Geochemical characterization of the ground waters from the former Hg-mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Mt. Amiata, central Italy): criticalities and perspectives for the reclamation process

Vaselli, Orlando; Nisi, Bárbara; Rappuoli, Daniele; Bianchi, Francesco; Cabassi, Jacopo; Venturi, Stefanía; Tassi, Franco; Raco, Brunella

doi:10.3301/ijg.2015.03

Cited by 23 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…This is the edifice where liquid mercury was produced and consists of 4 Gould furnaces (Figure 4f), condensers, condensation pools, cyclones to force the fumes of the furnaces to the condensers, an exhaust pipeline, different silos used for the storage of the mining material before roasting, and distribution belts. In this area, liquid mercury is still condensing and occasionally, small liquid mercury pools are observed [45]. As expected, this building is to be regarded as the most contaminated site among all the edifices and mining structures of the former mining area of Abbadia Sal Salvatore.…”

Section: Hg° Measurements In the Main Edifices And Mining Structuresmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…It is worthwhile to mention that the terrain in front of the Gould furnaces was mainly consisting of discharge material (calcine, bricks, slug, and so forth) [45]. Strikingly high concentrations were thus not only recorded in the geological material present in the transporting belts (up to 10,800 mg kg −1 ) but also in the terrains (up to 73,670 mg kg −1 ), the latter showing high contents of leached mercury (up to 6,640 μg L −1 ).…”

Section: Total and Leached Mercurymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 2008, an agreement between the Municipality of Abbadia San Salvatore and the former owner of the mining concession (E.N.I., National Agency for Hydrocarbons, AGIP Division) was signed to transfer the ownership of the reclamation to the public institution. In the agreement, remediation 3 of 21 actions are addressed to an environmentally rehabilitation of the mining areas and buildings for museum purposes and public green [40,45]. It was estimated that, during the activity of the Abbadia San Salvatore mining district, more than 100,000 tons of liquid mercury were produced [46,47], whilst about 10% of the total production was lost as Hg fumes to the atmosphere [45,48].…”

Section: The Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

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Gaseous Elemental Mercury and Total and Leached Mercury in Building Materials from the Former Hg-Mining Area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Central Italy)

Vaselli¹,

Nisi²,

Rappuoli³

et al. 2017

Preprint

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Mercury has a strong environmental impact since both its organic and inorganic forms are toxic and it represents a pollutant of global concern. Liquid Hg is highly volatile and it can be released during natural and anthropogenic processes in the hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere. In this study the distribution of Gaseous Elemental Mercury (GEM) and the total and leached mercury concentrations on paints, plasters, roof tiles, concretes, metals, dust and wood structures were determined in the main buildings and structures of the former Hg-mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Siena, Central Italy). The mining complex (divided into 7 units) covers a surface of about 65 ha and contains mining structures and managers and workers buildings. In this work, nine surveys of GEM measurements were carried out from July 2011 to August 2015 for the buildings and structures located in the units 2, 3 and 6. Moreover, detailed measurements were performed in February, April, July, September and December 2016 in the edifices and mining structures of Unit 6. GEM concentrations showed a strong variability in terms of space and time mostly depending on the distance from the building hosting driers, furnaces and condensers and ambient temperature, respectively. In the Unit 2 surveys carried out in the hotter period (from June to September) showed GEM concentrations up to 27,500 ng m −3 , while in the Unit 6 they were on average much higher and occasionally they saturated the GEM measurement device (>50,000 ng m −3 ). Concentrations of total (in mg kg −1 ) and leached (in μg L −1 ) mercury measured in different building materials (up to 46,580 mg kg −1 and 4,470 mg L −1 for total and leached mercury, respectively) showed for the same type of material highly variable values in dependence on the edifice or mining structure from which they were collected. The results obtained in this study are of relevant interest for the operational cleanings to be carried out during the reclamation activities.

