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The mine tailing accident in Aznalcollar
J O Grimalt1, M Ferrer, E Macpherson
1Department of Environmental Chemistry (ICER-CSIC), Jordi Girona, Barcelona, Spain. jgoqam@cid.csic.es
The Science of the Total Environment
|January 15, 2000
Summary
A mine tailings spill released acidic, toxic metal-laden water into Doñana Park. Urgent actions were taken to mitigate environmental risks from this Aznalcollar accident.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Geochemistry
- Ecotoxicology
Background:
- The Aznalcollar mine (SW Spain) experienced a significant tailings spill accident.
- This event released large volumes of acidic water (pH ~3) and mud into the Doñana Park surroundings.
- The spill contaminated the environment with toxic heavy metals including zinc, lead, arsenic, copper, and mercury.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize Doñana Park's environment.
- To describe Aznalcollar mine activities and associated environmental risks.
- To summarize the tailings spill accident and initial emergency response actions.
Main Methods:
- Site characterization of Doñana Park.
- Analysis of mine activities and environmental risks.
- Documentation of the spill event and immediate mitigation efforts.
Main Results:
- Identification of Doñana Park's key ecological features.
- Assessment of potential environmental hazards from Aznalcollar mining operations.
- Summary of the Aznalcollar mine tailings spill and its immediate aftermath.
Conclusions:
- The Aznalcollar mine tailings spill posed a severe environmental threat to Doñana Park due to acidic, metal-rich discharges.
- Initial preventive and mitigation actions were implemented to address the immediate consequences of the accident.
- Understanding the characteristics of the affected area and the nature of the spill is crucial for long-term environmental management.