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Environmental risk assessment of a metal-contaminated area in the Tropics. Tier I: screening phase

  • SOILS, SEC 4 • ECOTOXICOLOGY • RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Abstract

Purpose

The present study presents data on the screening phase (tier 1) of a site-specific ecological risk assessment in a former smelter area heavily contaminated with metals (Santo Amaro, Bahia, Brazil). Joining information from three lines of evidence (LoE), chemical, ecotoxicological, and ecological, integrated risk values were calculated to rank sites within the area and identify those that may need further investigation in tier 2.

Materials and methods

Eleven points were selected up to 1,000 m from the smelter. Three reference points were 3 and 9 km away from the area. Risk values for the chemical LoE were derived from calculating the toxic pressure based on total metal concentrations. Those for the ecotoxicological LoE were based on avoidance (Folsomia candida and Eisenia andrei) and eluate tests (Daphnia magna acute test and Microtox) whereas for the ecological LoE the bait lamina test, soil basal respiration, and vegetation cover were used to derive risk values.

Results and discussion

The chemical LoE showed high risk in those points inside the area where metal loadings exceeded in much the existing soil screening values. Ecotoxicological tools showed a variable response, with tests on soil organisms inducing a higher risk (again at sites inside the smelter and with sandy soils) than tests on eluates. The three parameters composing the ecological LoE revealed a concordant response, despite the lower sensitivity of the vegetation cover. A high risk on this LoE was also observed on those sampling points where a high chemical risk was calculated.

Conclusions

Integrated risk was low outside the smelter area. Inside, a high spatial heterogeneity of risk levels was observed, related to the non homogeneous deposition of smelting residues. Very high risk levels, associated with sandy soils and residue deposits, suggest the need to proceed with remediation actions. However, the uncertainties associated with the contradictory information given by certain LoEs for certain sampling points show the need to confirm potential risks in a tier 2 analysis.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Cetrel S/A—Empresa de Proteção Ambiental (Camaçari, BA, Brazil) for the Microtox analysis. A special thanks to Alice Andrade, Salomão Pinho and Bruno Abdon for their help in the field work, and to Tiago Natal-da-Luz and Sónia Chelinho for their help in the laboratory. The authors would also like to thank Dr. Michiel Rutgers for his fundamental contribution to improve the manuscript, and also to the two anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions. The study was supported through two Ph.D. grants to Júlia C. Niemeyer, from Program Alban (E05D058118BR, from Fev/06 to Fev/07) and Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal; SFRH/BD/28796/2006).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IMAR-CMA, Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3030-790, Coimbra, Portugal

    Júlia C. Niemeyer, Matilde Moreira-Santos, Rui Ribeiro & José Paulo Sousa

  2. Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

    Júlia C. Niemeyer & Eduardo Mendes Da Silva

  3. Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil

    Gabriel Machado Carvalho

  4. Depto. de Microbiologia, Laboratório de Ecologia Microbiana, Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL), Londrina, Paraná, Brazil

    Marco Antonio Nogueira

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  1. Júlia C. Niemeyer
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  2. Matilde Moreira-Santos
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  3. Marco Antonio Nogueira
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  4. Gabriel Machado Carvalho
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Correspondence to Júlia C. Niemeyer.

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Niemeyer, J.C., Moreira-Santos, M., Nogueira, M.A. et al. Environmental risk assessment of a metal-contaminated area in the Tropics. Tier I: screening phase. J Soils Sediments 10, 1557–1571 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-010-0255-x

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