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Mestanza-Ramón C, Jiménez-Oyola S, Cedeño-Laje J, Villamar Marazita K, Gavilanes Montoya AV, Castillo Vizuete DD, Mora-Silva D, Carrera Almendáriz LS, Logroño-Naranjo S, Mazón-Fierro G, Herrera-Chávez R, D’Orio G, Straface S. Risks to Human Health from Mercury in Gold Mining in the Coastal Region of Ecuador. TOXICS 2024; 12:323. [PMID: 38787102 PMCID: PMC11125909 DOI: 10.3390/toxics12050323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) plays a crucial role in global gold production. However, the adoption of poor mining practices or the use of mercury (Hg) in gold recovery processes has generated serious environmental contamination events. The focus of this study is assessing the concentration of Hg in surface waters within the coastal region of Ecuador. The results are used to conduct a human health risk assessment applying deterministic and probabilistic methods, specifically targeting groups vulnerable to exposure in affected mining environments. Between April and June 2022, 54 water samples were collected from rivers and streams adjacent to mining areas to determine Hg levels. In the health risk assessment, exposure routes through water ingestion and dermal contact were considered for both adults and children, following the model structures outlined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The results indicate elevated Hg concentrations in two of the five provinces studied, El Oro and Esmeraldas, where at least 88% and 75% of the samples, respectively, exceeded the maximum permissible limit (MPL) set by Ecuadorian regulations for the preservation of aquatic life. Furthermore, in El Oro province, 28% of the samples exceeded the MPL established for drinking water quality. The high concentrations of Hg could be related to illegal mining activity that uses Hg for gold recovery. Regarding the human health risk assessment, risk values above the safe exposure limit were estimated. Children were identified as the most vulnerable receptor. Therefore, there is an urgent need to establish effective regulations that guarantee the protection of river users in potentially contaminated areas. Finally, it is important to continue investigating the contamination caused by human practices in the coastal region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Mestanza-Ramón
- Research Group YASUNI-SDC, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Sede Orellana, El Coca EC-220001, Ecuador; (D.M.-S.); (S.L.-N.)
- Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy;
| | - Samantha Jiménez-Oyola
- Facultad de Ingeniería en Ciencias de la Tierra, ESPOL Polytechnic University, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Campus Gustavo Galindo, km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil EC-090101, Ecuador; (S.J.-O.); (J.C.-L.); (K.V.M.)
| | - Juan Cedeño-Laje
- Facultad de Ingeniería en Ciencias de la Tierra, ESPOL Polytechnic University, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Campus Gustavo Galindo, km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil EC-090101, Ecuador; (S.J.-O.); (J.C.-L.); (K.V.M.)
| | - Karla Villamar Marazita
- Facultad de Ingeniería en Ciencias de la Tierra, ESPOL Polytechnic University, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), Campus Gustavo Galindo, km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil EC-090101, Ecuador; (S.J.-O.); (J.C.-L.); (K.V.M.)
| | - Alex Vinicio Gavilanes Montoya
- Faculty of Natural Resources, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Panamericana Sur, Km 1 ½, Riobamba EC-060155, Ecuador; (A.V.G.M.); (D.D.C.V.)
| | - Danny Daniel Castillo Vizuete
- Faculty of Natural Resources, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Panamericana Sur, Km 1 ½, Riobamba EC-060155, Ecuador; (A.V.G.M.); (D.D.C.V.)
| | - Demmy Mora-Silva
- Research Group YASUNI-SDC, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Sede Orellana, El Coca EC-220001, Ecuador; (D.M.-S.); (S.L.-N.)
| | | | - Santiago Logroño-Naranjo
- Research Group YASUNI-SDC, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Sede Orellana, El Coca EC-220001, Ecuador; (D.M.-S.); (S.L.-N.)
| | - Guido Mazón-Fierro
- Faculty of Business Administration, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Panamericana Sur, Km 1 ½, Riobamba EC-060155, Ecuador;
| | - Renato Herrera-Chávez
- Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Administrativas, Universidad Nacional del Chimborazo, Av. Antonio José de Sucre Km 1 ½ Vía a Guano, Riobamba EC-060155, Ecuador;
| | - Giovanni D’Orio
- Department of Economics, Statistics and Finance, University of Calabria, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy;
| | - Salvatore Straface
- Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy;
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Romero-Crespo P, Jiménez-Oyola S, Salgado-Almeida B, Zambrano-Anchundia J, Goyburo-Chávez C, González-Valoys A, Higueras P. Trace elements in farmland soils and crops, and probabilistic health risk assessment in areas influenced by mining activity in Ecuador. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2023; 45:4549-4563. [PMID: 36856885 PMCID: PMC10310628 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-023-01514-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Consumption of food grown in contaminated soils may be a significant human exposure pathway to pollutants, including toxic elements. This study aimed to investigate the pollution level of trace elements in farmland soil and crops collected in orchards from Ponce Enriquez, one of the Ecuador's most important gold mining areas. The concentration of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chrome (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) was analyzed in soil and crop samples (celery, chives, corn, herbs, lettuce, turnips, green beans, cassava, and carrots). In addition, a probabilistic human health risk assessment, in terms of hazard quotients (HQ) and cancer risk (CR), was conducted to assess the potential risk related to local crop ingestion. The contents of As, Cr, Cu, and Ni in soils exceeded the Ecuadorian quality guidelines for agricultural soils. The trace elements concentration in local crops was higher than the maximum permissible levels set by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The HQ and CR of local crop ingestion were several orders higher than the safe exposure threshold, mainly for lettuce, chives, and turnips. Our results revealed that inhabitants of the study area are exposed to developing carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects due to long-term food consumption with high trace elements. This study sheds light on the need to assess further the quality of agricultural soils and crops grown in mining areas with signs of contamination to guarantee consumer food safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Romero-Crespo
- Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Facultad de Ingeniería en Ciencias de La Tierra, Campus Gustavo Galindo km 30.5 vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Samantha Jiménez-Oyola
- Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Facultad de Ingeniería en Ciencias de La Tierra, Campus Gustavo Galindo km 30.5 vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador.
