Residuary Toxic Elements And PAHs in Sediments of the Zbiornik Gilow Tailings Pond and Zimmica Stream from Lubin District, Southwest Poland

Abstract

Eight selected elements (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr and Ni) were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) in five samples from the tailings pond (Zbiornik Gilow) and waste water stream (Zimmica) in the Kupferschiefer mining district in Southwest Poland. Waste water from mining and concentration plants was discharged into Zbiornik Gilow pond for 30 years before 1989. Below Zbiornik Gilow the water flows through Zimmica stream, and then discharges into the River Odra. The analytic results indicate that the contamination of As, Cd, Co, Cu, Pb and Zn has spread out over 5 km, and the contamination by Ni and Cr extends for 1.5 km along the Zimmica stream although the stream has been abandoned since 1989. These elements could still be toxic for plants, animals and humans. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined by GC and GC/MS. The results of the sediment samples show a contamination of PAHs only in trace contents.