Title
Total mercury (THg) in vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna) in mining areas of the northwestern department of La Paz, Bolivia.
Author(s)
L. Fabián Beltrán-Saavedra, Oscar Loayza, Manuel Salinas, Viviana Albarracín, Jaime Chincheros-Paniagua, José L. Mollericona, Sandra J. Rivera, Robert B. Wallace.
Published
2020
Publisher
Mastozoología Neotropical
Abstract
Total mercury (THg) in vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna) in mining areas of northwestern La Paz department, Bolivia. An initial survey of total mercury (THg) in vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna) was made at localities with gold mining activity in the north-west of the department of La Paz, Bolivia, during chakus in the wild, between October and November 2018. We obtained 14 blood samples in five locations in Apolobamba, La Paz, Bolivia. Sampling locations, sex and age of vicuña were compared, using one-way ANOVA. Blood samples showed between 0.10 - 0.15µg/l THg. No significant differences were found (p> 0.05)in the variables studied. We recommend evaluating mercury in environments, and methyl-mercury in vicuña, cattle and carnivorous fish for better mining management.
Keywords
Apolobamba, Bolivia, gold mining, mercury in blood, vicuna
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