Abstract
This study is based on the evaluation of the environmental impact generated by artisanal gold mining, the origin of environmental pollution being the leaching process with cyanide, through which the water from the watersheds is polluted, agricultural soil is degraded, and cyanide compounds are released. The study area corresponds to the La Bola de Igor hill, Huaranchal, where soil samples were collected to determine the cyanide concentration. Through the use of a Geographic Information System, it was possible to georeference the sampling points and the application of the Kriging regression method to study the propagation dynamics of free cyanide and identify the most affected areas in need of intervention for the restoration of degraded ecosystems. The results indicate that the area with the most significant risk of contamination by cyanide corresponds to the river's vicinity downstream from the source of contamination, exceeding the limits established in Peruvian regulations. Finally, the cyanide contamination maps obtained in this research support decision-making regarding the remediation of environmental pollution in the study area.
Highlights
This study is based on the evaluation of the environmental impact generated by artisanal gold mining, the origin of environmental pollution being the leaching process with cyanide, through which the water from the watersheds is polluted, agricultural soil is degraded, and cyanide compounds are released
The results indicate that the area with the most significant risk of contamination by cyanide corresponds to the river's vicinity downstream from the source of contamination, exceeding the limits established in Peruvian regulations
Comparative methods for predicting cyanide pollution in artisanal small-scale gold mining catchment by using logistic regression and kriging with GIS
Summary
La minería artesanal de oro representa el principal sustento económico de alrededor de 30000 familias en el Perú, generando impactos económicos, ambientales y sociales en las zonas explotadas (OEFA, 2016). De no ser el caso, esto puede significar grandes impactos negativos sobre la salud de los pobladores de las comunidades aledañas, así como para el medio ambiente debido a la toxicidad del cianuro (OMS, 2017; Brugger et al, 2018). Estudios sobre la contaminación por cianuro en zonas de minería artesanal han demostrado que la distribución horizontal de cianuro en el suelo, a nivel superficial, sigue el curso del río aguas abajo; mientras que, respecto a la distribución vertical, la concentración disminuye a mayor profundidad (Razanamahandry et al, 2020; Schultz et al, 2016). Razanamahandry et al (2018) estudiaron los parámetros ambientales y químicos que influyen en la distribución espacial superficial del cianuro libre en zonas de minería artesanal de oro en Burkina Faso empleando regresión logística. La zona de estudio corresponde al cerro Bola de Igor en Huaranchal, Otuzco
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