Journal Article

Rapid assessment of mercury-contaminated sites through the Toxic Site Identification Program (TSIP). Colombia

Ortega-Ramírez, Angie Tatiana, Binkhorst, Gordon, Keith, John S., Marín-Maldonado, Diego Fernando, Hernández, Lina, Espinosa, Charles, Rodríguez, Alfonso

2023

Overview

Mercury concentration measurements were compiled from 72 sites located throughout seven departments of Colombia using field information gathered from 2016–2021 by Pure Earth, an international non-profit organization, and secondary information from previously conducted studies. These measurements and other data such as type of contaminated resource (water, soil), resource use (fishing, agricultural, residential, and industrial), estimated at-risk population, and permissible contamination limits were entered into Pure Earth’s Toxic Site Identification Program (TSIP) database. Using information from the TSIP database, the Blacksmith Index, a contaminated site intervention prioritization index, was calculated for all 72 sites. After applying exclusion criteria to the sites for this study, the results show that approximately 55,095 people are affected by mercury contamination in 44 sites. Of these study sites, the site with the highest Blacksmith Index value and therefore, the highest health risk due to mercury contamination, is La Bocana in the department of Valle del Cauca.

• Publisher: Universidad de Antioquia, Facultad de Ingenieria,Universidad de Antioquía,Universidad de Antioquia
• Subject: Assessments / Collaboration / contaminated sites / Contamination / Departments / Earth / gold / Gold mines & mining / Hand forging / Health risk assessment / Health risks / Information management / Investigations / mercury / mining / Nonprofit organizations / Soil contamination / Soil water / tailings