Evaluation of biological absorption coefficient of trace elements in plants from the pitinga mine district, amazonian region

Authors

  • Maria do Carmo Lima e Cunha Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Instituto de Geociências; Centro de Estudos em Geoquímica e Petrologia
  • Lauro Valentim Stoll Nardi Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Instituto de Geociências; Centro de Estudos em Geoquímica e Petrologia
  • Vitor Paulo Pereira Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Instituto de Geociências; Centro de Estudos em Geoquímica e Petrologia
  • Artur Cezar Bastos Neto Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Instituto de Geociências; Centro de Estudos em Geoquímica e Petrologia
  • Luiz Alberto Vedana Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Instituto de Geociências; Curso de Pós Graduação em Geociências

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5935/0100-929X.20140002

Keywords:

Biologic Absorption Coefficient, Biogeochemical prospecting, Pitinga Mine, Tin deposits, Amazonian region.

Abstract

Specimens of Ampelozizyphus amazonicus and Adiantum sp., together with adjacent soils, were sampled in the Pitinga Mine District, Amazonian region, in order to investigate the distribution of some trace elements in plants and soils, and their relation to the presence of mineral deposits. The Pitinga Mine contains large deposits of tin, with high concentrations of niobium and zirconium, hosted by the Madeira Granite, which is intrusive into a volcanic sequence named the Iricoumé group, all of them with Paleoproterozoic age. Our results point to the potential use, for both plants, of the Biological Absorption Coefficient (BAC) as an indicator of mineral deposits when the elements involved in this process have moderate to high mobility in the supergene environment. The high BAC for gold indicates that this element can be used as an indicator of gold deposits. The presence of sulfide deposits is indicated by high BAC for Cu, Zn and Pb, whereas tin deposits are indicated by increasing BAC for Y and Sn. This suggests that the BAC of some trace elements in both plants is a good indicator of geochemical enrichment associated with mineral deposits. The importance of biogeochemistry for mineral exploration is confirmed for areas with thick vegetal cover.

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Published

2014-06-01

Issue

Vol. 35 No. 1 (2014)

Section

RIG050

License

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