This paper presents the results of a geochemical and isotopic study of technogenic soils and acid pool waters in the abandoned mine tailings pile and its potential impact on the adjacent farmers' wells at the village of Serwis (south-central Poland). The acid tailings pools showed strong trace element and REE signals. These acid pools were featured by the predominance of medium rare earth elements (MREE) with a strong positive Gd anomaly. The technogenic soils also revealed a MREE roof-shaped pattern, but with distinct positive excursions in Gd, Sm, Eu and Ce. The d 34 S-SO 4 2signatures of acid pool waters (mean of 1.3 %) were close to those of soils and pyrite (means of 2.3 and 3.2 %, respectively). The waters of four farmers' wells exhibited nearly the same d 34 S-SO 4 2values (0.7-4.0 %) as the nearby acid pool waters (0.3-3.1 %). The similar d 34 S isotope signatures combined with the highest contents of dissolved SO 4 2-(181-577 mg/L) in these wells suggest that the tailings pile is a potential source of SO 4 2derived from pyrite weathering. This relationship may also be evidenced by a spatial (site) variable dendrogram that groups these four wells into one cluster at the linkage distance (D link /D max 9 100) \ 53. Keywords Mine tailings Á Acid mine drainage Á Farmer's wells Á Trace elements Á REE Á Stable isotopes Á Geochemical interactions Á Environmental impact
Specific plant species that can take up and accumulate abnormally high concentrations of elements in their aboveground tissues are referred to as "hyperaccumulators". The use of this term is justified in the case of enormous element-binding capacity of plants growing in their natural habitats and showing no toxicity symptoms. An increasing interest in the study of hyperaccumulators results from their potential applications in environmental biotechnology (phytoremediation, phytomining) and their emerging role in nanotechnology. The highest number of plant species with confirmed hyperaccumulative properties has been reported for hyperaccumulators of nickel, cadmium, zinc, manganese, arsenic and selenium. More limited data exist for plants accumulating other elements, including common pollutants (chromium, lead and boron) or elements of commercial value, such as copper, gold and rare earth elements. Different approaches have been used for the study of hyperaccumulators - geobotanical, chemical, biochemical and genetic. The chemical approach is the most important in screening for new hyperaccumulators. This article presents and critically reviews current trends in new hyperaccumulator research, emphasizing analytical methodology that is applied in identification of new hyperaccumulators of trace elements and its future perspectives.
Background and aim
The presence of chlorides in soils, e.g., from de-icing salts may change metal availability to plants.
Methods
To assess the role of de-icing chlorides on bioavailability of metals, the samples of the rhizosphere soils, roots and shoots of Juncus effusus L. were collected monthly from April to June of 2019 in the vicinity of roads and analyzed for trace (Ag, Cd, Co, Cu, Pb, Zn) and rare earth elements (from La to Lu).
Results
Concentrations of Cl− were distinctly higher in the shoots than in the roots. Apart from Cd, the concentration sequence of the other metals was as follows: rhizosphere soils>roots>shoots. The bioaccumulation and translocation factors indicated that Cd was the most preferably transported to the shoots as opposed to Ag, Co, Pb and REEs that showed a very low translocation potential. Negative correlations, which were noted between Cu and Co in the shoots and Cl− in soils, revealed their role in salinity stress alleviation. All soil samples showed a positive anomaly of Ce and a negative anomaly of Eu, whereas the shoots showed in turn a negative anomaly of Ce and a distinct positive anomaly of Eu. The lowest salinity factors (K/Na, Ca/Na) of the shoots resulted from an increase of salinity in J. effusus by higher sodium concentrations derived from de-icing NaCl.
Conclusions
De-icing agents may change the uptake of other elements. In natural habitats, the factors affecting this process include: type of element, soil metal concentrations and interactions, and individual plant features.
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