Contaminación por erosión eólica e hídrica de las áreas limítrofes a la antigua zona minera de La Unión (Cartagena)

Abstract

The mining area of Cartagena – La Unión has been object of an intense exploitation for more than 2,500 years. In recent time in the second half of the XIX century and the fi rst of the XIX century mining activity was realized by underground galleries, but during second half of the XX century the exploitation was carried out to opencast, with an important earthwork, summarized in more than 360 million tons, of which 315 correspond to remainders. At the present time, the mining activity is inactive, but enormous amounts of mineral wastes exist (pyrite, galena and blende), that by their unstable characteristics and size of particles are easily mobilized, as much by the action of the wind like by the run-off waters. The heavy mineral contents of these remainders, specially of zinc and lead, are turned into possible polluting agents of the atmosphere and grounds of the adjacent areas. It is tried to evaluate the amount of mobilized material by the wind and the water, through collectors adapted for both erosive agents (aeolian and water erosion) and to determine the amount of heavy metals that are transported by the wind or run-off waters.