Spatial-temporal variations of metals and arsenic in sediments from the Doce River after the Fundao dam rupture and their bioaccumulation in Corbicula fluminea

Author(s)

de Figueiredo Eufrasio Pauly, Guacira ; Cruz, Ana C. F. ; Trevizani, Tailisi H. ; Mi Kim, Bianca S. ; Perina, Fernando C. ; Yamamoto, Flavia Y. ; Figueira, Rubens C. L. ; de Souza Abessa, Denis M.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT; v. N/A, p. 12-pg., 2023-05-05.

Abstract

The rupture of the Fundao dam in Brazil released tons of mining tailings into the Doce River Basin (DRB). This investigation aimed to determine the bioaccumulation of metals in soft tissues of the bivalve Corbicula fluminea exposed to sediments collected in the DRB in four periods (just after, 1, 3, and 3.5 years after the dam rupture). In the exposure bioassays, the concentrations of Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in sediments and bivalve soft tissues were quantified. The concentration of some elements (As, Cd, Mn, and Al) in sediments exceeded the federal limits or regional backgrounds at some sampling sites, but their concentrations tended to decrease over time. However, higher concentrations of many elements were detected in the winter of 2019. Several elements were detected in C. fluminea soft tissues, but the bioaccumulation factors were generally low or not related to those elements associated with the ore tailings, evidencing that the bioavailability of metals to bivalves, in laboratory conditions, was limited. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;00:1-12. (c) 2023 SETAC (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/23279-4 - Beyond conventional endpoints: evaluation of toxic effects in Danio rerio and Corbicula fluminea associated with water and sediments contaminated by the mining tailings released after the rupture of the Fundão Dam, at Rio Doce (ES - MG)
• Grantee: Guacira de Figueiredo Eufrasio Pauly
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 16/15229-1 - Toxicity assessment of pollutants present in the Doce River after the collapse of the Fundão tailings dam (MG) through different biomarkers in fish
• Grantee: Flávia Yoshie Yamamoto
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral