Heavy Metal Load of Soils Around a Waste Rock Dump in the Mátra Mts., Hungary
Reference:
Acta Mineralogica-Petrographica, Szeged 2003, Vol. 44, pp. 23-29
Szerző:
Tivadar M. Tóth
Andrea Farsang
Abstract:
Soils around a waste rock dump were studied in the Recsk-Lahóca sulphide ore mining area (NE Mátra Mts., N Hungary). Three soil profiles were examined with a 50 m lag along a slope of the dump. Heavy metals (Cu, Co, Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn, Pb) were measured as well as Al, pH(H2O) and Corg. Soil chemical and statistical analyses show that Zn and Cu accumulate in the topsoil due to resedimentation from the dump material. Fe, Mn, Ni and Co are of lithogene origin in each profile. In sections close to the dump a significant increase of pH can be observed in the topsoil (up to 7.5) due probably to calcite dissolution. Calcite, as a rock forming constituent of the ore-bearing limestone, is present only in the dump material, because the study area consists mainly of volcanic rocks. Although pH is regionally low (around 5.5) in the study area, and the common clay mineral in the soils is kaolinite, the local control of pH is responsible for hindering mobility of the possibly pollutant metals both vertically and horizontally. Due to this effect the dump studied is no risk to its environment.
acta2003, carbonate buffer, heavy metal mobility, soil pollution, waste rock dump
