Risk assessment of heavy metal pollution in Jacarepaguá coastal lagoon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The purpose of this work is to present risk estimation as an alternative procedure in environmental pollution assessments. The study addresses heavy metal pollution in the coastal lagoon of Jacarepaguß. The results demonstrate that both local human populations and ecological communities are not subjected to undue risks caused by heavy metal exposures in that water body. A procedure to calculate numeric water quality criteria for toxic substances is discussed and the obtained results are compared to Brazilian legal standards.