ABSTRACT
Children from riverside communities located downstream of gold mining areas may be chronically exposed to relatively high levels of MeHg through the consumption of fish of this region. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare levels of THg and MeHg in hair of children less than 12 years in communities near mines in the municipality of Itaituba and in communities far from prospecting areas in the city of Abaetetuba. The communities of Itaituba (Barreiras and São Luiz do Tapajós) had THg mean levels of 5.64±5.55 µg·g(-1) (0.43-27.82) and 11.41±7.16 µg.g(-1) (1.08-28.17), respectively, and an average count of MeHg relative to THg of 92.20% and 90.27%, respectively. In the Maranhão community, the THg average concentrations results were 2.27±2.11 µg·g(-1) (0.13-9.54) and the average values were 93.17% for MeHg. Children of Itaituba had average levels of mercury above the limit established by the World Health Organization (10 µg·g(-1)) and the strong correlation coefficient between the communities (R=0.968 and P=0.0001) suggests the hair as an excellent biomarker of human exposure to organic mercury in riverside populations of the Tapajós, which has the intake of fish daily as main source of protein dietary.
Subject(s)
Hair/drug effects , Mercury Poisoning/diagnosis , Mercury Poisoning/epidemiology , Mercury/analysis , Animals , Brazil , Child , Child, Preschool , Diet , Environmental Exposure , Environmental Monitoring/methods , Female , Fish Products , Fishes , Geography , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Methylmercury Compounds/analysisABSTRACT
Montrichardia linifera (Araceae), conhecida popularmente como 'aninga', faz parte dos ecossistemas de várzea da Amazônia e da dieta natural de animais como peixe-boi, tartarugas, peixes, búfalo e gado. Com o objetivo de contribuir para o conhecimento químico e valor nutricional da mesma, folhas e frutos de M. linifera foram coletados às margens dos rios Guamá e Maratauíra, no Estado do Pará, Brasil. Em folhas e frutos foram realizadas análises de umidade, resíduo mineral fixo (cinzas), lipídios, proteínas, fibra bruta, concentração de carboidratos e valor calórico. A composição mineral (Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, Zn e Mn) foi obtida por espectrometria de absorção atômica de chama. Observou-se que tanto as folhas quanto os frutos da aninga, apesar de calóricos (289,75 kcal e 355,12 kcal, respectivamente), possuem baixo valor protéico (0,44% e 0,24 %, respectivamente). As concentrações de manganês obtidas (folha = 3279,46 mg kg-1e fruto = 18151,53 mg kg-1) foram consideradas tóxicas, extrapolando o limite máximo tolerável para ruminantes (1000 mg kg-1). A M. linifera, tem capacidade de absorver e bioacumular grandes quantidades de Ca, Mg e Mn presentes no solo, o que torna inadequada a sua utilização exclusiva na alimentação de quelônios, bovinos e bubalinos, havendo necessidade de mais estudos para sua aplicação como parte da ração.
The aninga (Montrichardia linifera, Araceae) is often found in the floodplain ecosystems of the Amazon and is the natural diet of animals such as manatees, turtles, fish, buffalo and cattle. Aiming to contribute to the chemical knowledge and nutritional value of this plant, leaves and fruits of M. linifera were collected on the banks of the Guama and Maratauira rivers, Para State, Brazil. We determined the moisture content, ash mineral composition, lipids, protein, fiber, carbohydrate and caloric value of the fruits and leaves. The mineral composition (Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, Zn and Mn) was obtained by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The leaves and the fruits of M. linifera had caloric values of 289.75 kcal and 355.12 kcal, respectively; and a low protein concentration, 0.44% for leaves and 0.24% for fruits. Manganese concentrations were 3279.46 mg kg-1 for leaves and 18151.53 mg kg-1 for fruits. These Mn concentrations are considered toxic, as they exceed the maximum tolerable for the ruminants (1000 mg kg-1). The M. linifera has the capacity to absorb and bioaccumulate large amounts of Ca, Mg and Mn in the soil, which makes it inappropriate for exclusive use as food for turtles, cattle and buffaloes, requiring more studies for its application as part of the diet.
