Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 83 (2021) 103566

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Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/etap

Short communication

High levels of metals/metalloids in blood and urine of residents living in

the area affected by the dam failing in Barra Longa, District, Brazil: A
preliminary human biomonitoring study
Evangelina Vormittag a, *, Paulo Saldiva b, Andressa Anastacio c, Fernando Barbosa Jr d
a
Health and Sustainability Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
b
Departamento de Patologia da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo – USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
c
Instituto de Estudos Avançados (IEA) da Universidade de São Paulo – USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
d
Laboratório de Toxicologia e Essencialidade de Metais, Depto. de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão
Preto-USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Edited by Dr. Malcolm Tingle Fundão mining tailings dam in Mariana District has collapsed in 2015 and caused the biggest environmental
disaster in Brazil. Barra Longa District had its urban area invaded by toxic sludge and its population was
Keywords: extensively exposed to it. Blood and urine samples were collected from 11 residents, focused on investigating the
Barra Longa presence of metals at the end of an exploratory health study in 507 inhabitants in 2016. Results have shown
Brazil
increased levels of aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, cooper, lead, manganese and nickel, and zinc defficiency in
Environment
their body, as well as clinical outcomes.
Intoxication
Metals
Mining disaster

1. Introduction
On November 5, 2015, Brazil has experienced the worst mining-
associated environmental disaster when Fundão mining tailings dam -
operated by Samarco1 mining company - collapsed in Mariana District,
Minas Gerais State, Brazil, and released approximately 50 million m3 of
iron-mining tailings into Gualaxo do Norte River. Within minutes,
thousands of tons of toxic mud reached and destroyed Bento Rodrigues
village. It flowed into Carmo River in the following day and hit the urban
area of Barra Longa District where it destroyed homes, crops and live­
stock. Then, the intense mud flow ran downstream Doce River and
reached 40 cities cut by it before reaching the ocean (Fig. 1). This whole
process had direct impact on 663.2 km of water resources, took 19 lives,
displaced thousands of families and left 11 tons of dead fish (Ibama,
2015; Justiça global, 2015)
Barra Longa District, which has 5,720 inhabitants, stands out among
all counties affected by the environmental disaster resulting from
Fundão mining tailings dam failure, since its urban area was invaded by
toxic mud and part of its population had direct contact with it (Fig. 2).
The dust resulting from the dry mud was exacerbated by reconstruction
works implemented in Barra Longa District and contaminated the local
air basin for several months - particulate matter (PM10) concentrations
reached more than 100 μg/m3. In addition, agriculture and livestock are
the main economic activities in the region. Thus, part of the population
living in this district remains in constant contact with the degraded
environment where they grow crops and breed animals; besides, they
feed on products grown in the region. However, to the best of our
knowledge, no information is currently available on the exposure to
toxic elements in the affected area’s population. Thus, this study aimed
to investigate the levels of harmful chemical elements in urine and blood
samples collected from a group of 11 residents in the area affected by the
mining disaster in Barra Longa District, Brazil.

