Major Ionic Composition of Aerosol, Rainwater and its Impact on Surface and Sub-surface Waters, in and Around Mangalore, West Coast of India

Mining activities in Rakha copper mine (Jharkhand, India) were ceased in the year 2001, leaving a huge amount of untreated tailings in the nearby tailings pond. The copper tailings contained high concentrations of heavy metals (total Cu, Ni concentrations 1779, 564 mgkg⁻¹, respectively), and low contents of major nutrient elements and organic matter. Tailings are often very unstable, and a potential vegetation cover may reduce the erosion or immobilize the toxicants to surrounding environment by phytostabilization. However, high shoot concentrations of elements might disperse them and could be harmful to grazing animals. The objective of this study was to find out which of the three properties; low-accumulation, root accumulation or shoot accumulation of elements (Cu, Ni, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cd and Co), occur in the semi aquatic species Ammania baccifera growing on copper tailings. Roots of this species accumulated high levels of Cu, even more than 1000 mg kg⁻¹, DW. Metals accumulated by A. baccifera were mostly distributed in root tissues, suggesting that an exclusion strategy for metal tolerance widely exists in them. Thus, establishment of such plant on copper tailings can be a safe method to stabilize the metals.     

Geochemical position of Pb,Zn and Cd in soils near the Olkusz mine/smelter,South Poland: effects of land use,type of contamination and distance from pollution source

The soils adjacent to an area of historical mining, ore processing and smelting activities reflects the historical background and a mixing of recent contamination sources. The main anthropogenic sources of metals can be connected with historical and recent mine wastes, direct atmospheric deposition from mining and smelting processes and dust particles originating from open tailings ponds. Contaminated agriculture and forest soil samples with mining and smelting related pollutants were collected at different distances from the source of emission in the Pb–Zn–Ag mining area near Olkusz, Upper Silesia to (a) compare the chemical speciation of metals in agriculture and forest soils situated at the same distance from the point source of pollution (paired sampling design), (b) to evaluate the relationship between the distance from the polluter and the retention of the metals in the soil, (c) to describe mineralogy transformation of anthropogenic soil particles in the soils, and (d) to assess the effect of deposited fly ash vs. dumped mining/smelting waste on the mobility and bioavailability of metals in the soil. Forest soils are much more affected with smelting processes than agriculture soils. However, agriculture soils suffer from the downward metal migration more than the forest soils. The maximum concentrations of Pb, Zn, and Cd were detected in a forest soil profile near the smelter and reached about 25 g kg^− 1, 20 g kg^− 1 and 200 mg kg^− 1 for Pb, Zn and Cd, respectively. The metal pollutants from smelting processes are less stable under slightly alkaline soil pH then acidic due to the metal carbonates precipitation. Metal mobility ranges in the studied forest soils are as follows: Pb > Zn ≈ Cd for relatively circum-neutral soil pH (near the smelter), Cd > Zn > Pb for acidic soils (further from the smelter). Under relatively comparable pH conditions, the main soil properties influencing metal migration are total organic carbon and cation exchange capacity. The mobilization of Pb, Zn and Cd in soils depends on the persistence of the metal-containing particles in the atmosphere; the longer the time, the more abundant the stable forms. The dumped mining/smelting waste is less risk of easily mobilizable metal forms, however, downward metal migration especially due to the periodical leaching of the waste was observed.     

Evaluating the Applicability of Regulatory Leaching Tests for Assessing Lead Leachability in Contaminated Shooting Range Soils

The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) is the current US-EPA standard protocol to evaluate metal leachability in wastes and contaminated soils. However, application of TCLP to assess lead (Pb) leachability from contaminated shooting range soils may be questionable. This study determined Pb leachability in the range soils using TCLP and another US-EPA regulatory leaching method, synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP). Possible mechanisms that are responsible for Pb leaching in each leaching protocol were elucidated via X-ray diffraction (XRD). Soil samples were collected from the backstop berms at four shooting ranges, with Pb concentrations ranging from 5,000 to 60,600 mg kg⁻¹ soil. Lead concentrations in the TCLP leachates were from 3 to 350 mg l⁻¹, with all but one soil exceeding the USEPA non-hazardous waste disposal limit of 5 mg l⁻¹. However, continued dissolution of metallic Pb particles from spent Pb bullets and its re-precipitation as cerussite (PbCO₃) prevented the TCLP extraction from reaching equilibrium at the end of the standard leaching period (18 h). Thus, the standard one-point TCLP test would either over- or under-estimate Pb leachability in shooting range soils. Lead concentration in the SPLP leachates ranged from 0.021 to 2.6 mg l⁻¹, with all soils above the USEPA regulatory limit of 0.015 mg l⁻¹. In contrast to TCLP, SPLP leaching had reached equilibrium, with regard to both pH and Pb concentrations, within the standard 18 h leaching period, and the analytical SPLP results were in good agreement with those derived from modeling. Thus, we concluded that SPLP is a more appropriate alternative than TCLP for assessing lead leachability in range soils.     

