Geochemical behavior of trace elements in the surroundings of Mina de S. Domingos, Alentejo: Tapada and Telheiro sites

Even thought the mining activity in S Domingos finished more than forty years ago, the mining site is still a source of polluting trace elements for soils and sediments downstream the open pit. The present work aims to evaluate the contamination of these soils and sediments. Therefore two sampling areas were selected: one, assumed as non-contaminated (Tapada), is used to access the reference values of the chemical variables for this region, and the other, downstream from the mining site, is affected by the mining activity (Telheiro). The soils and sediments were characterised on the