Search results for " Contamination"
showing 10 items of 571 documents
Coupling geochemical, mineralogical and microbiological approaches to assess the health of contaminated soil around the Almalyk mining and smelter co…
2013
This study describes the impact of airborne pollution resulting from mining and smelting activities on the soils of the Almalyk mining and industrial area (NE Uzbekistan). Samples were collected along a transect downwind of the industrial area. Enriched contents of some metals were found in the upper soil layers near the metallurgical complex (Zn≤3010 mg kg(-1), Pb≤630 mg kg(-1), Cd≤30 mg kg(-1)) which suggests that these metals were derived from local stack emissions. The morphology and internal microstructure of metal-bearing spherical particles found in the heavy mineral fraction suggest that these particles were probably a result of inefficient flue gas cleaning technique of the smelter…
Heavy metals in urban soils: a case study from the city of Palermo (Sicily), Italy.
2002
Concentrations of V, Mn, Cd, Zn, Ni, Cr, Co, Cu, Pb, Hg and Sb were measured on 70 topsoil samples collected from green areas and parks in the city of Palermo (Sicily) in order to: (1) assess the distribution of these heavy metals in the urban environment; (2) discriminate natural and anthropic contributions; and (3) identify possible sources of pollution. Mineralogy, physico-chemical parameters, and major element contents of the topsoils were determined to highlight the influence of 'natural' features on the heavy metal concentrations and their distribution. Medians of Pb, Zn, Cu and Hg concentrations of the investigated urban soils are 202, 138, 63 and 0.68 mgkg(-1), respectively. These v…
Analytical method, pattern and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the stone of the Temples of Agrigento (Italy)
2009
Abstract This study shows the extraction and analytical conditions for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the stone of archaeological and historical interest. The aim of this research was to determine the concentrations, distribution and the main sources of PAHs present in the surface layer of stone of the Temples of Agrigento. Together with PAHs, we analyzed sulphates and nitrates since it has been demonstrated that these are very destructive salts that play an important role in the deterioration of stones. Total PAHs at different sites of the Valley of Temples at Agrigento varied from 18 to 84 μg/kg. Analyses were performed by GC–MS. The relative abundance of …
Relation between reflectance of rice crop and indices of pollution by heavy metals in soils of albufera natural park (Valencia, Spain)
1993
13 páginas, 3 figuras, 4 tablas, 1 foto.
Profiles and Sources of PAHs in Sediments from an Open-Pit Mining Area in the Peruvian Andes
2015
The Peruvian Andes are one of the most productive areas for mining and therefore also one of the most exposed to these sources of pollution. This article reports the characterization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments of Cerro de Pasco area (Peru) located close to a large open-pit mine and, in recent years, several reports have provided evidence of environmental contamination and related health problems. Investigations were carried out into the fifteen PAHs identified by the US-Environment Protection Agency (US-EPA) as requiring priority monitoring, other non US-EPA listed PAHs and perylene were also investigated in order to obtain further information on their origins. …
Studies concerning the decontamination of hydrocarbons- polluted soil areas using bioremediation techniques
2016
The accidental or historic contamination of soils with hydrocarbons, in areas crossed by oil pipelines or where oil- or gas-extraction installations are located, is a major concern and has significant financial and ecological consequences, both for the owners of those areas and for the oil transportation or exploitation companies. Therefore it is very important to find the optimal method for removing the pollution. The current paper presents measures, mainly involving bioremediation, recommended and applied for the depollution of a contaminated area in Romania. While the topic of dealing with polluted soils is well-established in the Romanian speciality literature, bioremediation is a relat…
Strategies for the rapid characterization of metals and organic pollutants in solid wastes and contaminated soils by using mass spectrometry
1998
Abstract Hyphenated techniques involving mass spectrometry (MS) such as ICP-MS, GC–MS and LC–MS are the most powerful tools for both qualitative and quantitative characterization of metals and organic pollutants in previously dissolved or extracted samples. However a considerable analytical effort is required in developing simple and general sample preparation strategies for the complete characterization of toxic substances in solid wastes and soils. This article gives a critical review of the state-of-the-art and future perspectives for rapid procedures to evaluate the pollution of soils and sediments, also considering new alternatives like flow injection analysis–MS and direct sampling MS.
Soil mutagens are airborne mutagens: variation of mutagenic activities induced in Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and TA 100 by organic extracts of agri…
2000
As our hypothesis was that soil mutagens are airborne mutagens, possibly modified by soil microorganisms, we checked solvent extracts from agricultural and forest soils collected during late summer in the environment of Mainz, a region highly charged by anthropogenic air pollution, or near Bayreuth, a rural low charged region of Germany, or in a remote region of western Corsica without anthropogenic air pollution for the presence of mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium. Levels of mutagenic activities were quantified by calculation of revertants/g from the initial slope of dose-response curves applying tester strains S. typhimurium TA 98 and TA 100 in the absence and presence of an activat…
Potentially toxic elements in fen peatland soils located near lignite-fired power plants in Central Poland
2021
Abstract The Grojec Valley (GV) peatland area in Central Poland is located close to lignite-fired power plants, which could be sources of potentially toxic elements (PTE). The aims of this study are: (1) to determine the effect of the lignite-fired power plants on soil pollution, (2) to evaluate pollution indices and magnetic susceptibility methods for determining the origin and distribution of PTE in soils, and (3) to demonstrate the importance of appropriate geochemical background (GB) selection for pollution studies in peatland soils. In order to comprehensively assess the soil pollution, four pollution indices (calculated using various types of GBs), and the mass-specific magnetic susce…
Characteristics of current roadside pollution using test-monitoring plots
2014
Abstract The aim of the study was the qualitative recognition of the existing roadside pollutants deposited in topsoils located close to roads with high traffic volume. So far, the studies have helped to determine the content of pollutants that accumulated over a long period of time. Traditionally, it has been difficult to distinguish between roadside pollution and pollution from other industrial sources. In order to avoid such problems and to accurately recognize present threats originating from road traffic, test-monitoring plots were installed in Poland (Gliwice and Opole), Germany (Tubingen, Ulm and Boblingen), Finland (Helsinki), Tajikistan (Dushanbe) and China (Lanzhou). To install th…