Citizen science campaign reveals widespread fallout of contaminated dust from mining activities in the central Peruvian Andes

Geology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 678-682
Author(s):  
James B. Molloy ◽  
Donald T. Rodbell ◽  
David P. Gillikin ◽  
Kurt T. Hollocher
Keyword(s):  
Contaminated Soils ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Surface Soil ◽  
Mining Activities ◽  
Metal Concentrations ◽  
Peruvian Andes ◽  
Inductively Coupled ◽  
Plasma Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Cerro De Pasco ◽  
Local Concern

Abstract Inadequate management of mine tailings at Cerro de Pasco, one of Peru’s largest mining complexes, has resulted in elevated concentrations of Pb, As, Cu, Zn, and Ag in surface soil horizons across the Junín Plain, central Peru. During June 2016, in response to local concern over mine contamination, teams of local citizens armed with sample bags, plastic trowels, and GPS receivers acquired 385 surface soil samples and 9 plant samples from agricultural lands from an area ∼1000 km2 on the Junín Plain. Metal concentrations were determined by acid digestion and inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry, and results revealed elevated levels of Pb, As, Cu, Zn, and Ag in all samples within a 10 km radius of the center of mining activities, and measurable contamination at least 30 km to the south-southwest, in the direction of prevailing winds. Dust traps emplaced for a 12 month period confirmed that contamination is ongoing. High metal concentrations in grasses growing on contaminated soils revealed that a portion of the total metal contamination is removed from the soil and held in grass tissue, where it can be ingested by graminivores, especially llama, alpaca, and sheep, thereby entering the human food supply.

scholarly journals New Method of Environmental Assessment and Monitoring of Cu, Zn, As, and Pb Pollution in Surface Soil Using Terricolous Fruticose Lichens

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuri Sueoka ◽  
Masayuki Sakakibara ◽  
Sakae Sano ◽  
Yoshikazu Yamamoto
Keyword(s):  
Trace Element ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Surface Soil ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Distribution Maps ◽  
Inductively Coupled ◽  
Trace Element Pollution ◽  
Plasma Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Mine Sites ◽  
Almost All

Levels of trace element pollution in surface soil can be estimated using soil analyses and leaching tests. These methods may reveal different results due to the effect of soil properties such as grain size and mineral composition on elemental availability. Therefore, this study advocates an alternative method for monitoring and assessment of trace element pollution in surface soil using terricolous fruticose lichens. Lichens growing at abandoned mine sites and unpolluted areas in Southwest Japan and their substrata were analyzed using inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry to clarify the relationships between Cu, Zn, As, and Pb concentrations in lichens and soils, including their absorption properties. Concentrations of these elements in the lichens were positively correlated with those in the soils regardless of lichen species, location, habitat, or conditions of soils. The analyzed lichens had neither competitive nor antagonistic properties in their elemental absorption, which made them good biomonitors of trace element pollution in surface soil. The distribution maps of average Cu, Zn, As, and Pb concentrations at each sampling region detected almost all of the Cu, Zn, and As pollution of the soils. Therefore, lichens could be used in practical applications to monitor Cu, Zn, and As pollution in soils.

scholarly journals New Method of Environmental Assessment and Monitoring of Cu, Zn, As, and Pb Pollution in Surface Soil Using Terricolous Fruticose Lichens

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuri Sueoka ◽  
Masayuki Sakakibara ◽  
Sakae Sano ◽  
Yoshikazu Yamamoto
Keyword(s):  
Trace Element ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Surface Soil ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Distribution Maps ◽  
Inductively Coupled ◽  
Trace Element Pollution ◽  
Plasma Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Mine Sites ◽  
Almost All

Levels of trace element pollution in surface soil can be estimated using soil analyses and leaching tests. These methods may reveal different results due to the effect of soil properties, such as grain size and mineral composition, on elemental availability. Therefore, this study advocates an alternative method for monitoring and assessment of trace element pollution in surface soil using terricolous fruticose lichens. Lichens growing at abandoned mine sites and unpolluted areas in southwest Japan and their substrata were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry to clarify the relationships between Cu, Zn, As, and Pb concentrations in lichens and soils, including their absorption properties. Concentrations of these elements in the lichens were positively correlated with those in the soils regardless of lichen species, location, habitat, or conditions of soils. The analyzed lichens had neither competitive nor antagonistic properties in their elemental absorption, which made them good biomonitors of trace element pollution in surface soil. The distribution maps of average Cu, Zn, As, and Pb concentrations at each sampling region detected almost all of the Cu, Zn, and As pollution of the soils. Therefore, lichens could be used in practical applications to monitor Cu, Zn, and As pollution in surface soils.

scholarly journals New Method of Environmental Assessment and Monitoring of Cu, Zn, As, and Pb Pollution in Surface Soil Using Terricolous Fruticose Lichens

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuri Sueoka ◽  
Masayuki Sakakibara ◽  
Sakae Sano ◽  
Yoshikazu Yamamoto
Keyword(s):  
Trace Element ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Surface Soil ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Distribution Maps ◽  
Inductively Coupled ◽  
Trace Element Pollution ◽  
Plasma Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Mine Sites ◽  
Almost All

Levels of trace element pollution in surface soil can be estimated using soil analyses and leaching tests. These methods may reveal different results due to the effect of soil properties such as grain size and mineral composition on elemental availability. Therefore, this study advocates an alternative method for monitoring and assessment of trace element pollution in surface soil using terricolous fruticose lichens. Lichens growing at abandoned mine sites and unpolluted areas in Southwest Japan and their substrata were analyzed using inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry to clarify the relationships between Cu, Zn, As, and Pb concentrations in lichens and soils, including their absorption properties. Concentrations of these elements in the lichens were positively correlated with those in the soils regardless of lichen species, location, habitat, or conditions of soils. The analyzed lichens had neither competitive nor antagonistic properties in their elemental absorption, which made them good biomonitors of trace element pollution in surface soil. The distribution maps of average Cu, Zn, As, and Pb concentrations at each sampling region detected almost all of the Cu, Zn, and As pollution of the soils. Therefore, lichens could be used in practical applications to monitor Cu, Zn, and As pollution in soils.

scholarly journals Analysis of Toxic Metals in Liquid from Electronic Cigarettes

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (22) ◽  
pp. 4450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naudia Gray ◽  
Mary Halstead ◽  
Nathalie Gonzalez-Jimenez ◽  
Liza Valentin-Blasini ◽  
Clifford Watson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Toxic Metals ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Electronic Cigarettes ◽  
Metal Concentrations ◽  
Inductively Coupled ◽  
Nickel Copper ◽  
Zinc Cadmium ◽  
Plasma Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Copper Zinc ◽  
The Impact

As the technology of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), including e-cigarettes, evolves, assessing metal concentrations in liquids among brands over time becomes challenging. A method for quantification of chromium, nickel, copper, zinc, cadmium, tin, and lead in ENDS liquids using triple quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was developed. The method’s limits of detection (LODs) were 0.031, 0.032, 3.15, 1.27, 0.108, 0.099, 0.066 µg/g for Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Sn, and Pb respectively. Liquids analyzed were from different brands and flavors of refill bottles or single-use, rechargeable, and pod devices from different years. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy further evaluated the device components’ compositions. Refill liquids before contacting a device were below lowest reportable levels (LRL) for all metals. Copper and zinc were elevated in liquids from devices containing brass. Cadmium was <LRL in all liquids and was not observed in device components. Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sn, and Pb, reported in µg/g, ranged from <LRL to 0.396, 4.04, 903, 454, 0.898, and 13.5 respectively. Elevated metal concentrations in the liquid were also elevated in aerosol from the corresponding device. The data demonstrates the impact of device design and materials on toxic metals in ENDS liquid.

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