Mercury fractionation in stream sediments from the Quadrilátero Ferrífero gold mining region, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Abstract

The Iron Quadrangle (IQ) region, located in the state of Minas Gerais, has been the most important gold producing area in Brazil since the end of seventeenth century. The use of mercury for gold amalgamation in small scale mines has been responsible for large release of Hg to aquatic and terrestrial environments during 300 years of mining. The present work sought to evaluate the fractionation of Hg in stream sediments is the southern region of the IQ by utilizing sequential extraction. Since mobility and availability of Hg are related to its distribution among sediment partitions, fractionation methods provide detailed information on the ecotoxicological impact and risks associated to the presence of Hg in sediments. The total Hg concentration varied from 179.3 to 690.1 μg kg − 1 and Hg0 accounted for the majority at all sample sites, ranging from 42% to 56% of the total.