Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Multicompartment Mercury Contamination in Major Gold Mining Districts at the Department of Bolivar, Colombia

  • Published:
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is the main source of human exposure to mercury (Hg) in many countries. This study was designed to evaluate total Hg (T-Hg) concentrations in human hair, fish, soil, and air from two major gold-mining districts (GMDs) at the department of Bolivar, Colombia. Total Hg was analyzed using a direct Hg analyzer. The mean T-Hg concentration in hair samples was 3.07 ± 0.14 μg/g (range 0.15–25.1 μg/g; median 2.02 μg/g). The highest Hg level was observed in Mojana GMD, specifically at Achi-La Raya (9.2 ± 0.6 μg/g) and the lowest in Morales, at the Middle Magdalena GMD (1.50 ± 0.16 μg/g). Hair T-Hg values exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reference level of 1.0 μg/g. Correlation between T-Hg in hair and stature was negative for the Mojana, but the opposite for Middle Magdalena, although for both GMDs hair T-Hg correlated positively with fish intake. The highest average T-Hg fish concentrations were observed in Caquetaia kraussii (0.37 ± 0.10 μg/g), Sorubim cuspicaudus (0.32 ± 0.16 μg/g), Plagioscion surinamensis (0.22 ± 0.02 μg/g), Trachelyopterus insignis (0.20 ± 0.02 μg/g), and Pseudoplatystoma magdaleniatum (0.20 ± 0.02 μg/g). Human health risk assessment of Hg based on fish consumption suggested that, with the exception of P. magdalenae, all economically important fish species are potentially harmful for the communities. Soil Hg levels in amalgam burning facilities were extremely high, and Hg in the air around mines and gold-processing shops exceeded international guidelines. In short, Hg pollution in GMDs of Bolivar is extensive, and this situation requires special attention to reduce environmental and human health problems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Akagi H, Ikingura JR (1996) Monitoring of fish and human exposure to mercury due to gold mining in the Lake Victoria goldfields, Tanzania. Sci Total Environ 191:59–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ashe K (2012) Elevated mercury concentrations in humans of Madre de Dios, Peru. PLoS ONE 7:e33305

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ATSDR (2007) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Health Consultation. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/pha/KingsfordMiddleSchool/KingsfordMiddleSchoolHC033007.pdf

  • Berrow M, Reaves G (1984) Background of trace elements in soils. In: Proceedings 1st international conference on environmental contamination. CEP Consultants, Edinburg, pp 333–340

  • Castoldi AF, Coccini T, Manzo L (2003) Neurotoxic and molecular effects of methylmercury in humans. Rev Environ Health 18:19–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Copat C, Conti GO, Signorelli C, Marmiroli S, Sciacca S, Vinceti M, Ferrante M (2013) Risk assessment for metals and PAHs by mediterranean seafood. Food Nutr Sci 4:10–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Cordy P, Veiga MM, Salih I, Al-Saadi S, Console S, Garcia O, Mesa LA, Velásquez-López PC, Roeser M (2011) Mercury contamination from artisanal gold mining in Antioquia, Colombia: the world’s highest per capita mercury pollution. Sci Total Environ 410:154–160

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson PW, Myers GJ, Cox C, Axtell C, Shamlaye C, Sloane-Reeves J, Cernichiari E, Needham L, Choi A, Wang Y (1998) Effects of prenatal and postnatal methylmercury exposure from fish consumption on neurodevelopment: outcomes at 66 months of age in the Seychelles Child Development Study. JAMA 280:701–707

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Drasch G, Schupp I, Höfl H, Reinke R, Roider G (1994) Mercury burden of human fetal and infant tissues. Eur J Pediatr 153:607–610

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fu X, Feng X, Zhu W, Rothenberg S, Yao H, Zhang H (2010) Elevated atmospheric deposition and dynamics of mercury in a remote upland forest of southwestern China. Environ Pollut 158:2324–2333

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • García-Sánchez A, Contreras F, Adams M, Santos F (2006) Atmospheric mercury emissions from polluted gold mining areas (Venezuela). Environ Geochem Health 28:529–540

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gerson JR, Driscoll CT, Hsu-Kim H, Bernhardt ES (2018) Senegalese artisanal gold mining leads to elevated total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in soils, sediments, and rivers. Elementa (Wash D C) 6:2–14

    Google Scholar 

  • González-Carrasco V, Velasquez-Lopez PC, Olivero-Verbel J, Pájaro-Castro N (2011) Air mercury contamination in the gold mining town of Portovelo, Ecuador. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 87:250–253

