Invisible contaminants and food security in former coal mining areas of Santa Catarina, Southern Brazil

Abstract

Background: Mining activities have environmental impacts due to sediment movement and contamination of areas and may also pose risks to people's food security. In Brazil, the majority of coal mining activities are in the south, in the Santa Catarina carboniferous region. In this region, previously mined areas contaminated with heavy metals frequently occur nearby inhabited zones. Mining is part of the daily lives of local communities, and its environmental impacts are visible in the landscape; however, plants with medicinal and food use from these areas can be still consumed. Heavy metals are contaminants that do not have odor, color, or taste, and are therefore difficult to detect. We aimed to verify whether people use plants from contaminated mine areas, and understand which factors can influence the use of these resources, even from areas visibly impacted. Methods: We conducted 195 semi-structured interviews with residents from 14 areas nearby abandoned mines in the main municipalities of the Santa Catarina carboniferous region. We asked each interviewee about the length of time they lived in the region, their perception of the quality of the environment, and what plant species were used and for what purpose. We constructed generalized multivariate linear models to verify which variables can affect the group of species mentioned and generalized linear models to verify which variables can affect the total number of citations. We estimated the frequency of citing species collected using the Smith index. Results: From all interviewees, 127 (65%) reported collecting plants for medicinal and food use, directly from contaminated mine areas. Long-term residents, as well as those who noticed more environmental changes (positive and negative), cited more plants used and had more detailed knowledge of plant use in their communities. When asked if they were aware of the possible contamination of mined areas, 85% said they knew about it. However, only 10% associated negative health effects with the use of plant species collected in contaminated mined areas.

Impactos Da Mineração Sobre Os Povos Originários Yanomamis Da Amazônia: Uma Revisão Sistemática

“…Quando feito de maneira ilegal a mineração causa impactos ambientais e sociais difíceis de calcular, afetando particularmente as terras e águas das comunidades locais da área de garimpo. No Brasil a prática é considerada ilegal, quando ultrapassa a área de 50 hectares ou em Terras Indígenas, sem a autorização dos órgãos responsáveis (Blanco et al, 2020), e infelizmente, atualmente, no Brasil, a maioria das atividades de mineração de ouro está localizado em regiões indígenas do norte do país. (Amato, 2020).…”

“…Nessa região, o garimpo é ilegal e áreas previamente mineradas e contaminadas com metais pesados ocorrem frequentemente próximas a zonas habitadas. A mineração faz parte do cotidiano das comunidades locais, e seus impactos ambientais são visíveis na paisagem (Blanco et al, 2020).…”

Strategies and prospects in the recovery of contaminated soils by phytoremediation: an updated overview

“…Moreover, the United States Government Accountability Office (USGAO) invested approximately US$ 23 million in the treatment of areas contaminated with aromatic compounds, solvents, and heavy metals (United States Government Accountability Office 2015). In Brazil, only a small part of the contaminated areas is derived from agricultural activities, and the highest contamination level results from industrial and mining activities (Blanco et al 2020;Goncalves et al 2014). Therefore, one of the biggest challenges for underdeveloped countries in the correct management of contaminated areas can be associated with non-compliance of laws and few economic resources (Coulon et al 2016;Ferreira et al 2020;Sam et al 2016).…”

Edible dragonflies and damselflies (order Odonata) as human food – A comprehensive review

“…Heavy metals enter the environment in numerous ways especially by the process of mining (Wegenast and Beck, 2020). They are contaminants and they do not have any odor, colour or taste (Blanco et al, 2020) Mining processes require the use of hazardous substances including heavy metals and cyanide (Wegenast and Beck, 2020). These substances enter the agricultural environment as well as the ecosystem where they accumulate in the food chain (Blanco et al, 2020).…”

“…They are contaminants and they do not have any odor, colour or taste (Blanco et al, 2020) Mining processes require the use of hazardous substances including heavy metals and cyanide (Wegenast and Beck, 2020). These substances enter the agricultural environment as well as the ecosystem where they accumulate in the food chain (Blanco et al, 2020). Once in the ecosystem they may accumulate in insects such as dragonflies.…”