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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Metal concentrations in surface water and sediments from Pardo River, Brazil: Human health risks

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Author(s):
Alves, Renato I. S. [1] ; Sampaio, Carolina F. [1] ; Nadal, Marti [2] ; Schuhmacher, Marta [2, 3] ; Domingo, Jose L. [2] ; Segura-Munoz, Susana I. [1]
Total Authors: 6
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Lab Ecotoxicol & Environm Parasitol, BR-14049 Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil
[2] Univ Rovira & Virgili, IISPV, Sch Med, Lab Toxicol & Environm Hlth, E-43201 Reus, Catalonia - Spain
[3] Univ Rovira & Virgili, ETSEQ, Dept Engn Quim, E-43007 Tarragona, Catalonia - Spain
Total Affiliations: 3
Document type: Journal article
Source: Environmental Research; v. 133, p. 149-155, AUG 2014.
Web of Science Citations: 65
Abstract

Pardo River (Brazil) is suffering from an important anthropogenic impact due to the pressure of highly populated areas and the influence of sugarcane cultivation. The objective of the present study was to determine the levels of 13 trace elements (As, Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mn, Hg, Ni, Tl, Sn, V and Zn) in samples of surface water and sediments from the Pardo River. Furthermore, the human health risks associated with exposure to those metals through oral intake and dermal absorption were also evaluated. Spatial and seasonal trends of the data were closely analyzed from a probabilistic approach. Manganese showed the highest mean concentrations in both water and sediments, remarking the incidence of the agricultural activity and the geological characteristics within the basin. Thallium and arsenic were identified as two priority pollutants, being the most important contributors to the Hazard Index (HI). Since non-carcinogenic risks due to thallium exposure slightly exceeded international guidelines (HI > 1), a special effort should be made on this trace element. However, the current concentrations of arsenic, a carcinogenic element, were in accordance to acceptable lifetime risks. Nowadays, there is a clear increasing growth in human population and economic activities in the Pardo River, whose waters have become a serious strategic alternative for the potential supply of drinking water. Therefore, environmental monitoring studies are required not only to assure that the current state of pollution of Pardo River does not mean a risk for the riverside population, but also to assess the potential trends in the environmental levels of those elements. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 13/07238-2 - Human health risk assessment from an ecotoxicological, limnological and microbiological monitoring at Pardo River Basin (UGRHI04)
Grantee:Susana Segura Muñoz
Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants