Potentially toxic metals in ombrotrophic peat along a 400 km English–Scottish transect (original) (raw)

Estimation and Bio-Availability of Toxic Metals between Soils and Plants

Polish Journal of Environmental Studies

Soil and land contamination by heavy metals has become a serious environmental concern due to its potential adverse ecological effects. Although heavy metals occur naturally at low concentrations in soils, they are considered soil contaminants due to their widespread occurrence, as well as their acute and chronic toxicity. The serious effects of heavy metals on soil biochemical properties are well documented [1]. Soil properties, i.e., mud content, organic substances, and pH, mainly affect organic and biochemical properties [2]. Soils contaminated by heavy metals, such as Ni, Zn, Cd, Cu, and Pb have dramatically increased during the

Trace Metals in Soil and Plants Subjected to Strong Chemical Pollution

Water Air and Soil Pollution

The total concentrations of ten elements (Ag, As, Co, Cs, Fe, Ir, Ni, Rb, Sb, and Sc) were determined in soil and vegetation samples from the surroundings of a Cu-Ni smelter in Monchegorsk, Northwest Russia, and a background area in Naruska, North Finland. The samples were analysed by epithermal neutron activation analysis (ENAA). Elements emitted from the smelter (Ag, As, Co, Ir, Ni, and Sb) were mostly accumulated in the topsoil. Some elements also appeared to contaminate deeper soil layers. In both soil and vegetation the metal concentrations decreased with increasing distance from the smelter. The most significant contributor to the high concentrations of Fe and Sc near the smelter was probably damaged ground vegetation and subsequent wind erosion. Possibly high geochemical abundance of Fe and Sc may also have been a contributing factor. Concentrations of Cs and Rb in soil and vegetation generally increased with increasing distance from the pollution source. High negative correlations were evident between these elements and the elements emitted from the smelter, suggesting that cation exchange of Cs and Rb by the elements supplied from the smelter was likely occurring in the surface soil.

Heavy Metals in Tailings Soils and Vegetation

The High Moulouya is a region where mining industry has been developed at the beginning of the 20th century. Residues generated from past mining activities have been dumped over the years as tailing ponds. The goal of this research was to determine the concentrations of three metal trace elements (MTE) in the tail-ings, in two plant species (Stipa tenacissima and Artemisia herba-alba) and soils surrounding these deposits. Lead, copper, and zinc have been specifically considered. Chemical analyses have been achieved using ICP-AES. Results showed significant concentration of Pb in mining residues and vegetation that colonize the surrounding area. Concentrations of the three heavy metals in soil and plant samples were minimal at 1 km from the piles of tailings. The maximum accumulation of metals within the 50-200 m zone suggests that the surrounding vegetation forms a wind erosion obstacle resulting in metal dust deposition. Résumé La Haute Moulouya est une région où l'exploi-tation minière a été développée depuis le début du XX e siècle. De ce fait, les résidus miniers géné-rés par l'activité minière ont été disposés en haldes. Le but de cette recherche est de déter-miner la quantité de trois éléments traces métal-liques (ETM) dans les haldes, dans la végétation steppique et les sols avoisinant ces dépôts. Le plomb (Pb), le cuivre (Cu) et le zinc (Zn) ont été spécifiquement considérés. Les analyses chi-miques ont été faites par ICP-AES. Les résultats d'analyse ont montré la présence de Pb en concentrations élevées dans les résidus miniers et dans la végétation qui colonise les sols avoi-sinants. Les concentrations en Cu, Pb et Zn dans les échantillons de sols et de plantes sont mini-males à 1 km des haldes. L'accumulation maxi-male des métaux dans la zone 50-200 m suggère que la végétation environnante forme un obstacle à l'érosion éolienne qui provoque le dépôt de la poussière métallique.

Assessment of Zn, Cu, Pb and Ni contamination in wetland soils and plants in the Lake Victoria basin

International Journal of …, 2008

The impact of waste disposal on trace metal contamination was investigated in eleven wetlands in the Lake Victoria Basin. Samples of soil, water and plants were analysed for total Zn, Cu, Pb and Ni concentrations using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The trace metal concentrations in soil were the highest in Katanga wetland with the highest mean concentrations of 387.5±86.5 mg/kg Zn, 171.5±36.2 mg/kg Pb, 51.20±6.69 mg/kg Cu and 21.33±2.23 mg/kg Ni compared to the lowest levels observed at Butabika (30.7±3.2 mg/kg Zn, 15.3±1.7 mg/kg Pb, 12.77±1.35 mg/kg Cu and 6.97±1.49 mg/kg Ni). Katanga receives waste from multiple industrial sources including a major referral city hospital while Butabika is a former solid waste dumpsite. Wetland soil near a copper smelter had a Cu concentration of 5936.3±56.2 mg/kg. Trace metal concentrations in industrial effluents were above international limits for irrigation water with the highest concentrations of 357,000 µg/L Cu and 1480 µg/L Zn at a Cu smelter and 5600 µg/L Pb at a battery assembling facility compared to the lowest of 50 µg/L Cu and 50 µg/L Zn in water discharged from Wakaliga dumpsite. Uptake of trace metals from soil differed from plant to plant and site to site. Higher levels of trace metals accumulated in the root rather than in the rhizome and the least amount was in the leaf. The study identifies industry as a potential source of trace metal contamination of water and the environment pent-up need for policy intervention in industrial waste management .

Heavy metal accumulation in plants grown in heavily polluted soils

Folia Microbiologica, 1997

In a polluted area, samples of soils and plants were collected and analyzed in order to assess the mobility and accumulation of Cd, Pb and Zn in plants as influenced by the of different metal forms in soil. Metals were accumulated in roots. Metal mobility in plants decreased in the order Zn > Cd > Pb; it was generally lower in heavily polluted areas. The content of all the three metals in plant roots correlated with topsoil concentration of their 2 mol/L HNO3-extractable forms. Besides, Cd and Zn correlated with exchangeable and Zn also with the organic form content. The concentration factor as a measure of metal mobility from soil to plants decreased with increasing level of contamination.