Zacatecas (Mexico) Companies Extract Hg from Surface Soil Contaminated by Ancient MiningIndustries

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• 作者：Ogura ; Tetsuya ; Ram&iacute ; rez Ortiz ; Jorge ; Arroyo Villaseñ ; or ; Zenaida Maria ; Herná ; ndez Mart&iacute ; nez ; Sergio ; Palafox Herná ; ndez ; Jesú ; s Pablo ; Garc&iacute ; a de Alba ; Luis Hugo ; Fern
• 关键词：amalgam ; gold ; mercury pollution ; mining industry ; silver ; Zacatecas
• 刊名：Water, Air, and Soil Pollution
• 出版年：2003
• 出版时间：2003
• 年：2003
• 卷：148
• 期：1/4
• 页码：167-177
• 全文大小：102 KB
• 刊物类别：Earth and Environmental Science
• 刊物主题：Environment
  Environment
  Atmospheric Protection, Air Quality Control and Air Pollution
  Waste Water Technology, Water Pollution Control, Water Management and Aquatic Pollution
  Terrestrial Pollution
  Hydrogeology
  
• 出版者：Springer Netherlands
• ISSN：1573-2932

文摘

In Zacatecas, Mexico, four plants are operating to extract Ag, Au, and Hg using CaS₂O₃ solution from surface soil containing tailings from the amalgamation method used during 1550–1900. The metal ions extracted are cemented by scrap Cu wires. Hg is separated by evaporation from the cemented amalgam and Ag and Au are obtained from the residue. A part of the soil to be leached was separated and leached as in the industrial process. Only 121 ppm of Hg was freed from 168 ppm of extractable Hg. About a half of the remaining Hg in the soil evaporated during 18 months. This confirms that the Hg in the soil is metallic. Pb and As are also freed in the same process. It is estimated that 13 000–34 000 t of Hg had been discarded in the extraction of Ag.