Expansión minera, déficit hídrico y crisis sanitaria. La potabilización del río Toconce y el impacto del arsenicismo en la población de la provincia de Antofagasta (1915-1971)

Bernardo Arriaza; Damir Galaz-Mandakovic

Expansión minera, déficit hídrico y crisis sanitaria. La potabilización del río Toconce y el impacto del arsenicismo en la población de la provincia de Antofagasta (1915-1971)

Translated title of the contribution: Mining expansion, water deficit and sanitary crisis. The potabilization of the Toconce river and the impact of arsenicism on the population of the Antofagasta province (1915-1971)

Bernardo Arriaza
, Damir Galaz-Mandakovic

Institute of Higher Research

Universidad Católica del Norte

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

This article describes and analyzes the metallic and non-metallic mining processes promoted by US capital, which increased the demand and pressure towards scarce water resources in the Atacama Desert due to the innovation of its technical systems and the expansion of its production scales. We debate the measures taken in a context of scarcity and shortage of water for the population, and how these variables influenced that the brackish waters of the Toconce River were connected to the public drinking water matrix. The final decision produced unexpected consequences with disastrous results for the health of thousands of people, since these waters naturally possess high doses of arsenic, exceeding by 80 times the norm currently recommended by the World Health Organization for drinking water.

Translated title of the contribution	Mining expansion, water deficit and sanitary crisis. The potabilization of the Toconce river and the impact of arsenicism on the population of the Antofagasta province (1915-1971)
Original language	Spanish
Pages (from-to)	73-114
Number of pages	42
Journal	Historia 396
Volume	10
Issue number	1
State	Published - 1 Jan 2020

Cite this

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title = "Expansi{\'o}n minera, d{\'e}ficit h{\'i}drico y crisis sanitaria. La potabilizaci{\'o}n del r{\'i}o Toconce y el impacto del arsenicismo en la poblaci{\'o}n de la provincia de Antofagasta (1915-1971)",

abstract = "This article describes and analyzes the metallic and non-metallic mining processes promoted by US capital, which increased the demand and pressure towards scarce water resources in the Atacama Desert due to the innovation of its technical systems and the expansion of its production scales. We debate the measures taken in a context of scarcity and shortage of water for the population, and how these variables influenced that the brackish waters of the Toconce River were connected to the public drinking water matrix. The final decision produced unexpected consequences with disastrous results for the health of thousands of people, since these waters naturally possess high doses of arsenic, exceeding by 80 times the norm currently recommended by the World Health Organization for drinking water.",

keywords = "Arsenicism, Environmental pollution, Guggenheim process, Mining, Public health, Public policies",

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AU - Galaz-Mandakovic, Damir

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N2 - This article describes and analyzes the metallic and non-metallic mining processes promoted by US capital, which increased the demand and pressure towards scarce water resources in the Atacama Desert due to the innovation of its technical systems and the expansion of its production scales. We debate the measures taken in a context of scarcity and shortage of water for the population, and how these variables influenced that the brackish waters of the Toconce River were connected to the public drinking water matrix. The final decision produced unexpected consequences with disastrous results for the health of thousands of people, since these waters naturally possess high doses of arsenic, exceeding by 80 times the norm currently recommended by the World Health Organization for drinking water.

AB - This article describes and analyzes the metallic and non-metallic mining processes promoted by US capital, which increased the demand and pressure towards scarce water resources in the Atacama Desert due to the innovation of its technical systems and the expansion of its production scales. We debate the measures taken in a context of scarcity and shortage of water for the population, and how these variables influenced that the brackish waters of the Toconce River were connected to the public drinking water matrix. The final decision produced unexpected consequences with disastrous results for the health of thousands of people, since these waters naturally possess high doses of arsenic, exceeding by 80 times the norm currently recommended by the World Health Organization for drinking water.

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KW - Guggenheim process

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Expansión minera, déficit hídrico y crisis sanitaria. La potabilización del río Toconce y el impacto del arsenicismo en la población de la provincia de Antofagasta (1915-1971)

Abstract

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