RT Journal Article
T1 Microprobe Techniques for Speciation Analysis and Geochemical Characterization of Mine Environments:  The Mercury District of Almadén in Spain
A1 Bernaus, Anna
A1 Gaona, Xavier
A1 Esbrí Víctor, José María
A1 Higueras, Pablo
A1 Falkenberg, Gerald
A1 Valiente, M.
AB Metallurgic calcines with very high mercury and methylmercury content from the Almadén mining district were analyzed by synchrotron-based microprobe techniques. Information about mercury speciation was obtained by μ-EXAFS (microscopic extended X-ray absorption fine structure) spectroscopy, whereas elemental associations were evaluated by iμ-XRF (microscopic X-ray fluorescence analysis) mapping. Complementary characterization methodologies, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma-optical spectroscopy (ICP-OES), as well as a sequential extraction scheme (SES), were used to predict the potential availability of mercury. Analysis of total metal content revealed extremely high concentrations of mercury and iron (between 7 and 35 and 65-70 g kg-1, respectively) and high zinc concentrations (2.2-2.5 g kg-1), whereas other metals such as copper, nickel, and lead were found at low concentration levels (30-300 mg kg-1). μ-EXAFS results indicate that cinnabar (HgSred) is one of the main species within the studied mercury-rich particles (5-89% of total mercury content), together with more soluble mercury compounds such as Hg 3(SO4)O2 (schuetteite) and HgO (5-55% of total mercury content). Additionally, element-specific μ-XRF maps of selected mercury-rich particles in the studied samples revealed an evident correlation among Hg-Pb-Ni (and S), indicating a possible geochemical linkage of these elements. Correlations were also found among Fe-Mn and Hg, which have been attributed to sorption of mercury onto oxyhydroxides of Fe and Mn. This finding was supported by results from a sequential extraction scheme, where a significant amount of Hg was extracted with the fraction soluble in 6 M HCl.
PB American Chemical Society
SN 0013-936X
YR 2006
FD 2006
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/112271
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/112271
LA eng
NO Bernaus, Anna, et al. «Microprobe Techniques for Speciation Analysis and Geochemical Characterization of Mine Environments: The Mercury District of Almadén in Spain». Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 40, n.º 13, julio de 2006, pp. 4090-95. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1021/es052392l.
NO Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología (España)
NO Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (España)
NO Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (España)
DS Docta Complutense
RD 7 abr 2025