Assessment of metal pollution associated with an alteration area: Old Gümüşhane, NE Black Sea

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the potential environmental risks associated with the Kirkpavli (Old Gümüşhane in northern Turkey) alteration area by quantifying pollution in soil. The Kirkpavli (Old Gümüşhane) alteration area is situated at the south of the deposit with the same name of gold-silver-bearing lead, zinc, and copper in the southern part of the Black Sea Tectonic Unit (Eastern Pontides). In this study, 28 soil samples acquired from the alteration area were analyzed for contents of some main elements including lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and arsenic (As). Contents of the elements in the area were determined, and high values were obtained such as 1,171 mg/kg for As, 12.4 mg/kg for Cd, 77.3 mg/kg for Co, 341 mg/kg for Cu, 1,172 mg/kg for Mn, 51.9 mg/kg for Ni, 3,725 mg/kg for Pb, and 880 mg/kg for Zn. Soil contamination was appraised on the basis of Geoaccumulation Index (I geo), Enrichment Factor (EF), Pollution Index, and Integrated Pollution Index. The calculated results of I geo, EF, and PI of the elements can be shown in descending order of parameters as As > Pb > Cd > Zn > Cu > Co > Mn. The parameters for some of these elements indicated extremely high contamination (I geo > 5), extremely high enrichment (EF > 40), and high pollution (PI > 3). High I geo, EF, and PI values of As, Pb, and Cd in the soil samples mean that soil pollution is typically associated with alteration area. Considering its location and the results of this study, the Kirkpavli alteration area is a significant source of pollution and may have ecotoxicological effects on terrestrial, groundwater, and aquatic ecosystems in the region.

Kurşun-Çinko Maden Artığı Kayaçlarla Üretilen Betonların Mekanik ve Fiziksel Özelliklerinin Araştırılması

“…1.1. Sahanın Jeolojisi (Geology Field) Çalışma sahasının jeolojisi ve sahadaki cevherleşme şöyle özetlenebilir [11,12,13]. Çalışmaya konu kurşun çinko cevherleşmesi Pontid tektonik birliğinin doğu-sunda (Doğu Karadeniz Tektonik Birliği içinde) [14] Gü-müşhane ili sınırları içerisinde yer almaktadır (Şekil 1.).…”

Assessment of Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea L.) Leaf as Bioindicator for Exploration Geochemistry

“…[2][3][4]. Therefore, biogeochemical prospecting has been effective at detecting buried mineralisation and has been used extensively in different countries and in many terrains and climates since particularly the beginning of the second half of the 20th century [5][6][7][8][9].…”

Biogeochemical characteristics of Rosa canina grown in hydrothermally contaminated soils of the Gümüşhane Province, Northeast Turkey

“…While alteration areas are important target areas for mineral exploration, these areas constitute a risk for metal pollution in the environment (Vural 2013(Vural , 2014. Metal pollution in soil has become a serious problem since the early twentieth century.…”

“…Increased inputs of these elements in aquatic and terrestrial environments have led to serious environmental pollution. As with human-induced mobilization of trace elements into the biosphere (Arık and Yaldız 2010;Vural 2014;Baslar et al 2009), mobilization of elements in the alteration areas is also an outstanding process in the geochemical cycling of these elements (Vural 2014). Alteration of the rocks reduces the pH of the environment and so makes most elements mobilize.…”

“…However, elevated concentrations of these elements might be toxic in all cases. Other metals that are not included in the group of essential elements, such as chromium (Cr(VI)), (Cr(III) is an essential micronutrient for humans), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) or arsenic (As) may be tolerated by the ecosystem at low concentrations; however, they are becoming harmful at higher concentrations (Vural 2014 and references cited therein). Heavy metal trace elements (HMTEs) are potentially toxic for plants: phytotoxicity results in chlorosis, weak plant growth, yield depression and may even be accompanied by reduced nutrient uptake, disorders in plant metabolism and, in leguminous plants, a reduced ability to fixate molecular nitrogen (Chaudri et al 2000;Guala et al 2010).…”