Anwar Mallongi
Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Public Health, Hasanuddin University, Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan KM. 10, Tamalanrea Makassar, 90245, Indonesia
Preeda Parkpian
School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Pathumthani, Thailand
Poranee Pataranawat
Department of Sanitary Engineering, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Rajvithi Road, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
Sopa Chinwetkitvanich
Department of Sanitary Engineering, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Rajvithi Road, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
ABSTRACT
Total mercury (THg) in water column, sediment and aquatic biota as well as environmental and health risks at artisanal Buladu gold mine and vicinity areas of Gorontalo Province, Indonesia were investigated both in summer and rainy seasons. THg was determined by CV-AAS (Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer; Spectr. AA6200) after NabH4 (Sodium Borohydride) reduction, with detection limit was of 0.001 μg/L. Site-specific exposure parameters such as body weight (bw) and consumption rate of fish and shellfish were determined and calculated using target hazard quotient (THQ) formulation for health risk assessment. This study showed that the assessment of average balance of Hg: Au ratio forecasted that approximately 1.3 g of Hg in open burning process was released to atmosphere to produce 1 g of gold. Likewise, 15.88 g of Hg is lost to produce 1 g of gold during amalgamation process in particular equipment, the tromols. Moreover, the highest levels of THg concentrations in water column, sediment and shells in uncontaminated track were 41 μg/L, 5238 μg/kg dw, 215 μg/kg dw for Bellamnya javanica and 397 μg/kg dw for Mya arenaria in summer season, respectively, whereas in rainy season the lower THg concentration were 24 μg/L, 5077 μg/kg dw, 141 μg/kg dw for Bellamnya javanica and 180 μg/kg dw for Mya arenaria, respectively. However, in contaminated track, the significant elevated THg were found about 123 μg/L, 5612 μg/kg dw, 1455 μg/kg dw for Bellamnya javanica and 1745 μg/kg dw for Mya arenaria in summer season, respectively, whereas in rainy season the highest concentration were 165 μg/L, 6950 μg/kg dw, 1250 μg/kg dw for Bellamnya javanica and 1745 μg/kg dw for Mya arenaria, respectively. THg elevated in Thunnus sp. was also found at station one in big tuna with the value of 762 μg/kg dw. Those elevated THgs were consistent and significantly different between those two seasons in term of bioaccumulation level. In addition, the estimated weekly intake (EWI) of Hg for B. javanica, M. arenaria and Thunnus sp. exceeded the accepted maximum tolerable weekly intake of 0.005 μg/kg bw. Nevertheless, THQ values were still less than 1 with the maximum levels of 0.06, 0.11 and 0.69 in summer season, respectively. These results suggested that Hg containing wastewater discharged into the Buladu River and the atmospheric fallout from Hg emission were the major sources of Hg in the areas of interest. Consequently, Hg, resulting from Hg released from the gold mine that has been operated for 30 years more, has gradually accumulated in the aquatic ecosystems of the Buladu River and the Sulawesi Sea.
PDF References
How to cite this article
Anwar Mallongi, Preeda Parkpian, Poranee Pataranawat and Sopa Chinwetkitvanich, 2015. Mercury Distribution and its Potential Environmental and Health Risks in Aquatic Habitat at Artisanal Buladu Gold Mine in Gorontalo Province, Indonesia. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition, 14: 1010-1025.
DOI: 10.3923/pjn.2015.1010.1025
URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=pjn.2015.1010.1025
DOI: 10.3923/pjn.2015.1010.1025
URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=pjn.2015.1010.1025
REFERENCES
- Amyot, M., F.M. Morel and P.A. Ariya, 2005. Dark oxidation of dissolved and liquid elemental mercury in aquatic environments. Environ. Sci. Technol., 39: 110-114.
CrossRefDirect Link - Acquavita, A., S. Covelli, A. Emili, D. Berto and J. Faganeli et al., 2012. Mercury in the sediments of the Marano and Grado Lagoon (Northern Adriatic Sea): Sources, distribution and speciation. Estuarine Coastal Shelf Sci., 113: 20-31.
CrossRefDirect Link - Benoit, J.M., W.F. Fitzgerald and A.W.H. Damman, 1998. The biogeochemistry of an ombrotrophic bog: Evaluation of use as an archive of atmospheric mercury deposition. Environ. Res., 78: 118-133.
CrossRefDirect Link - Benoit, J.M., C.C. Gilmour and R.P. Mason, 2001. The influence of sulfide on solid-phase mercury bioavailability for methylation by pure cultures of Desulfobulbus propionicus (1pr3). Environ. Sci. Technol., 35: 127-132.
CrossRefDirect Link - Ryan, P.B., T.A. Burke, E.A.C. Hubal, J.J. Cura and T.E. McKone, 2007. Using biomarkers to inform cumulative risk assessment. Environ. Health Perspect., 115: 833-840.
CrossRefDirect Link - Bloom, N.S., C.J. Watras and J.P. Hurley, 1991. Impact of acidification on the methylmercury cycle of remote seepage lakes. Water Air Soil Pollut., 56: 477-491.
CrossRefDirect Link - Barbieri, F.L., A. Cournil and J. Gardon, 2009. Mercury exposure in a high fish eating Bolivian Amazonian population with intense small-scale gold-mining activities. Int. J. Environ. Health Res., 19: 267-277.
CrossRefDirect Link - Castilhos, Z.C., S. Rodrigues-Filho, A.P.C. Rodrigues, R.C. Villas-Boas, S. Siegel, M.M. Veiga and C. Beinhoff, 2006. Mercury contamination in fish from gold mining areas in Indonesia and human health risk assessment. Sci. Total Environ., 368: 320-325.
