Distribuição e especiação de mercúrio em sedimentos de áreas de garimpo de ouro do quadrilátero ferrífero (MG) Distribution and speciation of mercury in sediments from gold mining sites in iron quadrangle (Minas Gerais)

Abstract

The concentration and thermodesorption speciation of mercury in sediments from four different Iron Quadrangle sites impacted by gold mining activity were determined. The mercury content of some samples was considerably high (ranging from 0.04 to 1.1 µg g-1). Only Hg2+ was found and it was preferably distributed in the silt/clay fraction in all samples. Cluster analysis showed that mercury and manganese can be associated. The occurrence of cinnabar in this region as another mercury source was also discussed, corroborating earlier works showing the importance of natural mercury in the geochemical cycle of the metal in this region.

Keywords

• mercury speciation
• sediments
• iron quadrangle