Soil and sediment geochemistry of the iron quadrangle,Brazil the case of arsenic

Soils and sediments around gold ore deposit and mining sites in the Iron Quadrangle present positive As anomalies (median concentrations > 100 mg kg^-1) and wide ranges (< 20 to > 2000 mg kg^-1) even in densely populated areas. These anomalies can be related to geological structures, to hydrothermal ore deposits and to their continuous exploitation over the past three centuries. The paper presents new data on both As geochemistry and soil and sediment geochemistry in general, and discusses consequences of the encountered anomalies, their reasons and potential effects and how they compare with current screening and threshold values. While surface soil As-values are reproducible at a given site, sediment anomalies show a strong seasonal variation that can be explained by tropical hydrological variances. Suggestions are presented on how to minimize the As-load in densely populated areas that might otherwise pose a potential health risk.