Assessment of risk to health caused by the exposure to mining waste in Durango, Mexico

In order to determine the health risk derived from the presence of heavy metals on the residents of a town in the North of Mexico, 27 samples were taken from a tailings dam at a mine in "Cerro de Mercado". Among the various metals and metalloids found, antimony and chromium exceeded the permissible concentration values established by the Mexican legislation, so mining waste in that region was considered to be hazardous and harmful to health. The risk assessment was carried out using the Spatial Analysis and Decision Assistance software, selecting a recreational setting with a short time exposure, and a residential setting with long exposure, obtaining as a result, that the health of the residents nearby the mine will not be damaged by metals and metalloids exposure existing in the tailings.