Titled Blowin’ in the Wind: Mapping the Dispersion of Metal(loid)s From Atacama Mining, this article is the result of a collaborative study between researchers from the University of Heidelberg, the Center of International Excellence, based in Chile, of the Sustainable Minerals Institute of The University of Queensland (Australia), San Diego State University (USA) and several Chilean universities and academic institutions.
Recently published by GeoHealth (Wiley – AGU), its main findings demonstrate that mining disturbs the natural distribution patterns of metals and metalloids in the Atacama Desert, causing an increase in surface levels of copper, molybdenum and arsenic in the soil. The scientific publication also establishes that particulate matter from mining facilities is dispersed up to 70 km in the Atacama Desert, posing a possible risk to the health of nearby communities. The study refutes the generally established idea that the presence of arsenic in soils of the Atacama Desert is due solely to natural processes.
David Rubinos has a bachelor’s degree and Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), with a specialization in Ecology and a postgraduate degree in Soil and Water Quality from the Food Research and Analysis Institute of the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain). David has more than 25 years of experience in scientific research, during which he has participated in various national and international projects and he is the author of numerous scientific articles in indexed journals. His main lines of research include biogeochemistry, ecotoxicology and the risks to human health of toxic elements in environmental systems, the reuse and impacts of mining wastes and the (bio)remediation of contaminated waters and soils.
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