Uso de parámetros indirectos para la evaluación de la contaminación de suelos por metales pesados en una zona minera de San Luis Potosí, México

Tailings are a significant source of arsenic and heavy metals. When mining wastes are subjected to wind dispersal and water erosion, they may be the cause of widespread soil contamination. In this work, a mining area in the state of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, was selected to evaluate the use of magnetic susceptibility (MS), electrical conductivity (EC) and pH as alternative indicators for the delimitation of the spatial distribution of arsenic and heavy metals in mine wastes and soils contaminated by their dispersal. The MS, EC, pH and the total concentration of potentially toxic elements (PTE), such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe), were determined in 107 waste and soil samples. Moreover, the concentration of major ions in solution was analyzed and XRD and SEM analyses were carried out. Finally the hazard index (HI) was assessed as a value showing the effect of joint presence of As, Cd and Pb in the area. The results indicate that higher values of MS, EC and total concentrations of PTE and