RT Journal Article
T1 Tracing Soil Contamination from Pre-Roman Slags at the Monte Romero Archaeological Site, Southwest Spain
A1 Fernández Caliani, Juan Carlos
A1 Pérez Macías, Juan Aurelio
AB Soil serves as a repository of human history, preserving artifacts within its horizons. However, the presence of chemically reactive remnants, such as ancient slags, can significantly impact the surrounding soil environment. This paper addresses this scarcely explored issue by focusing on soil contamination arising from pre-Roman slag deposits at the Monte Romero archaeological site in southwest Spain, dating back to the Tartessian period (c. 7th century BC). Through the high-resolution microscopy examination of slag wastes and the trace element analysis of soil samples by ICP-OES, this study evaluated current contamination status using a multi-index approach. The results revealed markedly high levels of Pb (>5000 mg kg−1), Cu (up to 2730 mg kg−1), and As (up to 445 mg kg−1) in the soil compared to a control sample. The identification of secondary complex compounds like Cu arsenates and Pb arsenates/antimonates within slag cavities suggests post-depositional weathering processes, leading to the dispersion of potentially toxic elements into the surrounding soil. Assessments through indices of contamination and potential ecological risk highlighted severe contamination, particularly concerning Ag, Pb, Sb, Cu, and As. This study underscores the importance of addressing potential environmental hazards associated with archaeological sites hosting remnants of metal production.
PB MDPI
SN 2571-8789 (electrónico)
YR 2024
FD 2024-07
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10272/24094
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10272/24094
LA eng
NO Fernández-Caliani, J. C., & Pérez-Macías, J. A. (2024). Tracing Soil Contamination from Pre-Roman Slags at the Monte Romero Archaeological Site, Southwest Spain. In Soil Systems (Vol. 8, Issue 3, p. 78). MDPI AG. https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems8030078
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
RD 1 jun 2026