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Environmental factors and metal mobilisation in alluvial sediments: Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
In areas contaminated by potentially toxic elements (PTEs), knowledge of processes of
metal mobilisation is the basis for the choice of appropriate remediation methodologies. The
mobilisation of metals is a function of several factors, and the response to these factors must be well
known during the planning of remediation strategies. The activity of an ore metallurgical plant in
South‐East Brazil resulted in major contamination by several heavy metals. Reversing the
contamination’s negative impact required geochemical assessment of the area, including the
physicochemical characterisation, quantification, and delimitation of PTEs, and the rating of the
solubilisation/mobilisation capacity of these elements. The definition of spatial patterns for PTEs’
distribution allowed the construction of contamination risk maps which work as a tool for the
mitigation and control of the contamination plume. The chemical analysis of interstitial water and
selective and sequential extraction methodologies showed that elements that occur in the
environment in critical concentrations (Zn, Cd, Pb, As) are mostly associated with easily mobilised
forms (soluble, exchangeable cations, associated with Mn oxides). Given the great mobility of the
contamination plume, any process of removal of contaminated material becomes unfeasible, thus
the strategy of remediation for the stream and associated alluvial deposits must be based on
methods of in situ decontamination.
Description
Keywords
Alluvial sediments Metal mobilisation Interstitial water Sequential extraction Geostatistics Sequential gaussian simulation Remediation methodologies
Pedagogical Context
Citation
FONSECA, R. [et al.] (2021) - Environmental factors and metal mobilisation in alluvial sediments: Minas Gerais, Brazil. Geosciences. ISSN 2076-3263.11(3):110. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11030110
Publisher
MDPI