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(45-05) Radioactive contamination and risk characterization in coastal areas affected by mining activites (SW, Spain). DelValls, Angel*,1, Riba, Inmaculada1, Betti, Maria2, Aldave de las Heras, Laura2, Hrnecek, Erich2, Perna, Lorenzo2,3, Forja, Jesus1, Gomez-Parra, Abelardo1, 1 Departamento de Química Física. Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales. Universidad de Cádiz. Polígono río San Pedro s/n., Puerto Real. Cádiz, Spain2 European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Transuranium Elements, P.O. Box 2340, Karlsruhe, Germany3 Universidad Politecnica de Catalunya, Chemical Engineering Department, Av.Diagonal 647, Barcelona, Spain ABSTRACT- The results of the first assessment of environmental risk associated with samples of water, sediment and organisms collected in shallow littoral areas in the Gulf of Cadiz (SW, Spain) are presented and associated with radioactive contamination. These areas are affected by mining activities carried out in the Iberian Pyrite Belt and therefore polluted by metals and radionuclides at a different extent of concentration. The water and sediment samples were collected in different areas affected by different grades of contamination originated by mining effluents. These samples were selected in areas chronically affected by mining activities (Ria of Huelva) and areas impacted by an acute episode of contamination (The Aznalcollar mining spill) and located in the Guadiamar and Guadalquivir estuaries. Furthermore, organism tissues of individuals (clam: Scrobicularia plana and fish: Solea senegalensis) exposed to contaminated sediments from the mentioned area were analyzed to establish the adverse effect of the sediment samples in the ecosystem. This investigation is the first taking into consideration the effect of the radioactive contamination, carrying out the determination of the radionuclide concentrations in organisms exposed to sediments from the described areas. Previous results show a high mortality of benthic organisms exposed to dilution of toxic mud from the mining spill occurred in the Aznalcollar disaster. These concentrations were found in some of the stations located in the acute impacted area of the Guadalquivir estuary. Although further ecotoxicity evaluations should be performed, the results presented here show how the contamination from the mining spill became of concern and is affecting to the ecosystems studied. An integrative overall assessment should be carried out to establish the risk associated with the accident and to widely compare it with the chronic affected area of Huelva and specifically to take into account the radioactive component of the contamination. Key words: Radioactive contamination, heavy metals, Aznalcollar mining spill, adverse effects |
