title: Characterization of heavy metals in a uranium ore region of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil.
abstract: The concentrations of As, Zn, Co, Cr, and Ba were determined in soil samples from an anomalous uranium ore region in the countryside of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. The main land use system in this region is dairy farming, and there is a need to evaluate the potential risk of milk contamination. Twenty-three soil samples were activated with neutrons and analyzed using a high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometer system. The results, recorded in mg kg(-1), varied from 0.4 to 6.7 for As, from 17.0 to 110.0 for Zn, from 2.8 to 38.4 for Co, from 12.1 to 65.5 for Cr, and from 443.0 to 1,497.0 for Ba. All of the Ba concentrations were higher than the intervention value adopted by the Brazilian National Environmental Board. This finding justifies research in other environmental areas to predict the toxicological risks to the local population.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Radioecologia (RAE), Departamento de Energia Nuclear (DEN), Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Av. Prof. Luiz Freire, 100 - Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE, 50740-540, Brazil, jairo.dias@ufpe.br.
authors.forename: Jairo Dias
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Bezerra
authors.forename: Romilton
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: dos Santos Amaral
authors.forename: José Araújo
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: dos Santos Júnior
authors.forename: Frederico Antonio
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Genezini
authors.forename: Rômulo Simões Cezar
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Menezes
authors.forename: Iane Andrade
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D001938:Brazil; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D008906:Mining; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014501:Uranium / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014501:Uranium