Abstract
Sulfide mineralization in the province of Trento (northeastern Italy) includes various mineral assemblages that are often silver-rich and have been exploited in different phases from the Middle Ages until the 20th century. This study investigates mineralized rocks from three historically important sites (Calisio mount, Erdemolo lake, and the locality of Cinque Valli), providing new analytical data (Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry on bulk rocks, and Scanning Electron Microscopy on thin sections) that demonstrate that parageneses do not only include galena, chalcopyrite, and sphalerite but also accessory minerals, such as tetrahedrite, tennantite, acanthite, and sulfosalts (matildite/polybasite). This explains the high content of As (up to 278 ppm), Bi (up to 176 ppm), and Sb (up to 691 ppm) that are associated with Pb–Cu–Zn mineralization. Notably, trace-element ratios indicate that, although closely associated from a geographical point of view, the studied sites are not genetically related and have to be referred to in distinct mineralization events, possibly induced by three diverse magmatic and hydrothermal phases that occurred in the Variscan post-orogenic setting. Besides geological and petrogenetic reconstruction, the new data outline potential geochemical risks, as they reveal a high concentration of elements characterized by marked toxicity that can be transferred into the local soil and water. Therefore, future studies should be devoted to better investigating the metal distribution in the surroundings of ancient mining sites and their geochemical behavior during the weathering processes.
Highlights
Sulfide-bearing rocks in the province of Trento (Figure 1) in northeastern Italy include Ag-richPb–Zn–Cu mineralization
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) back-scattered images are reported in Figures 4 and 5, and EDS, semi-quantitative analyses are reported in Tables 2 and 3
Note that mineralization is notmicroscopy solely composed by galena and chalcopyrite, andthe that the Erdemolo lake
Summary
Sulfide-bearing rocks in the province of Trento (Figure 1) in northeastern Italy include Ag-richPb–Zn–Cu mineralization. Sulfide-bearing rocks in the province of Trento (Figure 1) in northeastern Italy include Ag-rich. Minerals were extracted at several phases since the Middle Ages, and the activity continued until 1964, when the last mine of the Province (Calceranica) closed. The purpose of the current contribution is to provide new analytical data Minerals 2019, 9, 736 the Calisio mount, known for galena concentration in Early Triassic carbonate rocks, Erdemolo lake, and Cinque Valli surroundings, both known for the mineralization of mixed (galena–chalcopyrite–sphalerite) sulfides in sialic veins closely related to Permian magmatic rocks. Calisio mount; red diamond, Erdemolo lake; red pentagon, Cinque Valli site. Geological information was retrieved by map of lithology and structural elements of Trento
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