Geomorphologic risk zoning to anticipate tailings dams' hazards: A study in the Brumadinho's mining area, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The use of tailings dams in the mining industry is recurrent and a matter of concern given the risk of collapse. The planning of tailings dam's emplacement usually attends construction design criteria and site geotechnical properties, but often neglects the risk of installing the depositional facilities in potentially unstable landscapes, namely those characterized by steep slopes and(or) high drainage densities. In order to help bridging this gap, the present study developed a framework model whereby geomorphologic vulnerability is assessed by a set of morphometric parameters (e.g., drainage density; relief ratio; roughness coefficient). Using the Ribeirão Ferro-Carvão micro-basin (3265.16 ha) as test site, where six dams currently receive tailings from the mining of iron-ore deposits in the Brumadinho region (Minas Gerais, Brazil) and one has collapsed in 25 January 2019 (the B1 dam of Córrego do Feijão mine of Vale, S.A.), the risk of dam instability derived from geomorphologic vulnerability was assessed and alternative suitable locations were highlighted when applicable. The results made evident the location of five dams (including the collapsed B1) in high-risk regions and two in low-risk regions, which is preoccupying. The alternative locations represent 58 % of Ribeirão Ferro-Carvão micro-basin, which is a reasonable and workable share. Overall, the study exposed the fragility related with tailings dams' geography, which is not restricted to the studied micro-basin, because dozens of active tailings dams exist in the parent basin (the Paraopeba River basin) that can also be vulnerable to geomorphologically-dependent hydrologic hazards such as intensive erosion, valley incision or flash floods. Attention to this issue is therefore urgent to prevent future tragedies related with tailings dams' breaks, in the Paraopeba River basin or elsewhere, using the proposed framework model as guide.

First assessment of atmospheric pollution by trace elements and particulate matter after a severe collapse of a tailings dam, Minas Gerais, Brazil: An insight into biomonitoring with Tillandsia usneoides and a public health dataset.

In this study, samples of bromeliad Tillandsia usneoides (n = 70) were transplanted and exposed for 15 and 45 days in 35 outdoor residential areas in Brumadinho (Minas Gerais state, Brazil) after one of the most severe mining dam collapses in the world. Trace elements aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn) were quantified by atomic absorption spectrometry. Scanning electron microscope generated surface images of T. usneoides fragments and particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10 and PM > 10). Aluminum, Fe and Mn stood out from the other elements reflecting the regional geological background. Median concentrations in mg kg-1 increased (p < 0.05) between 15 and 45 days for Cr (0.75), Cu (1.23), Fe (474) and Mn (38.1), while Hg (0.18) was higher at 15 days. The exposed-to-control ratio revealed that As and Hg increased 18.1 and 9.4-fold, respectively, not showing a pattern associated only with the most impacted sites. The PM analysis points to a possible influence of the prevailing west wind on the increase of total particles, PM2.5 and PM10 in transplant sites located to the east. Brazilian public health dataset revealed increase in cases of some cardiovascular and respiratory diseases/symptoms in Brumadinho in the year of the dam collapse (1.38 cases per 1000 inhabitants), while Belo Horizonte capital and its metropolitan region recorded 0.97 and 0.37 cases, respectively. Although many studies have been carried out to assess the consequences of the tailings dam failure, until now atmospheric pollution had not yet been evaluated. Furthermore, based on our exploratory analysis of human health dataset, epidemiological studies are required to verify possible risk factors associated with the increase in hospital admissions in the study area.

Exploring a new approach for assessing the fate and behavior of the tailings released by the Brumadinho dam collapse (Minas Gerais, Brazil).

In 2019, the Brumadinho dam rupture released a massive amount of iron ore mining tailings into the Paraopeba River. Up to now, it remains a public health issue for the local and downstream populations. The present study aims to assess the behavior and fate of metal contamination following the disaster. Using new sampling strategies and up-to-date geochemistry tools, we show that the dissolved metal concentrations (< 0.22 µm cutoff filtration) remained low in the Paraopeba River. Although the tailings present high metal concentrations (Fe, Mn, Cd, and As), the high local background contents of metals and other previous anthropogenic contamination hamper tracing the sediment source based only on the geochemical signature. The Pb isotopic composition coupled with the metals enrichment factor of sediments and Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) constitutes accurate proxies that trace the fate and dispersion of tailing particles downstream of the dam collapse. This approach shows that 1) The influence of the released tailing was restricted to the Paraopeba River and the Retiro Baixo reservoir, located upstream of the São Francisco River; 2) The tailings' contribution to particulate load ranged from 17 % to 88 % in the Paraopeba River; 3) Other regional anthropogenic activities also contribute to water and sediment contamination of the Paraopeba river.