Subject(s)
Plant Leaves/chemistry , Araceae/chemistry , Fruit/chemistry , Nutritive Value , Ruminants , Amazonian EcosystemABSTRACT
Amazônia brasileira oferece um apreciável potencial de plantas com propriedades terapêuticas, embora a maioria seja pouco conhecida. Dessa forma, com o objetivo de verificar a potencialidade nutricional de ervas medicinais, determinou-se a concentração de Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu e Zn nas folhas e nos chás das espécies: Piper callosum Ruiz & Pav., Piperaceae, Mikania lindleyana DC., Asteraceae e Arrabidaea chica (Humb. & Bonpl.) B. Verl., Bignoniaceae. As amostras de plantas depois de terem sido processadas, foram submetidas a digestão e em seguida realizada as leituras dos metais em um espectrofotômetro de absorção atômica. Para o chá de Arrabidaea chica foram detectados teores de Ca (6955 a 20058 mg/L), Mg (2390 a 3094 mg/L) e Fe (40 a 61 mg/L). Para o chá de Mikania lindleyana além da presença de altos valores de Ca (17722 a 22336 mg/L), Mg (4531 a 9370 mg/L) e Fe (20 a 87 mg/L) foram encontrados de 7 a 16 mg/L de Cu e 9 a 41 mg/L de Zn. O chá do Piper callosum apresentou em média 2036 a 4344 mg/L de Ca, 618 a 4023 mg/L de Mg e 39 a 60 mg/L de Fe. Comparando-se os resultados dos minerais com os valores recomendados pela Organização Mundial da Saúde, conclui-se que os metais presentes nos chás das plantas poderiam contribuir na complementação das dietas alimentares das pessoas que as utilizam.
The Amazonian Brazilian offers an appreciable potential of plants with therapeutic properties, although most are little known. In this way, with the objective of verifying the potentiality nutritional of medicinal herbs, a work was developed to determine the concentration of Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu and Zn in the leaves and in the teas of these species: Piper callosum Ruiz & Pav., Piperaceae, Mikania lindleyana DC., Asteraceae e Arrabidaea chica (Humb. & Bonpl.) B. Verl., Bignoniaceae. After the plants samples have been processed, they were submitted to digestion and soon afterwards the metals were analyzed in an spectrophotometer of Atomic Absorption. The results showed the follow yields: for the tea of Arrabidaea chica Ca were detected (6955 to 20058 mg/L), Mg (2390 to 3094 mg/L) and Fe (40 to 61 mg/L). For the tea of Mikania lindleyana besides the presence of high values of Ca (17722 to 22336 mg/L), Mg (4531 to 9370 mg/L) and Fe (20 to 87 mg/L) they were found from 7 to 16 mg/L of Cu and 9 to 41 mg/L of Zn. The tea of the Piper callosum presented 2036 to 4344 mg/L of Ca, 618 to 4023 mg/L of Mg and 39 to 60 mg/L of Fe. Being compared the results of the minerals with the values recommended by the Health World Organization, is possible that the present metals in the teas of the plants could contribute in the complementation of the people's alimentary diets that use these medicinal plants.
ABSTRACT
Mercury is a major public health concern because of its widespread occurrence in the environment and its toxic effects on humans, mainly through fish ingestion. On the other hand, selenium is known by its antioxidant effect. For this reason, the knowledge of the correlation between mercury and selenium concentrations in fish samples can bring important information allowing a better understanding of mercury equilibrium in the inhabitants of the Amazon region. In this paper, total mercury and selenium levels were measured in carnivorous (47), omnivorous (44), and herbivorous (4) fish species caught in rivers and in an artificial lake in Cachoeira do PiriáMunicipality, situated in ParáState, Amazon region. The mercury concentration ranged from 1.15 to 13.44 nmol g(-1) and selenium from 2.44 to 14.56 nmol g(-1) for carnivorous species. For noncarnivorous species, mercury concentration ranged from 0.08 to 2.03 nmol g(-1) and selenium from 1.27 to 15.32 nmol g(-1). The molar ratios between mercury and selenium contents obtained for carnivorous and noncarnivorous species were 0.65 and 0.14, respectively. Mercury and selenium levels were positively correlated with fish body mass (weight) only for Hoplias malabaricus (n=35, R2=0.565, P<0.005 and R2=0.608, P<0.005, respectively). Selenium and mercury concentrations were statistically positively correlated only for H. malabaricus (n=35, R2=0.787, P=0.005) and Leporinus sp. (n=38, R2=0.485, P<0.005) known locally as Traíra (carnivorous) and Aracu (omnivorous), respectively.
Subject(s)
Fishes , Mercury/analysis , Selenium/analysis , Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis , Animals , BrazilABSTRACT
Total mercury and selenium concentrations were determined in hair samples collected from Wari (Pacaás Novos) Indians living in Doutor Tanajura village, Gujará-Mirim city, Rondjnia State. The mercury concentrations in some samples are much higher than the values determined in samples from individuals not exposed to mercury contamination, occupationally or environmentally. The selenium concentrations are in the normal range. A correlation was observed between the mercury and selenium concentration and the values of the molar ratio approach 1 at low Hg concentrations. This fact is related to the equimolar complex formed by [(Hg-Se)n]m-Seleprotein P, which can decrease the bioavailable mercury in the organism.
