Human exposure to mercury as a consequence of landscape management and socioeconomic behaviors. Part I: The brazilian amazon case study
Existing models describing Hg behavior in the environment and risks to communitys health attributable to Hg exposure fail to cope with the complexity of this issue and the social perception of concerned populations. Through the IDRC supported CARUSO project, we have developed over the last ten years a unique participatory research project dealing with the presence of mercury in aquatic resources of the Brazilian Amazon. Our interdisciplinary research first produced breakthrough scientific findings such as 1) identifying deforestation and soil erosion as the main source of mercury far from gold mining zones, and 2) witnessing early health alterations in riparian communities related to consumption of Hg- loaded fish. We now use our scientific findings along with a bottom-up approach to accomplish intervention and empowerment projects. Such projects aim at short- term improvement of human health (shift in food consumption patterns) and long-term restoration of the environmental equilibrium (slow-down of deforestation with a shift to more sustainable agricultural practices). The scaling up of our activities at the scale of an entire watershed is presently underway with the launch of the ambitious PLUPH project (Poor Land Use Poor Health) regrouping representatives of local communities, stakeholders from local, state and federal governmental institutions and key decision makers from international organizations.
Mercury slash-and-burn agriculture human health Brazilian Amazon sustainable development
Marc Lucotte Robert Davidson Frederic Mertens Donna Mergler Johanne St Charles Jean-Remy Guimaraes
Institut des sciences de lenvironnement, Universite du Quebec a Montreal, CP 8888 Succ. Centre-Vill Institut des sciences de lenvironnement, Universite du Quebec a Montreal, CP 8888 Succ. Centre-Vill CDS, Universidade de Brasilia, Brazil Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, CEP 21949-900 Brazil
国际会议
第九届痕量元素生物地球化学国际会议(9th International Conference on the Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements)
北京
英文
487-488
2007-07-15（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）