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: vanjav@saudeesustentabilidade.org.br (E. Vormittag).
1
Samarco Mineração S.A. is a Brazilian mining company currently controlled through a joint venture between Brazilian Company Vale S/A and Anglo-Australian
Company BHP Billiton. Samarco Complex operates an integrated system in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo states; it comprises extraction mines, beneficiation and
pelletizing plants, pipelines, and a port for exports.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2020.103566
Received 17 July 2020; Received in revised form 9 December 2020; Accepted 13 December 2020
Available online 14 January 2021
1382-6689/© 2020 Published by Elsevier B.V.
E. Vormittag et al.
2. Methods and results
2.1. Study population
In 2016, the Health and Sustainability Institute, in partnership with
Greenpeace - both civil society organizations - carried out an explor­
atory, cross-sectional and descriptive study based on a self-assessment
health questionnaire applied to 507 residents living in the urban area
and in two rural communities of Barra Longa District. Participants were
asked whether they have had any health issues since the disaster - and
190 (37.4 %) individuals confirmed it. Among the spontaneously re­
ported health conditions, one finds: respiratory issues (40 %), skin
conditions (15.8 %), behavioral disorders (11 %), infectious diseases
(6.8 %), ophthalmologic (6.3 %) and digestive issues (3.1 %). Respira­
tory diseases accounted for 60 % of complains by children in the age
group 0–13 years. The following symptoms were among the fifteen most
often reported ones: headache (28.6 %), cough (27 %), leg pain (23.9
%), anxiety (20.9 %), itching (20.5 %), skin allergy (18.1 %), prostration
(17.9 %), fever (15.4 %), respiratory allergy (15.4 %), rhinitis (14.6 %),
cramp (13.6 %), shortness of breath (12.2 %), lack of appetite (12.0 %),
diarrhea (11.4 %) and weight loss (10.8 %). Among these symptoms,
27.5 % started before the disaster and 72.3 % after the disaster,
respectively: 20.4 % of them started in the month the disaster happened;
the peak of occurrences (41 %) was recorded from 2 to 6 months after
the disaster; and 10.9 % of them were recorded more than 6 months after
the disaster. Neurological symptoms (including headache) were the
most prevalent ones, since they affected 45 % of the studied population;
they were followed by respiratory (42.2 %), general (42.2 %), osteo­
articular (39.3 %), gastric (37.3 %), and skin (33.9 %) symptoms
(Vormittag et al., 2018).
At the end of the above survey - the exploratory health study - it was
decided to invite 15 participants to collect blood samples as an
addendum. It is important to note that more participants were not
included for the exams, due to scarcity of resources. Of the 15 invited
participants, only 11 accepted to participate in the collection of the
Fig. 1. Tailings mud course downstream Doce River - from Fundão dam to the Atlantic Ocean (Affected Counties).
Source: Map drawn by Max Vasconcelos in Zhouri et al (2017).
2
Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 83 (2021) 103566
clinical samples. Participants’ age ranged from 2 to 92 years old; 63.6 %
(7) of them were women.
The project was approved by the Ethics Committee Register of Pla­
taforma Brasil nº CAAE: 64321717.3.0000.8054, Hospital Moriah in São
Paulo). All participants signed the Free and Informed Consent Form. For
the children and adolescents, the Consent Form was signed from the
legal guardians and the adolescents also signed the Informed Assent
Form.
2.2. Sample analysis
Clinical samples were subjected to analysis - based on the inductively
coupled plasma mass spectrometry method (ICP-MS and NexlON 2000,
PerkinElmer) - to investigate the presence of 9 metals: Aluminum (Al),
Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Copper (Cu), Lead (Pb), Manganese (Mn),
Nickel (Ni), Selenium (Se) and Zinc (Zn). For blood and urine analysis,
the analytical procedures proposed by Batista et al. (2009a,b) were
applied, respectively. The data’s accuracy and precision were verified by
analyzing blood and urine reference materials (RM) from the L’Institut
National de Santé Publique du Quebec (Canada).
2.3. Results
All 11 participants presented increased nickel blood levels, which
ranged from 5.4 μg/L to 17.5 μg/L (reference values for blood nickel
levels in Brazilian population are below <3.9 μg/L) (Nunes et al., 2010);
three individuals have shown slightly high arsenic blood levels, which
ranged from 2.4 μg/L to 4.7 μg/L (reference for blood arsenic levels
ranges from 0.1–3.2 μg/L) (Nunes et al., 2010) and 10 participants had
zinc deficiency – blood levels ranged from 1,302 μg/L to 3,899 μg/L
(reference for blood zinc values ranges from: 3,518–12,294 μg/L
(Rodrigues et al., 2009).
One year later, on March 12, 2018, blood samples were collected
again for a new round of chemical element analysis from 10 of the 11
participants (one participant refused to participate) and were analyzed
E. Vormittag et al.
for the presence of the same metals. Nine (90 %) of the 10 participants
still presented high levels of nickel in their blood, which ranged from 2.5
μg/L to 47.2 μg/L (Nunes et al., 2010) and all ten subjects presented high
levels of arsenic in their blood, ranging from 6.12 μg/L to 10.40 μg/L
(Nunes et al., 2010). Moreover, manifestation of clinical intoxication
usually associated to high arsenic exposure levels was observed in this
study group. Only one participant still presented zinc deficiency – blood
levels of 2,924 μg/L – although it was higher than the level recorded one
year before - 1,302 μg/L (Rodrigues et al., 2009). Three subjects also
presented higher levels of Cu, Mn and Cd in blood. For blood samples, in
the first and second rounds, the Aluminum was not investigated
(Table 1).
At this new round of sample collection, urine samples were also
collected from 8 of the 10 participants and subjected to analysis focused
on investigating the presence of the 9 chemical elements: Al, As, Cd, Cu,
Pb, Mn, Ni, Se and Zn. All samples presented high levels of arsenic,
ranging from 12.3 μg/L to 54.2 μg/L (reference values for urinary
arsenic levels in the Brazilians are below 9.2 μg/L) (Faria & Barbosa Jr,
2015); in the same way, all samples also presented high copper levels,
which ranged from 52.7 μg/L to 367 μg/L (reference values for copper in
Fig. 2. Aerial view of Barra Longa District before, and 6 days after, the dam failing.
Source: Google Earth, 2015.
3
Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 83 (2021) 103566
the Brazilian population are below 50 μg/L) (Santos et al., 2018). Five
participants showed high levels of nickel, ranging from 4.7 μg/L to 20.6
μg/L (reference values for urinary nickel levels in Brazilians are below
4.2 μg/L) (Batista et al., 2009b). Two subjects presented high levels of
lead in urine, 6.7 μg/L and 9.4 μg/L (reference levels for lead in the
Brazilian population are below 3 μg/L) (Batista et al., 2009b). Only 6
urine samples were analyzed for aluminum determination and all of
them showed high levels, ranging from 29.1 to 106.6 (reference levels
for aluminum in the Brazilian population are below 17.5 μg/L) (Batista
et al., 2009b). Four participants presented low levels of zinc in urine,
ranging from 114 to 323 μg/L (reference levels for zinc ranges from 400
to 1000 μg/L in the Brazilian population (Santos et al., 2018). The
reference values for children were considered based on Santos et al.
(2018).
A spreadsheet with compiled individual patient data can be seen as
supplementary material.
Table 1 presents the results of the 11 subjects assessed in 2017 and
2018.
 E. Vormittag et al. Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 83 (2021) 103566

