Abstract
Soils and wastes enriched with heavy metals may present ecological and human health risks. A considerable number of mining areas exist in Brazil, where high levels of metals have been found. However, studies of bioaccessibility of metals in soils/tailings from these areas are scarce, despite their potential informational contribution concerning exposure risks of residents near these areas. This study evaluated tailings collected from four sites of a zinc smelting area located in Brazil with aims to: (1) evaluate the presence of metals of potential concern; (2) investigate Cd and Pb bioaccessibility; and (3) determine the desorption kinetics of Cd and Pb. High concentrations of total Cd and Pb (up to 1743 mg Cd kg−1 and 8675 mg Pb kg–1) and great variability were found in the tailings, indicating the importance of adequate planning for their final disposal, in order to avoid contamination in the surrounding environment. Cadmium and Pb bioaccessibility percentages in the intestinal phase were less than 47 and 4 %, respectively, which represents significant fractions not available for absorption in the intestinal tract. However, this material has to be monitored since its bioaccessibility may increase with eventual physicochemical changes, releasing Cd and Pb. Desorption kinetics experiments revealed that Pb in the samples remained in less labile fractions, whereas Cd was found in more labile fractions, which is in accordance with the bioaccessibility results.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alloway, B. J. (1990). Heavy metals in soils. New York: Wiley.
Anju, M., & Banerjee, D. K. (2011). Associations of cadmium, zinc, and lead in soils from a lead and zinc mining area as studied by single and sequential extractions. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 176, 67–85.
ATSDR. (2013). CERCLA priority list of hazardous substances, agency for toxic substances and diseases registry. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/SPL/index.html. Accessed March 15, 2015.
Bi, X., Feng, X., Yang, Y., Qiu, G., Li, G., Li, F., et al. (2006). Environmental contamination of heavy metals from zinc smelting areas in Hezhang County, western Guizhou, China. Environment International, 32, 883–890.
Bundschuh, J., Litter, M. I., Parvez, F., Román-Ross, G., Nicolli, H. B., Jean, J. S., et al. (2012). One century of arsenic exposure in Latin America: A review of history and occurrence from 14 countries. Science of the Total Environment, 429, 2–35.
Carrizales, L., Razo, I., Téllez-Hernández, J. I., Torres-Nerio, R., Torres, A., Batres, L. E., et al. (2006). Exposure to arsenic and lead of children living near a copper-smelter in San Luis Potosi, Mexico: Importance of soil contamination for exposure of children. Environmental Research, 101, 1–10.
Charman, W. N., Porter, C. J. H., Mithani, S., & Dressman, J. B. (1997). Physicochemical and physiological mechanisms for the effects of food on drug absorption: The role of lipids and pH. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 86, 269–282.
Chrastný, V., Vaněk, A., Teper, L., Cabala, J., Procházka, J., Pechar, L., et al. (2012). Geochemical position of Pb, Zn and Cd in soils near the Olkusz mine/smelter, South Poland: Effects of land use, type of contamination and distance from pollution source. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 184, 2517–2536.
Conama. (2009). Resolução N o 420/2009. Valores orientadores de qualidade do solo quanto à presença de substâncias químicas. Conselho Nacional de Meio Ambiente. http://www.mma.gov.br/port/conama/legiabre.cfm?codlegi=620. Acessed 10 March 2014.
Daugherty, A. L., & Mrsny, R. J. (1999). Transcellular uptake mechanisms of the intestinal epithelial barrier Part one. Pharmaceutical Science & Technology Today, 4, 144–151.
Demetriades, A., Li, X., Ramsey, M. H., & Thornton, I. (2010). Chemical speciation and bioaccessibility of lead in surface soil and house dust, Lavrion urban area, Attiki, Hellas. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 32, 529–552.
Dias-Júnior, H. E., Moreira, F. M. S., Siqueira, J. O., & Silva, R. (1998). Metais pesados, densidade e atividade microbiana em solo contaminado por rejeitos de indústria de zinco. Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo, 22, 631–640.
