Assessment of Water Resources Pollution Associated with Mining Activities in the Parac Subbasin of the Rimac River
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Dear Authors
The manuscript presents interesting value but need some revision especially - the methods section and results description.
More figures and/or tables are welcome - for every metal and additionally all thogether in one, bold the worst, explain why.
The rest of comments you may find in the file as comments
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Author Response
Reviewer 1:
Comment – 1 : this section is not important. what about canceling it? Pag. 58,59,60,61
Our Response: Cancel this section
Comment – 2: to the "methods" section should be added subsection where is described source of results, sampling points etc. Describe river and analysed points location and surroundings when samples where taken and by who how often, what was the period of time of sampling, how much samples describe analytical methods of assessed contaminants
Our Response: Moved to discussion as suggested
Comment – 3 : in the "methods" section there is no word about groundwater - describe this source, samplin, contaminants, the depth etc
Our Response: Several points also suggested by the other reviewers were added.
Comment – 4 : I recommend show for goundwater and surface water separately - they are different sources and cannot be combined
Our Response: It has been placed at the point of discussion of results
Comment – 5: describe every point separately with contaminants concentration
Our Response: They have been responded with some suggestions also from the other reviewers.
Comment – 6: you should present every considered metal in the figures or no one
Our Response: Maps have been incorporated for better understanding
Comment – 7: indicate how this industry may have influence on water quality and why when is the highest mines activity, how contaminanst may leak to water
Our Response: Se han incorporado detalles de lo solicitado tanto en los resultados como en las conclusiones
Comment – 8: conclusions should be completed with results from particular points, types of water, years season, and mines acivity
Our Response: Added some results as you suggested
Comment – 8
I recommend to complete references with some publication in the fiels of heave metals and area's sampling" heavy metals: DOI 10.5004/dwt.2018.22551 sampling: E3S Web of Conferences, 2018, 30, 01013
Our Response: Add this references
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
See the attached file.
Comments for author File: Comments.pdf
Author Response
Manuscript ID :2219435
Assessment of water resources pollution associated with mining activities in the Parac subbasin – Rimac River
Authors; Julio Cesar Minga , Alfredo Iglesias, Francisco Elorza Ramon Rodriguez, and Doris Esenarro
Dear Sir: We are very grateful to the respected editor of Water to Review for giving us his valuable time to review our article. Reviewer comments and our responses are in this document below. Please note that the page numbers mentioned in this document correspond to the file where the addition of words is marked in blue and the deletion is marked in red.
Reviewer 2:
Comment – 1 : L30-31, There are some errors in the grammar of the sentence. Thus, they must be checked and corrected.
Our Response: Suggested fixes were made
Comment – 2 : L31, “Thus, the water resource becomes the point most damaged by mining contamination” It is worth suggesting giving some examples to illustrate this point.
Our Response: Suggested added
Comment – 3 : L76-77, “Consequently, any mining exploitation above 3500 meters above sea level is detrimental to water resource management” It is worth reconsidering whether mining at altitudes below 3,500 meters is free of water pollution.
Our Response: It is being explained and some other references pertinent to the subject have been added
Comment – 4 : L102-106, What is the reason for choosing to study toxic elements such as Cu, As, Pb, Mn, Fe, Cd, and Zn? In section 2, the authors need to add some necessary information, such as water sampling information (location, environmental conditions around the sampling point, etc), sampling and analytical methods, etc.
Our Response; Maps have been incorporated for better understanding
Comment – 5 : L149, what does “Cd” mean? Is it “Ci”?
Our Response: That point has been detailed.
Comment – 6: L153-154, and L162-163, These symbols need to use the subscript.
Our Response: That point has been detailed
Comment – 7: L256-260, “The concentration values of As and Fe……” Al, Cd, and Mn in groundwater also exceed the standard. Why does the author ignore them? 2
Our Response : That point has been detailed.
Comment – 8: L100-101, “Therefore, the objective of this research work……..” and lines 360-361 “The objective of the research was to estimate the state of the surface waters…….” The author should be clear about the purpose of the paper.
Our Response: Those observed points have been corrected
Comment – 9: L368-370, “The contamination indicators (HIP, Cd, and HEI) served as a model for obtaining the……..” As a part of concluding, specify the exact conclusions drawn from the paper.
Our Response: Suggestions have been included
Comment – 10: L374-375, “As a result, the indicators show the quality of water bodies in relation to heavy metals.” What kind of water body quality does it reflect? The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of mining activities on water resources in the region, but it does not point out exactly how mining activities affect water resources. The relationship between them should be analyzed in depth. The introduction should add some background on the impact of mining activities on water resources.
Our Response : Those observed points have been corrected
Comment – 11: conclusions should be completed with results from particular points, types of water, years season, and mines activity
Our Response : Suggested added
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
Water
Manuscript Number: 2191435
Title: Assessment of water resources pollution associated with mining activities in the Parac subbasin – Rimac River
Type: Article
Keywords: mining; water; contaminated; water sample, pollution
The main purpose of the manuscript Water-2191435 is to evaluate the contamination of the water resource using an integrated approach based on contamination evaluation indices and statistical approaches (PCA and Pearson correlation)
The paper appears no well-structured and some sections must be improved. Therefore, I believe the manuscript should be published only after major revision.
