Mine waste dumps and heavy metal pollution in abandoned mining district of Boccheggiano (Southern Tuscany, Italy) |
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Authors: | M Benvenuti I Mascaro F Corsini P Lattanzi P Parrini G Tanelli |
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Institution: | (1) Dept. of Earth Sciences, Univ. of Florence, Via G. La Pira, 4, I-50121 Firenze, Italy, IT;(2) Dept. of Earth Sciences, Univ. of Gagliari, Italy, IT;(3) Dept. of Earth Sciences, Univ. "Federico II" of Naples, Italy, IT |
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Abstract: | Mining activity in the Boccheggiano-Fontalcinaldo area (Southern Tuscany) dates back at least to the 16th century AD and
lasted up to very recent times. Copper-rich hydrothermal veins, massive pyrite deposits, and their gossans were exploited.
Two mine waste dumps (Fontalcinaldo, Fontebona), one flotation tailings impoundment (Gabellino), and one roasting/smelting
waste dump (Merse-Ribudelli) in the study area were selected to ascertain the environmental effects of such protracted mining
activity. Primary waste mineralogy is mainly characterized by pyrite, gypsum, quartz, carbonates, chlorites, and micas. Secondary
oxidation mineralogy includes Fe and Cu sulfates and hydroxy sulfates, Cu carbonates, Fe and Al oxyhydroxides, and other phases
neogenic cassiterite at Fontalcinaldo; probable calkinsite, (Ce,La)2(CO3)3· 4H2O, at Fontebona]. Mine waste samples show extremely variable contents of toxic elements (Cu, Pb, Zn, Bi, Cd, As), with average
values in the order of hundreds to thousands of parts per million (except for Bi and Cd). In some samples, the abundance of
proper minerals of these metals cannot account for the entire metal load. Conceivably, either solid solution substitutions
or adsorption processes contribute to the intake of released metals into newly formed minerals. Release and transport of pollutants
was affected to variable degrees by acid-neutralization processes. The highest metal and acid concentrations occur close to
the investigated wastes and rapidly decrease moving downstream some hundreds of meters or less, with the partial exception
for Mn and Fe. Other than dilution effects, this phenomenon may be ascribed to metal adsorption and precipitation of solid
phases.
Received: 16 April 1995 · Accepted: 14 December 1995 |
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Keywords: | Mine waste dumps Heavy metal pollution Italy |
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