Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38869651›Full record

ArticleEnvironmental geochemistry and health2024

Legacy effects of historical gold mining on floodplains of an Australian river.

Francesco Colombi, Aleicia Holland, Darren Baldwin, Susan Lawrence, Peter Davies, Ian Rutherfurd, James Grove, Jodi Turnbull, Mark Macklin, Greg Hil and 1 more

Abstract readHistorical Article
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Environmental geochemistry and health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Francesco ColombiDepartment of Environment and Genetics, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Albury/Wodonga Campus, Wodonga, VIC, 3690, Australia. 19574689@students.ltu.edu.au.
Aleicia HollandDepartment of Environment and Genetics, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Albury/Wodonga Campus, Wodonga, VIC, 3690, Australia.
Darren BaldwinSchool of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Thurgoona, NSW, 2640, Australia.
Susan LawrenceDepartment of Archaeology and History, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia.
Peter DaviesDepartment of Archaeology and History, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia.
Ian RutherfurdSchool of Geography, Faculty of Earth and Atmospheric Science, University of Melbourne, 22 Bouverie Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia.
James GroveSchool of Geography, Faculty of Earth and Atmospheric Science, University of Melbourne, 22 Bouverie Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia.
Jodi TurnbullDepartment of Archaeology and History, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia.
Mark MacklinSchool of Geography and Lincoln Centre for Water and Planetary Health, College of Science, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN6 TS, UK.
Greg HilDepartment of Archaeology and History, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia.
Ewen SilvesterDepartment of Environment and Genetics, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Albury/Wodonga Campus, Wodonga, VIC, 3690, Australia.

Funding

Australian Research Discovery grant DP160100799
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The gold rush at the end of the nineteenth century in south-eastern Australia resulted in the mobilization and re-deposition of vast quantities of tailings that modified the geomorphology of the associated river valleys. Previous studies of contamination risk in these systems have either been performed directly on mine wastes (e.g., battery sand) or at locations close to historical mine sites but have largely ignored the extensive area of riverine alluvial deposits extending downstream from gold mining locations. Here we studied the distribution of contaminant metal(loids) in the Loddon River catchment, one of the most intensively mined areas of the historical gold-rush period in Australia (1851-1914). Floodplain alluvium along the Loddon River was sampled to capture differences in metal and metalloid concentrations between the anthropogenic floodplain deposits and the underlying original floodplain. Elevated levels of arsenic up to 300 mg-As/kg were identified within the anthropogenic alluvial sediment, well above sediment guidelines (ISQG-high trigger value of 70 ppm) and substantially higher than in the pre-mining alluvium. Maximum arsenic concentrations were found at depth within the anthropogenic alluvium (plume-like), close to the contact with the original floodplain. The results obtained here indicate that arsenic may pose a significantly higher risk within this river catchment than previously assessed through analysis of surface floodplain soils. The risks of this submerged arsenic plume will require further investigation of its chemical form (speciation) to determine its mobility and potential bioavailability. Our work shows the long-lasting impact of historical gold mining on riverine landscapes.

Indexed as

Environmental MonitoringGeologic SedimentsGoldMiningRiversWater Pollutants, ChemicalArsenicAustraliaHistory, 19th CenturyHistory, 20th CenturyArsenicGoldWater Pollutants, ChemicalArsenicFloodplain sedimentsGold miningRiversVictoria

Identifiers

PMID38869651
PMCPMC11176104

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.