Multicompartment Mercury Contamination in Major Gold Mining Districts at the Department of Bolivar, Colombia

Carranza-Lopez, Liliana; Caballero-Gallardo, Karina; Cervantes-Ceballos, Leonor; Turizo-Tapia, Alexi; Olívero-Verbel, Jesús

doi:10.1007/s00244-019-00609-w

Cited by 28 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Olivero-Verbel et al [63] reported elevated hair T-Hg levels from inhabitants of the Mining District of San Martin de Loba, located in Southern Bolívar (2.1 μg/g), in which these activities are extensively carried out, especially in the municipalities of San Martin de Loba, Barranco de Loba, and Hatillo de Loba. These Hg levels were similar to those reported by Olivero-Verbel et al [65] for Achi (2.44 μg/g) and Montecristo (Bolívar) (2.20 μg/g), but above those corresponding to Morales (Middle Magdalena) (1.50 μg/g) [71], La Raya (Bolívar) (5.27 μg/g) [65], and Caimito (Sucre) (4.91 μg/g) [72].…”

Section: Environmental and Human Health Impactssupporting

confidence: 91%

Socio-Economic and Environmental Implications of Gold Mining in Afro-Descendant Communities from Colombia

Alcala-Orozco¹,

Palomares-Bolaños²,

Álvarez-Ortega³

et al. 2021

Improving Quality of Life - Exploring Standard of Living, Wellbeing, and Community Development

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The ethnic diversity of Colombia is one of the most attractive characteristics of the country, which includes the Afro-descendants, Raizal and Palenquero populations, who have lead an ancestral lifestyle that is an essential component of the culture and heritage of the nation. Thus, the well-being of these communities is translated into a primary need to guarantee their quality of life, in addition to generate a contribution to their struggle for the recognition, inclusion and guarantee of their fundamental rights. In this chapter, a bibliographic analysis was performed in order to evaluate both the conditions in which the Afro collective territories are found, and the different forms of organization of the populations entitled as community councils, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations located in the department of Cauca. In addition, a conceptual diagnosis of the multiple socioeconomic, environmental and health impacts derived from gold mining in Colombia was developed, with special interest in the studies that have been carried out in populations located in areas of great biodiversity, including the Colombian Amazon, biogeographic Chocó and Bolívar, departments in which Afro-descendant communities also live. Finally, a detailed analysis of the different aspects of mining that affect the quality of life and the welfare state of the communities is provided, and some aspects are proposed to be taken into account by the actors involved to achieve the least negative impacts of these activities, emphasizing the current state of the Colombian case.

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Section: Environmental and Human Health Impactssupporting

confidence: 91%

Socio-Economic and Environmental Implications of Gold Mining in Afro-Descendant Communities from Colombia

Alcala-Orozco¹,

Palomares-Bolaños²,

Álvarez-Ortega³

et al. 2021

Improving Quality of Life - Exploring Standard of Living, Wellbeing, and Community Development

Self Cite

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“…The discharge of wastewater into a water body involves a large number and diversity of heavy toxic chemicals, many of which are unknown. These chemicals may react with each other, which can increase the toxicity level, which creates a negative impact on the structure and functioning of the natural ecosystem [4,20].…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, it is reported that, thanks to this pollutant present in water, the health of the population has been affected, since Hg was found in human hair at a concentration of 12.8 µg/g, a figure that is well above international standards. It has been shown that inhabitants of different municipalities in southern Bolívar where gold mining takes place have high levels of Hg contamination, and this situation requires special attention to reduce environmental and human health problems [4]. Mercury contamination has been linked to health problems, as direct absorption of mercury vapor released by incinerators in gold mining, or ingestion of mercury-containing wastes, causes hydrargyrism and poisoning.…”

