Abstract The mercury pollution of the soil and water environments in a mining area of Villa Hidalgo, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and its effects on the area's soil characteristics were evaluated. Soil and water were collected from seven localities in Villa Hidalgo in the autumn of 2016. The physicochemical and mineralogical characteristics of the soil samples were analyzed. Water samples were obtained from wells used for human activities, such as irrigation, housework, and human consumption. The total mercury (THg) content in the water at the monitoring sites was lower than the threshold value and related to some physicochemical water quality parameters. Regarding soil characteristics, the samples were mainly composed by O, Si, Ca, Al, and Fe, and the associated minerals included grossularite, labradorite, and orthoclase. The distribution of the Hg fractions and Hg species in the soil samples were investigated; the THg content ranged from 0.34 to 41.76 mg kg−1, which exceeded the national regulations for a single site. The residual mercury was the main Hg fraction in the soils, and methylmercury was not detected. The relationships between the mercury fractions and the physicochemical and mineralogical characteristics of the soils demonstrated that low organic carbon content and high concentrations of iron, aluminum, and calcium are the most important factors that affect the soil fraction distribution and low mercury mobility in the area. These results could indicate the association of mercury with sulfides, silicates, and crystalline oxides of iron and manganese. A relatively low degree of potential risk for the population (children and adults) was corroborated with the results of the hazard indexes (HI: 3.0 × 10−2 – 2.1 × 10−1); however, these values can be underestimated, since there could be other Hg exposure sources.

中文翻译：

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墨西哥 SLP 维拉伊达尔戈矿区土壤中汞的迁移率和形态：初步风险评估

摘要 对墨西哥圣路易斯波托西州维拉伊达尔戈矿区水土环境汞污染及其对该地区土壤特征的影响进行了评价。2016 年秋季在 Villa Hidalgo 的七个地点收集了土壤和水。分析了土壤样品的理化和矿物学特征。水样取自用于人类活动的水井，例如灌溉、家务劳动和人类消费。监测点水体总汞（THg）含量低于阈值，与一些理化水质参数有关。从土壤特征来看，样品主要由O、Si、Ca、Al和Fe组成，伴生矿物包括长石、拉长石和正长石。研究了土壤样品中汞组分和汞种类的分布；THg 含量范围为 0.34 至 41.76 mg kg-1，超过国家规定的单一场地。残留汞是土壤中主要的汞成分，未检出甲基汞。汞组分与土壤物理化学和矿物学特征之间的关系表明，有机碳含量低和铁、铝和钙浓度高是影响该地区土壤组分分布和汞迁移率低的最重要因素。这些结果可能表明汞与硫化物、硅酸盐以及铁和锰的结晶氧化物有关。危害指数的结果（HI：3.0 × 10−2 – 2.1 × 10−1）证实了人群（儿童和成人）的潜在风险程度相对较低；然而，这些值可能会被低估，因为可能存在其他汞暴露源。