Estimating Mercury and Arsenic Release from the La Soterraña Abandoned Mine Waste Dump (Asturias, Spain): Source-Term Reconstruction Using High-Accuracy UAV Surveys and Historical Topographic Data

Lorena Salgado, Arturo Colina, Alejandro Vega, Luis M. Lara, Eduardo Rodríguez-Valdés, José R. Gallego, Elías Afif Khouri and Rubén Forján ()
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Lorena Salgado: Environmental Biogeochemistry & Raw Materials Group, Institute of Natural Resources and Territorial Planning (INDUROT), University of Oviedo, 33600 Mieres, Spain
Arturo Colina: Environmental Biogeochemistry & Raw Materials Group, Institute of Natural Resources and Territorial Planning (INDUROT), University of Oviedo, 33600 Mieres, Spain
Alejandro Vega: Environmental Biogeochemistry & Raw Materials Group, Institute of Natural Resources and Territorial Planning (INDUROT), University of Oviedo, 33600 Mieres, Spain
Luis M. Lara: Environmental Biogeochemistry & Raw Materials Group, Institute of Natural Resources and Territorial Planning (INDUROT), University of Oviedo, 33600 Mieres, Spain
Eduardo Rodríguez-Valdés: Environmental Biogeochemistry & Raw Materials Group, Institute of Natural Resources and Territorial Planning (INDUROT), University of Oviedo, 33600 Mieres, Spain
José R. Gallego: Environmental Biogeochemistry & Raw Materials Group, Institute of Natural Resources and Territorial Planning (INDUROT), University of Oviedo, 33600 Mieres, Spain
Elías Afif Khouri: Environmental Biogeochemistry & Raw Materials Group, Institute of Natural Resources and Territorial Planning (INDUROT), University of Oviedo, 33600 Mieres, Spain
Rubén Forján: Environmental Biogeochemistry & Raw Materials Group, Institute of Natural Resources and Territorial Planning (INDUROT), University of Oviedo, 33600 Mieres, Spain

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-14

Abstract: The waste dump from the abandoned La Soterraña mine, a former mercury extraction site, contains high concentrations of mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As), which pose a significant environmental risk due to direct exposure to the environment. Given the site’s topography and slope, surface runoff has been identified as the primary mechanism for the dispersal of these toxic elements into nearby watercourses. This study quantifies the amount of Hg and As released into fluvial systems through surface runoff from the waste dump. Historical topographic data, Airborne Laser Exploration Survey public data from the National Plan for Aerial Orthophotographs (1st PNOA-LiDAR) of the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, and high-precision photogrammetric drone surveys were utilized, with centimeter-level accuracy achieved using airborne GNSS RTK positioning systems on the drone. The methodology yields reliable results when comparing surfaces generated from topographic data collected with consistent methodologies and standards. Analysis indicates an environmental release exceeding 1000 kg of mercury (Hg) and 12,000 kg of arsenic (As) between 2019 and 2023, based on high spatial resolution data (GSD = 8 cm). These findings highlight a sustained temporal contribution of chemical contaminants, which imposes serious environmental and biological health risks due to persistent exposure to toxic elements.

Keywords: mercury; arsenic; surface runoff; photogrammetric UAV survey; environmental risk assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:10:p:2016-:d:1766849

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