A partial least squares-path model of causality among environmental deterioration indicators in the dry period of Paraopeba River after the rupture of B1 tailings dam in Brumadinho (Minas Gerais, Brazil).

This study investigated the collapse of B1 mine-tailings dam that occurred in 25 January 2019 and severely affected the Brumadinho region (Minas Gerais state, Brazil) socially, economically and environmentally. As regards water resources, the event impacted the Paraopeba River in the first 155.3 km counted from the dam site, meaning nearly half the main water course downstream of B1. In the impacted sector, high concentrations of tailings-related Al, Fe, Mn, P in river sediment-tailings mixtures and water were detected, as well as changes to the reflectance of riparian forests. In the river water, the metal concentrations raised significantly above safe levels. For caution, the water management authorities declared immediate suspension of Paraopeba River as drinking water source to the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte (6 million people), irrespective of representing nearly 30% of all supply. In this study, the main purpose was to assess potential links between tailings distribution, river water composition and reflectance of forest vegetation, which worked out as latent variables in regression models. The latent variables were represented by numerous physical and chemical parameters, measured 4 times in 22 sites during the dry period of 2019. The modeling results suggested the release of aluminum and phosphorus from sand fractions in the mine tailings as major cause of water contamination. The NDVI changes were interpreted as environmental deterioration. Changes in redox potential may have raised manganese concentrations in surface water further affecting the forest NDVI. Distance from the B1 dam and dissolved calcium appear to attenuate deterioration. Overall, the regressions allowed robust prognoses of environmental deterioration in the Paraopeba River under low flow conditions. More importantly, they can be transposed to similar dam ruptures helping environmental authorities to decide upon measures that can bring the affected rivers to pre-rupture conditions.

Rupture of Brumadinho dam (Minas Gerais, Brazil): embryotoxicity in zebrafish induced by metal mixture-contaminated water.

Rupture of dam B-1 at the Córrego do Feijão mine in Brumadinho, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil (25/Jan/2019) contaminated the Paraopeba River with mine waste. To identify the adverse effects of this event on public and environmental health, we conducted the Fish Embryo Acute Toxicity (FET) test (OECD No. 236). During the tests, zebrafish embryos were exposed for 144 hours to solutions containing realistic concentrations of dissolved iron and aluminum and total manganese at the following analysis points upstream or downstream of the dam: 10 km, upstream; 19.7 km, downstream, at the point where water for consumption is collected; 24.5 km, downstream, in the city of Mário Franco; and 59 km, downstream, on the border between the towns of Juatuba and Betim. Metal concentrations were taken from September 2019 report No. 53 released by IGAM. Mortality was high at all exposure points and reached 93% at the Juatuba/Betim point. We also detected lethal, sublethal and teratogenic effects, such as non-hatching, non-inflation of the swim bladder, pericardial edema and scoliosis, affecting up to 25% of embryos at the other analysis points. The results highlight the need for continuous monitoring of the water quality of the Paraopeba River.

Mining Dam Failures in Brazil: Comparing Legal Post-Disaster Decisions.

Mining dam failures have increased worldwide since the 1980s. Two large mining dam failures occurred recently in Mariana and Brumadinho, both in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. We hypothesize that there were significant differences in legal post-disaster decisions. The aim of this article is to understand the similarities and differences of post-disaster actions and controversies in Mariana and Brumadinho. We reviewed 686 news reports about court decisions and settlement agreements from the websites of state and federal courts and judicial institutions. After classifying the reports using an adapted protocol from a media health observatory, we conducted a thematic analysis. Our analysis suggests that there were significant differences in legal post-disaster decisions in the cases of Mariana and Brumadinho. In Mariana, there was privatization of post-disaster management, with the creation of the Renova Foundation, a mediated indemnity program, lack of access to information for those affected, and uncertainties in health and resettlement issues. In Brumadinho, there was faster implementation of the recovery and compensation measures, faster recognition of affected parties, and stronger participation of the population since the first hearings. Even though there were particularities in post-disaster management, the ultimate goal of the corporations responsible for the disasters was to protect their profits.

One Decade of Environmental Disasters in Brazil: The Action of Veterinary Rescue Teams.

