Environmental Threats of Ancient Pb Mining and Metallurgical Activities in the Linares Mining District (Southern Spain)

Carlos Boente,Eduardo Rodríguez-Valdés,Elías Afif,Carlos Sierra,José Luis Rodríguez Gallego,Javier Rey,Julián Martínez

doi:10.3390/proceedings2231459

Carlos Boente, Eduardo Rodríguez-Valdés + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2231459

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Abstract

Former industrial sites are now dedicated to other land uses in the Linares mining district. Here we selected five residential/farming areas (squares of 1 km2 each) and sought to evaluate the levels of contamination by Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) of the soils, and also to offer an insight into the threat these pollutants may pose to human health or the environment by means of risk assessment. High concentrations especially of Pb, and also of As, Cd, Cu and Zn were found in quantities that are considerably bioavailable. Moreover, risk assessment revealed unacceptable concentrations for Pb and As in all the areas as well as for Cd and Cu in some squares.

Highlights

The accumulation of chemicals in former mining and metallurgy sites can damage the quality of soils in the nearby areas, leading to undesirable effects risks for living organisms
The soil concentrations of trace elements used for the calculation correspond to the exchangeable fractions from the BCR sequential extraction procedure
Pb concentrations in the grids were so high that specific risk assessment showed an unacceptable risk for human health

Summary

Introduction

The accumulation of chemicals in former mining and metallurgy sites can damage the quality of soils in the nearby areas, leading to undesirable effects risks for living organisms. Most strategies are based on the isolation and treatment of the polluted soil; these approaches include the following processes [4]: (1) thermal; (2) chemical, by dissolving contaminants in soil particles in washing water, and treating the water with solidifying agents to produce relatively inert cement-like material; (3) physical, by electrokinetic procedures that remove trace elements by applying an electric current, or by concentrating contaminants into a smaller volume of soil through physical separation processes, thereby reducing the volume of the contaminated material; and (4) biological procedures, which use living organisms for remedial purposes, as is the case of phytoremediation In all of these approaches it is important to assess soil composition and the mobility, availability and distribution of the pollutants.

Study Area

Pollution Study

Analytical Results

Risk Assessment Results

Conclusions