HOME JOURNALS CONTACT

Pakistan Journal of Nutrition

Year: 2015 | Volume: 14 | Issue: 12 | Page No.: 1010-1025
DOI: 10.3923/pjn.2015.1010.1025
Mercury Distribution and its Potential Environmental and Health Risks in Aquatic Habitat at Artisanal Buladu Gold Mine in Gorontalo Province, Indonesia
Anwar Mallongi, Preeda Parkpian, Poranee Pataranawat and Sopa Chinwetkitvanich

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.

Fulltext PDF

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.

Keywords: Gold mining, mercury distribution, amalgamation, aquatic ecosystem, estimated weekly intake and hazard quotient

REFERENCES

  • APHA/AWWA/WPC., 1998. Standard Method the Examination of Water and Wastewater. American Public Health Association, American Water Works Association, Water Pollution Control, Washington, DC., USA


  • 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.
    CrossRef    Direct 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.
    CrossRef    Direct 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.
    CrossRef    Direct 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.
    CrossRef    Direct 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.
    CrossRef    Direct 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.
    CrossRef    Direct Link    


  • Blanchette, M.C., T.P. Hynes, Y.T.J. Kwong, M.R. Anderson and G. Veinott et al., 2001. A Chemical and Ecotoxocological Assessment of the Impact of Marine Tailing Disposal. In: Tailings and Mine Waste, Balkema, A.A. (Ed.). CRC Press, New York, USA., ISBN-13: 9789058091826, pp: 323-331


  • 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.
    CrossRef    Direct 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.
    CrossRef    Direct 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    


  • Chapman, H.D., 1965. Cation Exchange Capacity by Ammonium Saturation. In: Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2: Chemical and Microbiological Properties, Black, C.A. (Ed.). Vol. 9, American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI., USA., pp: 891-901


  • DMF., 2008. Gold Mining Monitoring in Gorontalo. In: Gorontalo Province, Forestry, M.A. (Ed.). Department of Mining and Forestry, Indonesia


  • DMG., 2001. Forecasting meteorological and geophysical. Republic of Indonesia, Department of Meteorological and Geophysical (DMG), Indonesia.


  • Dennis, D.M.D. and A.J. Zupko, 1995. Soil-Washing Process for Site Remediation. In: Remediation of Hazardous Waste Contaminated Soils, Wise, D.L. and D.J. Trantolo (Eds.). Marcel Dekker, New York, USA., pp: 745-777


  • EPA., 2002. National listings of fish and wildlife advisories. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC., USA


  • EPA., 2005. Standard operating procedure for analysis of total organic carbon in sediment. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Washington, DC., USA.


  • Environment Canada, 1995. Interim sediment quality guideline. Soil and Sediment Quality Section, Guidelines Division, Ecosystem Conservation Directorate Evaluation and Interpretation Branch, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.


  • FAO., 1996. Food, agriculture and food security: Developments since the world food conference and prospects for the future. Technical Background Document No. 1, World Food Summit, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome, Italy.


  • 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.
    CrossRef    Direct Link    


  • Gambrell, R.P., 1991. Metal Hg, analysis procedures. Wetland Biochemistry Institute, Lousiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA., USA.


  • 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.
    CrossRef    Direct 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.
    CrossRef    Direct Link    


  • Hunta, A., 2008. Illegal gold mining monitoring report 2008. Department of Mining and Forestry, BTKL Manado, Gorontalo Province, Indonesia.


  • 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.


  • 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    


  • IPCS and WHO., 1991. Environmental health criteria 118 in Inorganic mercury. International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS), World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland.


  • 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.
    CrossRef    Direct Link    


  • Lemly, A.D., 1996. Evaluation of the hazard quotient method for risk assessment of selenium. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf., 35: 156-162.
    CrossRef    Direct 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.
    CrossRef    Direct Link    


  • Lindqvist, O., 1984. Mercury in the Swedish environment. Global and Local Sources, National Swedish Environmental Protection Board, Report 1984, Sweden.


  • 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.
    CrossRef    Direct 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.
    CrossRef    Direct 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.
    CrossRef    Direct 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.
    CrossRef    Direct 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.
    CrossRef    Direct 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.
    CrossRef    Direct 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.
    CrossRef    Direct Link    


  • Sheldrick, B.H. and C. Wang, 1993. Particle Size Distribution. In: Soil Sampling and Methods of Analysis, Carter, M.R. (Ed.). Canadian Society of Soil Science, Lewis Publishers, London, UK., pp: 499-511


  • Sousa and Veiga, 2007. Brazil country report. Final Report, Project EG/GLO/ 01/G34, UNDP/GEF/UNIDO, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Global Environment Facility (GEF), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Washington, DC., USA.


  • Telmer, K., D. Stapper, M.P.F. Costa, C. Ribeiro and M.M. Veiga, 2006. Knowledge gaps in mercury pollution from gold mining. Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant, August 6-11, 2006, Madison, Wisconsin, USA -.


  • 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.
    CrossRef    Direct Link    


  • EPA., 1998. Guidance Manual for Assessing Human Health Risks from Chemically Contaminated Fish and Shellfish. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH., USA., Pages: 136


  • USEPA., 1997. Ecological Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund (ERAGS) step 2: Screening-level exposure estimate and risk calculation. United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), USA. http://www.epa.gov/R5Super/ecology/htm/erastep2.html.


  • USGS., 2003. Hg pollution prevention in healthcare-great lakes field. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), California, USA.


  • USGS., 2012. Hg pollution prevention in healthcare-great lakes field. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), California, USA.


  • 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.
    CrossRef    Direct Link    


  • DEQ., 2008. Mercury Source Protocol. Department of Environmental Quality, Utah, USA


  • 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.
    CrossRef    Direct Link    


  • WHO., 1989. Mercury environment aspect. Environmental Health Criteria 86, World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland.


  • WHO., 2004. Guidelines for drinking-water quality. World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland.


  • 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).
    PubMed    Direct Link    

  • © Science Alert. All Rights Reserved