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Becerra-Lira E, Rodriguez-Achata L, Muñoz Ushñahua A, Corvera Gomringer R, Thomas E, Garate-Quispe J, Hilares Vargas L, Nascimento Herbay PR, Gamarra Miranda LA, Umpiérrez E, Guerrero Barrantes JA, Pillaca M, Cusi Auca E, Peña Valdeiglesias J, Russo R, Del Castillo Torres D, Velasquez Ramírez MG. Spatio-temporal trends of mercury levels in alluvial gold mining spoils areas monitored between rainy and dry seasons in the Peruvian Amazon. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 245:118073. [PMID: 38159662 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.118073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in the Amazon has degraded tropical forests and escalated mercury (Hg) pollution, affecting biodiversity, ecological processes and rural livelihoods. In the Peruvian Amazon, ASGM annually releases some 181 tons of Hg into the environment. Despite some recent advances in understanding the spatial distribution of Hg within gold mine spoils and the surrounding landscape, temporal dynamics in Hg movement are not well understood. We aimed to reveal spatio-temporal trends of soil Hg in areas degraded by ASGM.,. We analyzed soil and sediment samples during the dry and rainy seasons across 14 ha of potentially contaminated sites and natural forests, in the vicinities of the Native community of San Jacinto in Madre de Dios, Peru. Soil Hg levels of areas impacted by ASGM (0.02 ± 0.02 mg kg-1) were generally below soil environmental quality standards (6.60 mg kg-1). However, they showed high variability, mainly explained by the type of natural cover vegetation, soil organic matter (SOM), clay and sand particles. Temporal trends in Hg levels in soils between seasons differed between landscape units distinguished in the mine spoils. During the rainy season, Hg levels decreased up to 45.5% in uncovered soils, while in artificial pond sediments Hg increased by up to 961%. During the dry season, uncovered degraded soils were more prone to lose Hg than sites covered by vegetation, mainly due to higher soil temperatures and concomitantly increasing volatilization. Soils from natural forests and degraded soil covered by regenerating vegetation showed a high capacity to retain Hg mainly due to the higher plant biomass, higher SOM, and increasing concentrations of clay particles. Disturbingly, our findings suggest high Hg mobility from gold mine spoil to close by sedimentary materials, mainly in artificial ponds through alluvial deposition and pluvial lixiviation. Thus, further research is needed on monitoring, and remediation of sediments in artificial to design sustainable land use strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin Becerra-Lira
- Desarrollo de Tecnologías para el Fortalecimiento de Sistemas Productivos en Base a la Castaña y Shiringa, Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana (IIAP), Jr. Ica N◦1162, Puerto Maldonado, Apartado Postal, 17001, Peru.
| | - Liset Rodriguez-Achata
- Departamento Académico de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Nacional Amazónica de Madre de Dios, Av. Jorge Chávez 1160, Puerto Maldonado, Peru.
| | - Adenka Muñoz Ushñahua
- Proyecto Recuperación de áreas Degradadas, Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana (IIAP), Puerto Maldonado, Peru.
| | - Ronald Corvera Gomringer
- Dirección Regional IIAP Madre de Dios y Selva Sur, Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana (IIAP), Jr. Ica N◦1162, Puerto Maldonado, Apartado Postal, 17001, Peru.
| | - Evert Thomas
- Bioversity International, Av. La Molina, 1895, Lima, Apartado Postal Lima12, Peru.
| | - Jorge Garate-Quispe
- Departamento Académico de Ingeniería Forestal y Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Amazónica de Madre de Dios, Puerto Maldonado, 17001, Peru.
| | - Litcely Hilares Vargas
- Proyecto Recuperación de áreas Degradadas, Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana (IIAP), Puerto Maldonado, Peru.
| | - Pedro Romel Nascimento Herbay
- Proyecto Recuperación de áreas Degradadas, Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana (IIAP), Puerto Maldonado, Peru.
| | | | - Eleuterio Umpiérrez
- Coordinador Empresarial del IPTP, Instituto Polo Tecnológico de Pando Facultad de Química - UDELAR Montevideo-Uruguay, Uruguay.
| | - Juan Antonio Guerrero Barrantes
- Departamento de Suelos, Universidad Nacional Agraria, La Molina (UNALM), Av. La Molina s/n, Lima, Perú, Apartado Postal Lima12, Peru.
| | - Martin Pillaca
- Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica (CINCIA), Puerto Maldonado, 17000, Madre de Dios, Peru.
| | - Edgar Cusi Auca
- Desarrollo de Tecnologías para el Fortalecimiento de Sistemas Productivos en Base a la Castaña y Shiringa, Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana (IIAP), Jr. Ica N◦1162, Puerto Maldonado, Apartado Postal, 17001, Peru.
| | - Joel Peña Valdeiglesias
- Departamento Académico de Ingeniería Forestal y Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Amazónica de Madre de Dios, Puerto Maldonado, 17001, Peru.
| | | | - Dennis Del Castillo Torres
- Programa BOSQUES, Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana (IIAP), Iquitos, Apartado Postal, 16000, Peru.
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