Abstract
Huancavelica, Peru, a historic cinnabar refining site, is one of the most mercury (Hg)-contaminated urban areas in the world. Exposure is amplified because residents build their adobe brick homes from contaminated soil. The objectives of this study were to compare two Hg-leaching procedures, and their application as risk-assessment screening tools in Hg-contaminated adobe brick homes in Huancavelica. The purpose was to evaluate potential health implications, particularly for children, after ingestion of Hg-contaminated particles. Hg was measured in adobe brick and dirt floor samples from 60 households by total Hg extraction, simulated gastric fluid (GF) extraction, and sequential selective extraction (SSE), which provides more detailed data but is resource-intensive. Most of the Hg present in samples was relatively insoluble, although in some households soluble Hg species were present at concentrations that may be of concern after ingestion. A strong correlation was identified between results from simulated GF extraction of adobe bricks and dirt floors and the more soluble fractions of Hg from SSE. Simulated GF extraction data were combined with ingestion and body mass characteristics for small children to compare potential risk of ingestion of Hg-contaminated soil with current health standards. Simulated GF extraction can be used as a risk assessment screening tool for effective allocation of time and resources to households that have measurable concentrations of bioaccessible Hg. Combining simulated GF extraction data with health standards enables intervention strategies targeted at households with the greatest potential health threat from ingestion of Hg-contaminated particles.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported in part by a Duke Global Health Institute pilot grant. Nicole Hagan would like to acknowledge support from an Oak Ridge Institute Science and Education fellowship at the US EPA National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development and from the EPA/UNC Toxicology Training Agreement CR-83515201-0, with the Curriculum in Toxicology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Special thanks to the residents of Huancavelica who participated in the study, to research collaborators Enrique Ecos, Susan Halabi, Dan Richter, and John Vandenberg for support, to Jeff Ryan, Peter Kariher, and Eric Morris for experimental and analytical assistance, to David Svendsgaard for statistical guidance, and to David Leith and Joe Pedit for review of the manuscript. The authors would also like to thank Paul Heine and Barbara MacGregor, USDA-recognized Soil-Containment Officers, for coordinating soil import and containment.
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Disclaimer The work reported in this document was funded in part by the US Environmental Protection Agency. It has been subjected to review by the National Center for Environmental Assessment and approved for publication. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the US Environmental Protection Agency.
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Hagan, N., Robins, N., Gonzales, R.D.E. et al. Speciation and bioaccessibility of mercury in adobe bricks and dirt floors in Huancavelica, Peru. Environ Geochem Health 37, 263–272 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-014-9644-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-014-9644-1