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Soil mercury levels in the area surrounding the Cerro Prieto geothermal complex, MEXICO

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Abstract

Even though geothermal energy is a renewable energy source that is seen as cost-effective and environmentally friendly, emissions from geothermal plants can impact air, soil, and water in the vicinity of geothermal power plants. The Cerro Prieto geothermal complex is located 30 km southeast of the city of Mexicali in the Mexican state of Baja California. Its installed electricity generation capacity is 720 MW, being the largest geothermal complex in Mexico. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the emissions generated by the geothermal complex have increased the soil mercury concentration in the surrounding areas. Fifty-four surface soil samples were collected from the perimeter up to an approximate distance of 7660 m from the complex. Additionally, four soil depth profiles were performed in the vicinity of the complex. Mercury concentration in 69 % of the samples was higher than the mercury concentration found at the baseline sites. The mercury concentration ranged from 0.01 to 0.26 mg/kg. Our results show that the activities of the geothermal complex have led to an accumulation of mercury in the soil of the surrounding area. More studies are needed to determine the risk to human health and the ecosystems in the study area.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC) for the financial support through its internal program of research grants (16ta Convocatoria interna para apoyo a proyectos de Investigacion de la UABC). The authors are also indebted to Professor Samuel G. Meléndez-Lopez for proofreading an earlier version of this manuscript and the anonymous reviewers for their comments to improve the quality of this paper.

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  1. Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Calzada Universidad 14418, Parque Industrial Internacional Tijuana, CP 22390, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

    M. A. Pastrana-Corral, F. T. Wakida, E. García-Flores, D. D. Rodriguez-Mendivil, A. Quiñonez-Plaza & T. D. J. Piñon-Colin

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  1. M. A. Pastrana-Corral
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  2. F. T. Wakida
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  3. E. García-Flores
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  4. D. D. Rodriguez-Mendivil
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  5. A. Quiñonez-Plaza
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Correspondence to F. T. Wakida.

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Pastrana-Corral, M.A., Wakida, F.T., García-Flores, E. et al. Soil mercury levels in the area surrounding the Cerro Prieto geothermal complex, MEXICO . Environ Monit Assess 188, 466 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5474-1

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