Preprint Review Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Trends in Mercury Contamination Distribution among Human and Animal Populations in the Amazon

Irvin Martoredjo
ORCID logo ,
Lenize Batista Calvão Santos
,
Jéssica Caroline Evangelista Vilhena
ORCID logo ,
Alex Bruno Lobato Rodrigues
,
Andréia de Almeida
ORCID logo ,
Carlos José Sousa Passos
ORCID logo ,
Alexandro Cezar Florentino
*
Version 1 : Received: 23 February 2024 / Approved: 26 February 2024 / Online: 26 February 2024 (11:56:35 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Martoredjo, I.; Calvão Santos, L.B.; Vilhena, J.C.E.; Rodrigues, A.B.L.; Almeida, A.D.; Sousa Passos, C.J.; Florentino, A.C. Trends in Mercury Contamination Distribution among Human and Animal Populations in the Amazon Region. Toxics 2024, 12, 204. Martoredjo, I.; Calvão Santos, L.B.; Vilhena, J.C.E.; Rodrigues, A.B.L.; Almeida, A.D.; Sousa Passos, C.J.; Florentino, A.C. Trends in Mercury Contamination Distribution among Human and Animal Populations in the Amazon Region. Toxics 2024, 12, 204.

Abstract

Mercury contamination in the Amazon is a significant public health concern arising from both natural sources and intensive mining activities in the region. This metal is used to separate Au from sediments, forming an amalgam that facilitates the extraction of precious metals. Accordingly, this study aimed to address the following question: What is the impact of mining on mercury contamination in the animal and human populations of the Amazon? The overall objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the existing literature to identify gaps in geographic coverage and assess the impact of Hg contamination on human and animal populations in the Amazon region. Our hypothesis was that higher mercury concentrations in tissue samples would be found closer to the mining areas. We employed the PECO and PRISMA-ScR protocols to collect articles published between 2017 and 2023, selected based on criteria representing projected points on a map within the biogeographic boundaries of the Amazon. Mercury concentrations increase with trophic levels, reaching high values of 3.7 µg/g in the muscles of predatory fish and 34.9 µg/g in human hair. The average level of mercury in humans exceeds 6 µg/g, surpassing tolerance levels. Although mining regions show high concentrations of Hg, the highest incidence was observed among populations with fish-based diets. Research on fish is crucial for assessing the risk to human health, given that fish are the main source of protein in the region.

Keywords

Human Health Risks; Environmental Impact; Mining Impact; Spatial Distribution; Aquatic Ecosystems; Riverside Communities; Ecotoxicology; Ecoregion; Biosphere; Dietary Habits

Subject

Environmental and Earth Sciences, Pollution

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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