Assessment of the ecological risk and mobility of arsenic and heavy metals in soils and mine tailings from the Carmina mine site (Asturias, NW Spain).

An evaluation of the pollution, distribution, and mobility of arsenic and heavy metals in spoil heaps and soils surrounding the abandoned Carmina lead-zinc mine (Asturias, northern Spain) was carried out. Fractionation of arsenic was performed by an arsenic-specific sequential extraction method; while, heavy metal fractionations was carried out using the protocol of the Bureau Community of Reference (BCR) (now renamed Standards, Measurements and Testing Programme). Arsenic appeared predominantly associated with amorphous iron oxyhydroxides.

Assessment of hydrological, geological, and biological parameters of a river basin impacted by old Hg mining in NW Spain.

Mercury (Hg) is a toxic metal that can cause adverse effects for the health of ecosystems. The Caudal River is one of the main rivers in the Asturias region (NW Spain), whose basin is highly anthropized, hosting several Hg mines, closed in the last century. Arsenic (As) is also found in the mineral paragenesis of the Hg deposits, posing a greater environmental risk.

Surface Microanalysis and Sequential Chemical Extraction as Tools for Reliable Environmental Mobility Assessment of Sb and Other Metals.

Sequential extraction procedures (SEPs) are widely used in environmental studies to infer the chemical and/or mineralogical forms of pollutants of concern in soils and sediments. Although there is no general agreement among the scientific community, these methods have shown some limitations, especially those with a lack of objectivity in their interpretation. In this work, a soil sampling campaign was carried out in an area affected by an abandoned Sb mine.

Mine Water for the Generation and Storage of Renewable Energy: A Hybrid Hydro-Wind System.

Mine water is normally considered as waste that has to be managed. However, new applications are increasingly being sought for the water that floods mining voids, especially in relation to its use as an energy resource. The worldwide energy market, within the current transition framework, is searching for creative approaches to produce and store clean energy.

Arsenic in Soils Affected by Mining: Microscopic Studies vs. Sequential Chemical Extraction.

Soil samples from three inactive mines, corresponding to different Arsenic-bearing mineralization types, were collected and studied. The aim was to determine the influence of mine wastes mineralogy/geochemistry and texture in As mobility and to compare results from sequential chemical extraction and microscopic techniques (optical and electron) at a grain scale. Arsenic in soils is found mainly associated to the residual fraction, indicating that mechanical As dispersion is mainly responsible for As soil pollution.

Assessment of the toxicity toward Vibrio fischeri in sediments of a mining impacted estuary in the north of Spain.

This study has been carried out on the Nalón estuary, a mining impacted estuarine contaminated by metals(oid), to evaluate how the metals(oids) concentrations in the sediments contributes to the toxicity and, therefore, supposes a potential risk for the biota. For this purpose, a total of 14 surface sediment samples were collected and analysed by different techniques. Estuary sediments showed a maximum high concentration of As (68.

Arsenic partitioning among particle-size fractions of mine wastes and stream sediments from cinnabar mining districts.

Tailings from abandoned mercury mines represent an important pollution source by metals and metalloids. Mercury mining in Asturias (north-western Spain) has been carried out since Roman times until the 1970s. Specific and non-specific arsenic minerals are present in the paragenesis of the Hg ore deposit.

Surface water monitoring in the mercury mining district of Asturias (Spain).

Systematic monitoring of surface waters in the area of abandoned mine sites constitutes an essential step in the characterisation of pollution from historic mine sites. The analytical data collected throughout a hydrologic period can be used for hydrological modelling and also to select appropriate preventive and/or corrective measures in order to avoid pollution of watercourses. Caudal River drains the main abandoned Hg mine sites (located in Mieres and Pola de Lena districts) in Central Asturias (NW Spain).

Atmospheric monitoring at abandoned mercury mine sites in Asturias (NW Spain).

Mercury concentrations are usually significant in historic Hg mining districts all over the world, so the atmospheric environment is potentially affected. In Asturias, northern Spain, past mining operations have left a legacy of ruins and Hg-rich wastes, soils and sediments in abandoned sites. Total Hg concentrations in the ambient air of these abandoned mine sites have been investigated to evaluate the impact of the Hg emissions.

Environmental impact of toxic metals and metalloids from the Muñón Cimero mercury-mining area (Asturias, Spain).

This paper presents the results of the sampling surveys carried out in order to evaluate the environmental problems associated to La Soterraña, an abandoned Hg mine in Asturias, north of Spain. In particular, this paper overviews the impact of mining and metallurgical activities on terrestrial and aquatic environments. The wastes generated during the mining activity (ore extraction and processing) and later accumulated on the ground, contain great amount of sulphides, becoming potentially acid-generating.

Physicochemical characterization and mercury speciation of particle-size soil fractions from an abandoned mining area in Mieres, Asturias (Spain).

Soils from old cinnabar mining areas usually exhibit high Hg contents, whose mobility depends on soil parameters and environmental conditions. This paper presents the study of the Hg speciation in soil samples from an abandoned Hg mine and metallurgical plant in Mieres (Asturias, Spain), in relation to their mineralogical and chemical composition and their particle-size distribution. A characterization of samples was made by X-Ray Diffraction Spectrometry, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Atomic Absorption and Emission Spectroscopy analyses.

Distribution and mobility of mercury in soils from an old mining area in Mieres, Asturias (Spain).

Mercury content in soils near abandoned mine wastes in the mercury mining area of Mieres (Asturias, Spain) is highly elevated as a result of the long period of mining and abundant Hg production. In this work, an evaluation of Hg concentration, distribution, and mobility in three soil samples from the immediate vicinity of a chimney used for vapour evacuation during pyrometallurgical treatment of the ore was carried out. For that purpose, total Hg contents were determined for the original samples and their grain-size subsamples.

Geochemical fingerprints and controls in the sediments of an urban river: River Manzanares, Madrid (Spain).

The geochemical fingerprint of sediment retrieved from the banks of the River Manzanares as it passes through the City of Madrid is presented here. The river collects the effluent water from several Waste Water Treatment (WWT) plants in and around the city, such that, at low flows, up to 60% of the flow has been treated. A total of 18 bank-sediment cores were collected along the course of the river, down to its confluence with the Jarama river, to the south-east of Madrid.

Untreated abandoned mercury mining works in a scenic area of Asturias (Spain).

Mercury mining was a large and thriving industry during the last century in Asturias (NW Spain). At Brañalamosa, mining activity introduced significant quantities of wastes in spoil heaps located close to the mining operations. In these mining wastes, in addition to mercury, high concentrations of other potentially dangerous elements like As have been found.

Investigation of trace element sources from an industrialized area (Avilés, northern Spain) using multivariate statistical methods.

In the industrialized urban area of Avilés (Spain), pooled soil samples from grassland sites were taken after careful sampling design and then investigated for their content of trace elements. A combination of statistic and geostatistic techniques proved to be a reliable tool in the interpretation of the analytical results. Geochemical groups and areas influenced mainly by anthropogenic activities were distinguished by means of classic multivariate methods (factor analysis and cluster analysis) and innovative geostatistical tools (Fourier spectral analysis).