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IMPACT OF ABANDONED MINING WORKS ON SURFACE WATER QUALITY (THE LINARES-LA CAROLINA DISTRICT, SPAIN)
Abstract
The metallogenic district of Linares-La Carolina (JaГ©n, Spain) consists of dyke mineralizations mainly of galena, accompanied by blende, chalcopyrite and barite. It is located in the head water catchment of the Guadalquivir River, the Andalusian main river, in the sub-basins of the rivers Guadiel and Grande. Associated to these abandoned mines, relatively extensive areas occupied by spoil heaps and tailing impoundments exist and constitute potential sources of water pollution by metals and semimetals. In addition, in the La Carolina se ctor, there are several mine adits that discharge in the drainage network of the Grande River. The chemical quality of these surface waters has been analyzed downstream the mining area. The river Guadiel, the main stream draining the Linares sector, presents calcium bicarbona te type waters with pH 7.4 and moderate conductivity (average value of 900 ОјS/cm), but is characterized by contents in Mn (0.4 mg/l) and Pb (0.1 mg/l) that surpass the maximum admissible limit in surface waters. The bicarbonate type was also detected in some creeks at the headwater of the La Carolina sector, but the water evolves downstream to calcium-magnesium sulphate and magnesium sulphate types. Although it presents a moderate mineralization (400 ОјS/cm on average) and pH of 6.3, the contents in dissolved Fe and Mn are high, with almost 1 mg/l. The results obtained for the contents in minor and trace elements also show the existence of a mobilization process of Pb , Ni, Cr and Cu in the surface drainage network.
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