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Toxicity in semiarid sediments influenced by tailings of an abandoned gold mine

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Abstract

The mining district of El Triunfo (ET-MD) has an estimated 800,000 t of mine wastes scattered in the environment, contaminating the sediment with potentially toxic elements such as As, Cd, Pb, and Zn. In order to estimate the toxicity of the sediment to the adjacent biota, the aims of our study are to calculate the mortality and inhibition through bioassays, using sediment, and test organisms such as Daphnia magna and Selenastrum capricornutum (Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata), respectively. The D. magna mortality was 31 ± 12 % and the S. capricornutum growth inhibition was 53 ± 24 %. The contamination of the sediment determines the high mortality of D. magna and the high inhibition of S. capricornutum in the system, indicating risk for the biota in the contaminated system.

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Acknowledgments

This research is a contribution to projects SIP-IPN “Efectos toxicológicos de los sedimentos en un sistema fluvial semiárido, influenciado por una mina de oro abandonada: El Triunfo, BCS Mexico SIP-20131030,” in collaboration with UAM-I “Evaluación del estado de salud de organismos de importancia ecológica y/o económica presentes en sistemas acuáticos.” We would like to thank the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Comisión de Operaciones y Fomento de las Actividades Académicas del Instituto Politécnico Nacional. In memoriam of Dr. Ellis Glazier (R.I.P.), who helps to edit this English-language text. The authors thank Horalia Arce laboratory assistant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Hidrobiología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa (UAM-I), San Rafael Atlixco, Iztapalapa, 09340, Distrito Federal, Mexico

    A. S. Sobrino-Figueroa

  2. Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CICIMAR-IPN), Av. IPN s/n, Col. Playa Palo de Sta. Rita, 23096, La Paz, BCS, Mexico

    O. F. Becerra-Rueda, V. R. Magallanes-Ordóñez, A. Sánchez-González & A. J. Marmolejo-Rodríguez

Authors
  1. A. S. Sobrino-Figueroa
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  2. O. F. Becerra-Rueda
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  3. V. R. Magallanes-Ordóñez
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  4. A. Sánchez-González
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  5. A. J. Marmolejo-Rodríguez
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. J. Marmolejo-Rodríguez.

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Sobrino-Figueroa, A.S., Becerra-Rueda, O.F., Magallanes-Ordóñez, V.R. et al. Toxicity in semiarid sediments influenced by tailings of an abandoned gold mine. Environ Monit Assess 187, 4158 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-4158-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-4158-y

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