Based on the interdisciplinary concept of One Health, EcoHealth, and Planetary Health, this paper focuses on participatory knowledge-to-action approaches by relating one decade of environmental disasters in Brazil with the action of veterinary rescue teams, aiming to give support to future disaster preparedness. This paper will present the historic actions of teams rescuing animal that are victims of environmental disasters, in addition to addressing the need for contingency plans and response management in these types of events. The main events in Brazilian states where veterinary rescue teams participated were, chronologically, as follows: 2011 flood and landslide (Rio de Janeiro); 2012 flood (Acre, Minas Gerais, and Pará); 2015 dam break (Minas Gerais); 2017 flood (Minas Gerais) and forest fire (Minas Gerais and Goiás); 2019 dam break and evacuation (Minas Gerais) and flood (Bahia); 2020 flood (Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais) and forest fires (Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul). The Brazilian disasters that had a large global repercussion were the ruptures of the ore dams in Marina (2015) and Brumadinho (2019), both in the State of Minas Gerais. The role of veterinarians in these events was recognized by the Federal Council of Veterinary Medicine (CFMV) after their performance in Mariana, Minas Gerais (2015), and in 2020, the CFMV approved the National Mass Disaster Contingency Plan Involving Animals. The work of veterinarians in interaction with other professionals in environmental disasters proved to be effective and necessary for the rescue of animals and for planning and giving support to disaster preparedness in the future.

Metal speciation of the Paraopeba river after the Brumadinho dam failure.

On January 25, 2019, a tailings dam at the Córrego do Feijão iron ore mine (Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, southern Brazil) ruptured and released ~12 million m3 of mine tailings into the Paraopeba River, which is an important source of drinking water to a populous region. While water potability due to a strong increase in turbidity has been well documented, possible effects of metal contamination are yet to be addressed. We investigated the speciation of metals in the river water and desorption of metals from sediments as a means of supporting risk assessment, using the diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT) technique, desorption experiments and chemical speciation calculations. The results of the in-situ DGT monitoring revealed that the labile concentrations of metals were low in relation to the respective total and dissolved concentrations. Chemical speciation calculations showed that the heavy metals were not stable in the Paraopeba River. The desorption experiments suggested that sediments may release a limited amount of As and Cu, but large amounts of Mn into the river water. Higher concentrations of Fe and Mn indicated a possible association with the impact of mine tailings. In general, the total metal concentrations during the rainy season were higher than those during the dry season, whereas the reverse was generally the case for labile forms. This pattern reveals that metal speciation is intrinsically dependent on the seasonal variation of the hydrological conditions.

Rompimento da barragem em Brumadinho: um relato de experiência sobre os debates no processo de desastres / Dam breaking in Brumadinho: an experience report on the debates in the disaster process

RESUMO O presente artigo teve como objetivo aprofundar discussões do desastre ocorrido em Brumadinho (MG), em janeiro de 2019. A partir da relatoria do seminário 'Desastre da Vale S.A. em Brumadinho: seis meses de impacto e ações', seis alunas do Curso de Especialização em Saúde Pública da Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) e uma pós-doutoranda da Fiocruz de Minas Gerais realizaram transcrições de falas feitas durante o evento na tentativa de reportar essa vivência mediante lugares de fala distintos. Experiências artísticas retratadas ao longo do texto estabelecem um vínculo com a subjetividade dos atingidos e seu entorno. Portanto, o artigo pretendeu seguir esse caminho.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article was to deepen discussions on the disaster that occurred in Brumadinho (MG), in January 2019. From the report of the seminar 'Disaster of Vale S.A. in Brumadinho: six months of impact and actions', six students from the Specialization Course in Public Health at Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) and a postdoctoral fellow at Fiocruz in Minas Gerais performed transcriptions of speeches made during the event in an attempt to report this experience through different places of speech. Artistic experiences portrayed throughout the text establish a link with the subjectivity of those affected and their surroundings. Therefore, the article intended to follow that path.

Occurrence and abundance of clinically relevant antimicrobial resistance genes in environmental samples after the Brumadinho dam disaster, Brazil.

On January 25th 2019, the structure damming a pond containing ore mining wastes and iron burst at Brumadinho City, Brazil. About 11.7 million m3 of a tailings-mud mixture was released from the dam, causing destruction along 300 km of the Paraopeba River toward the São Francisco River. The environments with a high content of metals may provide a suitable environment for horizontal gene transfer, including antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Therefore, this study aimed to detect and quantify clinically relevant ARGs in environmental samples after the Brumadinho dam disaster. Soil, sediment, and water samples were collected within 300 km of the Brumadinho dam disaster at unaffected and affected sites. Physical-chemical parameters of water samples were measured. Total DNA was extracted and 65 clinically relevant ARGs were researched by PCR. The most prevalent ARGs were selected for real-time quantitative PCR analysis. The average of the physical-chemical parameters was higher in the affected sites when compared to the unaffected sites, especially turbidity, concentration of Fe and Al. A total of 387 amplicons from 29 ARGs were detected, which confer resistance to ß-lactams, quinolones, aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, sulphonamides, phenicols, macrolides, glycopeptides, and polymyxins, including extended-spectrum ß-lactamases-encoding genes, and mcr-7.1. The sul1 gene had higher total concentrations than blaTEM, tetB and qnrB in the environmental samples, and the diversity and abundance of ARGs increased at the sites affected by the Brumadinho dam disaster. Therefore, we point out that the contamination by the Brumadinho dam disaster tailings resulted in an increase in the amount and abundance of ARGs in the environment.

