Mobility of Heavy Metals in Aquatic Environments Impacted by Ancient Mining-Waste

Abstract

The mobility of heavy metals in aquatic environments, impacted by discharges from mining waste, is one of the major processes causing metal pollution mainly by arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe), which could be risky for biota and human health. The heavy metals contained in mining waste constituted by large amounts of sulfides can reach the aquatic compartments by acid mine drainage and runoff and eventually become deposited in sediments and associated with colloidal material, being this one of the main reservoirs and ways of transport. However, the mobility of heavy metal is influenced by their specific chemical properties and undergo several physicochemical phenomena as sorption, oxidation–reduction, hydrolysis and this can be influenced by water flow, the size and composition of geological material. Hence, this work aims to review the processes and mechanism involved in the fate and transport of heavy metals from mining-waste to aquatic compartments and the methods used for identification of the specific chemical species associated with their mobility and ecological risk.

Does humic acid foliar application affect growth and nutrient status of water‐stressed maize?

“…Consequently, anthocyanin discoloration disappeared in WL, which may be attributed to Zn being sufficiently resupplied under waterlogging. However, when waterlogging is ceased, as reflected by alternate stress in this study, Zn mobilization is reverted (Charlatchka & Cambier, 2000;Du Laing et al, 2007), shifting the redox potential towards more oxidizing conditions and binding to, for example, sulfates in soil (Marilú Barrera et al, 2021). This may then prevent further leaching of Zn, which would explain the Zn concentration being at the same level as the control treatment (Figure 3b).…”

“…The effect of anthocyanin formation may also be associated with the reduction of Zn in the shoot under conditions of waterlogging (Figure 3b). Zinc is a metal that exhibits relatively high mobility in soil, due to the formation of outer‐sphere weak bonds (Marilú Barrera et al., 2021). Consequently, as the redox potential of the soil declines under submergence, the concentration of Zn in pore water and leachate increases, due to a higher desorption rate (Charlatchka & Cambier, 2000; Du Laing et al., 2007; Olivie‐Lauquet et al., 2001).…”

Adverse effects of mining pollutants on terrestrial and aquatic environment and its remediation

“…[Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com] E X H I B I T 2 Environmental dangers posed by abandoned coal mines (Iavazzo et al, 2012;Olivarez et al, 2021).…”

“…Metal ions and complexes in dissolved solids produced either by weathering, erosion, or runoff processes are one way that metals and metalloids from mining tailings might enter the aquatic environment. When metals reach aquatic reservoirs, they can accumulate in sediments without being degraded, increasing or decreasing their toxicity, bioavailability, and solubility, depending on their chemical form (Olivarez et al., 2021). Sediment is considered to be a major sink and transport of organic and inorganic pollutants in water bodies.…”

Europium Metal–Organic Framework Polymer Composites with Enhanced Luminescence and Selective Ferric Ion Sensing

“…Aqueous Fe 3+ readily precipitates, forming hydrous ferric oxide, which co-adsorbs trace metals, and therefore determining the concentration of Fe 3+ is crucial to accurately predict the fate and mobility of more hazardous metals in high-Fe 3+ aquatic environments. 7 In addition, iron ion concentration is an important parameter in industrial chemical processes, particularly in mineral leaching. Fe 3+ is an oxidant used in the leaching of copper, 8 uranium, 9 and zinc, 10 and therefore, the determination of Fe 3+ concentration in these processes is crucial for the optimization of mineral recovery rates.…”