Section: Ames Testmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…About 12% of global gold production is through illegal mining that provides a significant economic benefit to miners but also proves hazardous/harmful for the environment by causing impacts such as water source sedimentation, land cover degradation, deforestation, soil degradation, and chemical contamination with mercury, cyanide, nitric acid, and zinc [1][2][3]. In Colombia, despite the various alternatives to avoid the use of Hg in gold extraction, the use of the elemental Hg-Au amalgamation method in small-scale artisanal mining areas is extensive [4,5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluation of the Effect of Gold Mining on the Water Quality in Monterrey, Bolívar (Colombia)

Martín

Arias

López

et al. 2020

Water

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Gold mining uses chemicals that are discharged into rivers without any control when there are no good mining practices, generating environmental and public health problems, especially for downstream inhabitants who use the water for consumption, as is the case in Monterrey township, where the Boque River water is consumed. In this study, we evaluate Boque River water quality analyzing some physicochemical parameters such as pH, heavy metals, Hg, and cyanide; bioassays (Lactuca sativa, Hydra attenuata, and Daphnia magna), mutagenicity (Ames test), and microbiological assays. The results show that some physicochemical parameters exceed permitted concentrations (Hg, Cd, and cyanide). D. magna showed sensitivity and L. sativa showed inhibition and excessive growth in the analyzed water. Mutagenic values were obtained for all of the sample stations. The presence of bacteria and somatic coliphages in the water show a health risk to inhabitants. In conclusion, the presence of Cd, Hg, and cyanide in the waters for domestic consumption was evidenced in concentrations that can affect the environment and the health of the Monterrey inhabitants. The mutagenic index indicates the possibility of mutations in the population that consumes this type of water. Bioassays stand out as an alert system when concentrations of chemical contaminants cannot be analytically detected.

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“…Moreover, in Indonesia, ASGM activities in Central Java caused a great deal of Hg pollution to local streams [ 23 ]. In the small-scale gold mining in Bolivar (Colombia), soils surrounding mining industry were also seriously contaminated by Hg [ 24 ]. In 1996, the cyanidation method replaced the amalgamation method in the gold smelting process and was frequently used in China.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pollution Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) in Soils around the Yanzhuang Gold Mine Tailings Pond, Pinggu County, Beijing, China

Zhao

Zhu

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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The accumulation of tailings from gold mining and smelting may result in PTE pollution. We investigated PTE contamination from a large amalgamated gold mine tailings pond in Pinggu County, Beijing. In November 2017, 30 soil samples were collected around the tailings pond. The concentrations and pollution degree of PTEs in the samples and the sources of Sb, As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn and Hg were analyzed. The average concentration of these elements in soil samples near the tailings pond (16.24, 28.29, 0.99, 171.04, 263.25, 99.73, 0.72 mg/kg, respectively) were higher than their corresponding standard values and background values of the study area. The geoaccumulation index showed that the pollution degree of As, Pb and Hg was moderate, while Sb and Cu present non-pollution to moderate pollution. The average EF values of the elements were Sb (38.31), As (4.23), Cd (0.71), Cu (3.68), Pb (21.24), Zn (0.82) and Hg (5.29), respectively. The environmental risk assessment developed throughout the PERI method indicated that Sb, As, Hg and Pb were the main pollutants in the study area. The three quantitative risk indicators (RI, Igeo and EF) were positively correlated, and all of them indicated that PTEs had significant pollution to the local area. Thus, Sb, As, Pb, Cu, and Hg pollution should be highly concerning. Multivariate statistical analysis shows that the pollution of PTEs was mainly caused by the accumulation of tailings ponds after gold mining and smelting. The research result is of great significance for the prevention and control of soil pollution of PTEs near the tailings pond.

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Multicompartment Mercury Contamination in Major Gold Mining Districts at the Department of Bolivar, Colombia

Cited by 28 publications

References 36 publications

Socio-Economic and Environmental Implications of Gold Mining in Afro-Descendant Communities from Colombia

Socio-Economic and Environmental Implications of Gold Mining in Afro-Descendant Communities from Colombia

Evaluation of the Effect of Gold Mining on the Water Quality in Monterrey, Bolívar (Colombia)

Pollution Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) in Soils around the Yanzhuang Gold Mine Tailings Pond, Pinggu County, Beijing, China

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