Concentrações e associações geoquímicas de Pb e Zn em sedimentos do rio São Francisco impactados por rejeitos da produção industrial de zinco Concentrations and geochemical associations of Pb and Zn in sediments of the river São Francisco impacted by wastes from industrial zinc production

• Published in: Química nova Vol. 33; no. 10; pp. 2088 - 2092
• Main Authors: Marcos Vinícius Teles Gomes, Adnivia Santos Costa, Carlos Alexandre Borges Garcia, Elisângela Andrade Passos, José do Patrocínio Hora Alves
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Química 01-01-2010
• Subjects: contaminated sediment; lead; zinc
• ISSN: 0100-4042; 1678-7064
• DOI: 10.1590/S0100-40422010001000016

Surface sediments from the River São Francisco were analyzed to investigate the impact, due to the presence of metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) in wastes from a metallurgical industry in the city of Três Marias/MG, Brazil. The concentrations and geochemical associations of Pb, Zn and trace metals associated with the minerals employed in zinc production were measured. Sediments close to discharge locations were highly contaminated with Pb (332-512 μg g-1) and Zn (7872-10780 μg g-1), with values decreasing rapidly due to dilution and hydraulic sorting. Evaluation of toxicity according to the Consensus-based Sediment Quality Guidelines indicated for Cd, Pb and Zn a high probability of adverse effects on aquatic biota at these sites.