Environmental impact and mobility of thallium and other metal(oid)s in soils and tailings near a decommissioned Zn-Pb mine (Raibl, NE Italian Alps).

ABSTRACT: The potential impact of decommissioned mining areas on environmental quality is of major concern for local communities, posing a risk to water resources and human health. This study aims to investigate the impact of extraction activities on the surface environment by evaluating the occurrence of metal(oid)s, including potentially toxic elements (PTEs, i.e. As, Cd, Fe, Tl, Zn, Pb) and critical elements (As, Ge), at the Zn-Pb Raibl mining area (northeastern Italy). Elevated concentrations of metal(oid)s are found near mine waste heaps (< 100 mg/kg for Tl, Sb, Cd, Ge; > 1,000 mg/kg for As; > 1% for Pb and > 10% for Zn and Fe), which are made up of flotation tailings and waste rocks scattered around the mining village and stored in the tailings impoundments. Conversely, upstream from the mine,

SUBMITTER: Barago N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11861154 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature