Abstract
The metallurgic industry is one of the main sources of environmental pollution. It emits dust which include manganese oxides, iron oxides, zinc and lead which are deposited in soil. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of the local metallurgical industry on soil contamination with metals released during the processing using Pb-210 as a contamination monitor. Soil samples were collected from 19 sites located around the city of Opole industrial zone which consists, for example, welding and galvanizing companies. In studies various types of sampling sites were taken into account, such as the forests, meadows, fields and allotment gardens. The activity measurements of Bi-214, Pb-214, Cs-137 and Pb-210 were performed using gamma spectrometer. Using the properties of the latter isotope the local level of soil contamination was estimated. The results indicated that the metallurgical industry is not a source of environmental pollution in the immediate vicinity. Excess lead concentrations ranged from 1 to 100 Bq/kg d.m. and were not strongly correlated with the distances from the presumed source of contamination
Highlights
At the turn of the 1980s and 90s, in the Opole-Metalchem district, a great metallurgical industrial center was located
Similar behavior was observed for Pb-210, with mean activity concentration of 80 Bq/kg d.m
Analysis of the results showed, that the content of Cs-137 in the surface soil layers is much higher than the activity concentration in deeper layers, which confirms the atmospheric nature of its origin (Fig. 2A)
Summary
At the turn of the 1980s and 90s, in the Opole-Metalchem district, a great metallurgical industrial center was located. Its main aim was the production of armaments, creating jobs for several thousand people. Nowadays, in this area, many welding, galvanizing and tinning works take place. Waste produced in the welding process, such as lead, copper, zinc or nickel can enter the human body through the food chain (Balkhyour et al 2010, Dartey et al 2010, Herranz et al 2013, Murphy 2013). The waste can cause a number of health changes, such as kidney disease, osteoporosis and cataracts (Campbell et al 2004, Brown et al 2008, Yang et al 2010). Periodic analyses of water, soil and air in this region are necessary
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call