CrossRefDirect Link - Compeau, C. and R. Bartha, 1984. Methylation and demethylation of mercury under controlled redox, pH and salinity conditions. Applied Environ. Microbiol., 48: 1203-1207.
Direct Link - Gray, J.E., V.F. Labson, J.N. Weaver and D.P. Krabbenhoft, 2002. Mercury and methylmercury contamination related to artisanal gold mining, Suriname. Geophys. Res. Lett., 29: 20-1-20-4.
CrossRefDirect Link - Gammons, C.H., D.G. Slotton, B. Gerbrandt, W. Weight and C.A. Young et al., 2006. Mercury concentrations of fish, river water and sediment in the Rio Ramis-Lake Titicaca watershed, Peru. Sci. Total Environ., 368: 637-648.
CrossRefDirect Link - Guedron, S., S. Grangeon, G. Jouravel, L. Charlet and G. Sarret, 2013. Atmospheric mercury incorporation in soils of an area impacted by a chlor-alkali plant (Grenoble, France): Contribution of canopy uptake. Sci. Total Environ., 445-446: 356-364.
CrossRefDirect Link - Hunerlach, M.P., C.N. Alpers and M. Marvin-Dipasquale, 2005. Mercury and methylmercury distribution in sediments affected by historical gold mining, Sierra Nevada, California. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta Supplement, Vol. 69.
Direct Link - Hines, M.E. and J.E. Gray, 2005. Mercury transformations in mine wastes and natural habitats adjacent to abandoned mercury mines. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta Supplement, 69: 703-703.
Direct Link - Katner, A., M.H. Sun and M. Suffet, 2010. An evaluation of mercury levels in Louisiana fish: Trends and public health issues. Sci. Total Environ., 408: 5707-5714.
CrossRefDirect Link - Lemly, A.D., 1996. Evaluation of the hazard quotient method for risk assessment of selenium. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf., 35: 156-162.
CrossRefDirect Link - Loredo, J., A. Ordonez and R. Alvarez, 2006. Environmental impact of toxic metals and metalloids from the Munon Cimero mercury-mining area (Asturias, Spain). J. Hazard. Mater., 136: 455-467.
CrossRefDirect Link - Lasut, M.T. and Y.Y. Yasuda, 2008. Accumulation of mercury in marine biota of Buyat Bay, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Coastal Mar. Sci., 32: 33-38.
Direct Link - Mallongi, A. and Herawaty, 2015. Assessment of mercury accumulation in dry deposition, surface soil and rice grain in luwuk gold mine, Central Sulawesi. Res. J. Applied Sci., 10: 22-24.
Direct Link - Mason, R.P. and K.A. Sullivan, 1997. Mercury in lake Michigan. Environ. Sci. Technol., 31: 942-947.
CrossRefDirect Link - Munn, M.D. and T.M. Short, 1997. Spatial heterogeneity of mercury bioaccumulation by walleye in Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake and the upper Columbia River, Washington. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc., 126: 477-487.
CrossRefDirect Link - Mol, J.H., J.S. Ramlal, C. Lietar and M. Verloo, 2001. Mercury contamination in freshwater, estuarine and marine fishes in relation to small-scale gold mining in Suriname, South America. Environ. Res., 86: 183-197.
CrossRefDirect Link - Marrugo-Negrete, J., L.N. Benitez and J. Olivero-Verbel, 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.
CrossRefDirect Link - Velasquez-Lopez, P.C., M.M. Veiga and K. Hall, 2010. Mercury balance in amalgamation in artisanal and small-scale gold mining: Identifying strategies for reducing environmental pollution in Portovelo-Zaruma, Ecuador. J. Cleaner Prod., 18: 226-232.
CrossRefDirect Link - Pataranawat, P., P. Parkpian, C. Polprasert, R.D. Delaune and A. Jugsujinda, 2007. Mercury emission and distribution: Potential environmental risks at a small-scale gold mining operation, Phichit Province, Thailand. J. Environ. Sci. Health Part A: Toxic/Hazard. Subst. Environ. Eng., 42: 1081-1093.
CrossRefDirect Link - Ramlal, P.S., F.W.B. Bugenyi, G.W. Kling, J.O. Nriagu, J.W.M. Rudd and L.M. Campbell, 2003. Mercury concentrations in water, sediment and biota from lake victoria, East Africa. J. Great Lakes Res., 29: 283-291.
CrossRefDirect Link - Teran-Mita, T.A., A. Faz, F. Salvador, J.M. Arocena and J.A. Acosta, 2013. High altitude artisanal small-scale gold mines are hot spots for Mercury in soils and plants. Environ. Pollut., 173: 103-109.
CrossRefDirect Link - Ullrich, S.M., M.A. Ilyushchenko, T.W. Tanton and G.A. Uskov, 2007. Mercury contamination in the vicinity of a derelict chlor-alkali plant: Part II: Contamination of the aquatic and terrestrial food chain and potential risks to the local population. Sci. Total Environ., 381: 290-306.
CrossRefDirect Link - Watanabe, K.H., F.W. Desimone, A. Thiyagarajah, W.R. Hartley and A.E. Hindrichs, 2003. Fish tissue quality in the lower Mississippi River and health risks from fish consumption. Sci. Total Environ., 302: 109-126.
CrossRefDirect Link - Zou, T.T., N. Wang, G. Zhang and D.D. Zhao, 2010. [Environment spatial distribution of mercury pollution in Songhua River upstream gold mining areas]. Huan Jing Ke Xue, 31: 2228-2233, (In Chinese).
PubMedDirect Link