The spring of Pitoi or Sant Antoni in the north slope by the stream of Soldevila, in Sallent, turned very saline in the 1980s because the dumping of saline mining residues in the landfill of Cogulló.
The construction in 2016 and 2017 of wells and drainage trenches on the north side of the landfill of Cogulló bottom to collect the brine running through the limestone rock strata in the underground achieved to reduce the flow of brine reaching the source of Pitoi. Although, the environment of the spring is already devastated with large patches empty of vegetation, dead trunks standing up because the salt prevents from their decomposition, and the limestone broken in blocks as a result of flow of brine through the cracks. Whilst the spring canalization is lost, a water that is not water but brine at 110,000 milligrams of chloride per litre (analysis of 24.07.2024) flows by multiple points.
The wall of spring of Pitoi has 3 layers of rock: the original and stratified lacustrine limestone, a coat of travertine laid by water with calcium carbonate before the existence of the landfill of saline residues of Cogulló, and, above the wet areas of the travertine, a second coat of salt made since the salinisation of the spring.
In the sheltered parts of the wall of the spring of Pitoi, brine leaks drop by drop developing fine stalactites of white salt. The process is parallel to that of the formation of calcium carbonate stalactites in wet caves and shelters, but faster and having sodium chloride or common salt as raw material instead of calcium carbonate.
Stalactites and other salt speleothems are also present, in greater extent and better sheltered places, in the gallery of the Cardona salt mine that can be visited, and in the cave Forat Micó in the Mountain of Salt of Cardona. The stalactites of halite or common salt are narrow, more or less straight according to the stillness of the room, and always very fragile -do not touch! As they are made quickly, they also will break or dilute easily if the conditions change.
[photos Jordi Badia]