Integrative assessment of sediment quality in lower basin affected by former mining in Brazil

Author(s)

Bonnail, Estefania ; Buruaem, Lucas M. ^[1] ; Morais, Lucas G. ^[1] ; Araujo, Giuliana S. ^[2] ; Abessa, Denis M. S. ^[1] ; Sarmiento, Aguasanta M. ^{[3, 4]} ; Angel DelValls, T. ^[5]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho UN, Campus Expt Litoral Paulista, Nucl Estudos Sobre Polunicao & Ecotoxicol Aquat, Praca Infante Dom Henrique S-N, BR-11330900 Sao Vicente, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Aveiro, Ctr Environm & Marine Studies CESAM, Dept Biol, Aveiro - Portugal

^[3] Univ Huelva, Dept Earth Sci, Huelva 21071 - Spain

^[4] Univ Huelva, Res Ctr Nat Resources Hlth & Environm, Huelva 21071 - Spain

^[5] Univ Cadiz, UNESCO UNITWIN WiCop, Fac Marine & Environm Sci, Dept Phys Chem, Campus Rio San Pedro, Cadiz 11510 - Spain

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH; v. 40, n. 4, p. 1465-1480, AUG 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

The Ribeira de Iguape River (Southeast Brazil) is metal contaminated by mining activities. Despite it has been cataloged as ``in via of restoration{''} by the literature, this basin is still a sink of pollution in some segments of the fluvial system. This study aimed to assess the sediment quality in the lower part of the RIR basin. The employed approach was based on biological responses of the freshwater clam Corbicula fluminea after 7-day exposure bioassays using as the reference site the Perequ Ecological Park. Toxic responses (burial activity and lethality) and biochemical biomarkers (GST, GR, GPx, LPO, MTs, AChE and DNA damage) were evaluated and then integrated with metal bioavailability and chemical concentrations to address the sediment quality in the area through the weight-of-evidence approach. A multivariate analysis identified linkages between biological responses and contamination. Results pointed that, despite being below the benchmarks of the US Environmental Protection Agency, there is slight metal contamination in the lower part of the basin which induces oxidative stress in C. fluminea; other toxic responses were sometimes attributed to As and Cr bioaccumulation. The sediment quality values (TEL-PEL values in mg/kg) were calculated for the current study for As (0.63-1.31), Cr (3.5-11.05), Cs (1.0-1.17), Cu (6.32-7.32), Ni (6.78-7.46), Ti (42.0-215), V (1.77-8.00). By comparison with other international guidelines, the sediment quality of the lower basin of the Vale de Ribeira does not identify a significant environmental risk. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/15482-0 - Establishment of site-specific sediment quality guidelines for the Coast of São Paulo state: scientific basis for the creation of a national legislation
• Grantee: Lucas Buruaem Moreira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral