Pre-colombian mercury pollution associated with the smelting of argentiferous ores in the Bolivian Andes.
Ambio
; 40(1): 18-25, 2011 Feb.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-21404820
ABSTRACT
The development of the mercury (Hg) amalgamation process in the mid-sixteenth century triggered the onset of large-scale Hg mining in both the Old and New Worlds. However, ancient Hg emissions associated with amalgamation and earlier mining efforts remain poorly constrained. Using a geochemical time-series generated from lake sediments near Cerro Rico de Potosí, once the world's largest silver deposit, we demonstrate that pre-Colonial smelting of Andean silver ores generated substantial Hg emissions as early as the twelfth century. Peak sediment Hg concentrations and fluxes are associated with smelting and exceed background values by approximately 20-fold and 22-fold, respectively. The sediment inventory of this early Hg pollution more than doubles that associated with extensive amalgamation following Spanish control of the mine (1574-1900 AD). Global measurements of [Hg] from economic ores sampled world-wide indicate that the phenomenon of Hg enrichment in non-ferrous ores is widespread. The results presented here imply that indigenous smelting constitutes a previously unrecognized source of early Hg pollution, given naturally elevated [Hg] in economic silver deposits.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Prata
/
Poluição Química da Água
/
Mercúrio
/
Mineração
Tipo de estudo:
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
America do sul
/
Bolivia
/
Colombia
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2011
Tipo de documento:
Article