Journal Article

Fish as bioindicators: coal and mercury pollution in Colombia’s ecosystems

de Paula Gutiérrez, B. Francisco, Agudelo, César Augusto Ruiz

2020

Overview

Mining in Colombia affects 488,672 ha (298,391 in coal mining and 190,281 in gold mining). However, Colombia has insufficient studies on mining and its repercussions, which limits estimates of mining impacts on ecosystems and the human population. Due to the rise of mining activities in Colombia, the negative impacts generated by coal and Hg will also continue to increase. This review analyzes national information levels on coal and Hg in island/coastal/marine as well as freshwater ecosystems and human groups using fishery resources as a framework. This is because fish are the main source of animal protein in marine coastal-island and mainland communities. Here, 15 of 32 Colombian departments have records on total mercury (THg) in water, sediments, fish, and human communities. Around 205 ton/year of mercury is discharged into the ecosystem. In human hair for example (15.3 to 50.15 μg/g), mercury exceeds the international maximum levels allowed (ILA) and the national standard (5.0 μg/g). Mercury levels in freshwater fish show 3.3 μg/g of THg and levels in marine and coastal-island fish are 1.2 μg/g THg exceeding the ILA (0.5 μg/g) standard for fish that will be consumed. Carnivorous species have a THg between 0.04 and 2.55 μg/g suggesting bioaccumulation and magnification of heavy metals. These findings were then compared with available international information.

• Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: animal proteins / Animals / Aquatic ecosystems / Aquatic Pollution / Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution / Bioaccumulation / Bioavailability / Bromination / Cadmium / carnivores / Chemical contaminants / Chlorpyrifos / Coal / Coal mining / Coastal environments / Colombia / Contaminants / Contamination / Crassostrea rhizophorae / Ductility tests / Earth and Environmental Science / Ecosystem / Ecosystems / Ecotoxicology / Environment / Environmental Biomarkers / Environmental Chemistry / Environmental Health / Environmental impact / Environmental Monitoring / Environmental science / Ethers / fisheries / Fishery resources / Fishes / Flame retardants / Fragrances / freshwater / Freshwater ecosystems / Freshwater fish / gold / Hair - chemistry / hairs / Heavy metals / human population / Human populations / Humans / Indicator organisms / Indicator species / Islands / Lead / Marine ecosystems / Marine fish / Mercury / Mercury - analysis / Metals / Musk / Organochlorine pesticides / Oysters / PCB / Pollutants / pollution / Polychlorinated biphenyls / Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons / Principal components analysis / Protein sources / Review Article / Seasonal variations / Species / Waste Water Technology / Water Management / Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis / Water Pollution Control