Mestanza-Ramón Carlos, Jiménez-Oyola Samantha, Gavilanes Montoya Alex Vinicio, Vizuete Danny Daniel Castillo, D'Orio Giovanni, Cedeño-Laje Juan, Urdánigo Doménica, Straface Salvatore
Research Group YASUNI-SDC, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Sede Orellana, El Coca, 20001, Ecuador; Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, Italy.
ESPOL Polytechnic University, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Facultad de Ingeniería en Ciencias de la Tierra, Campus Gustavo Galindo km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01- 5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Chemosphere. 2023 Dec;344:140351. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140351. Epub 2023 Oct 3.
Mining activity drives economic development and has established itself as one of the main industrial spheres globally. However, illegal, and artisanal gold mining, which uses mercury (Hg), is a major source of global pollution. Hg is highly toxic and persistent in the environment, affecting human health and the ecosystem. The objective of this research is to; (a) analyze Hg concentrations in surface waters of nine provinces of the Andean region of Ecuador and compare them with the maximum permissible limits of Ecuadorian regulations, and (b) evaluate the health risk of people exposed to waters with high Hg content through residential and recreational scenarios. In this study, 147 water samples from rivers and streams were analyzed. The results revealed worrying levels of Hg, especially in the provinces of Azuay and Loja where Hg values of up to 0.0913 mg/L and 0.0387 mg/L, respectively, were detected. In addition, it was found that 45% of the samples did not meet the water quality criteria for the preservation of aquatic life, which represents a severe risk to the ecosystem. The probabilistic risk analysis yielded values that exceeded the acceptable exposure limit for adults and children in residential settings in Azuay and Loja, while in the recreational scenario the safe exposure limit was exceeded for both receptors only in the province of Azuay. The elevated presence of Hg in the provinces, mainly in Azuay and Loja, possibly related to illegal gold mining activity, represents a threat to water quality and aquatic life in the Andean region of Ecuador. Children are especially vulnerable, and effective regulation is required to ensure the safety of the population. This study provides valuable information for decision makers regarding the risk associated with Hg exposure in areas of mining activity in the Ecuadorian Andean region. In addition, it can contribute to the development of policies and strategies to control contamination in mining environments and protect human and environmental health in the region.
采矿活动推动经济发展，已成为全球主要产业领域之一。然而，使用汞（Hg）的非法和个体金矿开采是全球污染的主要来源。汞具有高毒性且在环境中持久存在，影响人类健康和生态系统。本研究的目的是：（a）分析厄瓜多尔安第斯地区九个省份地表水的汞浓度，并将其与厄瓜多尔法规的最大允许限值进行比较；（b）通过居住和娱乐场景评估接触高汞含量水体的人群的健康风险。在本研究中，分析了来自河流和溪流的147个水样。结果显示汞含量令人担忧，特别是在阿苏艾省和洛哈省，分别检测到汞值高达0.0913毫克/升和0.0387毫克/升。此外，发现45%的样本不符合水生生物保护的水质标准，这对生态系统构成严重风险。概率风险分析得出的值超过了阿苏艾省和洛哈省居民环境中成人和儿童的可接受暴露限值，而在娱乐场景中，仅在阿苏艾省两个受体的安全暴露限值均被超过。这些省份，主要是阿苏艾省和洛哈省汞含量的升高，可能与非法金矿开采活动有关，对厄瓜多尔安第斯地区的水质和水生生物构成威胁。儿童尤其脆弱，需要有效的监管来确保民众安全。本研究为决策者提供了关于厄瓜多尔安第斯地区采矿活动区域汞暴露相关风险的宝贵信息。此外，它有助于制定控制采矿环境污染和保护该地区人类和环境健康的政策和战略。
