Issue 2, 2021

Bioaccessibility of potentially toxic elements in mine residue particles

Abstract

Mining companies used to abandon tailing heaps in countryside regions of Mexico and other countries. Mine residues (MRs) contain a high concentration of potentially toxic elements (PTE). The wind can disperse dust particles (<100 μm) and once suspended in the atmosphere, can be ingested or inhaled; this is a common situation in arid climates. Nowadays, there is little information on the risk of exposure to PTEs from particulate matter dispersed by wind. The pseudo-total PTE in bulk and fractionated MR after aqua regia digestion, the inhalable bioaccessibility with Gamble solution (pH = 7.4), and the gastric bioaccessibility with 0.4 M glycine solution at pH 1.5 were determined. As and Pb chemical species were identified by X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. The highest rate of dispersion was observed with 74–100 μm particles (104 mg m−2 s−1); in contrast, particles <44 μm had the lowest rate (26 mg m−2 s−1). The highest pseudo-total As (35 961 mg kg−1), Pb (3326 mg kg−1), Cd (44 mg kg−1) and Zn (up to 4678 mg kg−1) concentration was in the <20 μm particles and As in the 50–74 μm (40 236 mg kg−1) particles. The highest concentration of inhaled bioaccessible As (343 mg kg−1) was observed in the <20 μm fraction and the gastric bioaccessible As was 744 mg kg−1, Pb was 1396 mg kg−1, Cd was 19.2 mg kg−1, and Zn was 2048 mg kg−1. The predominant chemical As species was arsenopyrite (92%), while 54% of Pb was in the adsorbed form. Erodible particle matter is a potential risk for humans in case of inhalation or ingestion.

Graphical abstract: Bioaccessibility of potentially toxic elements in mine residue particles

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
23 Oct 2020
Accepted
06 Jan 2021
First published
07 Jan 2021

Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2021,23, 367-380

Bioaccessibility of potentially toxic elements in mine residue particles

C. Jesús Eulises, Ma. D. C. A. González-Chávez, R. Carrillo-González, J. L. García-Cué, D. S. Fernández-Reynoso, M. Noerpel and K. G. Scheckel, Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2021, 23, 367 DOI: 10.1039/D0EM00447B

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements