Abandoned tailings deposits, acid drainage and alluvial sediments geochemistry, in the arid Elqui River Basin, North-Central Chile

Journal of Geochemical Exploration

Volumn 115, Issue , 2012, Pages 47-58

  Oyarzún, Jorge ^a   Castillo, Daniela ^a   Maturana, Hugo ^a   Kretschmer, Nicole ^a   Soto, Guido ^b   Amezaga, Jaime M ^c   Rötting, Tobias S ^c,d   Younger, Paul L ^c   Oyarzún, Ricardo ^a  

^a DEPARTAMENTO DE BIOLOGÍA   (Chile)

^b Centro Del Agua Para Zonas Aridas y Semiáridas de América Latina y El Caribe CAZALAC   (Chile)

^c NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY   (United Kingdom)

^d UNIVERSITAT POLITÈCNICA DE CATALUNYA   (Spain)

Author keywords

Acid drainage; Active sediments; CAMINAR; Hydrothermal alteration; Tailings

Indexed keywords

ACID DRAINAGE; ALLUVIAL SEDIMENTS; CAMINAR; CU CONTENT; DATA ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES; EPITHERMAL; FINE-GRAINED SEDIMENT; HUMAN HEALTH; HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATIONS; HYDROTHERMAL ORE DEPOSIT; LOW CONCENTRATIONS; METAL CONTENT; MINING OPERATIONS; POLLUTANT SOURCES; RIVER BASINS; SOIL CONTAMINATION; TAILINGS DEPOSITS; TOXIC HEAVY METALS; WORK ANALYSIS;

CATCHMENTS; CHEMICAL ELEMENTS; DEPOSITS; HEALTH RISKS; INTERNATIONAL TRADE; LEAD; MERCURY (METAL); MOLYBDENUM; ORE DEPOSITS; POLLUTION; SEDIMENTOLOGY; SEDIMENTS; TAILINGS; WATERSHEDS;

RIVER POLLUTION;

ALLUVIAL DEPOSIT; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; CONCENTRATION (COMPOSITION); COPPER; DISPERSION; HEAVY METAL; HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION; POLLUTANT SOURCE; TAILINGS;

CHILE; COQUIMBO; ELQUI RIVER;

EID: 84859866303     PISSN: 03756742     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.gexplo.2012.02.008     Document Type: Article

References (36)

