In vitro genotoxic effect of secondary minerals crystallized in rocks from coal mine drainage

Abstract

Coal processing generates a large volume of waste that can damage human health and the environment. Often these wastes produce acid drainage in which several minerals are crystallized (evaporites). This study aimed to identify secondary minerals, as well as the genotoxic potential of these materials. The samples were collected at two sites along the Rocinha River in Santa Catarina state (Brazil): (1) directly from the source of the acid drainage (evaporite 1), and (2) on the river bank (evaporite 2). The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction and by particle-induced X-ray emission techniques. In vitro genotoxicity testing using Comet assay and Micronucleus test in V79 cells was used to evaluate evaporite samples. Our study also used System Biology tools to provide insight regarding the influence of this exposure on DNA damage in cells. The results showed that the samples induced DNA damage for both evaporites that can be explained by high concentrations of chromium, iron, nickel, copper and zinc in these materials. Thus, this study is very important due to the dearth of knowledge regarding the toxicity of evaporites in the environment. The genetic toxicity of this material can be induced by increased oxidative stress and DNA repair inhibition.

Photosynthetic pigments in acid mine drainage: Seasonal patterns and associations with stressful abiotic characteristics

“…One of the most extreme environments caused by human actions is produced by acid mine drainage (AMD), mainly related to legacy of historic coal and metals mining (De Vallejuelo et al, 2017;Gomes et al, 2018;Olías et al, 2019;Nordin et al, 2018;S anchez-Peña et al, 2018). AMD results from the oxidative dissolution of sulfides in a process with a strong biochemical component, as it is accelerated by the presence of microorganisms (e.g.…”

Geochemical and Morphological Evaluations of Organic and Mineral Aerosols in Coal Mining Areas: A Case Study of Santa Catarina, Brazil

“…After stabilizing the energy spectrums, each elemental atomic and weight percentage was converted by X-ray counts. Similar SEM procedures have been described in the literature [24,30,31].…”

“…Consequently, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and Focused Ion Beam (FIB) techniques were adopted to evaluate nano-compound assemblages. Likewise, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (HR-TEM/EDS); and Mössbauer spectroscopy were employed as reported by previous studies in the literature [23,24]. The HR-TEM was performed based on the detailed methodology described by previous studies in the literature [25][26][27].…”

Experimental Study for Influence of Surfactants Chemical Microstructures on Wetting Effect about Coal Dust in Tongchuan Mining Area

“…In recent years, a variety of new clean energy applications have been realized. However, coal is still one of the most important fossil fuels [1,2], as statistics show that coal accounts for approximately 41% of energy used for power generation [3]. Dust is an inevitable product of coal mining and can be generated during blasting, cutting, loading, and unloading [4,5].…”