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

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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental research 2014-08, Vol.133, p.149-155
Main Authors: Alves, Renato I.S., Sampaio, Carolina F., Nadal, Martí, Schuhmacher, Marta, Domingo, José L., Segura-Muñoz, Susana I.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Arsenic - adverse effects
Biological and medical sciences
Brazil
Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases
Child
Drinking water
Drinking Water - adverse effects
Environmental Exposure - adverse effects
Environmental monitoring
Environmental pollutants toxicology
Geologic Sediments - chemistry
Human
Human health risk assessment
Humans
Manganese
Manganese - adverse effects
Medical sciences
Metals
Metals - analysis
Metals and various inorganic compounds
Risk
Risk Assessment
Rivers
Rivers - chemistry
Seasons
Sediments
Surface water
Thallium - adverse effects
Toxicology
Trends
Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical - adverse effects
Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
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Summary: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. •A chemical characterization of the Pardo River (Brazil) was performed here.•Manganese showed the highest mean levels in both surface water and sediments.•Thallium and As were the main contributors to the Hazard Index.•Cancer risks due to As exposure were in accordance to acceptable lifetime risks.•Because of the data uncertainty, our results must be considered only as preliminary.
ISSN:0013-9351
1096-0953
DOI:10.1016/j.envres.2014.05.012