Abstract
This work addresses the contamination of the sediments of an alluvial plain and riverbed of a tributary of the San Francisco River, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, by potentially toxic elements from an industrial unit of metallic alloys production. This area was subdivided into four areas (A1, A2, A3, and A0 (background area)) where sediment samples have been collected followed by geochemical characterization and spatial distribution of the contaminants. This characterization was based on the (1) analysis of dissolved elements in the interstitial waters, (2) identification of exchangeable and carbonates bounded fractions, and (3) leaching tests using deionized water adjusted to the local pH. This analysis revealed high levels mainly in Cd, Pb, and Zn, in the interstitial waters and in the more soluble phases of sediments. The comparison between the levels of these elements in the leached extracts and the more soluble fractions corroborates the high capacity of these elements to be leached from the alluvium following precipitation episodes. The geochemical characterization and spatial distribution of the contaminants will allow, in the near future, a choice of the most appropriate environmental remediation technique(s) for the environmental requalification of this area.
Highlights
Accepted: 30 March 2021Contamination by potentially toxic elements is one of the most frequent forms of environmental pollution and it is mostly associated with anthropogenic sources
Given the fragilities of an area contaminated by potentially toxic elements, the main goal of this work is to achieve the geochemical characterization and the spatial distribution of potentially toxic elements in a floodplain and in the riverbed sediments of a tributary of the San Francisco River, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, which is under the influence of an industrial unit of metallic alloys production located in its margins
The analysis of the results allowed to identify in all the areas (A1, A2, and A3), levels of the leached potentially toxic elements higher than the legally legislated values for groundwater, identifying the high degree of danger of elements such as Cd, Pb, and Zn
Summary
Contamination by potentially toxic elements is one of the most frequent forms of environmental pollution and it is mostly associated with anthropogenic sources Their accumulation and distribution in soils, sediments, and waters is a highly dangerous factor since they directly affect the water reservoirs and, subsequently, the living organisms are dependent on it [1]. Some metals such as Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn are, in low concentrations, essential as micronutrients for the metabolic processes in animals and plants [2], while other metals, such as Cd, Cr, and Pb, present high toxicity even in trace levels. This type of contamination is mainly associated with the deposition and mobilization of toxic wastes, rich in these elements, in soils located in the vicinity of areas with high industrial activity
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