Chapter 14 Long-term environmental impact of arsenic-dispersion in Minas Gerais, Brazil J. Matschullat 1 , K. Birmann 1 , R. P. Borba 2 , V. Ciminelli 3 , E. M. Deschamps 4 , B. R. Figueiredo 2 , T. Gabrio 5 , S. Haßler 1 , A. Hilscher 1 , I. Jungha¨ nel 1 , N. de Oliveira 6 , K. Raßbach 1 , H. Schmidt 1 , M. Schwenk 5 , M. J. de Oliveira Vilhena 7 and U. Weidner 5 1 Interdisciplinary Environmental Research Center, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Brennhausgasse 14, D-09599 Freiberg, Germany 2 Institute of Geosciences, UNICAMP, C.P. 6152, CEP 13083-970 Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil 3 Department of Metallurgy and Materials, UFMG, Rua Espirito Santo 35, CEP 30160-030 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil 4 Fundac ¸ a ˜o Estadual do Meio Ambiente (FEAM), Avenida Prudente de Morais 1671, CEP 30380-000 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil 5 Department of Toxicology, Landesgesundheitsamt Baden-Wu ¨rttemberg, Widerholdstr. 15, D-70174 Stuttgart, Germany 6 Fundac ¸ a ˜o Ezequiel Dias (FUNED), Instituto Octa ´vio Magalhaes, Rua Conde Pereira Carneiro 80, CEP 30510-010 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil 7 Companhia de Saneamento de Minas Gerais (COPASA), Br 356, km 4, Trevo de Nova Lima, Bairrio Belvedere, CEP 31950-640 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil Abstract To answer the question whether up to 250 years of continual gold mining, and related industrial activities in parts of the Iron (Fe) Quadrangle, Brazil, have lead to As-pollution problems, a comprehensive research project was launched in 1998. Within this project, air, soil, surface and groundwater, suspended particulates, and fresh unconsolidated sediments were sampled and investigated together with home- grown vegetables, home dust, human urine and hair, and private water supplies. All sampling, sample processing, and analytical work have been done by the same people using the same methods applying strict quality control measures. Arsenic in Soil and Groundwater Environment P. Bhattacharya, A. B. Mukherjee, J. Bundschuh, R. Zevenhoven, R. H. Loeppert (Editors) Trace Metals and other Contaminants in the Environment, Volume 9, 365–382 Ó 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved ISSN 0927-5215 / doi 10.1016/S0927-5215(06)09014-X