Arsenic enrichment in sediments and beaches of Brazilian coastal waters: A review

Willy Baeyens; Nicolai Mirlean; Jochen Bundschuh; Niels de Winter; Paulo Baisch; Flavio Manoel Rodrigues da Silva Júnior; Yue Gao

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.126

Arsenic enrichment in sediments and beaches of Brazilian coastal waters: A review

Willy Baeyens, Nicolai Mirlean, Jochen Bundschuh, Niels de Winter, Paulo Baisch, Flavio Manoel Rodrigues da Silva Júnior, Yue Gao^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

High concentrations of total arsenic (As), even above the Brazilian legislative threshold for marine sediments of 70 mg kg⁻¹, were found in beach sands and near-shore surface sediments. Two mechanisms (anthropogenic activities and sedimentary processes in the coastal waters) are responsible for this contamination. The anthropogenic impact includes releases from metallurgical plants, phosphate fertilizer plants and gold and iron mining. In the coastal area sedimentary processes redistributed the As from the sediment into the porous structure of calcareous marine algae. These enriched calcareous algae are transported over time to the beach by wave action. As in the Brazilian coastal environment, increased As levels were also observed in other coastal environments of South America such as Rio Loa (Chile), Barbacoas Bay (Colombia) and the Southern Pampa region (Argentina). Finally, arsenic levels in fish from Brazilian coastal waters and North Sea, which is also an As-contaminated area, were compared. In both areas, short term health effects from fish consumption are not expected, but a lifetime cancer risk cannot be excluded.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	143-154
Number of pages	12
Journal	Science of the Total Environment
Volume	681
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.126
Publication status	Published - 1 Sept 2019
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (FWO) research grant 1529016N .

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Elsevier B.V.

Funding

The authors would like to thank Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (FWO) research grant 1529016N .

Keywords

Arsenic
Coastal environment
Enrichment mechanism
Latin America
Sources

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.126

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Cite this

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title = "Arsenic enrichment in sediments and beaches of Brazilian coastal waters: A review",

abstract = "High concentrations of total arsenic (As), even above the Brazilian legislative threshold for marine sediments of 70 mg kg−1, were found in beach sands and near-shore surface sediments. Two mechanisms (anthropogenic activities and sedimentary processes in the coastal waters) are responsible for this contamination. The anthropogenic impact includes releases from metallurgical plants, phosphate fertilizer plants and gold and iron mining. In the coastal area sedimentary processes redistributed the As from the sediment into the porous structure of calcareous marine algae. These enriched calcareous algae are transported over time to the beach by wave action. As in the Brazilian coastal environment, increased As levels were also observed in other coastal environments of South America such as Rio Loa (Chile), Barbacoas Bay (Colombia) and the Southern Pampa region (Argentina). Finally, arsenic levels in fish from Brazilian coastal waters and North Sea, which is also an As-contaminated area, were compared. In both areas, short term health effects from fish consumption are not expected, but a lifetime cancer risk cannot be excluded.",

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note = "Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (FWO) research grant 1529016N . Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 Elsevier B.V.",

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doi = "10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.126",

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AU - Baeyens, Willy

AU - Mirlean, Nicolai

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AU - Baisch, Paulo

AU - da Silva Júnior, Flavio Manoel Rodrigues

AU - Gao, Yue

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AB - High concentrations of total arsenic (As), even above the Brazilian legislative threshold for marine sediments of 70 mg kg−1, were found in beach sands and near-shore surface sediments. Two mechanisms (anthropogenic activities and sedimentary processes in the coastal waters) are responsible for this contamination. The anthropogenic impact includes releases from metallurgical plants, phosphate fertilizer plants and gold and iron mining. In the coastal area sedimentary processes redistributed the As from the sediment into the porous structure of calcareous marine algae. These enriched calcareous algae are transported over time to the beach by wave action. As in the Brazilian coastal environment, increased As levels were also observed in other coastal environments of South America such as Rio Loa (Chile), Barbacoas Bay (Colombia) and the Southern Pampa region (Argentina). Finally, arsenic levels in fish from Brazilian coastal waters and North Sea, which is also an As-contaminated area, were compared. In both areas, short term health effects from fish consumption are not expected, but a lifetime cancer risk cannot be excluded.

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KW - Coastal environment

KW - Enrichment mechanism

KW - Latin America

KW - Sources

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Arsenic enrichment in sediments and beaches of Brazilian coastal waters: A review

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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