Determination of heavy metal pollution with environmental physicochemical parameters in waste water of Kocabas Stream (Biga, Canakkale, Turkey) by ICP-AES

Waste water pollution of industrial areas can answer for the serious consequences of one of the most important environmental threats to the future. In this study, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry method (ICP-AES) is proposed to determine heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn, Al, Fe, Ni, Co, Mn) and major elements (Ca, Mg) in waste water of Kocabas Stream. The concentration of metals in the waste water samples taken from 9 different stations (St.) in Biga-Kocabas Stream in November 2004 (autumn period) were determined after simple pretreatment of samples by the proposed ICP-AES method. An analysis of a given sample is completed in about 15 min for ICP-AES the method. The results of heavy metals concentrations in waste water were found between 0.00001–77.69610 mg l⁻¹ by the ICP-AES technique. The concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr, Al, Fe, Mn, Ni, Co, Mg and Ca 0.00001 (St.3,6,7) – 0.0087 mg l⁻¹ (St.9), 0.00001 (St.4-7) – 0.0020 mg l⁻¹ (St.8), 0.00001 (St.1,3-7,9) – 0.0041 mg l⁻¹ (St.2), 0.0620 (St.2) – 0.2080 mg l⁻¹ (St.3), 0.0082 (St.6) – 0.2290 mg l⁻¹ (St.8), 0.3580 (St.2) – 1.7400 mg l⁻¹ (St.3), 0.2240 (St.1) – 0.6790 mg l⁻¹ (St.3), 0.0080 (St.1) – 1.5840 mg l⁻¹ (St.3), 0.0170 (St.3) – 0.0640 mg l⁻¹ (St.2), 0.0010 (St.1,4,5,8) – 0.0080 mg l⁻¹ (St.3), 5.0640 (St.9) – 5.2140 mg l⁻¹ (St.1) and 43.3600 (St.2) – 77.6961 mg l⁻¹ (St.9), respectively. Also we measured environmental physicochemical parameters such as temperature, salinity, specific conductivity, total dissolved solid (TDS), pH, oxidation and reduction potential (ORP), and dissolved oxygen (DO) in the waste water at sampling stations.     

A study of heavy metal pollution of Asa River, Ilorin. nigeria; trace metal monitoring and geochemistry

Chemical and mineralogical characterization of sediments collected from seven different locations along Asa River in Ilorin, Nigeria have been carried out. The total concentration of Mn, Cr, Fe, Zn and Cu were monitored using Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence (TXRF). The range of concentration of these metals were: Mn (179.9–469.4, Fe (1998.4–4420.4) Cr (3.0–11.3), Zn (26.6–147.6), Cu (1.9-13.3) mg kg⁻¹. The mineralogical composition was determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) method and this was complemented with the Infrared Spectroscopy. It was found that the sediments of Asa River had predominantly quartz, and goethite was present in five of the seven locations. Chromite (FeCr₃O₄) and pyrite (FeS) were also identified at some locations along the River. Higher enrichment factors were calculated for Zn, Cr, Mn, and Fe in the sediment indicating anthropogenic source of contamination. Pyrite was prominent at a location receiving effluent from a detergent industry and near a refuse dumpsite.     

西南某省14种尾矿重金属浸出量及总量分析

研究中国西南某省不同类型尾矿的重金属浸出量及总量,为尾矿的污染防范、环境管理和综合利用提供参考和建议。采集了14种类型共164个有代表性尾矿进行浸出毒性试验,并分析其中79个典型尾矿样品的9种重金属含量,以评估其污染风险和综合利用价值。结果表明,有5种类型共7个样品出现浸出毒性超标,分别为铅锌矿、镍矿、银矿、铁矿、锰矿,总体超标率为4.3%。超标元素分别为砷、镉、锌、铅、铜、镍等6种元素,最大超标倍数分别为砷18.3倍、锌4.8倍、镉3.0倍、铅0.56倍、铜0.32倍、镍0.16倍;尾矿含有较多重金属,其中砷、锌、铅、铜含量较高,最高分别达到11.75%、2.60%、1.01%、0.29%,不同类型尾矿其重金属含量各有不同,铅锌矿尾矿的重金属总量最高。总体上,该省绝大多数尾矿为普通固废,少部分为危险废物,砷、镉、锌、铅、铜、镍等6种元素存在污染风险,其中砷元素是最主要污染物;尾矿由于重金属含量较高而有一定的综合利用价值。     

TCLP法对天津市农田重金属生态风险评价

TCLP法是用缓冲剂提取重金属的一种方法,该法评价重金属生态风险在美国已开展多年。利用TCLP法对天津市某农田土壤重金属进行生态风险评价,结果表明,在采集的23个样品中有效态铜、铅、锌、镉的含量范围为1.13~5.26、2.11~5.22、2.60~30.6、1.09×10-3~77.9×10-3mg/kg,普遍低于铜、铅、锌、镉在土壤中的总量(22.1~66.8、21.2~50.6、56.8~445、0.04~0.20 mg/kg)。镉的TCLP有效态与总量的差别最大。锌、铅存在轻微污染,污染率分别为21.7%、4.3%。     