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gutiérrez-Mosquera H, Sujitha S, Jonathan M, Sarkar S, Medina-Mosquera F, Ayala-Mosquera H, Morales-Mira G, Arreola-Mendoza L (2018) Mercury levels in human population from a mining district in Western Colombia. J Environ Sci 68:83–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hakanson L (1980) An ecological risk index for aquatic pollution control. A sedimentological approach. Water Res 14:975–1001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jan A, Ali A, Haq Q (2011) Glutathione as an antioxidant in inorganic mercury induced nephrotoxicity. J Postgrad Med 57:72–77

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • JECFA (2010) Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. Seventy-second meeting. Rome, 16–25 February 2010. Summary and conclusions. JECFA/72/SC. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations World Health Organization. Issued 16th March 2010. http://www.who.int/foodsafety/chem/summary72_rev.pdf, FAO/WHO

  • Lee G-S, Kim P-R, Han Y-J, Holsen TM, Seo Y-S, Yi S-M (2016) Atmospheric speciated mercury concentrations on an island between China and Korea: sources and transport pathways. Atmos Chem Phys 16:4119–4133

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lide D (2008) CRC handbook of chemistry and physics, geophysics, astronomy, and acoustics. Section 14, abundance of elements in the Earth’s Crust and in the Sea, 89th edn. CRC Press, Boca Raton

    Google Scholar 

  • Marrugo-Negrete J, Benitez LN, Olivero-Verbel J (2008) Distribution of mercury in several environmental compartments in an aquatic ecosystem impacted by gold mining in northern Colombia. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 55:305–316

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mason R, Reinfelder J, Morel F (1995) Bioaccumulation of mercury and methylmercury. Water Air Soil Pollut 80:915–921

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mozaffarian D, Rimm EB (2006) Fish intake, contaminants, and human health: evaluating the risks and the benefits. JAMA 296:1885–1899

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Olivero J, Solano B (1998) Mercury in environmental samples from a waterbody contaminated by gold mining in Colombia, South America. Sci Total Environ 217(1–2):83–89

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Olivero J, Mendonza C, Mestre J (1995) Mercurio en cabello de diferentes grupos ocupacionales en una zona de minería aurífera en el Norte de Colombia. Rev Saude Publica 29:376–379

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Olivero-Verbel J, Caballero-Gallardo K (2013) Nematode and mercury content in freshwater fish belonging to different trophic levels. Parasitol Res 112:2187–2195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olivero-Verbel J, Ropero-Vega J, Ortiz-Rivera W, Vera-Ospina P, Torres-Fuentes N, Montoya-Rodriguez N (2006) Air mercury levels in a pharmaceutical and chemical sciences school building. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 76:1038–1043

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Olivero-Verbel J, Johnson-Restrepo B, Baldiris-Avila R, Güette-Fernández J, Magallanes-Carreazo E, Vanegas-Ramírez L, Kunihiko N (2008) Human and crab exposure to mercury in the Caribbean coastal shoreline of Colombia: impact from an abandoned chlor-alkali plant. Environ Int 34(4):476–482

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Olivero-Verbel J, Caballero-Gallardo K, Negrete-Marrugo J (2011) Relationship between localization of gold mining areas and hair mercury levels in people from Bolivar, north of Colombia. Biol Trace Elem Res 144:118–132

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Olivero-Verbel J, Young-Castro F, Caballero-Gallardo K (2014) Contaminación por mercurio en aire del distrito minero de San Martín de Loba en el departamento de Bolívar, Colombia. Rev Int Contam Ambient 30(1):7–13

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Olivero-Verbel J, Caballero-Gallardo K, Turizo-Tapia A (2015) Mercury in the gold mining district of San Martin de Loba, South of Bolivar (Colombia). Environ Sci Pollut Res 22:5895–5907

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Olivero-Verbel J, Carranza-Lopez L, Caballero-Gallardo K, Ripoll-Arboleda A, Muñoz-Sosa D (2016) Human exposure and risk assessment associated with mercury pollution in the Caqueta River, Colombian Amazon. Environ Sci Poll Res 23:20761–20771

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Onishchenko N, Karpova N, Sabri F, Castrén E, Ceccatelli S (2008) Long-lasting depression-like behavior and epigenetic changes of BDNF gene expression induced by perinatal exposure to methylmercury. J Neurochem 106:1378–1387

