The impact of former mining activity on soils and plants in the vicinity of an old mercury mine (Vallalta, Belluno, NE Italy)

Mohammad Wahsha,Laura Maleci,Claudio Bini

doi:10.1144/geochem2018-040

Abstract

Exploitation of ore minerals (cinnabar, chalcopyrite, sphalerite) from the old mine in Vallalta (Belluno, NE Italy) has resulted in serious environmental impacts, including the acidification of water, and the contamination of soils and plants. Forty-eight soil samples and four wild plants were examined at four sites in the vicinity of the mine ( Micronutrients Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn showed translocation factors (TFs) of between 0.5 and 1, suggesting that these elements are taken up to a critical concentration and are then arrested in the roots. Iron is less mobile, particularly in C. hirsutum, with the lowest TF of 0.38. The TF for Mn and Hg is >1 in S. nemorum and C. hirsutum; a TF of Soil contamination is confined to the proximity (

Highlights

Micronutrients Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn showed translocation factors (TFs) of between 0.5 and 1, suggesting that these elements are taken up to a critical concentration and are arrested in the roots
After digestion with aqua regia, chemical analyses were carried out on both soils and plants by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) for potentially harmful elements (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Fe, Mn); the mercury concentration was directly ascertained by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS)
The TF for Mn and Hg is >1 in S. nemorum and C. hirsutum; a TF of

Summary

Introduction

Micronutrients Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn showed translocation factors (TFs) of between 0.5 and 1, suggesting that these elements are taken up to a critical concentration and are arrested in the roots. Other metals (e.g. Ag, Al, Cd, Hg, Pb, Sb) are not involved in plant nutrition and are potentially toxic at any concentration (Adriano 2001). Human activity is considered to be the major source of pollution and contamination by potentially toxic metals in soils. Among the various causes of this type of contamination we can mention mining and the processing of metals, which are linked to several environmental problems (e.g. acid mine drainage, impact on the landscape, and the pollution of water, soils and sediments). The main purpose of our study was to assess the degree of contamination of soils by potentially toxic metals, associated with the ore mineralogy, in the vicinity of an abandoned Hg–Cu–Pb–Zn mine, and to investigate the translocation of metals from soil to plants, with reference to phytoremediation

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