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Review
. 2024 Nov 13;12(11):813.
doi: 10.3390/toxics12110813.

Presence of Potentially Toxic Elements in Historical Mining Areas in the North-Center of Mexico and Possible Bioremediation Strategies

Victor Manuel Escot-Espinoza  1 , Susana Rodríguez-Márquez  2 , Jorge Briseño-Bugarín  1 , Maria Argelia López-Luna  1 , Juan Armando Flores de la Torre  1
Affiliations
Review

Presence of Potentially Toxic Elements in Historical Mining Areas in the North-Center of Mexico and Possible Bioremediation Strategies

Victor Manuel Escot-Espinoza et al. Toxics. .

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the impacts of mining-related environmental liabilities on humans, soils, sediments, surface water and groundwater across various mining districts in Zacatecas, Mexico. An analysis has been carried out on the areas of the state most affected by the presence of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, copper, chromium and zinc, identifying priority areas for environmental assessment and remediation. Likewise, a review of the concentrations of PTEs reported in different environmental matrices of the state's mining areas with the presence of environmental liabilities was carried out, most of which exceed the maximum permissible limits established by Mexican and international regulations, generating an environmental risk for the populations near these districts due to their potential incorporation into the food chain. Additionally, this study explores research focused on the biostabilization of PTEs using microorganisms with specific metabolic activities. Phytoremediation is presented as a viable tool for the stabilization and elimination of PTEs, in which endemic plants from arid-semi-arid climates have shown favorable results in terms of the phytostabilization and phytoextraction processes of the PTEs present in mining waste.

Keywords: bioremediation; environmental receptors; mine wastes; potentially toxic elements.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Map of the study area showing (a) the main mining districts of the state of Zacatecas, (b) the sediment accumulation zone in the Calera-Francisco I. Madero-Zacatecas valley and (c) the area of the Zacatecas and Vetagrande mining districts and La Zacatecana lagoon.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Isoconcentration maps generated for (a) As, (b) Pb, (c) Cr, (d) Cd, (e) Cu and (f) Zn using the Kriging interpolation method. The degree of contamination is presented based on the MPL established in Mexico by the Federal Official Gazette (known by its Spanish abbreviation—DOF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) [56,57], as well as the probable effect level (PEL) and the interim sediment quality guideline (ISQG) established by the Canadian Council of Miners of the Environment (CEQG) [55].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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