IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v15y2018i8p1584-d160081.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mercury Contamination in Riverine Sediments and Fish Associated with Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Madre de Dios, Peru

Author

Listed:
  • Gerardo Martinez

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA)

  • Stephen A. McCord

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA)

  • Charles T. Driscoll

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University College of Engineering and Computer Science, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA)

  • Svetoslava Todorova

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University College of Engineering and Computer Science, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA)

  • Steven Wu

    (BioConsortia Inc., Davis, CA 95616, USA)

  • Julio F. Araújo

    (Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica (CINCIA), Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios 17000, Peru
    Center for Energy, Environmental and Sustainability (CEES), Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA)

  • Claudia M. Vega

    (Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica (CINCIA), Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios 17000, Peru
    Center for Energy, Environmental and Sustainability (CEES), Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA)

  • Luis E. Fernandez

    (Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica (CINCIA), Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios 17000, Peru
    Center for Energy, Environmental and Sustainability (CEES), Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA)

Abstract

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in Madre de Dios, Peru, continues to expand rapidly, raising concerns about increases in loading of mercury (Hg) to the environment. We measured physicochemical parameters in water and sampled and analyzed sediments and fish from multiple sites along one ASGM-impacted river and two unimpacted rivers in the region to examine whether Hg concentrations were elevated and possibly related to ASGM activity. We also analyzed the 308 fish samples, representing 36 species, for stable isotopes (δ 15 N and δ 13 C) to estimate their trophic position. Trophic position was positively correlated with the log-transformed Hg concentrations in fish among all sites. There was a lack of relationship between Hg concentrations in fish and either Hg concentrations in sediments or ASGM activity among sites, suggesting that fish Hg concentrations alone is not an ideal bioindicator of site-specific Hg contamination in the region. Fish Hg concentrations were not elevated in the ASGM-impacted river relative to the other two rivers; however, sediment Hg concentrations were highest in the ASGM-impacted river. Degraded habitat conditions and commensurate shifts in fish species and ecological processes may influence Hg bioaccumulation in the ASGM-impacted river. More research is needed on food web dynamics in the region to elucidate any effects caused by ASGM, especially through feeding relationships and food sources.

Suggested Citation

  • Gerardo Martinez & Stephen A. McCord & Charles T. Driscoll & Svetoslava Todorova & Steven Wu & Julio F. Araújo & Claudia M. Vega & Luis E. Fernandez, 2018. "Mercury Contamination in Riverine Sediments and Fish Associated with Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Madre de Dios, Peru," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-15, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:8:p:1584-:d:160081
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/8/1584/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/8/1584/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kyrre Sundseth & Jozef M. Pacyna & Elisabeth G. Pacyna & Nicola Pirrone & Rebecca J. Thorne, 2017. "Global Sources and Pathways of Mercury in the Context of Human Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, January.
    2. Karl M. Wantzen & Jan H. Mol, 2013. "Soil Erosion from Agriculture and Mining: A Threat to Tropical Stream Ecosystems," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 3(4), pages 1-24, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Faye Koenigsmark & Caren Weinhouse & Axel J. Berky & Ana Maria Morales & Ernesto J. Ortiz & Eric M. Pierce & William K. Pan & Heileen Hsu-Kim, 2021. "Efficacy of Hair Total Mercury Content as a Biomarker of Methylmercury Exposure to Communities in the Area of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Madre de Dios, Peru," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-16, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. S. M. J. Mortazavi & Ghazal Mortazavi & Maryam Paknahad, 2017. "Comment on Sundseth et al. Global Sources and Pathways of Mercury in the Context of Human Health. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14, 105," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-2, May.
    2. Ramos Scharrón, Carlos E., 2023. "On the hydro-geomorphology of steepland coffee farming: Runoff and surface erosion," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    3. Lucia Rita Pacifico & Antonio Pizzolante & Annalise Guarino & Antonio Iannone & Mauro Esposito & Stefano Albanese, 2023. "Wildfires as a Source of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) in Soil: A Case Study from Campania Region (Italy)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-19, March.
    4. Ziauddin Safari & Sayed Tamim Rahimi & Kamal Ahmed & Ahmad Sharafati & Ghaith Falah Ziarh & Shamsuddin Shahid & Tarmizi Ismail & Nadhir Al-Ansari & Eun-Sung Chung & Xiaojun Wang, 2021. "Estimation of Spatial and Seasonal Variability of Soil Erosion in a Cold Arid River Basin in Hindu Kush Mountainous Region Using Remote Sensing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-14, February.
    5. N. Zafirah & N. A. Nurin & M. S. Samsurijan & M. H. Zuknik & M. Rafatullah & M. I. Syakir, 2017. "Sustainable Ecosystem Services Framework for Tropical Catchment Management: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-25, April.
    6. Danelon, André Felipe & Augusto, Fernanda Gaudio & Spolador, Humberto Francisco Silva, 2021. "Water resource quality effects on water treatment costs: An analysis for the Brazilian case," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    7. Sonia Mireya Díaz & Maria Nathalia Muñoz-Guerrero & Marien Palma-Parra & Carolina Becerra-Arias & Julián Alfredo Fernández-Niño, 2018. "Exposure to Mercury in Workers and the Population Surrounding Gold Mining Areas in the Mojana Region, Colombia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-15, October.
    8. Marcantonio, Richard A., 2022. "Toxic diplomacy through environmental management: A necessary next step for environmental peacebuilding," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 28(C).
    9. Halina Pyta & Kamila Widziewicz-Rzońca & Krzysztof Słaby, 2020. "Inhalation Exposure to Gaseous and Particulate Bound Mercury Present in the Ambient Air over the Polluted Area of Southern Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-17, July.
    10. Itohan Otoijamun & Moses Kigozi & Sikiru Ottan Abdulraman & Adelana Rasak Adetunji & Azikiwe Peter Onwualu, 2021. "Fostering the Sustainability of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) of Barite in Nasarawa State, Nigeria," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-23, May.
    11. Devika Nair & Ken G. Evans & Sean M. Bellairs, 2023. "Sediment Modelling of a Catchment to Determine Medium-Term Erosional Trends," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-21, September.
    12. Karl M. Wantzen & Carlos Bernardo Mascarenhas Alves & Sidia Diaouma Badiane & Raita Bala & Martín Blettler & Marcos Callisto & Yixin Cao & Melanie Kolb & G. Mathias Kondolf & Marina Fernandes Leite & , 2019. "Urban Stream and Wetland Restoration in the Global South—A DPSIR Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-48, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:8:p:1584-:d:160081. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.