1. Astel A., Tsakovski S., Barbieri P., Simeonov V. Comparison of self-organizing maps classification approach with cluster and principal component analysis for large environmental data sets. Water Research 2007, 41:4566-4578.
2. Boric R. Geología y yacimientos metálicos del Distrito Talcuna, IV Región de Coquimbo. Revista Geológica de Chile 1985, 25-26:57-75.
3. Carvajal, M.J., 2009. Caracterización química e isotópica del sistema hidrológico de la cuenca de Elqui. Tesis de Licenciatura, Ingeniero Civil Ambiental. La Serena, Chile.
4. CENMA, DGA Análisis de la composición físico-química de los sedimentos fluviales y su relación con la disponibilidad de metales en agua. Tomo II: Introducción y Metodología 2010, Centro Nacional del Medio Ambiente y Dirección General de Aguas, Santiago, Chile.
5. Chandra U., Kumar S., Rath P., Bihari B., Bhatta D. Application of factor and cluster analysis for characterization of river and estuarine water systems-a case study: Mahanadi River (India). Journal of Hydrology 2006, 331:434-445.
6. Charrier R., Pinto L., Rodríguez M.P. Tectonostratigraphic evolution of the Andean Orogen in Chile. The Geology of Chile 2007, 21-114. The Geological Society of London. T. Moreno, W. Gibbons (Eds.).
7. De la Maza C.L. NEPA's influence in developing countries. Environmental Impact Assessment Review 2001, 21:169-171.
8. DGA, Cade-Idepe Diagnóstico y clasificación de los cursos y cuerpos de agua según objetivos de calidad, cuenca del río Elqui 2004, Dirección General de Aguas y Cade-Idepe Consultores en Ingeniería, Santiago, Chile.
9. Espejo, L., Kretschmer, N., Oyarzún, J., Meza, F., Núñez, J., Maturana, H., Soto, G., Oyarzo, P., Garrido, M., Suckel, F., Amézaga, J., Oyarzún, R., in press. Application of water quality indices and analysis of the surface water quality monitoring network in semi-arid North Central Chile. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment doi:10.1007/s10661-011-2363-5.
10. Galleguillos, G., 2004. Efectos de la actividad minera y de las obras hidráulicas en la calidad de las aguas del río Elqui y de sus afluentes. Tesis de Licenciatura, Ingeniero Civil Ambiental. La Serena, Chile.
11. Galleguillos G., Oyarzún J., Maturana H., Oyarzún R. Retención de arsénico en embalses: el caso del Rio Elqui, Chile. Ingeniería Hidráulica en México 2008, 23:29-36.
12. Güler C., Thyne G., Mc Cray J., Turner A. Evaluation of graphical and multivariate statistical methods for classification of water chemistry data. Hydrogeology Journal 2002, 10:455-474.
13. INE XVII Censo nacional de población y VI de vivienda 2002, Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas, Available at:, (Last accessed 2011-06-20). http://www.ine.cl/canales/chile_estadistico/censos_poblacion_vivienda/censo2002/mapa_interactivo/mapa_interactivo.htm.
14. Jannas R.R., Bowers T.S., Petersen U., Beane R.E. High-sulfidation deposit types in the El Indio district, Chile. Society of Economic Geologists 1999, 7:219-266. (Special Publication).
15. Kottegoda N.T., Rosso R. Applied Statistics for Civil and Environmental Engineers 2008, Blackwell Publishing, (718 pp.).
16. MINITAB Normality Test, ID 1167 Available at, (Last accessed 2010-04-15). http://www.minitab.com/es-ES/support/answers/answer.aspx?log=0&id=1167.
17. Newbold J. Chile's environmental momentum: ISO 14001 and the large-scale mining industry - case studies from the state and private sector. Journal of Cleaner Production 2006, 14:248-261.
18. Oyarzún J. Andean metallogenesis: a synoptical review and interpretation. 31st International Geological Congress, Rio de Janeiro 2000, 725-753. V.G. Cordani, E.J. Milani, A. Thomas Fhilo, D.A. Campos (Eds.).
19. Oyarzún J. Algunos metales y metaloides con propiedades tóxicas o carcinogénicas: distribución natural y riesgos por contaminación en Chile. Revista Chilena de Salud Pública 2001, 5:96-101.
20. Oyarzún J., Oyarzún R. Sustainable development threats, inter-sector conflicts and environmental policy requirements in the arid, mining rich, northern Chile territory. Sustainable Development 2011, 19:263-274.
21. Oyarzun R., Ortega L., Sierra J., Lunar R., Oyarzún J. The manto-type gold deposits of Andacollo (Chile) revisited: a model based on fluid inclusion and geologic evidence. Economic Geology 1996, 91:1298-1309.
22. Oyarzun R., Ortega L., Sierra J., Lunar R., Oyarzún J. Cu, Mn, and Ag mineralization in the Quebrada Marquesa quadrangle, Chile: the Talcuna and Arqueros districts. Mineralium Deposita 1998, 33:547-559.
23. Oyarzun R., Oyarzún J., Ménard J.J., Lillo J. The Cretaceous iron belt of northern Chile: role of oceanic plates, a superplume event, and a major shear zone. Mineralium Deposita 2003, 38:640-646.
24. Oyarzún J., Maturana H., Paulo A., Pasieczna A. Heavy metals in stream sediments from the Coquimbo region (Chile): effects of sustained mining and natural processes in a semi-arid Andean basin. Mine Water and Environment 2003, 22:155-161.
25. Oyarzun R., Lillo J., Higueras P., Oyarzún J., Maturana H. Strong arsenic enrichment in sediments from the Elqui watershed, Northern Chile: industrial (gold mining at El Indio-Tambo district) vs. geologic processes. Journal of Geochemical Exploration 2004, 84:53-64.
26. Oyarzun R., Guevara S., Oyarzún J., Lillo J., Maturana H., Higueras P. The As-contaminated Elqui river basin: a long lasting perspective (1975-1995) covering the initiation and development of Au-Cu-As mining in the high Andes of northern Chile. Environmental Geochemistry and Health 2006, 28:431-443.
27. Oyarzun R., Oyarzún J., Lillo J., Maturana H., Higueras P. Mineral deposits and Cu-Zn-As dispersion-contamination in stream sediments from the semiarid Coquimbo Region, Chile. Environmental Geology 2007, 53:283-294.
28. Reyes M. The Andacollo strata-bound gold deposit, Chile, and its position in a porphyry copper-gold system. Economic Geology 1991, 86:1301-1316.
29. Segura R., Arancibia V., Zúñiga M.C., Pastén P. Distribution of copper, zinc, lead and cadmium concentrations in stream sediments from the Mapocho River in Santiago, Chile. Journal of Geochemical Exploration 2006, 91:71-80.
30. Shrestha S., Kazama F. Assessment of surface water quality using multivariate statistical techniques: a case study of the Fuji river basin, Japan. Environmental Modelling and Software 2007, 22:464-475.
31. Sillitoe R.H. Tectonic segmentation of the Andes: implications for magmatism and metallogeny. Nature 1974, 250:542-545.
32. Sparks D.L. Environmental Soil Chemistry 1995, Academic Press.
33. Squeo F., Aravena R., Aguirre E., Pollastri A., Jorquera C., Ehleringer J. Groundwater dynamics in a coastal aquifer in north-central Chile: implications for groundwater recharge in an arid ecosystem. Journal of Arid Environments 2006, 67:240-254.
34. Thyne G., Güler C., Poeter E. Sequential analysis of hydrochemical data for watershed characterization. Groundwater 2004, 42:1-13.
35. Valenzuela A.E. History of mining in Chile (part 2), CIM Bulletin 98(1084), January/February 2005 Available at, (Last accessed 2011-09-12). http://www.cim.org/bulletin/bulletinlive/articles.cfm?Issue_ID=124&row=1&Type=1&Segment_ID=46.
36. Yidana S.M., Ophori D., Banoeng-Yakubo B. A multivariate statistical analysis of surface water chemistry data-the Ankobra basin, Ghana. Journal of Environmental Management 2008, 86:80-87.