Desenvolvimento de um Esquema para Avaliação de Risco Ecológico em Ambientes Tropicais: Estudo de Caso da Contaminação por Metais em Santo Amaro da Purificação, Bahia, Brasil

Abstract

Development of a site specific ecological risk assessment scheme for tropical environments: a case study from Santo Amaro da Purificacao, Bahia, Brazil This project aims to further develop and adapt an ecological risk assessment scheme, following a tiered approach, for tropical systems. The study will be conducted in a metal contaminated area at Santo Amaro da Purificacao (Bahia, Brasil), resulting from the deposition of reminiscent metal waste of a lead smelter, inactive since 1993. The ecological risk will be evaluated joining information from three different lines of evidence: chemistry, ecology and ecotoxicology. The study includes the development and adaptation of terrestrial ecotoxicological bioassays for tropical environments that, together with bioassays with aquatic organisms, will allow an integrated assessment of both habitat and retention functions of the impacted soils. The final output of the project will be an environmental risk assessment scheme that will act as a base scheme for tropical environments with similar contamination profile.