Mine tailings influencing soil contamination by potentially toxic elements
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- 作者：Rosario García-Giménez ; Raimundo Jiménez-Ballesta
- 关键词：Mine soils ; Trace elements ; Soil pollution ; Enrichment factor ; Environment ; Madrid region
- 刊名：Environmental Earth Sciences
- 出版年：2017
- 出版时间：January 2017
- 年：2017
- 卷：76
- 期：1
- 全文大小：
- 刊物类别：Earth and Environmental Science
- 刊物主题：Geology; Hydrology/Water Resources; Geochemistry; Environmental Science and Engineering; Terrestrial Pollution; Biogeosciences;
- 出版者：Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- ISSN：1866-6299
- 卷排序：76
文摘
The potentially hazardous contents of mine tailings can pose a serious threat to the environment. Tailings dispersed around the abandoned Monica mine (Bustarviejo) in the Autonomous Region of Madrid (Central Spain) were studied to determine the concentration of several potential toxic elements and their geochemical impact in the surrounding soils. A total of 17 surface soil samples were collected from both mixed sulfide mine tailings sites and unmined soils, within a radius of 1900 m from the mine entrance. The processing of minerals (basically arsenopyrite, matildite and sphalerite) produced tailings with a pH as low as 2.9. Elements such as As, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, W, Ag, Fe were found in very high concentrations, contaminating the soil to varying degrees (these elements were sometimes 10- to 20-times higher in the tailings than in the unmined soils). Given its short distance and accessibility from such a large city as Madrid, it is of undeniable environmental and educational interest. Among other factors, there is a need for improvements to tailings management strategies.