Table 6.
Maximum Permissible Limits (LMP) and Environmental Quality Standards (ECA) considered for spillage of copper and gold mining tailings in Peru, Chile, and internationally [7].
| Total Parameters | Peru | Chile | International LMP (3) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LMP | ECA (1) | LMP | ECA | ||
| Water for irrigation (mg/L) | |||||
| Arsenic | 0.08 | 0.05 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Cadmium | 0.04 | 0.005 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Cyanide | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | -- |
| Copper | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.017 |
| Chromium | 0.08 | 0.1 | 0.1 | -- | 0.55 |
| Iron (dissolved) | 1.6 | 1 | 5 | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| Manganese | -- | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.01 | -- |
| Mercury | 0.0016 | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.001 | -- |
| Lead | 0.16 | 0.05 | 5 | 5 | 0.065 |
| Zinc | 1.2 | 2 | 2 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| pH | 6–9 | 6.5–8.5 | 5.5–9 | 6.5–8.5 | -- |
| Agricultural land (mg/Kg) | (2) | ||||
| Arsenic | -- | 50 | 20 | ||
| Barium | -- | 750 | -- | ||
| Cadmium | -- | 1.4 | 3 | ||
| Chromium | -- | 0.4 | 100 | ||
| Lead | -- | 70 | 100 | ||
| Free Cyanide | -- | 0.9 | 2 *** | ||
| Mercury | -- | 6.60 | 0.50 ** | ||
| Cyanide | -- | 0.09 | 300 | ||
(1) Decreto Supremo N° 010-2010-MINAM, Peru. (2) Decreto Supremo N° 011-2017-MINAM, Peru. (3) The international LMPs for water and soil were taken by the WHO and the FAO. ** Canada Quality Guide 2003 (PEL). *** U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) 2021.