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

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 of70 mg kg−1, were found in beach sands and near-shore surface sediments. Twomechanisms (anthropogenic activitiesand sedimentary processes in the coastal waters) are responsible for this contamination. The anthropogenicimpact includes releases from metallurgical plants, phosphate fertilizer plants and gold and iron mining.In the coastal area sedimentary processes redistributed the As fromthe sediment into the porous structure of calcareousmarinealgae. These enriched calcareous algae are transported over time to the beach bywave action. Asin the Brazilian coastal environment, increased As levels were also observed in other coastal environments ofSouth 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-contaminatedarea, were compared. In both areas, short term health effects from fish consumption are not expected, but a lifetimecancer 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

Keywords

Arsenic
Latin America
Coastal environment
Enrichment mechanism
sources

UN SDGs

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

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10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.126

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 of70 mg kg−1, were found in beach sands and near-shore surface sediments. Twomechanisms (anthropogenic activitiesand sedimentary processes in the coastal waters) are responsible for this contamination. The anthropogenicimpact includes releases from metallurgical plants, phosphate fertilizer plants and gold and iron mining.In the coastal area sedimentary processes redistributed the As fromthe sediment into the porous structure of calcareousmarinealgae. These enriched calcareous algae are transported over time to the beach bywave action. Asin the Brazilian coastal environment, increased As levels were also observed in other coastal environments ofSouth 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-contaminatedarea, were compared. In both areas, short term health effects from fish consumption are not expected, but a lifetimecancer risk cannot be excluded.",

keywords = "Arsenic, Latin America, Coastal environment, Enrichment mechanism, sources",

author = "Willy Baeyens and Nicolai Mirlean and Jochen Bundschuh and {de Winter}, Niels and Paulo Baisch and {Rodrigues da Silva J{\'u}nior}, {Flavio Manoel} and Yue Gao",

year = "2019",

month = sep,

day = "1",

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

language = "English",

volume = "681",

pages = "143--154",

journal = "Science of the Total Environment",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Arsenic enrichment in sediments and beaches of Brazilian coastal waters

T2 - a review

AU - Baeyens, Willy

AU - Mirlean, Nicolai

AU - Bundschuh, Jochen

AU - de Winter, Niels

AU - Baisch, Paulo

AU - Rodrigues da Silva Júnior, Flavio Manoel

AU - Gao, Yue

PY - 2019/9/1

Y1 - 2019/9/1

N2 - High concentrations of total arsenic (As), even above the Brazilian legislative threshold for marine sediments of70 mg kg−1, were found in beach sands and near-shore surface sediments. Twomechanisms (anthropogenic activitiesand sedimentary processes in the coastal waters) are responsible for this contamination. The anthropogenicimpact includes releases from metallurgical plants, phosphate fertilizer plants and gold and iron mining.In the coastal area sedimentary processes redistributed the As fromthe sediment into the porous structure of calcareousmarinealgae. These enriched calcareous algae are transported over time to the beach bywave action. Asin the Brazilian coastal environment, increased As levels were also observed in other coastal environments ofSouth 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-contaminatedarea, were compared. In both areas, short term health effects from fish consumption are not expected, but a lifetimecancer risk cannot be excluded.

AB - High concentrations of total arsenic (As), even above the Brazilian legislative threshold for marine sediments of70 mg kg−1, were found in beach sands and near-shore surface sediments. Twomechanisms (anthropogenic activitiesand sedimentary processes in the coastal waters) are responsible for this contamination. The anthropogenicimpact includes releases from metallurgical plants, phosphate fertilizer plants and gold and iron mining.In the coastal area sedimentary processes redistributed the As fromthe sediment into the porous structure of calcareousmarinealgae. These enriched calcareous algae are transported over time to the beach bywave action. Asin the Brazilian coastal environment, increased As levels were also observed in other coastal environments ofSouth 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-contaminatedarea, were compared. In both areas, short term health effects from fish consumption are not expected, but a lifetimecancer risk cannot be excluded.

KW - Arsenic

KW - Latin America

KW - Coastal environment

KW - Enrichment mechanism

KW - sources

U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.126

DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.126

M3 - Article

SN - 0048-9697

VL - 681

SP - 143

EP - 154

JO - Science of the Total Environment

JF - Science of the Total Environment

ER -

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

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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