Environmental and Public Health Impacts of Mining Tailings in Chañaral, Chile: A Narrative Case-Based Review

Sandra Cortés (), Pablo González, Cinthya Leiva, Yendry Vargas, Alejandra Vega and Pablo Pastén
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Sandra Cortés: School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Diagonal Paraguay 362, Santiago 8330077, Chile
Pablo González: National School of Public Health, Sérgio Arouca, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Av. Brasil, 4365, Rio de Janeiro 21040900, Brazil
Cinthya Leiva: School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Diagonal Paraguay 362, Santiago 8330077, Chile
Yendry Vargas: Institute of Social Studies in Population, National University of Costa Rica, Heredia 86-3000, Costa Rica
Alejandra Vega: Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CEDEUS), El Comendador 1916, Santiago 7520245, Chile
Pablo Pastén: Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CEDEUS), El Comendador 1916, Santiago 7520245, Chile

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 17, 1-19

Abstract: This narrative case-based review describes the environmental and public health impacts in Chañaral, a town in northern Chile affected by the accumulation of copper mining tailings for the past 80 years. The review included 34 scientific articles published between 1978 and 2025. The keywords used were “mining tailings” and “Chañaral”, without year limits, and covering disciplines such as ecology, public health, environmental history, and territorial studies. The scientific evidence demonstrates the negative impacts on the ecosystem and the human population exposed to toxic metals and arsenic. Geomorphological and biogeochemical alterations have been found on the Chañaral coast, affecting marine biodiversity and water quality. In addition, epidemiological studies indicate exposure to toxic metals measured in street dust and urine, raising concerns on respiratory health in children and metabolic conditions in adults. According to the social sciences, the lack of environmental monitoring and human exposure data contributes to the high health risk perception in the population, posing the need to strengthen environmental monitoring, raise awareness on the risks of exposure to toxic metals, and promote mitigation and restoration strategies. These measures will contribute to sustainable conditions for the Chañaral community through the improvement of comprehensive public policies.

Keywords: Chañaral; Chile; mining tailings; toxic metals; biochemical disruption; public health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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