Total and available heavy metal concentrations in soils of the Thriassio plain (Greece) and assessment of soil pollution indexes

The Thriassio plain is located 25 km west of Athens city, the capital of Greece. Two major towns (Elefsina and Aspropyrgos), heavy industry plants, medium to large-scale manufacturing, logistics plants, and agriculture comprise the main land uses of the studied area. The aim of the present study was to measure the total and available concentrations of Cr, Zn, Ni, Pb, Co, Mn, Ba, Cu, and Fe in the top soils of the plain, and to asses soil contamination by these metals by using the geoaccumulation index (I _geo), the enrichment factor (EF), and the availability ratio (AR) as soil pollution indexes. Soil samples were collected from 90 sampling sites, and aqua regia and DTPA extractions were carried out to determine total and available metal forms, respectively. Median total Cr, Zn, Ni, Pb, Co, Mn, Ba, Cu, and Fe concentrations were 78, 155, 81, 112, 24, 321, 834, 38, and 16?×?10³ mg?kg^?1, respectively. The available fractions showed much lower values with medians of 0.4, 5.6, 1.7, 6.9, 0.8, 5.7, 19.8, 2.1, and 2.9 mg?kg^?1. Though median total metal concentrations are not considered as particularly high, the I _geo and the EF values indicate moderate to heavy soil enrichment. For certain metals such as Cr, Ni, Cu, and Ba, the different distribution patterns between the EFs and the ARs suggest different origin of the total and the available metal forms. The evaluation of the EF and AR data sets for the soils of the two towns further supports the argument that the EFs can well demonstrate the long-term history of soil pollution and that the ARs can adequately portray the recent history of soil pollution.     

Trace metal (Cd,Cu, Pb,Zn) fractionation in urban-industrial soils of Ust-Kamenogorsk (Oskemen), Kazakhstan—implications for the assessment of environmental quality

Ust-Kamenogorsk is one of the largest cities and industrial centers in Kazakhstan. Non-ferrous metallurgy (Zn–Pb smelter) has acted as a predominating industrial branch in the city since late 1940s. The industrial plants are situated directly adjacent to the residential area of the city which creates grievous ecotoxicological hazard. In the present paper, we aimed at assessing the trace metal pollution of top soils in Ust-Kamenogorsk and its potential threats to the local population. The top soils were sampled at 10 sites throughout the city center. We determined the physical and chemical properties of soils as well as the contents of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn. In addition, the soil samples were subjected to a five-step sequential extraction to ascertain the fractionation of trace metals. On this basis, we calculated the geoaccumulation index (I_geo) and pollution load index (PLI) and assessed bioavailability of the elements. From our data, it emerged that the soils displayed a strong polymetallic pollution. PLI was as high as 33.4. Throughout the city, the trace metal contents exceeded the geochemical background and allowable values for residential, recreational, and institutional areas. The I_geo obtained were 3.7–6.5 for Cd, 1.5–4.7 for Cu, 2.8–5.7 for Pb, and 2.6–4.6 for Zn. The soils in Ust-Kamenogorsk displayed extremely high contamination with Cd, moderate to strong contamination with Pb and Zn, and low to moderate contamination with Cu. Cd and Pb were found to be the most bioavailable elements. The mobility of trace metals in the soils changed in the order Cd > Pb > Zn > Cu.     

Spatial distribution,temporal variation,and sources of heavy metal pollution in groundwater of a century-old nonferrous metal mining and smelting area in China

This study first presents the spatial distribution, temporal variation, and sources of heavy metal pollution in groundwater of a nonferrous metal mine area in China. Unconfined groundwater was polluted by Pb, Zn, As, and Cu, in order, while confined karst water in the mines showed pollution in the following sequence: Zn, Cd, Cu, Pb, and As. Pollution by Pb was widespread, while Zn, As, Cu, and Cd were found to be high in the north–central industrial region and to decrease gradually with distance from smelters and tailings. Vertically, more Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cd have accumulated in shallow Quaternary groundwater, while more As have migrated into the deeper fracture groundwater in the local discharge area. Zn, Cd, and Cu concentrations in groundwater along the riverside diminished owing to reduced wastewater drainage since 1977, while samples in the confluence area were found to have increasing contents of Pb, Zn, As, Cu, and Cd since industrialization began in the 1990s. Sources of heavy metals in groundwater were of anthropogenic origin except for Cr. Pb originated primarily from airborne volatile particulates, wastewater, and waste residues and deposited continuously, while Zn, Cd, and Cu were derived from the wastewater of smelters and leakage of tailings, which corresponded to the related soil and surface residue researches. Elevated As values around factories might be the result of chemical reactions. Flow patterns in different hydrogeological units and adsorption capability of from Quaternary sediments restricted their cross-border diffusion.