Assessment of the environmental impact by As and heavy metals in lacustrine travertine limestone and soil in Attica, Greece: Mapping of potentially contaminated sites

Abstract

Applying a geographical information system (GIS), geostatistical techniques and mapping software, a digitized geological–geomorphological map and an assessment of the extent and intensity of the As and other harmful element contamination in travertine limestone and soil of the Neogene basins in Attica, Greece, are provided. The presented results on the distribution of As and heavy elements in limestone and associated soil revealed (a) a significant contamination in the uppermost travertine limestone that crops out in a significant part of Attica, (b) spatial association between the distribution of As, Fe, Mn, Ni, Cr and Ba in limestone and associated soil.The mineralogical, geochemical data and a combined approach of multivariate statistics and GIS suggest that major contamination sources are probably the sulfide and Fe–Mn mineralization in Attica, the basement and the involved mylonitic ophiolitic blocks, and to a lesser extent human activities. The uppermost yellow–brown travertine limestone appear to be extended in many places throughout Attica, and may give rise to a significant impact on or risk to human health and ecosystems.