Ellickson, K. M., Meeker, R. J., Gallo, M. A., Buckley, B. T., & Lioy, P. J. (2001). Oral bioavailability of lead and arsenic from a NIST standard reference soil material. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 40, 128–135.
Girouard, E., & Zagury, G. J. (2009). Arsenic bioaccessibility in CCA-contaminated soils: Influence of soil properties, arsenic fractionation, and particle-size fraction. Science of the Total Environment, 407, 2576–2585.
Hamel, S. C., Buckley, B., & Lioy, P. J. (1998). Bioaccessibility of metals in soils for different liquid to solid ratios in synthetic gastric fluid. Environmental Science and Technology, 32, 358–362.
Han, Z., Bi, X., Li, Z., Yang, W., Wang, L., Yang, H., et al. (2012). Occurrence, speciation and bioaccessibility of lead in Chinese rural household dust and the associated health risk to children. Atmospheric Environment, 46, 65–70.
Hemond, H. F., & Solo-Gabriele, H. M. (2004). Children’s exposure to arsenic from CCA-treated wooden decks and playground structures. Risk Analysis, 24, 51–64.
Hettiarachchi, G. M., & Pierzynski, G. M. (2004). Soil lead bioavailability and in situ remediation of lead-contaminated soils: A review. Environmental Progress, 23, 78–93.
Jarup, L. (2003). Hazards of heavy metal contamination. British Medical Bulletin, 68, 167–182.
Juhasz, A. L., Weber, J., Naidu, R., Gancarz, D., Rofe, A., Todor, D., et al. (2010). Determination of cadmium relative bioavailability in contaminated soils and its prediction using in vitro methodologies. Environmental Science and Technology, 44, 5240–5247.
Kwon, E., Zhang, H., Wang, Z., Jhangri, G. S., Lu, X., Fok, N., et al. (2004). Arsenic on the hands of children after playing in playgrounds. Environmental Health Perspectives, 112, 1375–1380.
Lamb, D. T., Ming, H., Megharaj, M., & Naidu, R. (2009). Heavy metal (Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) partitioning and bioaccessibility in uncontaminated and long-term contaminated soils. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 171, 1150–1158.
Lu, Y., Yin, W., Huang, L., Zhang, G., & Zhao, Y. (2011). Assessment of bioaccessibility and exposure risk of arsenic and lead in urban soils of Guangzhou City, China. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 33, 93–102.
Maddaloni, M., Lolacono, N., Manton, W., Blum, C., Drexler, J., & Graciano, J. (1998). Bioavailability of soilborne lead in adults, by stable isotope dilution. Environmental Health Perspectives, 106, 1589–1594.
Matschullat, J., Perobelli, R., Deschamps, E., Figueiredo, B. R., Gabrio, T., & Schwenk, M. (2000). Human and environmental contamination in the Iron Quadrangle, Brazil. Applied Geochemistry, 15, 181–190.
Naidu, R., Bolan, N. S., Kookana, R. S., & Tiller, K. G. (1994). Ionic-strength and pH effects on the sorption of cadmium and the surface charge of soils. European Journal of Soil Science, 45, 419–429.
Navarro, M. C., Pérez-Sirvent, C., Martínez-Sánchez, M. J., Vidal, J., & Marimón, J. (2006). Lead, cadmium and arsenic bioavailability in the abandoned mine site of Cabezo Rajao (Murcia, SE Spain). Chemosphere, 63, 484–489.
Nelson, D. W., & Sommers, L. E. (1996). Total carbon, organic carbon and organic matter. In D. L. Sparks (Ed.), Methods of soil analysis: Chemical methods (pp. 961–1010). Madison, WI: Soil Science Society of America.
