Thallium was determined in 120 samples of soil and 30 samples of stream sediments from the southeastern part of the Silesian-Cracowian zinc−lead ore deposits. Soil samples were taken from topsoils (0.0−0.2 m) and bottom soils (0.8 and 1.0 m). Thallium was determined by flow-injection−differential-pulse anodic stripping voltammetry. The samples were decomposed sequentially with 73% hydrofluoric acid and a mixture of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide. The results showed that zinc−lead ore mining as well as their processing and smelting leads to a significant increase of thallium in the top layer of soil and in stream sediments. The highest recorded concentration was 150 ppm Tl for stream sediment and 35 ppm for a soil sample. Thallium concentration in small rivers from the investigated area was by 2 orders of magnitude higher than in the reference area. The highest recorded concentration being 3.24 μg L-1.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract