A Study on As, Cu, Pb and Zn (bio)availability in an Abandoned Mine Area (São Domingos, Portugal) Using Chemical and Ecotoxicological Tools

Overview

Journal Environ Sci Pollut Res Int

Publisher Springer

Specialties Environmental Health
Toxicology

Date 2013 Apr 24

PMID 23608975

Citations 4

Authors

Paula Alvarenga

Catia Laneiro

Patricia Palma

Amarilis de Varennes

Cristina Cunha-Queda

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to relate the results obtained by chemical methods, used to assess environmental (bio)availability, with the ecotoxic response and bioaccumulation of trace elements (TE) by the earthworm Eisenia fetida exposed to field-contaminated, metal-polluted soils from a sulphide mine. The extracting solution 0.5 M NH4CH3COO, 0.5 M CH3COOH and 0.02 M EDTA (pH 4.7), was able to predict environmental bioavailability of TE to E. fetida. However, the toxicological bioavailability could not be predicted from the results of the chemical extractions or from the bioaccumulation results: E. fetida reproduction was higher in soils where environmental bioavailability of TE and bioaccumulation values were also higher. In this study, the toxic response of the organism seemed to be more influenced by the overall nutritional status of the soil (e.g. pH, organic matter, plant nutrient availability and cation exchange capacity) than by its TE contamination. In the case of anthropogenic multi-contaminated sites, the different soil characteristics exert an important and confounding influence in the toxic response and the relationship between different bioavailable fractions cannot be easily established, emphasising the need to combine results from chemical methods with those from bioassays when evaluating the bioavailability of TE in these soils.

Citing Articles

Unveiling the Behavior of an Endangered Facultative Cuprophyte Species in an Abandoned Copper Mine (Southeast Portugal).

Caperta A, Couchinho F, Cortinhas A, Abreu M Plants (Basel). 2024; 13(20).

PMID: 39458794 PMC: 11511216. DOI: 10.3390/plants13202847.

Soil and Freshwater Bioassays to Assess Ecotoxicological Impact on Soils Affected by Mining Activities in the Iberian Pyrite Belt.

Andreu-Sanchez O, Garcia-Lorenzo M, Esbri J, Sanchez-Donoso R, Iglesias-Martinez M, Arroyo X Toxics. 2022; 10(7).

PMID: 35878258 PMC: 9321106. DOI: 10.3390/toxics10070353.

Geochemistry and environmental threats of soils surrounding an abandoned mercury mine.

Bori J, Valles B, Navarro A, Riva M Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2016; 23(13):12941-53.

PMID: 26996905 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-6463-1.

Assessing the ecotoxicological effects of long-term contaminated mine soils on plants and earthworms: relevance of soil (total and available) and body concentrations.

Garcia-Gomez C, Esteban E, Sanchez-Pardo B, Dolores Fernandez M Ecotoxicology. 2014; 23(7):1195-209.

PMID: 24875255 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-014-1262-2.

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