Mercury dispersal to arroyo and coastal sediments from abandoned copper mine operations, El Boléo, Baja California

Fyodor Kot, Evgueni Shumilin, Griselda Margarita Rodríguez-Figueroa, Nicolai Mirlean

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Evidence for mercury dispersal in an arid coastal region of central Baja California (Mexico) suggests that abandoned copper mining operations are a noticeable source of mercury in the environment. There is a generally elevated level of mercury in alluvium of arroyos throughout the mining district (0.14-0.18 mg kg -1). In the first several dozen meters surrounding two of the biggest mines, mercury levels range from 0.26 to 3.16 mg kg -1, forming a halo of anomalously high concentrations. The coastal marine sediments, particularly those close to the copper smelter in the town of Santa Rosalía, also display some mercury enrichment.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)20-25
Number of pages6
JournalBulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
Volume82
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2009
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Abandoned mines
  • Coastal marine sediments
  • El Boléo mining district
  • Mercury halo

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