Severe impacts of the Brumadinho dam failure (Minas Gerais, Brazil) on the water quality of the Paraopeba River.

On 25 January 2019, Córrego do Feijão's tailing dam at Brumadinho city (Minas Gerais, Brazil) breached, leaving over 250 people dead. At least 12 million cubic meters of ore tailing were spread into Paraopeba River and the surrounding area. To evaluate the short-term impacts of the Brumadinho dam rupture on the environment, we performed biogeochemical, microbiological and ecotoxicological analyses across 464 km of the Paraopeba River in the week following the disaster (1 February 2019) and four months latter (27-29 May 2019). Immediately after the disaster, the water turbidity was 3000 NTU, 30 times greater than the standard recommended by the Brazilian Resolution for Water Quality (CONAMA 357). Up to a 60-fold increase in iron tolerant microbial colony forming unities was observed up to 115 km downstream of the dam failure in May 2019 (compared with February 2019), suggesting changes in microbial metabolic profiles. In the second sampling (May 2019), the ecotoxicological analyses indicate higher zebrafish embryo mortality (up to ~85% embryo mortality) rates in Retiro Baixo (304 km from dam failure location). However, increased zebrafish mortality in Retiro Baixo and Três Marias reservoirs may not be related exclusively to the dam failure. The causal nexus of mortality may be associated with other factors (e.g. local sewage pollution). Our study suggests that independent monitoring programs are needed to quantify the extent of potential impacts caused by the anthropogenic use of the river and to promote the recovery of the impacted area.

A semântica do eufemismo: mineração e tragédia em Brumadinho / Euphemism semantics: mining and tragedy in Brumadinho / La semántica del eufemismo: minería y tragedia en Brumadinho

Esta nota de conjuntura consiste numa análise das peças comunicacionais produzidas pela Vale e circuladas na região do Vale do Paraopeba, que engloba os municípios de Congonhas, Belo Vale e Brumadinho. O material analisado foi distribuído em 2018 após o desastre causado por essa empresa no município de Mariana (MG). No estudo, estabelecemos a hipótese de que a construção da imagem pública da Vale diante do ocorrido em Mariana e o recente desastre em Brumadinho (MG) esteve baseada na semântica do eufemismo, uma modalidade discursiva que privilegia a imagem idealizada pela empresa sobre si mesma. Além de apontar uma mudança dos atuais modelos de desenvolvimento econômico, é necessário rever os modelos informacionais e comunicacionais que não promovam o efetivo diálogo social. O texto ainda apresenta um testemunho do impacto do rompimento da barragem sobre a população de Brumadinho e região e as danosas e dramáticas consequências para a sociedade e o meio ambiente.

This note is an analysis of the communication produced by the global mining company Vale and circulated in the Paraopeba Valley's region, which includes the municipalities of Congonhas, Belo Vale and Brumadinho. The material analyzed was distributed in 2018 after the disaster caused by Vale in the municipality of Mariana (MG). In the study, it was hypothesized the construction of the public image of Vale in front of the Mariana and the recent disaster in Brumadinho (MG) was based on the euphemism semantics, a speech modality which favours the image idealized by the company about itself. Besides highlighting a change in current models of economic development, it is necessary to review informational and communication models that do not promote effective social dialogue. The text also shows a statement of the impact of the dam rupture on the population of Brumadinho and its region and the damaging and dramatic consequences for society and the environment.

Esta nota de coyuntura consiste en un análisis de las piezas comunicacionales producidas por la empresa global de minería Vale y circuladas en la región del Valle del Paraopeba, que engloba los municipios de Congonhas, Belo Vale y Brumadinho. El material analizado fue distribuido en 2018 tras el desastre causado por esa empresa en el municipio de Mariana (MG). En el estudio, establecimos la hipótesis de que la construcción de la imagen pública de la Vale ante lo ocurrido en Mariana y el reciente desastre en Brumadinho (MG) estuvo basada en la semántica del eufemismo, una modalidad discursiva que privilegia la imagen idealizada por la empresa sobre sí misma. Además de apuntar un cambio de los actuales modelos de desarrollo económico, es necesario revisar los modelos informativos y comunicacionales que no promuevan el efectivo diálogo social. El texto también presenta un testimonio del impacto del rompimiento de la represa sobre la población de Brumadinho y región y los daños y dramáticas consecuencias para la sociedad y el medio ambiente.