title: Temporal evolution of exposure to mercury in riverside communities in the Tapajós basin, from 1994 to 2010.
abstract: Our objective was to evaluate the temporal evolution of mercury exposure in two riverside communities, Barreiras and São Luiz do Tapajós, downstream of gold mining areas in the Tapajós basin, Brazilian Amazon. The quantification of mercury in hair sample was made by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in the period between 1994 and 2010. In São Luiz do Tapajós the mercury exposure varied, in log units, from the peak of 1.21 ± 0.03 μg/g in 1996 to 1.16 ± 0.07 μg/g in 2007. Mercury exposure in Barreiras varied, in log units, from 1.25 ± 0.04 μg/g in 1994 to 1 ± 0.03 μg/g in 2010, peaking in 1995 at 1.25 ± 0.06 μg/g. Total mercury concentration found in both communities had no statistical differences across the years (p > 0.05) and they were higher than non-mercury exposed communities in Brazil and in South America. We concluded that the mercury exposure in the Tapajós basin is more than regulatory levels or higher than the general population.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Universidade Federal do Pará, Av. Generalíssimo Deodoro 92, Belém, Pará, 66055-240, Brazil. mconci@ufpa.br
authors.forename: M C N
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.forename: S S M
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Farripas
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oikawa
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Amoras
authors.forename: J L F
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: A J A
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Silveira
authors.forename: A C M
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: L C L
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Silveira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008906:Mining; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D008628:Mercury