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Abstracts
The long term extraction and processing of metalliferous ores has strongly influenced the geochemical patterns of both regions discussed, notably leading to greatly increased levels of potentially toxic trace elements in the surface environment over large areas. The magnitude and geographical extent of contamination is clearly resolved by the drainage geochemical maps in both study areas. In NE England average levels of 2,000 ppm Pb and 10 ppm Cd are common over hundreds of km 2 of the mining field. The data also emphasise that trace e l e m e n t c o n t a m i n a t i o n e x t e n d s considerable distances from source along the
floodplains of major rivers draining the orefield. This is particularly noticeably in the Vale of York, an important agricultural region. High levels of heavy metals are associated with all the known mining areas of North Wales, dispersion outside the direct vicinity of the orefields however is not apparent. Information regarding trace element contamination of the environment is of growing importance. Links between element excesses and animal/crop health are well established, and geochemical data are of increasing significance in land use planning and environmental impact assessment studies.
Heavy metal contamination in soils and plants around a copper-tungsten mine in South Korea Myung Chae Jung and lain Thornton Environmental Geochemistry Research Centre for Environmental Technology Royal School of Mines Imperial College London SW7 2BP, UK The aim of this study was to investigate the environmental impacts of heavy metals derived from metalliferous mining activities on soils and plants. Soils were sampled in and around the mining area including residual materials in uncultivated areas, household gardens and mine dumps and similar materials taken from a nearby control area. Various plants growing in the soil were also taken A n a l y s i s by I n d u c t i v e l y C o u p l e d P l a s m a Atomicemission Spectrometry(ICPAES) included the metals, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb. In addition, soil pH, cation exchange capacity, loss on ignition and soil texture were measured. The levels of heavy metals in'soils show a lognormal distribution and their geometric mean concentrations in the mine dumps are 1,940 BgCu g-l, 386 ~tgZn g-l, 4.7/.tgCd g-I and
774/.tgPb g-l, respectively. The best fitting model using a least square method for predicting metal dispersion in soil with distance from the mine dumps is represented by the equation, log Y = log A + B log X where Y is metal content of the soil(/.tg g-l), X is distance from the source (metre), and A and B are constants related to source intensity and dispersion intensity, respectively. The metal concentrations in the plant species sampled is in the order Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd. The ratio of metal concentrations in plant to those in soil decreases Zn > Cd > Cu > Pb, even though this order may vary depending upon the species of plant. Factors influencing the metal uptake processes by plants are also discussed.
Abstracts
The long term extraction and processing of metalliferous ores has strongly influenced the geochemical patterns of both regions discussed, notably leading to greatly increased levels of potentially toxic trace elements in the surface environment over large areas. The magnitude and geographical extent of contamination is clearly resolved by the drainage geochemical maps in both study areas. In NE England average levels of 2,000 ppm Pb and 10 ppm Cd are common over hundreds of km 2 of the mining field. The data also emphasise that trace e l e m e n t c o n t a m i n a t i o n e x t e n d s considerable distances from source along the
floodplains of major rivers draining the orefield. This is particularly noticeably in the Vale of York, an important agricultural region. High levels of heavy metals are associated with all the known mining areas of North Wales, dispersion outside the direct vicinity of the orefields however is not apparent. Information regarding trace element contamination of the environment is of growing importance. Links between element excesses and animal/crop health are well established, and geochemical data are of increasing significance in land use planning and environmental impact assessment studies.
Heavy metal contamination in soils and plants around a copper-tungsten mine in South Korea Myung Chae Jung and lain Thornton Environmental Geochemistry Research Centre for Environmental Technology Royal School of Mines Imperial College London SW7 2BP, UK The aim of this study was to investigate the environmental impacts of heavy metals derived from metalliferous mining activities on soils and plants. Soils were sampled in and around the mining area including residual materials in uncultivated areas, household gardens and mine dumps and similar materials taken from a nearby control area. Various plants growing in the soil were also taken A n a l y s i s by I n d u c t i v e l y C o u p l e d P l a s m a Atomicemission Spectrometry(ICPAES) included the metals, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb. In addition, soil pH, cation exchange capacity, loss on ignition and soil texture were measured. The levels of heavy metals in'soils show a lognormal distribution and their geometric mean concentrations in the mine dumps are 1,940 BgCu g-l, 386 ~tgZn g-l, 4.7/.tgCd g-I and
774/.tgPb g-l, respectively. The best fitting model using a least square method for predicting metal dispersion in soil with distance from the mine dumps is represented by the equation, log Y = log A + B log X where Y is metal content of the soil(/.tg g-l), X is distance from the source (metre), and A and B are constants related to source intensity and dispersion intensity, respectively. The metal concentrations in the plant species sampled is in the order Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd. The ratio of metal concentrations in plant to those in soil decreases Zn > Cd > Cu > Pb, even though this order may vary depending upon the species of plant. Factors influencing the metal uptake processes by plants are also discussed.
