Environmental impact of mining activities on the Hermioni area, Greece

Publisher Summary This chapter investigates the environmental impact of mining activities in the Hermioni area, Greece, including the offshore area. A chemical analysis of sediments associated with diabase lavas in the Hermioni mine area has shown significant enrichments in Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and As relative to normal pelagic clays. Marked geographic compositional variations within the Hermioni area have been observed, the highest metal enrichments found at Baroutospelia. Mineralogically the Fe–Mn sediments contain hematite, quartz, and minor amounts of illite, smectites, and feldspars. A chemical analysis of sulfide ore samples showed that the Hermioni ores are Cu-rich pyrites, always contain…