3. Discussion

21.1 − 42.0
0.31 − 0.55

21.1 − 38.4
Interval (95

30.1− 75.7*

81.6 − 220

239 − 539
0.88 − 2.2
1.4 − 5.6

3.7 − 12
After the Fundão dam failing in Barra Longa, District, Brazil, several
studies were carried out to investigate the extension of the environment
deviation - %) contamination to toxic elements (Segura et al., 2016; Hatje et al., 2017;
Gomes et al., 2019; Ambios, 2019; Coelho et al., 2020; Girotto et al.,
Mean Median Maximum Minimum Standart

28.5 2020). However, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first human

15.1
0.17

12.5
100

216
3.1
0.9

6.0
biomonitoring study in a group of residents in the area affected by the
SD

residues (mud) of the dam failing.

Among the main findings, in the first blood collection round, in 2017,
29.1

12.3
0.14

10.9

114
1.0
1.0

2.9
53 it was observed all subjects in study with high levels of nickel and three
of them with high levels of arsenic. Interestingly, all subjects also pre­
sented very low levels of zinc in their blood. In a new round of sample
54.2
0.67

20.6
46.8
Urine 2018 (n = 8)

107

367

699
9.6
3.7

collection taken place in 2018, blood and urine were collected from the
same group. High levels of nickel and arsenic were still detected in most
52.9 48.3

31.5 35.5
0.43 0.42

29.7 28.8
135

392
of the subjectsʾ blood. Moreover, most of them also presented high levels
2.5
1.2

7.8 5.8

of aluminum, copper and lead in urine.

