of São Paulo, Brazil

Chercheurs d'or et contamination par le mercure des systèmes aquatiques continentaux de Guyane – Risques à l'égard des populations humaines

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