Manfred Sager

Environmental contamination and bioaccessibility of arsenic and metals around the Dongjeong Au–Ag–Cu mine, Korea

The objectives of this study were to investigate the level of arsenic and metal contamination of soils, crop plants and waters around the Dongjeong Au–Ag–Cu mine, and to assess bioaccessibility of metals in soil and plant using the EHS (extraction of heavy metals in stomach and small intestine) test. The EHS test was used to simulate the conditions in the human stomach and small intestine. In tailings, the mean concentrations of elements from the mine area were As 4070 mg kg−1, Cd 6 mg kg−1, Cu 380 mg kg−1, Mn 7760 mg kg−1, Pb 19 150 mg kg−1, Zn 2590 mg kg−1 and Hg 2.8 mg kg−1. Mountain soils adjacent to the tailings and waste rock piles were significantly contaminated by these elements. Farmland soils contained higher concentrations of As, Cd, Hg, Mn, Pb and Zn than soils at the control area, especially As and Pb which were over permissible levels. Metals were accumulated in crop plants grown on farmland soil near the mine area. The concentrations of metals were higher in leafy plants than in grain plants such as rice grain and red pepper. The concentrations of SO42−, Mn and Zn were elevated in stream water and were influenced by effluents from the tailings and waste rock piles. The concentrations of Cd and Pb in groundwater were higher than the permissible levels for drinking water in Korea. The results of the EHS test showed c. 60% of Cd, 10% of As and 30–40% of Cu, Pb, Mn and Zn were present as a bioaccessible fraction in farmland soils. In crop plants, high percentages of total concentrations of metals except Pb were extracted as bioaccessible concentrations. Bioaccessible concentrations of metals may be valuable for providing the input data for risk assessment at sites subject to anthropogenic soil contamination.

Spatial variation of contaminant elements of roadside dust samples from Budapest (Hungary) and Seoul (Republic of Korea), including Pt, Pd and Ir

Roadside dusts were studied to explain the spatial variation and present levels of contaminant elements including Pt, Pd and Ir in urban environment and around Budapest (Hungary) and Seoul (Republic of Korea). The samples were collected from six sites of high traffic volumes in Seoul metropolitan city and from two control sites within the suburbs of Seoul, for comparison. Similarly, road dust samples were obtained two times from traffic focal points in Budapest, from the large bridges across the River Danube, from Margitsziget (an island in the Danube in the northern part of Budapest, used for recreation) as well as from main roads (no highways) outside Budapest. The samples were analysed for contaminant elements by ICP-AES and for Pt, Pd and Ir by ICP-MS. The highest Pt, Pd and Ir levels in road dusts were found from major roads with high traffic volume, but correlations with other contaminant elements were low, however. This reflects automobile catalytic converter to be an important source. To interpret the obtained multi-element results in short, pollution index, contamination index and geo-accumulation index were calculated. Finally, the obtained data were compared with total concentrations encountered in dust samples from Madrid, Oslo, Tokyo and Muscat (Oman). Dust samples from Seoul reached top level concentrations for Cd–Zn–As–Co–Cr–Cu–Mo–Ni–Sn. Just Pb was rather low because unleaded gasoline was introduced as compulsory in 1993. Concentrations in Budapest dust samples were lower than from Seoul, except for Pb and Mg. Compared with Madrid as another continental site, Budapest was higher in Co–V–Zn. Dust from Oslo, which is not so large, contained more Mn–Na–Sr than dust from other towns, but less other metals.

Environmental impact of historical harbour city Zadar (Croatia) on the composition of marine sediments and soils

Sediment samples and soils along the coast line of the Adriatic Sea were sampled along a transect near the coast line at Zadar/Croatia, ranging from north-western suburbs via the historical centre and the industrial area to south-east suburbs. The sediments were dominated by carbonates and clay minerals, and contaminations with Cd–Cu–Pb–Zn–TOC (total organic carbon) at the historical centre and the industrial site were detected, as well as P and Mo input at the mouth of a small creek, probably from agriculture. No trends between the composition of surface and subsurface sea sediments were seen. At the historic harbour site, total element concentrations versus grain size showed a minimum in the fine silt fraction for most of the elements analysed. The soil samples behind the shoreline were not carbonaceous, but dominated by Fe–Al– oxides, some contained high levels of Be–Cd–Cu–Sn–Zn. Surprisingly, high TOC values within the soils might be assigned to human impacts, not to humus. Contrary to data from street dust samples from Seoul city/Korea, which were measured within our laboratory at the same time, Pt–Ir–Au were at ambient levels due to the limited use of catalysts in cars in the Zadar area at the time of sampling.