RAQUEL DO CARMO SANTOS

PResearch conducted at the Institute of Chemistry investigated concentrations of metallic ions such as manganese, cadmium and arsenic in molluscs in the Recôncavo Baiano mangrove. According to chemist Rita Maria Weste Nano Carvalho, the results serve to guide other studies regarding food issues and contamination in the region, which is home to the São Francisco do Conde oil area. According to the researcher, the mollusk Anomalocardia brasiliana – or chumbinho, as it is popularly known – is quite common in the area. The research aimed to relate metallic ions in the mollusk tissue and which may be present in the water it ingests. “In the case of contaminated water, the component is absorbed into the mollusk's body, which, when used as food for humans, can pose a health risk,” she explains.

The research data also serves as signs of contamination in the area inhabited by the molluscs. Legislation establishes limits for concentrations of metal ions. Rita Carvalho emphasizes, however, that the results obtained do not guarantee contamination of the area and that other studies are beginning to be carried out to establish more confirmatory parameters. “Among other hypotheses are the specific characteristics of molluscs or even the formation of sediments. It is necessary to investigate other variables”, she highlights.

Guided by professor Solange Cadore, the doctoral thesis “Determination of metal ions in bivalve molluscs from the mangroves of the São Francisco do Conde – Recôncavo Baiano oil region” is part of a broad project involving other research centers in the Northeast region of the country.