ABSTRACT
RESUMO A mineração de ouro é uma das principais fontes de contaminação de arsênio (As) no Quadrilátero Ferrífero em Minas Gerais. O As é um elemento tóxico capaz de causar sérios danos à saúde humana. Com o objetivo de investigar formas mais ecológicas e igualmente eficientes para a remoção de As em solos, empregou-se a técnica de lavagem de solos (soil washing) com uso de extratos com biossurfactantes (BS) visando promover a mobilização do As contido em solo de mina de ouro abandonada. Para a produção dos extratos, foram selecionadas duas culturas mistas de bactérias produtoras de BS (MPCB e MPBR) tolerantes a alta concentração de arsênio (8 mg.L-1). Os tensoativos produzidos foram estáveis em ampla faixa de pH, 3-11; temperatura, 28-50ºC e salinidade, 1-5% NaCl (p.v-1). Nos testes de lavagem de solo, em pH 11, as remoções de As obtidas com os extratos MPCB (14,01 e 13,72%) e MPBR (12,04 e 12,31%) foram superiores àquelas obtidas com soluções a 1% (p.v-1) dos surfactantes comerciais SDS (0,87 e 0,71%); saponina (0,57 e 0,55%) e lecitina de soja (2,05 e 2,63%). Os resultados dos testes em coluna foram igualmente influenciados pelo pH e pela proporção sólido:líquido. As maiores remoções de As: 25,43% (MPCB) 22,43% (MPBR) foram obtidas em pH 11, na proporção 1:40 (g.mL-1), após 10 ciclos de extração. Os extratos MPCB e MPBR removeram o As solúvel em água, os íons ligados ao carbonato e aqueles adsorvidos. Ambos os extratos tiveram comportamento semelhante ao ácido etilenodiaminotetracético (EDTA) e ao extrato de cultura microbiana comercial (GorduraKlin®).
ABSTRACT Gold mining is one of the main sources of Arsenic (As) contamination in Minas Gerais, particularly at the Iron quadrangle. Arsenic is a toxic element that causes damage to human health. The soil washing technique using biosurfactants (BS) containing extracts was tested to promote the mobilization of the As contained in some soil samples collected in an abandoned gold mine, to investigate an environmentally friendly but equally efficient alternative to remove As from soils. Two mixed cultures of biosurfactant-producing bacteria (MPCB and MPBR), both adapted to the cultivation at high As concentrations (8 mg.L-1), were selected for extracts production. Surfactants were stable over a wide pH range, 3-11; temperature, 28-50ºC and salinity, 1-5% NaCl (p.v-1), and promoted the mobilization of As. The pH and solid:liquid ratio influenced the removal efficiency of the tested extracts. The highest removals were obtained at pH 11.0 and a solid:liquid ratio of 1:40 (g.mL-1). Under pH 11.0, the arsenic removal results obtained with MPCB (14.01 and 13.72%) and MPBR extracts (12.04 and 12.31%) were superior to those obtained by using 1% (w/v) solutions of the commercial surfactants SDS (0.87 and 0.71%), saponin (0.57 and 0.55%) and, soy lecithin (2.05 and 2.63%). The pH and the solid: liquid ratio influenced the results of the column tests. The highest As removals: 25.43% (MPCB) and 22.43% (MPBR) were obtained after 10 extraction cycles, at pH 11 and 1:40 ratio (g.mL-1). The extracts MPCB and MPBR removed the water-soluble arsenic as well as the carbonate associated As and the adsorbed ions. Both extracts behaved similarly to EDTA and the commercial microbial extract (GorduraKlin®).