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ottenbros IB, Boerleider RZ, Jubitana B, Roeleveld N, Scheepers PTJ (2019) Knowledge and awareness of health effects related to the use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Suriname. Environ Int 122:142–150

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Palacios-Torres Y, Caballero-Gallardo K, Olivero-Verbel J (2018) Mercury pollution by gold mining in a global biodiversity hotspot, the Choco biogeographic region, Colombia. Chemosphere 193:421–430

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Paruchuri Y, Siuniak A, Johnson N, Levin E, Mitchell K, Goodrich JM, Renne EP, Basu N (2010) Occupational and environmental mercury exposure among small-scale gold miners in the Talensi-Nabdam District of Ghana’s Upper East region. Sci Total Environ 408:6079–6085

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pongratz R, Heumann KG (1998) Determination of concentration profiles of methyl mercury compounds in surface waters of polar and other remote oceans by GC-AFD. Int J Environ Anal Chem 71:41–56

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rocha-Román L, Olivero-Verbel J, Caballero-Gallardo KR (2018) Impacto De La Minería Del Oro Asociado Con La Contaminación Por Mercurio En Suelo Superficial De San Martín De Loba, Sur De Bolívar (Colombia). Rev Int Contam Amb 34:93–102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santos-Francés F, García-Sánchez A, Alonso-Rojo P, Contreras F, Adams M (2011) Distribution and mobility of mercury in soils of a gold mining region, Cuyuni river basin, Venezuela. J Environ Manag 92:1268–1276

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Silbernagel SM, Carpenter DO, Gilbert SG, Gochfeld M, Groth E 3rd, Hightower JM, Schiavone FM (2011) Recognizing and preventing overexposure to methylmercury from fish and seafood consumption: information for physicians. J Toxicol 2011:983072

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Su MQ, Okita GT (1976) Embryocidal and teratogenic effects of methylmercury in mice. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 38:207–216

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sundseth K, Pacyna JM, Pacyna EG, Pirrone N, Thorne RJ (2017) Global sources and pathways of mercury in the context of human health. Int J Environ Res Public Health 14:105

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tomiyasu T, Kodamatani H, Hamada YK, Matsuyama A, Imura R, Taniguchi Y, Hidayati N, Rahajoe JS (2017) Distribution of total mercury and methylmercury around the small-scale gold mining area along the Cikaniki River, Bogor, Indonesia. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24:2643–2652

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • USEPA (1989) United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1989. Washington, DC

  • USEPA (1994) United States Environmental Protection Agency. Methods 245.1 for determination of mercury in water. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati

  • USEPA (1997) Mercury study report to congress volume I: executive summary. https://www3.epa.gov/ttn/caaa/t3/reports/volume1.pdf

  • USEPA (2000) Guidance for Assessing Chemical Contamination Data for Use in Fish Advisories, vol II. Risk Assessment and Fish Consumption Limits EPA/823-B94-004. Washington, DC

  • Veiga MM, Masson P, Perron D, Laflamme AC, Gagnon R, Jimenez G, Marshall BG (2018) An affordable solution for micro-miners in Colombia to process gold ores without mercury. J Clean Prod 205:995–1005

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • WHO (2003) World Health Organization. Elemental mercury and inorganic mercury compounds: human health aspects. In: Concise International Chemical Assessment Document (CICAD), vol 50. Geneva

  • Zalups RK (2000) Molecular interactions with mercury in the kidney. Pharmacol Rev 52:113–144

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the National Program for Doctoral Formation (COLCIENCIAS, 567-2012) and the Government of the State of Bolivar, Colombia.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental and Computational Chemistry Group, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zaragocilla Campus, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, 130015, Colombia

    Liliana Carranza-Lopez, Karina Caballero-Gallardo, Leonor Cervantes-Ceballos, Alexi Turizo-Tapia & Jesus Olivero-Verbel

  2. Public Health Research Group, School of Health Sciences, Bacteriology Program, Universidad Libre Seccional Barranquilla, Barranquilla, 080016, Colombia

    Liliana Carranza-Lopez

Authors
  1. Liliana Carranza-Lopez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Karina Caballero-Gallardo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Leonor Cervantes-Ceballos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Alexi Turizo-Tapia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jesus Olivero-Verbel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jesus Olivero-Verbel.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 16 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Carranza-Lopez, L., Caballero-Gallardo, K., Cervantes-Ceballos, L. et al. Multicompartment Mercury Contamination in Major Gold Mining Districts at the Department of Bolivar, Colombia. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 76, 640–649 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-019-00609-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-019-00609-w

Search

Navigation