Atmospheric dust characterisation in the mining district of Cartagena-La Unión, Spain: Air quality and health risks assessment

The Science of the Total Environment
Isalyne BlondetJosé Darrozes

Abstract

Nowadays, air pollution has a major impact on the environment and human health. Owen gauges allow the sampling of atmospheric depositions in polluted sites for further characterisation. This paper shows the study of the air particles of an old mining zone in Cartagena-La Unión (South-east of Spain) in order to quantify their potential risk on human health. There were 4 strategic sites monitored: the main mining tailing (Avenque), the urban area (La Unión), an agricultural zone (formerly mining) and a site in the Mediterranean coast. Physico-chemical and mineralogical characterisation was applied to atmospheric fallouts. The granulometry revealed a dust particle size around 15 μm, with the coarsest particles in the urban area and the thinnest at the tailing site. XRD analyses showed the presence of quartz, carbonates, sulphides and sulphates. Observations with SEM-EDX confirmed chemical spectra and allowed us to classify the particles into well-crystallised minerals and heterogeneous dusts. Total metal content determination was carried out by ICP-MS analyses and results showed Zn, Pb, As and Cd fluxes (respectively 2549, 1275, 68 and 7 μg·m-2·d-1) exceeding the limit values set by European legislations in the mining area. The fl...Continue Reading

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Citations

Nov 19, 2019·International Journal of Environmental Health Research·Wei FanXing Wei
Jan 25, 2020·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Gaoxiang ZhangZanfang Jin
Mar 17, 2021·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Amirreza TorabiAlireza Eftekhari
Mar 24, 2021·Environmental Research·Khurram ShehzadSalman Wahab
Mar 30, 2021·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Khurram ShehzadMahmood Ahmad
Dec 11, 2019·The Science of the Total Environment·Gauthier DelplaceJérôme Viers

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