| | - Bryan Salgado-Almeida
- Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Facultad de Ingeniería en Ciencias de La Tierra, Campus Gustavo Galindo km 30.5 vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Johanna Zambrano-Anchundia
- Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Facultad de Ingeniería en Ciencias de La Tierra, Campus Gustavo Galindo km 30.5 vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Cindy Goyburo-Chávez
- Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Facultad de Ingeniería en Ciencias de La Tierra, Campus Gustavo Galindo km 30.5 vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Ana González-Valoys
- Centro Experimental de Ingeniería, Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, Vía Tocumen, P.O. Box 0819-07289, Panama City, Panama
- SNI-SENACYT Sistema Nacional de Investigación-Secretaria Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Clayton, Ciudad del Saber Edif.205, P.O. Box 0816-02852, Panama City, Panama
| | - Pablo Higueras
- Instituto de Geología Aplicada, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, EIMI Almadén. Almadén, 13400, Ciudad Real, Spain
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Jiménez-Oyola S, Valverde-Armas PE, Romero-Crespo P, Capa D, Valdivieso A, Coronel-León J, Guzmán-Martínez F, Chavez E. Heavy metal(loid)s contamination in water and sediments in a mining area in Ecuador: a comprehensive assessment for drinking water quality and human health risk. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2023:10.1007/s10653-023-01546-3. [PMID: 36997826 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-023-01546-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Elevated heavy metal(loid)s concentrations in water lower its quality posing a threat to consumers. This study aims to assess the human health risk caused by heavy metal(loid)s in tap water in Santa Rosa city, Ecuador, and the ecological risk of stream water and sediments in the Santa Rosa River. Concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were evaluated in tap waters, stream waters, and sediment samples during the rainy and dry seasons. The Metal Index (MI), Geo-accumulation Index (Igeo), Potential Ecological Risk Index (PERI), and the levels of carcinogenic (CR) and non-carcinogenic risk (HQ) were determined. The results revealed severe pollution levels, mainly in Los Gringos and El Panteon streams, both tributaries of the Santa Rosa River, the primary water source for Santa Rosa inhabitants. More than 20% of the surface water samples showed severe contamination (MI > 6), and 90% of the tap water samples presented a MI value between 1 and 4, which indicates slight to moderate pollution. Drinking water displayed high levels of As, with 83% of the tap water samples collected from households in the dry season above the recommended concentration set by the World Health Organization and Ecuadorian legislation. The Igeo-Cd in the sediment samples was significantly high (Igeo > 3), and the PERI showed very high ecological risk (PERI > 600), with Cd as the main pollutant. HQ and CR were above the safe exposure threshold, suggesting that residents are at risk from tap water consumption, with As being the primary concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Jiménez-Oyola
- Facultad de Ingeniería en Ciencias de la Tierra, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador.
| | - Priscila E Valverde-Armas
- Facultad de Ingeniería en Ciencias de la Tierra, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Paola Romero-Crespo
- Facultad de Ingeniería en Ciencias de la Tierra, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Diego Capa
- Facultad de Ingeniería en Ciencias de la Tierra, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Abner Valdivieso
- Facultad de Ingeniería en Ciencias de la Tierra, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Jonathan Coronel-León
- Facultad de Ingeniería Mecánica y Ciencias de la Producción, Centro de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas del Ecuador, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo, Km 30.5, Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Fredy Guzmán-Martínez
- Mexican Geological Survey (SGM), Boulevard Felipe Angeles, Km. 93.50-4, 42083, Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico
| | - Eduardo Chavez
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador
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Risk Assessment of Mining Environmental Liabilities for Their Categorization and Prioritization in Gold-Mining Areas of Ecuador. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14106089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Mining environmental liabilities (MEL) are of great concern because of potential risks to ecosystems and human health. In this research, the environmental risk (RI) related to MEL existing in three artisanal and small-scale gold-mining areas of Ecuador was evaluated. For this purpose, data of 167 MEL including landfills, mining galleries, tailing deposits, and mineral processing plants from Macuchi, Tenguel–Ponce Enriquez, and Puyango mining areas, were analyzed. The risk assessment related to the presence of waste deposits was carried out based on the methodology proposed by the Spanish Geological Survey. Moreover, the procedure outlined in the Environmental Risk Assessment Guide of the Ministry of Environment of Peru for nonwaste deposits was applied. The highest RI values were identified in Puyango and Tenguel–Ponce Enriquez. Thus, they were both categorized as priority control areas requiring intervention and rehabilitation plans. The MEL that require a high level of intervention include waste deposits and mine entrances associated with potentially toxic elements. Moreover, the point risk maps showed that rivers in the studied areas have a potential pollution risk. This study provides risk levels associated with MEL in mining areas from Ecuador. This information could be used for environmental management and pollution mitigation.
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