Consideraciones ambientales sobre el mercurio en el distrito minero de Almadén (Ciudad Real)
- Higueras Higueras, Pablo León
- Esbrí Víctor, José María
- González Corrochano, Beatriz
- López Berdonces, Miguel Ángel
- García Noguero, María
- Martínez Coronado, Alba
- Llanos Lazcano, Willians
- Lorenzo Álvarez, Saturnino
ISSN: 1888-8615
Year of publication: 2012
Issue: 19
Pages: 53-65
Type: Article
More publications in: De re metallica ( Madrid ): revista de la Sociedad Española para la Defensa del Patrimonio Geológico y Minero
Abstract
The mercury deposits hosted in the Almadén syncline constitute the Almadén mining district, and they represent a worldwide singularity, being the only case of a metal, mercury (Hg), supplied in one third of total historic production by a single deposit, the Almadén mine. The District comprises a number of cinnabar (HgS) deposits, among which the Almadén mine is the very largest. The origin of the deposits could be related to geological processes acting along Upper Paleozoic times. These deposits can be grouped in the so-called �Almadén-type� and the so-called �Las Cuevas type� deposits. The action of atmospheric agents on the cinnabar deposits starts time before the mining activity, and implies the dissemination in the environment of the weathering products, which is amplified by the mining activity. As a result, mercury pollution spreads in a wide area, affecting inorganic and organic environmental compartments. This paper presents the research carried out on environmental and human health concerns related with the presence of mercury in the area.