title: Laboratory dust generation and size-dependent characterization of metal and metalloid-contaminated mine tailings deposits.
abstract: The particle size distribution of mine tailings material has a major impact on the atmospheric transport of metal and metalloid contaminants by dust. Implications to human health should be assessed through a holistic size-resolved characterization involving multidisciplinary research, which requires large uniform samples of dust that are difficult to collect using conventional atmospheric sampling instruments. To address this limitation, we designed a laboratory dust generation and fractionation system capable of producing several grams of dust from bulk materials. The equipment was utilized in the characterization of tailings deposits from the arsenic and lead-contaminated Iron King Superfund site in Dewey-Humboldt, Arizona. Results show that metal and metalloid contaminants are more concentrated in particles of < 10 μm aerodynamic diameter, which are likely to affect surrounding communities and ecosystems. In addition, we traced the transport of contaminated particles from the tailings to surrounding soils by identifying Pb and Sr isotopic signatures in soil samples. The equipment and methods developed for this assessment ensure uniform samples for further multidisciplinary studies, thus providing a tool for comprehensive representation of emission sources and associated risks of exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, 1133 E. James E. Rogers Way, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gonzales
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, 1133 E. James E. Rogers Way, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Felix
authors.affiliation: Division of Community, Environment, and Policy, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, 1656 E. Mabel St., Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.
authors.forename: Caitlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.affiliation: Division of Community, Environment, and Policy, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, 1656 E. Mabel St., Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, 1133 E. James E. Rogers Way, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
authors.forename: Wendell
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ela
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, 1133 E. James E. Rogers Way, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. Electronic address: esaez@arizona.edu.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eduardo Sáez
mesh_terms: D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis*; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis*; D008906:Mining; D010316:Particle Size
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D007220:Industrial Waste; D007854:Lead; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: Arsenic; Dust generator; Lead; Mine tailings; Respirable dust