Opportunities for the Industrial Use of Mining Effluents from Quebrada Shinca - Peru

Abandoned mines and their associated tailings, dumps, dumps and waste dumps represent a significant risk to human and environmental health and must be addressed as part of the environmental responsibilities of mining. The objective of this research was to identify the levels of water contamination with arsenic and lead, and to establish some opportunities for industrial use of mining effluents from Quebrada Shinca - Peru. Four environmental reference stations were established to track changes in water quality, measured at three points in time July 2022, October 2022 and March 2023. The results show that the water flow at point QISCA 01 in the month of March 2023 increased by 582.33%, compared to the flow measured in the month of July 2022. On the other hand, the physicochemical parameters, such as: Oils and Fats, COD, Fluorides; continue to report values below the water quality standards. In addition, in July 2022, arsenic and lead concentrations in Shinca Creek water were elevated at the two main points, but by March 2023 they had been reduced to safe levels. Finally, fluctuations in concentration driven by climate behavior, resource use, self-discharges and upstream zones of Shinca-Peru stream highlight the long-term risks associated with the movement of metals from one resource to another.