Comment
The manuscript does not contain a description of the physical- chemical characteristics of the water, but only some trace elements are reported. Furthermore, a geochemical classification of the waters studied by means of triangular diagrams coupled to a TIS is completely absent!
Specific comments
Line 19: what do the two components of the PCA identified explain? should also be reported in the abstract
Line 142: a geological map and a mineralogical and petrographic description of the outcropping lithologies are missing
Line 213: a discussion of major elements is completely absent! only trace elements cannot be discussed...
I strongly recommend integrating this part with a geochemical characterization through the use of triangle diagrams, TIS and element vs element. see for example the work of:
Apollaro, C., Tripodi, V., Vespasiano, G., De Rosa, R., Dotsika, E., Fuoco, I., Critelli, S. and Muto, F., 2019. Chemical, isotopic and geotectonic relations of the warm and cold waters of the Galatro and Antonimina thermal areas, southern Calabria, Italy. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 109, pp.469-483
Line 319: the origin of these elements must be explained. For example, As and Fe could derive from the sulphides. see the work of:
Fuoco I., De Rosa R., Barca D., Figoli A., Gabriele B. and Apollaro C., (2022). Arsenic polluted waters: Application of geochemical modelling as a tool to understand the release and fate of the pollutant in crystalline aquifers. Journal of Environmental Management, 301, p.113796.
Discussions and conclusions need to be rewritten taking into account previous comments
English must be reviewed by a native speaker
Recommended works must be added in the bibliography:
Fuoco, I., De Rosa, R., Barca, D., Figoli, A., Gabriele, B. and Apollaro, C., 2022. Arsenic polluted waters: Application of geochemical modelling as a tool to understand the release and fate of the pollutant in crystalline aquifers. Journal of Environmental Management, 301, p.113796.
Apollaro, C., Tripodi, V., Vespasiano, G., De Rosa, R., Dotsika, E., Fuoco, I., Critelli, S. and Muto, F., 2019. Chemical, isotopic and geotectonic relations of the warm and cold waters of the Galatro and Antonimina thermal areas, southern Calabria, Italy. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 109, pp.469-483
Author Response
Manuscript ID :2219435
Assessment of water resources pollution associated with mining activities in the Parac subbasin – Rimac River
Authors; Julio Cesar Minga , Alfredo Iglesias, Francisco Elorza Ramon Rodriguez, and Doris Esenarro
Dear Sir: We are very grateful to the respected editor of Water to Review for giving us his valuable time to review our article. Reviewer comments and our responses are in this document below. Please note that the page numbers mentioned in this document correspond to the file where the addition of words is marked in blue and the deletion is marked in red.
Reviewer 3:
Comment – 1: The manuscript does not contain a description of the physical- chemical characteristics of the water, but only some trace elements are reported. Furthermore, a geochemical classification of the waters studied by means of triangular diagrams coupled to a TIS is completely absent!
Our Response : Other reference graphics have been added for better understanding.
Specific comments
Comment – 2; Line 19: what do the two components of the PCA identified explain? should also be reported in the abstract
Our Response : The suggested abstract has been added
Comment – 3: Line 142: a geological map and a mineralogical and petrographic description of the outcropping lithologies are missing
Our Response : Maps have been incorporated as suggested
Comment – 4: Line 213: a discussion of major elements is completely absent! only trace elements cannot be discussed...I strongly recommend integrating this part with a geochemical characterization through the use of triangle diagrams, TIS and element vs element. see for example the work of:
Our Response : Suggested added and add the reference
Comment –5: Line 319: the origin of these elements must be explained. For example, As and Fe could derive from the sulphides. see the work of:
Our Response : That point has been detailed and add the reference suggested
Comment 6: Discussions and conclusions need to be rewritten taking into account previous comments
Our Response : Do it
Comment –7: English must be reviewed by a native speaker
Our Response: Added some results as you suggested
Comment –8: Recommended works must be added in the bibliography:
Our Response: Other more significant references to the subject have been changed and added
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Authors have considered Reviewer comments and improved the manuscript
I recommend publication
Author Response
Dear Mr. Reviewer, English corrected and also some incorrect references as pointed out by one of the reviewers.
Thank you very much for your contributions
Doris
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
- This version can be accepted now.
Author Response
Dear Mr. Reviewer, English corrected and also some incorrect references as pointed out by one of the reviewers.
Thank you very much for your contributions
Doris
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
The paper was improved after first step of revision. But there are still several things to improve, like a general revision of the english and a a careful check of the bibliography. Here, for example, some works have been inserted in Spanish (see 52 and 53) while they should be entered in English.
52-Fuoco I., De Rosa R., Barca D., Figoli A., Gabriele B. and Apollaro C., (2022). Arsenic polluted waters: Application of geochemical modelling as a tool to understand the release and fate of the pollutant in crystalline aquifers. Journal of Environmental Management, 301, p.113796. DOI:10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113796
53-Apollaro, C., Tripodi, V., Vespasiano, G., De Rosa, R., Dotsika, E., Fuoco, I., Critelli, S. and Muto, F., 2019. Chemical, isotopic and geotectonic relations of the warm and cold waters of the Galatro and Antonimina thermal areas, southern Calabria, Italy. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 109, pp.469-483.
Author Response
Dear Mr. Reviewer, English corrected and also some incorrect references as pointed out by one of the reviewers.
Thank you very much for your contributions
Doris
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
