Heavy metals in soils and forage grasses irrigated with Vieira River water, Montes Claros, Brazil, contaminated with sewage wastewater

  • Matheus Mendes Reis Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola. Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Avenida Cândido Rondon, n° 501, CEP: 13083-875, Campinas, SP, Brazil
  • Leonardo David Tuffi Santos Instituto de Ciências Agrárias. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Avenida Universitária, n°1000, CEP: 39404-547, Montes Claros, MG, Brazil.
  • Ariovaldo José da Silva Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola. Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Avenida Cândido Rondon, n° 501, CEP: 13083-875, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
  • Gevany Paulino de Pinho Instituto de Ciências Agrárias. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Avenida Universitária, n°1000, CEP: 39404-547, Montes Claros, MG, Brazil.
  • Leonardo Michel Rocha Instituto de Ciências Agrárias. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Avenida Universitária, n°1000, CEP: 39404-547, Montes Claros, MG, Brazil.
Keywords: ecological risk, geoaccumulation index, water contaminated.

Abstract

 

There is great concern with soil and plant contamination by heavy metals due to the use of polluted water in agricultural irrigation. In this study, areas irrigated with Vieira River water were evaluated as to contamination by As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. The Vieira River receives effluent from Montes Claros city, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. To do so, two irrigated areas were selected, one upstream and one downstream of the Montes Claros city. Wastewater discharge increased the concentration of As and Ni in the water of Vieira River, and consequently, of As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in the soil and of As and Zn in forage grasses. However, the content of heavy metals in the soil did not exceed the internationally recommended limits. Pollution load index (PLI) and contamination factor (CF) indicated the existence of pollution and moderate contamination in downstream soils of the city of Montes Claros. Potential ecological risk index (RI) and ecological risk factor (Er) indicated a low ecological risk, but these indicators were higher in downstream soils of Montes Claros. Arsenic (As) was the only heavy metal that featured a transfer factor (TF) higher than the widespread values found in literature and positive geoaccumulation index (Igeo), indicative of anthropogenic pollution.


Author Biographies

Matheus Mendes Reis, Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola. Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Avenida Cândido Rondon, n° 501, CEP: 13083-875, Campinas, SP, Brazil
       
Leonardo David Tuffi Santos, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Avenida Universitária, n°1000, CEP: 39404-547, Montes Claros, MG, Brazil.
      
Ariovaldo José da Silva, Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola. Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Avenida Cândido Rondon, n° 501, CEP: 13083-875, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
     
Gevany Paulino de Pinho, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Avenida Universitária, n°1000, CEP: 39404-547, Montes Claros, MG, Brazil.
    
Leonardo Michel Rocha, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Avenida Universitária, n°1000, CEP: 39404-547, Montes Claros, MG, Brazil.
   
Published
26/03/2020
Section
Papers