Three millennia of intense mining activity in Tuscany have left profound marks in the landscape, culture and history of the region, including numerous abandoned mine sites that pose a potential threat to the environment. Since 1992, the Department of Earth Sciences of Florence has been conducting a research program to assess the environmental impact of abandoned pyrite and base-metal sulphide mines, including Boccheggiano (Cu and pyrite), Fenice Capanne (Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag) and Campiglia M.ma (Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag) in Southern Tuscany, Bottino (Pb-Ag-Zn) in northern Tuscany. The wastes at the four localities include jigging and flotation tailings, excavation wastes and smelter roastings. The dumps show high, albeit variable, contents of toxic elements such as As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn. Stream waters of the Boccheggiano, Fenice Capanne and Bottino areas show variable degrees of pollution. Highest heavy metal contents, in particular for As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and acid concentrations usually occur close to wastes and rapidly decrease moving downstream from the wastes. The soils developed on (and in close proximity to) waste piles usually show high heavy metal contents, i.e., within the same order of magnitude of waste piles. In all areas, natural soils far from waste piles more than 50 m up to 20 km show variable contents of pollutants (As, Cu, Pb, Zn).
Tre millenni d'intensa attività estrattiva in Toscana ha lasciato segni profondi sul territorio,sulla cultura e la storia della regione, tra cui numerosi siti minerari abbandonati che rappresentano un rischio potenziale per l'ambiente. Dal 7992, il Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra di Firenze ha condotto un programma di ricerca volto a stimare l'impatto ambientale delle miniere di Boccheggiano (Cu e pirite), Fenice Capanne (Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag), Campiglia M.ma (Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag) in Toscana meridionale, Bottino (Pb-Ag-Zn) in Toscana settentrionale. Le discariche delle località studiate sono di coltivazione, pirometallurgiche, arricchimento e flottazione. Le discariche mostrano tenori variabili di elementi tossici come As, Cd, Cu, Pb e Zn. Le acque fluviali di Boccheggiano, Fenice Capanne e delle aree del Bottino mostrano gradi variabili di inquinamento. I tenori più elevati di metalli pesanti e di acidità si hanno usualmente nelle aree limitrofe alle discariche per diminuire rapidamente a valle. I suoli sviluppati sopra o in prossimità di accumuli di sterili minerari mostrano usualmente tenori elevati di metalli, simili a quelli di discarica. In tutte le aree, i suoli naturali lontani dalle discariche da 50 m a 20 km mostrano gradi variabili di inquinanti (As, Cu, Pb, Zn).
Heavy metal contents related to mine dumps of Tuscany.
Benvenuti M;
2004
Abstract
Three millennia of intense mining activity in Tuscany have left profound marks in the landscape, culture and history of the region, including numerous abandoned mine sites that pose a potential threat to the environment. Since 1992, the Department of Earth Sciences of Florence has been conducting a research program to assess the environmental impact of abandoned pyrite and base-metal sulphide mines, including Boccheggiano (Cu and pyrite), Fenice Capanne (Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag) and Campiglia M.ma (Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag) in Southern Tuscany, Bottino (Pb-Ag-Zn) in northern Tuscany. The wastes at the four localities include jigging and flotation tailings, excavation wastes and smelter roastings. The dumps show high, albeit variable, contents of toxic elements such as As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn. Stream waters of the Boccheggiano, Fenice Capanne and Bottino areas show variable degrees of pollution. Highest heavy metal contents, in particular for As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and acid concentrations usually occur close to wastes and rapidly decrease moving downstream from the wastes. The soils developed on (and in close proximity to) waste piles usually show high heavy metal contents, i.e., within the same order of magnitude of waste piles. In all areas, natural soils far from waste piles more than 50 m up to 20 km show variable contents of pollutants (As, Cu, Pb, Zn).I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
