Journal
WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION
Volume 223, Issue 9, Pages 6009-6023Publisher
SPRINGER INT PUBL AG
DOI: 10.1007/s11270-012-1335-x
Keywords
Deactivated mines; Metals; Ecotoxicological test battery; Water Framework Directive
Funding
- Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology [SFRH/BD/48046/2008, SFRH/BPD/44733/2008, SFRH/BPD/35665/2007]
- Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [SFRH/BD/48046/2008, SFRH/BPD/44733/2008, SFRH/BPD/35665/2007] Funding Source: FCT
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Metal contamination of freshwater bodies resulting from mining activities or deactivated mines is a common problem worldwide such as in Portugal. Bracal (galena ore) and Palhal (pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite, and pyrite ore), located in a riverside position, are both examples of deactivated mining areas lacking implemented recovery plans since their shutdown in the early mid-1900s. In both mining areas, effluents still flow into two rivers. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the potential hazard posed by the mining effluents to freshwater communities. Therefore, short-and long-term ecotoxicological tests were performed on elutriates from river sediments collected at each site using standard test organisms that cover different functional levels (Vibrio fischeri, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, Lemna minor, and Daphnia sp.). The results show that elutriates from the sediments of Palhal were very toxic to all tested species, while in contrast, elutriates from Bracal showed generally no toxicity for the tested species. Our study highlights the usefulness of using an ecotoxicological approach to help in the prioritization/ scoring of the most critical areas impacted by deactivated mines. This ecotoxicological test battery can provide important information about the ecological status of each concerning site before investing in the application of time-consuming and costly methods defined by the Water Framework Directive or can stand as a meaningful complementary analysis.
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