Abstract
Soil mercury concentrations at a typical small-scale mine site in the Bolivian Andes were elevated (28-737mg/kg or ppm) in localized areas where mercury amalgams were either formed or vaporized to release gold, but was not detectable beyond approximately 10m from its sources. Arsenic was measurable, exceeding known background levels throughout the mine site (77-137,022ppm), and was also measurable through the local village of Ingenio (36-1803ppm). Although arsenic levels were high at all surveyed locations, its spatial pattern followed mercury, being highest where mercury was high.
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