Assessment of the ecological risk and mobility of arsenic and heavy metals in soils and mine tailings from the Carmina mine site (Asturias, NW Spain).

ABSTRACT: An evaluation of the pollution, distribution, and mobility of arsenic and heavy metals in spoil heaps and soils surrounding the abandoned Carmina lead-zinc mine (Asturias, northern Spain) was carried out. Fractionation of arsenic was performed by an arsenic-specific sequential extraction method; while, heavy metal fractionations was carried out using the protocol of the Bureau Community of Reference (BCR) (now renamed Standards, Measurements and Testing Programme). Arsenic appeared predominantly associated with amorphous iron oxyhydroxides. Among the heavy metals, lead and zinc showed high availability since significant amounts were extracted in the nonresidual fractions; whereas, chromium, copper and nickel showed very low availability, indicating their lithogenic origins. The results sho

SUBMITTER: Fernandez-Martinez R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10874346 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature