INSTITUTE OF EARTH SCIENCES

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Spatial mobility of U and Th in a U-enriched area (Central Portugal)

Publication . Antunes, I.M.H.R.; Santos, António; Valente, Teresa; Albuquerque, M.T.D.

Uranium and thorium are toxic in different environments. The exploitation of uranium mines and associated mine drainage leaching towards streams, sediments, and soils cause relevant pollution. The U-mine areas present high concentrations of potentially toxic elements with several consequences to ecosystems and human health. Physicochemical and potentially toxic elements of mine dumps, stream sediments, and soils from the Canto Lagar uranium mine area (Central Portugal) were analyzed. Stream sediments, soils, and mine dumps show a large range in the concentration values of Fe, U, As, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Th, suggesting geological and mine contributions. Most of the selected potential toxic elements from sediments present a low to moderate contamination degree, except for As, W, and U, which vary between high and very high contamination index. The soils must not be used in agricultural or residential activities due to contamination in As and U. This abandoned mine represents an environmental risk due to the spatial mobility and dispersion of potentially toxic elements from the dumps to the sediments and soils, as well as by surface runoff and wind.

2020Journal article

Open access

DRASTICAI: a new index for groundwater vulnerability assessment:a portuguese case study

Publication . Albuquerque, M.T.D.; Roque, Natália; Rodrigues, Joana; Antunes, I.M.H.R.; Silva, C.

Groundwater vulnerability assessment has become a useful tool for groundwater pollution prevention. Groundwater vulnerability maps provide useful data for protecting groundwater resources. Identification of agricultural patterns is an important issue for optimized land management. The watershed of the Tagus River is the backbone of this study. Naturtejo UNESCO Global Geopark, in the central interior of Portugal, corresponds to a rural area. Intensive agricultural practices showed an increasing trend in the last decades. The method that is most used internationally to assess vulnerability is the DRASTIC index. In this study, the DRASTICAI index is introduced. A new attribute—anthropogenic influence—is added here. Five levels of increasing vulnerability, from low to high, can be recognized here. The municipality of Idanha-a-Nova is most affected by intensive agricultural activities, showing spatial patterns of DRASTICAI with a clear influence of anthropogenic activities, with high needs for groundwater abstraction. A robust assessment of groundwater quality has a key role. Climate change scenarios and water scarcity are important issues in the coming years, and particularly in the studied area. Therefore, optimized groundwater management is essential to consider in policy-making strategies.

2021Journal article

Open access