Abstract

GUADARRAMA-GUZMAN, Pedro; FERNANDEZ-VILLAGOMEZ, Georgina  and  ALARCON-HERRERA, María Teresa. Assessment of risk to health caused by the exposure to mining waste in Durango, Mexico. Ing. invest. y tecnol. [online]. 2021, vol.22, n.3.  Epub Aug 03, 2021. ISSN 2594-0732.  https://doi.org/10.22201/fi.25940732e.2021.22.3.023.

In order to determine the health risk derived from the presence of heavy metals in a town in the North of Mexico, 27 samples were taken from a tailings dam at a mine in “Cerro de Mercado”. Among the various metals and metalloids found, antimony and chromium exceeded the permissible concentration values established by the Mexican legislation, so mining waste in that region was considered to be hazardous and harmful to health. The risk assessment was carried out using the Spatial Analysis and Decision Assistance software, selecting a recreational setting with a short time exposure, and a residential setting with long exposure, obtaining as a result, that the health of the residents nearby the mine will not be damaged by metals and metalloids exposure existing in the tailings.

Keywords : Tailings; heavy metals; metalloids risk; mining waste.