Abstract
A high content of heavy metals in the soil and plants of a magnesite mining area might cause serious damage to the environment and can be a threat to the health of the surrounding population. This paper presents the results of research that focused on analyzing the heavy metal content in soil and plants in the dumping grounds of the magnesite mining factory Jelšava-Lubeník (Slovakia). The analysis focused on the content of heavy metals in soil (X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, atomic absorption spectrometry), in plants (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry), and pH (1M KCl solution). The results showed that the soil in the study area was slightly acidic to strongly alkaline and the content of Cr, As, Mn, and Mg exceeded by several times the limit values for the Slovak Republic. The results of the hierarchical cluster analysis and the correlation analysis show that the grouped metals come from the same sources of pollution. The content of heavy metals in plants was high and the highest concentration was found in the roots of Elytrigia repens > Agrostis stolonifera > Phragmites australis and flowers of Phragmites australis. The findings confirmed the suitability of the used plants in the process of phytoextraction and phytostabilization. The acquired knowledge can help in planning and realization remediation measures and improve the state of the environment in areas exposed to magnesite mining.
Highlights
The contamination of soil with heavy metals is a serious environmental threat and one of the most pressing environmental problems in the world [1,2,3,4]
The content of Cd, Pb, Zn, Cr, Mn, and Mg in plants was high, and the highest concentration was found in the roots of Elytrigia repens > Agrostis stolonifera > Phragmites australis and the flowers of Phragmites australis (Zn, Mg)
This paper presents the results of research on the content of heavy metals in soils and plants in the waste dumping ground of the magnesite factory Jelšava-Lubeník (Slovakia)
Summary
The contamination of soil with heavy metals is a serious environmental threat and one of the most pressing environmental problems in the world [1,2,3,4]. Environmental pollution from mining activities causes environmental and social problems. There is growing evidence that heavy metal pollution in mining areas has caused damage to the health of the local people [9,10,11,12] as well as damage to soil health [13,14]. The condition of the soil has a clear impact on the quality of the environment [15,16]. The impact of heavy metals on soil ecosystems and human health has received increasing attention [17]
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