Hg Concentrations and Stable Isotopes Variations in Tropical Fish Species of a Gold-mining Impacted Watershed in French Guiana

Abstract The aim of the study was to determine if gold mining activities could impact the mercury (Hg) concentrations and isotopic signatures in freshwater fish consumed by riparian people in French Guiana. Total Hg, MeHg concentrations and Hg stable isotopes ratios were analyzed in fish muscles from different species belonging to three feeding patterns (herbivorous, periphytophagous and piscivorous). We compared tributaries impacted by gold-mining activities (Camopi, CR) with a pristine area upstream (Trois-Sauts, TS), along the Oyapock River. We measured δ15N and δ13C to examine whether Hg patterns are due to differences in trophic level. Differences in δ15N and δ13C values between both studied sites were only observed for periphytophageous fish, with enriched values at TS. Total Hg concentrations and Hg stable isotopes fractionations showed that Hg accumulated in fish from both areas have undergone different biogeochemical processes. Δ199Hg variation in fish (-0.5 to 0.2‰) was higher than the ecosystem baseline defined by a Δ199Hg of -0.66‰ in sediments, and suggested limited aqueous photochemical MeHg degradation. Photochemistry-corrected δ202Hg in fish were 0.7‰ higher than the baseline, consistent with biophysical and chemical isotope fractionations in aquatic environment. While THg concentrations in periphytophagous fish were higher in the gold-mining area than in TS, in contrast to the sediments results, the ensemble of Hg isotope shifts did not allow to trace and quantify the gold-mining related liquid Hg(0) sources in the fish muscles.

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Gold-Mining Activities and Mercury Contamination of Native Amerindian Communities in French Guiana: Key Role of Fish in Dietary Uptake

Environmental Health Perspectives ◽

10.1289/ehp.01109449 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 109 (5) ◽

pp. 449-456 ◽

Cited By ~ 56

Author(s):

N. Fréry ◽

R. Maury-Brachet ◽

E. Maillot ◽

M. Deheeger ◽

B. de Mérona ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gold Mining ◽

French Guiana ◽

Mercury Contamination ◽

Mining Activities ◽

Dietary Uptake

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Potentially Toxic Element Contaminations and Lead Isotopic Fingerprinting in Soils and Sediments from a Historical Gold Mining Site

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182010925 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (20) ◽

pp. 10925

Author(s):

Lei Tang ◽

Yiyue Zhang ◽

Shuai Ma ◽

Changchun Yan ◽

Huanhuan Geng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gold Mining ◽

Mining Area ◽

Toxic Element ◽

Pb Isotopes ◽

Mining Activities ◽

Mining Site ◽

Pb Contamination ◽

Potentially Toxic Element ◽

Soil Sediment ◽

Isotopic Fingerprinting

Lead (Pb) isotopes have been widely used to identify and quantify Pb contamination in the environment. Here, the Pb isotopes, as well as the current contamination levels of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cd, As, and Hg, were investigated in soil and sediment from the historical gold mining area upstream of Miyun Reservoir, Beijing, China. The sediment had higher 206Pb/207Pb ratios (1.137 ± 0.0111) than unpolluted soil did (1.167 ± 0.0029), while the soil samples inside the mining area were much more variable (1.121 ± 0.0175). The mean concentrations (soil/sediment in mg·kg−1) of Pb (2470/42.5), Zn (181/113), Cu (199/36.7), Cr (117/68.8), Ni (40.4/28.9), Cd (0.791/0.336), As (8.52/5.10), and Hg (0.168/0.000343) characterized the soil/sediment of the studied area with mean Igeo values of the potentially toxic element (PTE) ranging from −4.71 to 9.59 for soil and from −3.39 to 2.43 for sediment. Meanwhile, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) coupled with Pearson’s correlation coefficient among PTEs indicated that the major source of the Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd contamination was likely the mining activities. Evidence from Pb isotopic fingerprinting and a binary mixing model further confirmed that Pb contamination in soil and sediment came from mixed sources that are dominated by mining activity. These results highlight the persistence of PTE contamination in the historical mining site and the usefulness of Pb isotopes combined with multivariate statistical analysis to quantify contamination from mining activities.

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The large impact of gold-mining in total-Hg content in sediment of the dam lake of Petit Saut (French Guiana)

Journal de Physique IV (Proceedings) ◽

10.1051/jp4:20030434 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 107 ◽

pp. 863-865

Author(s):

M.-A. Bélières ◽

M. Pourchet ◽

L. Spadini ◽

L. Chalet

Keyword(s):

Gold Mining ◽

French Guiana ◽

Large Impact ◽

Total Hg ◽

Petit Saut

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SIFAT KIMIA TANAH AREA PASCA TAMBANG EMAS: (STUDI KASUS PERTAMBANGAN EMAS TANPA IZIN DI KENEGERIAN KARI KECAMATAN KUANTAN TENGAH, KABUPATEN KUANTAN SINGINGI)

JURNAL AGROTEKNOLOGI ◽

10.24014/ja.v9i2.5681 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 21

Author(s):

Ervina Aryanti ◽

Novita Hera

Keyword(s):