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Section: Hg° Measurements In the Main Edifices And Mining Structuresmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Total and Leached Mercurymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

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Gaseous Elemental Mercury and Total and Leached Mercury in Building Materials from the Former Hg-Mining Area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Central Italy)

Vaselli¹,

Nisi²,

Rappuoli³

et al. 2017

Preprint

Self Cite

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show abstract

“…In this area, liquid mercury is still condensing, and occasionally, small liquid mercury pools are observed [45]. As expected, this building is to be regarded as the most contaminated site among all of the edifices and mining structures of the former mining area of Abbadia Sal Salvatore.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 78%

Gaseous Elemental Mercury and Total and Leached Mercury in Building Materials from the Former Hg-Mining Area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Central Italy)

Vaselli

Nisi

Rappuoli³

et al. 2017

IJERPH

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Mercury has a strong environmental impact since both its organic and inorganic forms are toxic, and it represents a pollutant of global concern. Liquid Hg is highly volatile and can be released during natural and anthropogenic processes in the hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere. In this study, the distribution of Gaseous Elemental Mercury (GEM) and the total and leached mercury concentrations on paint, plaster, roof tiles, concrete, metals, dust and wood structures were determined in the main buildings and structures of the former Hg-mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Siena, Central Italy). The mining complex (divided into seven units) covers a surface of about 65 ha and contains mining structures and managers’ and workers’ buildings. Nine surveys of GEM measurements were carried out from July 2011 to August 2015 for the buildings and structures located in Units 2, 3 and 6, the latter being the area where liquid mercury was produced. Measurements were also performed in February, April, July, September and December 2016 in the edifices and mining structures of Unit 6. GEM concentrations showed a strong variability in time and space mostly depending on ambient temperature and the operational activities that were carried out in each building. The Unit 2 surveys carried out in the hotter period (from June to September) showed GEM concentrations up to 27,500 ng·m−3, while in Unit 6, they were on average much higher, and occasionally, they saturated the GEM measurement device (>50,000 ng·m−3). Concentrations of total (in mg·kg−1) and leached (in μg·L−1) mercury measured in different building materials (up to 46,580 mg·kg−1 and 4470 mg·L−1, respectively) were highly variable, being related to the edifice or mining structure from which they were collected. The results obtained in this study are of relevant interest for operational cleanings to be carried out during reclamation activities.

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“…Treatment of mine tailing waters began in 1970 (Bacci, 1995). Despite construction of an artificial channel limiting the interactions of surface waters with contaminated soils in 2011 (Vaselli et al, 2015), much of the ASSM area of approximately 125,000 m 2 remained essentially unaltered after mining operations were shut down. Accordingly, the ASSM remains a strong point source of Hg to the atmosphere (Ferrara, Mazzolai, et al, 1998;Rimondi et al, 2015;Vaselli et al, 2013).…”

Section: Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization and Quantification of Atmospheric Mercury Sources Using Passive Air Samplers

et al. 2019

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The Minamata Convention on Mercury (Hg) requires improved atmospheric Hg monitoring and characterization of Hg sources. Here we demonstrate how a network of passive air samplers (PASs) can be used cost effectively to determine the spatial distribution of gaseous Hg and estimate atmospheric Hg emissions at contaminated sites. Gaseous Hg concentrations were mapped around a former Hg mine in the Monte Amiata district in Italy using simultaneous deployments of PASs across local and regional spatial scale grids. The concentration maps help visualize with great detail and precision the dispersal of gaseous Hg from a contaminated site, revealing even subtle effects of wind, season, and minor sources. Emissions estimated from the empirical data (80 ± 40 and 150 ± 75 kg/year for October and July, respectively) were robust to changes in the most uncertain parameters (excess Hg in the air above the mine and advection rate) and compared well to previous estimates for this and other closed Hg mines. This PAS‐based approach has a number of advantages: (i) concurrent deployments of multiple samplers constrain concentration changes to spatial variability only, (ii) time‐averaged data over longer periods negate biases related to short‐term, infrequent measurements, (iii) more spatially representative estimates of Hg distributions and emissions can be made at a fraction of the cost, and (iv) use is easy, especially in difficult terrain. Time‐averaged data across a broad area are also most pertinent for assessing chronic human exposure, especially in terms of the inhalation of Hg by workers and residents living close to contaminated sites.

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Geochemical characterization of the ground waters from the former Hg-mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Mt. Amiata, central Italy): criticalities and perspectives for the reclamation process

Cited by 23 publications

References 47 publications

Gaseous Elemental Mercury and Total and Leached Mercury in Building Materials from the Former Hg-Mining Area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Central Italy)

Gaseous Elemental Mercury and Total and Leached Mercury in Building Materials from the Former Hg-Mining Area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Central Italy)

Gaseous Elemental Mercury and Total and Leached Mercury in Building Materials from the Former Hg-Mining Area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Central Italy)

Characterization and Quantification of Atmospheric Mercury Sources Using Passive Air Samplers

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