Okorie, A., Entwistle, J., & Dean, J. R. (2012). Estimation of daily intake of potentially toxic elements from urban street dust and the role of oral bioaccessibility testing. Chemosphere, 86, 460–467.
Ono, F. B., Guilherme, L. R. G., Penido, E. S., Carvalho, G. S., Hale, B., Toujaguez, R., et al. (2012). Arsenic bioaccessibility in a gold mining area: A health risk assessment for children. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 34, 457–465.
Pelfrêne, A., Waterlot, C., & Douay, F. (2011a). In vitro digestion and DGT techniques for estimating cadmium and lead bioavailability in contaminated soils: Influence of gastric juice pH. Science of the Total Environment, 409, 5076–5085.
Pelfrêne, A., Waterlot, C., Mazzuca, M., Nisse, C., Bidar, G., & Douay, F. (2011b). Assessing Cd, Pb, Zn human bioaccessibility in smelter-contaminated agricultural topsoils (northern France). Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 33, 477–493.
Ribeiro-Filho, M. R., Curi, N., Siqueira, J. O., & Motta, P. E. F. (1999). Metais pesados em solos de área de rejeitos de indústria de processamento de zinco. Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo, 23, 453–464.
Rieuwerts, J., & Farago, M. (1996). Heavy metal pollution in the vicinity of a secondary lead smelter in the Czech Republic. Applied Geochemistry, 11, 17–23.
Rodriguez, R. R., Basta, N. T., Casteel, S. W., & Pace, L. W. (1999). An in vitro gastrointestinal method to estimate bioavailable arsenic in contaminated soils and solid media. Environmental Science and Technology, 33, 642–649.
Ruby, M. V., Davis, A., Schoof, R., Eberle, S., & Sellstone, C. M. (1996). Estimation of lead and arsenic bioavailability using a physiologically based extraction test. Environmental Science and Technology, 30, 422–430.
Ruby, M. V., Schoof, R., Brattin, W., Goldade, M., Post, G., Harnois, M., et al. (1999). Advances in evaluating the oral bioavailability of inorganics in soil for use in human health risk assessment. Environmental Science and Technology, 33, 3697–3705.
Schaider, L. A., Senn, D. B., Brabander, D. J., McCarthy, K. D., & Shine, J. P. (2007). Characterization of zinc, lead, and cadmium in mine waste: Implications for transport, exposure, and bioavailability. Environmental Science and Technology, 41, 4164–4171.
Shi, Z. (2006). Kinetics of trace metals sorption on and desorption from soils: Developing predictive models. Newark, DE: University of Delaware.
Sparks, D. L. (2003). Environmental soil chemistry (2nd ed.). New York: Academic Press.
Strawn, D. G., & Sparks, D. L. (2000). Effects of soil organic matter on the kinetics and mechanisms of Pb(II) sorption and desorption in soil. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 64, 144–156.
Tang, X.-Y., Zhu, Y.-G., Cui, Y.-S., Duan, J., & Tang, L. (2006). The effect of ageing on the bioaccessibility and fractionation of cadmium in some typical soils of China. Environment International, 32, 682–689.
Toujaguez, R., Ono, F. B., Martins, V., Cabrera, P. P., Blanco, A. V., Bundschuh, J., & Guilherme, L. R. G. (2013). Arsenic bioaccessibility in gold mine tailings of Delita, Cuba. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 262, 1004–1013.
Turner, A., & Ip, K.-H. (2007). Bioaccessibility of metals in dust from the indoor environment: Application of a physiologically based extraction test. Environmental Science and Technology, 41, 7851–7856.
USEPA - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2002). Child-specific exposure factors handbook, EPA/600/P-00/002B; Office of Research and Development; U.S. Government Printing Office.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ono, F.B., Penido, E.S., Tappero, R. et al. Bioaccessibility of Cd and Pb in tailings from a zinc smelting in Brazil: implications for human health. Environ Geochem Health 38, 1083–1096 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-015-9774-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-015-9774-0