Active and legacy mining in an arid urban environment : challenges and perspectives for Copiapó, Northern Chile

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dc.catalogadoryvc
dc.contributor.authorCarkovic Aguilera, Athena Belen
dc.contributor.authorCalcagni García, Magdalena Sol
dc.contributor.authorVega Contreras, Alejandra Soledad
dc.contributor.authorCoquery, Marina
dc.contributor.authorMoya Arias, Pablo Manuel
dc.contributor.authorBonilla Meléndez, Carlos Alberto
dc.contributor.authorPastén González, Pablo Arturo
dc.date.accessioned2025-02-26T20:36:20Z
dc.date.available2025-02-26T20:36:20Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.description.abstractUrban expansion in areas of active and legacy mining imposes a sustainability challenge, especially in arid environments where cities compete for resources with agriculture and industry. The city of Copiapó, with 150,000 inhabitants in the Atacama Desert, reflects this challenge. More than 30 abandoned tailings from legacy mining are scattered throughout its urban and peri-urban area, which include an active copper smelter. Despite the public concern generated by the mining-related pollution, no geochemical information is currently available for Copiapó, particularly for metal concentration in environmental solid phases. A geochemical screening of soils (n = 42), street dusts (n = 71) and tailings (n = 68) was conducted in November 2014 and April 2015. Organic matter, pH and elemental composition measurements were taken. Notably, copper in soils (60–2120 mg/kg) and street dusts (110–10,200 mg/kg) consistently exceeded international guidelines for residential and industrial use, while a lower proportion of samples exceeded international guidelines for arsenic, zinc and lead. Metal enrichment occurred in residential, industrial and agricultural areas near tailings and the copper smelter. This first screening of metal contamination sets the basis for future risk assessments toward defining knowledge-based policies and urban planning. Challenges include developing: (1) adequate intervention guideline values; (2) appropriate geochemical background levels for key metals; (3) urban planning that considers contaminated areas; (4) cost-effective control strategies for abandoned tailings in water-scarce areas; and (5) scenarios and technologies for tailings reprocessing. Assessing urban geochemical risks is a critical endeavor for areas where extreme events triggered by climate change are likely, as the mud flooding that impacted Copiapó in late March 2015.
dc.description.funderConicyt Proyecto Fondap No. 15110020
dc.description.funderANID Proyecto Fondecyt No. 1130936
dc.fechaingreso.objetodigital2025-02-26
dc.format.extent14 páginas
dc.fuente.origenRepositorio UC
dc.identifier.doi10.1007/s10653-016-9793-5
dc.identifier.eissn1573-2983
dc.identifier.issn0269-4042
dc.identifier.pubmedidMedline_ID: 26758741
dc.identifier.scopusidScopus_ID: 2-s2.0-84954309746
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-016-9793-5
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorio.uc.cl/handle/11534/102266
dc.identifier.wosidWoS_ID: 000380269100006
dc.information.autorucEscuela de Ingeniería; Carkovic Aguilera, Athena Belen; S/I; 170682
dc.information.autorucEscuela de Ingeniería; Vega Contreras, Alejandra Soledad; S/I; 17583
dc.information.autorucEscuela de Ingeniería; Calcagni García, Magdalena Sol; S/I; 185453
dc.information.autorucEscuela de Ingeniería; Moya Arias, Pablo Manuel; S/I; 194175
dc.information.autorucEscuela de Ingeniería; Bonilla Meléndez, Carlos Alberto; S/I; 80465
dc.information.autorucEscuela de Ingeniería; Pastén González, Pablo Arturo; 0000-0002-9961-9342; 87432
dc.issue.numero4
dc.language.isoen
dc.nota.accesocontenido completo
dc.pagina.final1014
dc.pagina.inicio1001
dc.publisherSpringer
dc.revistaEnvironmental Geochemistry and Health
dc.rightsacceso restringido
dc.subjectUrban geochemistry
dc.subjectRisk assessment
dc.subjectMining tailings
dc.subjectHeavy metals
dc.subjectStreet dust
dc.subjectSoils
dc.subject.ddc620
dc.subject.deweyIngenieríaes_ES
dc.titleActive and legacy mining in an arid urban environment : challenges and perspectives for Copiapó, Northern Chile
dc.typeartículo
dc.volumen38
sipa.codpersvinculados170682
sipa.codpersvinculados17583
sipa.codpersvinculados185453
sipa.codpersvinculados194175
sipa.codpersvinculados80465
sipa.codpersvinculados87432
sipa.trazabilidadConveris;13-05-2021
sipa.trazabilidadRepositorio UC;08-07-2021
sipa.trazabilidadWOS;05-06-2021
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