151

389
3.5
1.5

In 2019, several samples collected in Barra Longa District were

analyzed, including superficial sediments, water for human consump­
3,920− 4,958 400¡1000
(μg/L) (€)
Reference

tion, topsoil where people live in, household dust, food produced in soils
values in

<9.210
<17.5

<0.83

<98.9

subjected to mud deposition and soil used for animal grazing in order to
< 4.4

< 4.2
urine

<3.0
<3

evaluate the human health risk assessment (Ambios, 2019). Cd and Ni

(€)-Urinary references for adults: Al, Cd, Pb, Mn, Ni, and Se (Batista et al., 2009b); As (Faria & Barbosa Jr, 2015); Cu and Zn (Santos et al., 2018).

were the main contaminants observed in the analyzed samples: topsoil

979 − 1360
13.2 − 23.1
10.0 − 14.6
Interval (95

0.15 − 1.1

1.9 − 18.4
6.3 − 7.9

and household dust were the main exposure route observed for cad­
72 − 82

mium; whereas household dust was the main exposure route observed
deviation - %)

for nickel, copper, and zinc. In addition, iron and manganese concen­
–

trations in water were above the values recommended for human

Mean Median Maximum Minimum Standart

consumption.
0.75

13.3

Human exposure to toxic metals/metalloids such as Ni, As, among

308

837
1.3

8.0
3.7

7.9
SD

others, can lead to severe health-related consequences such as impaired

neurological, pulmonary, hepatic, renal and immune system functions,
Results of blood and urinary levels in 11 subjects living in Barra Longa District (Sample collection in 2017 and 2018).

2.924
62.9
870

as well as carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects (ASTDR,

ND
6.1

8.2
7.3

2.5
–

(β)- Blood references for adults: As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Mn, Ni and Se (Nunes et al., 2010); Zn (Rodrigues et al., 2009).

2005a,b, 2007). Although, is still premature to associate the high levels

of exposure to toxic elements in this sub-group of subjects with some of
1.806

5.911
Blood 2018 (n = 10)

10.4

33.8
20.6

47.2
92.9

the health impairments reported in the questionnaire applied to a group

2.5
–

of 507 subjects living in the affected area (see material and methods
1.169 1.029

2,040− 2,773 4.439 4.326

section), immediate actions must be taken by local health authorities to

18.1 15.9
12.3 11.3

78.5
6.7
0.3

5.8
–

reduce the level of exposure.

10.2
77.1

Several questions are yet to be answered to clarify the risks of

7.2
0.6
–

exposure to, and contamination with, metals faced by the population

0.09 − 0.17
Interval (95

living in the affected area by the dam failing in Barra Longa District. The
7.3 − 12.1
611− 664
2.8 − 3.6

4.7 − 9.3
8.0 − 9.8

165− 176

features of the current study and its sample size (eleven individuals) do
not allow extrapolating intoxication conclusions to the local population
deviation - %)

as a whole, but this preliminary HB study provides important evidence

of the potential risks of the population exposed to toxic elements. Thus,
Mean Median Maximum Minimum Standart

further and larger HB studies, associated with toxicological outcomes

0.65
0.07

44.5

621
3.9
1.5

4.1
8.9
SD

should be conducted in this region to raise and confirm hypotheses to

–

help elucidating several doubts here pointed out and also to provide
1.302

subsidies for Brazilian public health authorities actions.

0.04

576

155
2.4

2.3
7.1

5.4
–

*Number of samples analyzed for aluminum (N = 6).

Declaration of Competing Interest

3.899
Reference values Blood 2017 (n = 11)

0.30

16.3
12.6

17.5
701

188
4.7
–

The authors report no declarations of interest.

0.10

2.406 2.42
636

170
3.1

6.3
8.9

7.3
–

Acknowledgments
0.13

6.97
8.88
638

171
3.2

9.7
–
in blood (μg/L) (β)

The authors are also grateful to São Paulo Research Foundation

3,518¡12,294

(FAPESP, grant number 2018/24069–3) and the Brazilian National

495¡1,578

Council for Scientific and Technological Development (Conselho

0.08¡1.7
0.1¡3.2

Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, CNPq).

<18.4

ND = not detected.
<163

<245
<3.9
–

Appendix A. Supplementary data

Copper (Cu)
Arsenic (As)

Manganese

Nickel (Ni)
Aluminum

Lead (Pb)
Cadmium

Zinc (Zn)
Selenium
Elements

(Mn)
Table 1

(Cd)
(μg/L)

(Se)
(Al)

Supplementary data associated with this article can be found, in the

online version, at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2020.103566.

4
E. Vormittag et al. Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 83 (2021) 103566

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