Geo-Spatial Characterization of Soil Mercury and Arsenic at a High-Altitude Bolivian Gold Mine

Glen D. Johnson; Brian Pavilonis; Jack Caravanos; Jean Grassman

doi:10.1007/s00128-017-2213-4

Geo-Spatial Characterization of Soil Mercury and Arsenic at a High-Altitude Bolivian Gold Mine

Glen D. Johnson, Brian Pavilonis, Jack Caravanos, Jean Grassman

Global Public Health

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Soil mercury concentrations at a typical small-scale mine site in the Bolivian Andes were elevated (28–737 mg/kg or ppm) in localized areas where mercury amalgams were either formed or vaporized to release gold, but was not detectable beyond approximately 10 m from its sources. Arsenic was measurable, exceeding known background levels throughout the mine site (77–137,022 ppm), and was also measurable through the local village of Ingenio (36–1803 ppm). Although arsenic levels were high at all surveyed locations, its spatial pattern followed mercury, being highest where mercury was high.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	259-264
Number of pages	6
Journal	Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
Volume	100
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-017-2213-4
State	Published - Feb 1 2018

Keywords

Arsenic
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining
Mercury
Soil metal contamination

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Toxicology
Pollution
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Access to Document

10.1007/s00128-017-2213-4

Cite this

@article{cc5760ad15b44cf7a0dde13610509ed5,

title = "Geo-Spatial Characterization of Soil Mercury and Arsenic at a High-Altitude Bolivian Gold Mine",

abstract = "Soil mercury concentrations at a typical small-scale mine site in the Bolivian Andes were elevated (28–737 mg/kg or ppm) in localized areas where mercury amalgams were either formed or vaporized to release gold, but was not detectable beyond approximately 10 m from its sources. Arsenic was measurable, exceeding known background levels throughout the mine site (77–137,022 ppm), and was also measurable through the local village of Ingenio (36–1803 ppm). Although arsenic levels were high at all surveyed locations, its spatial pattern followed mercury, being highest where mercury was high.",

keywords = "Arsenic, Artisanal and small-scale gold mining, Mercury, Soil metal contamination",

author = "Johnson, {Glen D.} and Brian Pavilonis and Jack Caravanos and Jean Grassman",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.",

year = "2018",

month = feb,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1007/s00128-017-2213-4",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "100",

pages = "259--264",

journal = "Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology",

issn = "0007-4861",

publisher = "Springer",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Geo-Spatial Characterization of Soil Mercury and Arsenic at a High-Altitude Bolivian Gold Mine

AU - Johnson, Glen D.

AU - Pavilonis, Brian

AU - Caravanos, Jack

AU - Grassman, Jean

PY - 2018/2/1

Y1 - 2018/2/1

N2 - Soil mercury concentrations at a typical small-scale mine site in the Bolivian Andes were elevated (28–737 mg/kg or ppm) in localized areas where mercury amalgams were either formed or vaporized to release gold, but was not detectable beyond approximately 10 m from its sources. Arsenic was measurable, exceeding known background levels throughout the mine site (77–137,022 ppm), and was also measurable through the local village of Ingenio (36–1803 ppm). Although arsenic levels were high at all surveyed locations, its spatial pattern followed mercury, being highest where mercury was high.

AB - Soil mercury concentrations at a typical small-scale mine site in the Bolivian Andes were elevated (28–737 mg/kg or ppm) in localized areas where mercury amalgams were either formed or vaporized to release gold, but was not detectable beyond approximately 10 m from its sources. Arsenic was measurable, exceeding known background levels throughout the mine site (77–137,022 ppm), and was also measurable through the local village of Ingenio (36–1803 ppm). Although arsenic levels were high at all surveyed locations, its spatial pattern followed mercury, being highest where mercury was high.

KW - Arsenic

KW - Artisanal and small-scale gold mining

KW - Mercury

KW - Soil metal contamination

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85034223569&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85034223569&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s00128-017-2213-4

DO - 10.1007/s00128-017-2213-4

M3 - Article

C2 - 29147740

AN - SCOPUS:85034223569

SN - 0007-4861

VL - 100

SP - 259

EP - 264

JO - Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology

JF - Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology

IS - 2

ER -

Geo-Spatial Characterization of Soil Mercury and Arsenic at a High-Altitude Bolivian Gold Mine

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this