Acid mine drainage at Cerro Rico de Potosí II: severe degradation of the Upper Rio Pilcomayo watershed

Abstract

Ag, Pb, Sn and Zn ores have been intensively mined and processed at Cerro Rico de Potosi, Bolivia since 1545. Acid mine drainage (AMD) and mineral processing plant effluent are prime sources of water contamination in the headwaters of the Upper Rio Pilcomayo watershed. Streams receiving AMD drainage from the slopes of Cerro Rico and surrounding landscapes were sampled during the dry (July–August 2006) and wet (March 2007) seasons of one water-year. In-stream waters contained total metal concentrations of up to 16 mg/L As, 4.9 mg/L Cd, 0.97 mg/L Co, 1,100 mg/L Fe, 110 mg/L Mn, 4.1 mg/L Pb, and 1,500 mg/L Zn with pH ranging from 2.8 to 9.5. AMD-impacted streams contained elevated concentrations of the same major ecotoxic constituents present in AMD discharges at concentrations orders of magnitude greater than in those streams unimpacted by AMD. Many of the AMD impacted water bodies are more degraded than class “D” of the Bolivian receiving water body criteria, rendering them unfit for domestic or agricultural use. Natural attenuation is insufficient to render waters safe for use, however, some of these waters are currently being utilized for irrigation and livestock watering. The data indicate that historic and current mining activities have transformed these key natural resources into potential human and environmental health hazards.