Dredging Activities Carried Out in a Brazilian Estuary Affect Mercury Levels in Swimming Crabs

Paloma de Almeida Rodrigues, Rafaela Gomes Ferrari, Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis, Luciano Neves dos Santos and Carlos Adam Conte-Junior
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Paloma de Almeida Rodrigues: Molecular and Analytical Laboratory Center, Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Veterinary, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói 24230-340, Brazil
Rafaela Gomes Ferrari: Molecular and Analytical Laboratory Center, Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Veterinary, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói 24230-340, Brazil
Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis: Laboratório de Avaliação e Promoção da Saúde Ambiental, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil
Luciano Neves dos Santos: Laboratory of Theoretical and Applied Ichthyology, Department of Ecology and Marine Resources, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22290-240, Brazil
Carlos Adam Conte-Junior: Molecular and Analytical Laboratory Center, Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Veterinary, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói 24230-340, Brazil

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 12, 1-17

Abstract: (1) Although suffers from intense pollution inputs, Guanabara Bay, the most socioeconomically and environmentally important estuary in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is still home to a diverse fauna, including several fish and crab species consumed by humans. The bay presents high sedimentation rates and sediment contamination, further aggravated by dredging processes carried out in recent years. In this context, this study aimed to verify the effect of the dredging process on total mercury (THg) concentrations at Guanabara Bay through swimming crab assessments sampled before (2016), during (2017), and after (2018) the dredging process, and mainly, if the detected concentrations can be harmful to consumer health; (2) Methods: Swimming crab samplings were carried out at the same time and sampling points in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and the total Hg was determined using a Direct Mercury Analyzer (DMA-80, Milestone, Bergamo, Italy); (3) Results: Increased Hg concentrations were observed during the dredging process, decreasing to lower values, close to the initial concentrations, at the end of the process. Some of the investigated abiotic factors favor Hg dynamics in the aquatic environment, while others were positively altered at some of the assessed sampling areas at the end of the dredging process; (4) Conclusions: Although crab Hg levels were below maximum permissible limits for human consumption, it is important to note that these animals are significantly consumed around Guanabara Bay, which may lead to public health issues in the long term.

Keywords: Guanabara Bay; mercury; bioindicator; abiotic variables; dredging (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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