Evolution of the Speciation and Mobility of Pb, Zn and Cd in Relation to Transport Processes in a Mining Environment.

Elements in mining extracts can be potentially toxic if they are incorporated into soils, sediments or biota. Numerous approaches have been used to assess this problem, and these include sequential extractions and selective extractions. These two methods have limitations and advantages, and their combined use usually provides a rough estimate of the availability or (bio)availability of potentially toxic elements and, therefore, of their real potential as toxicants in food chains.

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.

Occurrence and speciation of arsenic and mercury in estuarine sediments affected by mining activities (Asturias, northern Spain).

Sediments contaminated by Hg and As from two historical mining areas have been deposited in the Nalón estuary (Asturias, northern Spain) since 1850. Total mercury (Hg) concentrations in the sediments range from 0.20 μg g to 1.

Historical accumulation of potentially toxic trace elements resulting from mining activities in estuarine salt marshes sediments of the Asturias coastline (northern Spain).

The extensive extraction activity of mercury ores in Asturias (northwest Spain), also rich in As and Sb, has impacted the Nalón river estuary. The objective of this research was to assess the historical evolution of As-Hg-Sb accumulation in the salt marsh sediments of this area. For this purpose, sediment cores were collected from two different salt marshes (eastern and western river banks) in the estuarine environment to evaluate the degree of anthropogenic enrichment and the geochronology of As-Hg-Sb accumulation.