Evaluation of potentially toxic elements and ecological risks associated with environmental liabilities in Tacna, Peru.

ABSTRACT: Mining environmental liabilities (MELs) are abandoned deposits resulting from extractive activities that pose a high risk of contamination and remain an unresolved challenge for authorities worldwide. This study evaluated the contamination levels of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and their associated ecological risks in MELs, using multiple environmental indices. Analyses were performed following the EPA 6020A method with acid digestion and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), while free cyanide and hexavalent chromium were determined using the EPA 9013A and EPA 7199 methods, respectively. The results revealed elevated concentrations of arsenic (1,102 mg/kg), cadmium (271 mg/kg), lead (15,961 mg/kg), and free cyanide (64 mg/kg), which exceeded regulatory standards by a

SUBMITTER: Caceda Quiroz CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12646459 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature