Distribution of potentially toxic metals in the sediments of the Água Branca river: influence of anthropic activity in the Piquiá Industrial Pole, Açailândia-MA, in the eastern Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

At the time of the implementation of the Açailândia-MA Steel Pole in Piquiá, in the 1980s, there were no consolidated public environmental policies in Brazil, causing the absence of careful environmental licensing. This work aimed to determine the influence of the steel activity of the Piquiá industrial pole, in the municipality of Açailândia-MA, on the quality of the hydrous, based on the study of the physical-chemical and chemical variables of the river sediments in Água Branca river. Sediment samples were collected in the upstream area (area before the Piquiá point), downstream (after Píquia) and in the area of influence (in Piquiá), 3 in the rainy period and 3 in the non-rainy period and it was carried out the analyses of pH, Potential Acidity, CTC, Total and Bioavailable Potentially Toxic Metals (Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, As, Hg, Fe, Mn, Al, Cd, Co, Cr). The results indicated changes in the physical-chemical parameters analyzed, and concentrations of metals, which exceeded the quality guidelines used, such as Cu, Cd, Ni and Hg, generating risks to the health of the population and the loss of biodiversity in the region.