Research Method ◽

Gold Mining ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Mining Area ◽

Soil Chemical Properties ◽

Forest Site ◽

Mining Activities ◽

Natural Forests ◽

Organic C ◽

Quantitative Descriptive

Gold mining activities cause damage the soil. This study aims to know soil chemical properties in post gold mining area (natural forest site, Cyperus kinglia site, open sedoment site and tailing site) after seven years. This research has been conducted from July to December 2017 in Kenegerian Kari gold mining area and central plantation laboratory. The research method used was quantitative descriptive with parameter of observation: pH, kation exchange, N, P, K, C-Organic and C/N ratio. The result showed that N, P, Phosphorus K, KTK content in the low and very low category. KTK, N, P, Phosphorus and K are categorized as low and very low. As well, the organic C content is low except in natural forests. While the C / N ratio category is high for all areas.

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Gold-mining activities and mercury contamination of native amerindian communities in French Guiana: key role of fish in dietary uptake.

Environmental Health Perspectives ◽

10.1289/ehp.109-1240303 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 109 (5) ◽

pp. 449-456 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

N Fréry ◽

R Maury-Brachet ◽

E Maillot ◽

M Deheeger ◽

B de Mérona ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gold Mining ◽

French Guiana ◽

Mercury Contamination ◽

Mining Activities ◽

Dietary Uptake

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Hg concentrations and stable isotope variations in tropical fish species of a gold-mining-impacted watershed in French Guiana

Environmental Science and Pollution Research ◽

10.1007/s11356-021-14858-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Laure Laffont ◽

Johanna Menges ◽

Sylvaine Goix ◽

Sophie Gentès ◽

Régine Maury-Brachet ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stable Isotope ◽

Fish Species ◽

Gold Mining ◽

French Guiana ◽

Tropical Fish

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Surface Water Quality Assessment from a Mining Area. Case study, Groapa Burlacu lake, Targu Ocna, Romania

Revista de Chimie ◽

10.37358/rc.19.10.7622 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 70 (10) ◽

pp. 3678-3680

Author(s):

Alina Cochiorca ◽

Narcis Barsan ◽

Florin Marian Nedeff ◽

Ion Sandu ◽

Emilian Florin Mosnegutu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Surface Water ◽

Surface Water Quality ◽

Water Quality Assessment ◽

Mining Area ◽

Physical Parameters ◽

Mining Activities ◽

Quality Of Water ◽

Nacl Concentration ◽

Water Ph

This paper presents a study on assessment of water quality. According to a study, mining activities have a significant impact on water quality (lakes, surface water and groundwater), which has become a major problem globally. Due to mining and exploitation processes, lakes can be formed around these mines. Also, these lakes have been formed around the world and are steadily increasing. The purpose of this study is to watch the quality of water from the area around mining activities. This study refers to the, Groapa Burlacu lake around the mining exploitation Targu Ocna, Romania. This lake was formed on the northern bottle of the massive salt, strongly affected by the underground activities. Sampling for the determination the concentrations of Cl- and NaCl from the studied area was made at different depths (0 m, -5 m, -10 m, -15 m, -20 m, -25 m, -30 m, -35 m -40 m). Besides these concentrations, physical parameters of the water (pH, turbidity, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen and temperature) were also measured. To determine the physical parameters in the monitored area, sampling was done from four different points of the area and then put together for analysis. These parameters were measured on site using portable equipment. The data on the analyzed concentrations indicate that at depths of less than 5.0 m, the NaCl concentration values are more than 250 g/L.

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ASSESSING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF GOLD MINING ACTIVITIES, SUKARI MINE, CENTRAL EASTERN DESERT, EGYPT

10.1130/abs/2019sc-327272 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Ahmed Abdelaal ◽

◽

Mohamed Sultan ◽

R.V. Krishnamurthy ◽

Mustafa Kemal Emil ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Impacts ◽

Gold Mining ◽

Eastern Desert ◽

Mining Activities ◽

Central Eastern Desert ◽

Central Eastern

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Underground Multiculturalism: Contentious Cultural Politics in Gold-Mining Regions in Chocó, Colombia

Journal of Latin American Studies ◽

10.1017/s0022216x2000098x ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-28

Author(s):

Jesse Jonkman

Keyword(s):

Cultural Politics ◽

Gold Mining ◽

Political Life ◽

Mining Activities ◽

Unique Form ◽

Gold Extraction ◽

Mining Regions ◽

Instrumental Role ◽

Community Councils

Abstract This article maps the contentious forms of political life that emerge when multicultural rights and non-formal gold extraction coincide. Specifically, it shows how, in the Colombian department of Chocó, Afro-descendant community councils have produced a unique form of mining governance that, while depending for its legitimacy on everyday uses of Afro-Colombian legislation, consists of the organisation, taxation and policing of mining activities that are in tension with official notions of extractive and multicultural law. In exploring such ‘underground’ cultural politics, the article highlights the limits of state-centric analyses of ‘neoliberal multiculturalism’ and, accordingly, underscores the instrumental role that governed subjects play in the on-the-ground unfolding of multicultural governance regimes.

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