Distribution And Adsorption of Mercury in Abandoned Mines in The Laberinto - Tambopata -Puerto Maldonado Sector

Abstract

The study was conducted in the Laberinto Sector. It determined the distribution and adsorption capacity of mercury in the soil, how the physical-chemical characteristics of the soil influence the adsorption, and the entry of mercury into the vegetation. An area of 20 km2 was studied, applying the Soil Sampling Guide of the Ministry of the Environment, using the Circular Grid sampling, obtaining 4 Quadrants (A, B, C, and D) with 8 sectors, extracting a total of 33 samples, with 17 samples for physical-chemical study. For the vegetation samples, it was based on the Inventory Guide of Flora and Vegetation of the Ministry of the Environment, obtaining a total of 21 samples. The concentration of mercury in soil and vegetation samples was analyzed in the laboratory by atomic adsorption analysis, and the adsorption capacity was obtained by the Langmuir Isotherm formula. As a result, the distribution of mercury concentration is not homogeneous in the study area, and the concentration of mercury in the soil does not exceed the Environmental Quality Standards of the Peruvian Ministry of the Environment but does exceed the standards of the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP). The adsorption capacity of mercury decreases as the mercury concentration increases, being fundamental to the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil in the entry of mercury into the plants. The concentration of mercury in vegetation exceeds the maximum standards allowed by the European Union Commission by Regulation.