Publications des scientifiques de l'IRD

Maurice Bourgoin Laurence, Quiroga I., Guyot Jean-Loup, Malm O. (1999). Mercury pollution in the Upper Beni River, Amazonian basin : Bolivia. Ambio, 28 (4), p. 302-306. ISSN 0044-7447.

Titre du document
Mercury pollution in the Upper Beni River, Amazonian basin : Bolivia
Année de publication
1999
Type de document
Article
Auteurs
Maurice Bourgoin Laurence, Quiroga I., Guyot Jean-Loup, Malm O.
Source
Ambio, 1999, 28 (4), p. 302-306 ISSN 0044-7447
Mercury contamination caused by the amalgamation of gold in small-scale gold mining is an environmental problem of increasing concern, particularly in tropical regions like the Amazon, where a new boom of such gold mining started in the 1970s. In Brazil, research into these problems has been carried out for many years, but there is no available data for Bolivia. The present paper surveys mercury contamination of a Bolivian river system in the Amazon drainage basin, measured in water, fish, and human hair. High concentrations in fish and human hair from consumers of carnivorous fish species are reported. The potential health risk from fish consumption was evident in people living downstream of gold-mining activities, but not in the mining population itself. (Résumé d'auteur)
Plan de classement
Pollution continentale [038POLCON] ; Transports solides et qualité physico-chimique des eaux [062MECEAU04]
Descripteurs
POLLUTION DES EAUX CONTINENTALES ; MERCURE ; CONTAMINATION ; COURS D'EAU ; MATIERE EN SUSPENSION ; SEDIMENT ; POISSON D'EAU DOUCE ; HOMME ; ANALYSE CHIMIQUE ; FLUORESCENCE ; SPECTROMETRIE ; MINE ; OR ; EXPLOITATION ECONOMIQUE ; SANTE PUBLIQUE
Description Géographique
BOLIVIE
Localisation
Fonds IRD [F B010019126] ; La Paz ; Montpellier (Centre IRD)
Identifiant IRD
fdi:010019126
Contact