TITLE:
Health Risk Assessment in Children by Arsenic and Mercury Pollution of Groundwater in a Mining Area in Sonora, Mexico
AUTHORS:
José Leopoldo Mendoza-Lagunas, Diana María Meza-Figueroa, Marco Antonio Martínez-Cinco, Mary Kay O’Rourke, Elena Centeno-García, Francisco Martin Romero, Leticia García-Rico, María Mercedes Meza-Montenegro
KEYWORDS:
Hazard Quotient, Mining, Mercury, Arsenic, Children
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.7 No.6,
June
26,
2019
ABSTRACT: A highly acidic spill from one of
the most important copper mines in the Americas (Buenavista del Cobre) occurred in Sonora,
Mexico in August, 2014. 40,000 m3 of metals-enriched sulphate
solution escaped into the Sonora River representing the worst ecological
disaster in Mexican history. The spill affected the economy, water
accessibility and the health of residents near the river. Despite the economic
importance of mining in this area, no environmental assessment was undertaken. There is no information about the health impact of this event on the
local population. The study assesses the
health risk among children exposed to arsenic and mercury via groundwater in
five communities located in a mining area into the Sonora River Basin, Mexico.
Local drinking water from the localities was sampled one year after the spill and it was analyzed for arsenic and
mercury by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry coupled with Hydride Generation
(AAS/HG). Further, some of the traditional
local foods were sampled and analyzed for the same elements. Results indicate
that levels of arsenic in drinking water did not exceed the Mexican Norm (25 μg
As/L) or the EPA Guideline (10 μg As/L). The concentrations of mercury exceeded
the WHO and Mexican Legislation value (1.0 μg Hg/L). The Hazard Quotient (HQ)
values for arsenic were >1 in 42% of children exposed and for mercury in 67%
of the children. Foods concentrations contained in the ranges of 9.2 to 62.0 μg
As/Kg and 0.28 to 42 μg Hg/Kg for arsenic and mercury respectively. These
values are below the Codex Alimentarius limits. Children affected by mining
activities are at risk of developing chronic diseases associated with low
arsenic and mercury exposure via groundwater consumption, without consideration
of the contribution from these metals by other important exposures routes.