Case studies of assessment of human health risks after the dam failures of the Córrego do Feijão Mine and Fundão in Brazil

ABSTRACT

In recent years, there has been an increase in environmental catastrophes involving mining dam failures. This study assessed the potential risks of iron ore tailings in riparian soils to human health after the worst dam collapses recorded in Brazil: from Córrego do Feijão Mine-CFM and Fundão. Chemical monitoring data from the three-year time interval since the collapses were used to estimate human risk indexes for trace elements such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury, nickel, lead, and zinc. In both case studies, the adult group indicated a propensity for the development of non-carcinogenic diseases through ingestion, inhalation and dermal pathways for all contaminated areas. Overall, children showed an exacerbated sensitivity to possible cancerous and non-cancerous effects, especially in the areas surrounding the dams and in Barra Longa, São José do Goiabal, Córrego Novo, Veneza, Periquito, Governador Valadares, Tumiritinga, Conselheiro Pena, Honório Fraga and Linhares (from the Fundão dam) and in all study areas from the CFM dam. These assessments demonstrate that in regions with mining activities, the cumulative effects of trace elements over time are harmful and expected. Therefore, there is a need for greater supervision by competent government bodies of conservation practices that enable environmental recovery or mitigation of their impacts, ensuring appropriate health and well-being conditions for local residents and workers.

KEYWORDS:

• Environmental exposure
• iron ore tailings
• non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic effects
• riparian soils
• trace elements

Acknowledgments

The authors thank FAPERJ - Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro for a scholarship to A. Buch (204.459/2021), CNPq (166567/2020) and CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Finance Code 001. We also thank to UFF - Universidade Federal Fluminense, EMBRAPA - Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, EMATER/MG - Empresa de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural, CPRM - Companhia de Pesquisa de Recursos Minerais and College of Southern Nevada (USA).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author and will be available upon request.

Author contributions statement

A. C. Buch – wrote the main manuscript text; prepared figures; conceptualisation; methodology; validation; investigation; resources; data curation; visualisation; supervision; project administration.

D. B. Sims – writing; review and editing; data curation.

E. D. Marques – data curation; investigation; methodology; validation.

E. V. Silva-Filho – writing; review and editing; data curation; visualisation; methodology; validation; supervision; project administration.

All authors reviewed the manuscript.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/17480930.2024.2330227.

Additional information

Funding

None funding information to disclose