Natural contamination by As and heavy metals in soil, their bio-accumulation and potential sources: the case of a travertine limestone quarry, Greece

Abstract

Abstract:The first mineralogical and geochemical investigation of the travertine limestone, soil and corresponding plants associated with the Neogene basin of Varnavas, NE Attica, revealed a significant enrichment in the metalloid As. The total concentrations of As ranged from 61 to 210 ppm in limestone and 33 to 430 ppm in the associated soil demonstrating a wide variation of values. Calcite is a common authigenic mineral within travertine limestone, forming fine uniform micritic aggregates, having As and Mg concentrations lower than detection limits of EDS analysis. Clastic dominated minerals are quartz (both fine-and coarse-grained), muscovite, clinochlore, illite, pyrite, galena, arsenides, rutile, sphene, zircon, REE-minerals and albite. Goethite and Fe-Mn-oxides occur between calcite grains. The presence of fossilized micro organisms, resembling foraminifera, in travertine limestone combined with hydrous Fe-Mn-oxides, suggests a possible marine transgression during the evolution of the basin. The As content in plants ranges from 1.1 to 28 ppm As in shoots, and 0.8 to 114 ppm As in roots. The translocation factor, which is defined as the ratio of metal concentration in the shoots to the roots, is relatively low (average 0.33%) suggesting that the internal transport of metals from the roots to shoots was restricted. The bioaccumulation factor, which is defined as the ratio of metal concentration in the plants to that in soil, exhibits a wide range from relatively low (5.2 -9.0% for As, Fe, Cr, Ni and Pb), much higher (56 -67% for Cu and Zn) and exceptionally high (160% for Mo). A significant correlation between the translocation factors for Fe and As may confirm that Fe-Mn oxides/hydroxides represent the major sorbing agents for As in soils. The presented data, due to As contamination in travertine limestone, soil and plants, suggest a potential environmental risk not only for that part of Greece but in general for similar depositional environments.

Honeybees and their products as bioindicators for heavy metal pollution in Malta

“…The major metal depositions observed from plant surface deposits at both sites was Sn and As. Kampouroglou, & Economou-Eliopoulos (2013) reported an arsenic value of 8.8 µg g -1 , which is significantly lower than the values reported in the current study. In case of Pb, Hg and Ag, we report values of 0.00-11.82, 0.53-2.45 and 1.73-2.86 µg g -1 , respectively, for both sites.…”

“…The highest values were exhibited by Sn, As and Pb at both sites (5.64-10.24, 1.05-6.21 and 0.00-2.26 µg g -1 ). Kampouroglou & Economou-Eliopoulos (2013) reported that in Greece the As and Pb levels were 231 and 58 µg g -1 , respectively, being much higher than the levels expressed in this current study. The levels of Ag, Hg, Ni, Zn and Cu were present in this decreasing order of abundance (<0.62, <0.53, <0.17, <0.14 and <0.14 µg g -1 , respectively) with insignificant differences between the two locations.…”

“…In case of Pb, Hg and Ag, we report values of 0.00-11.82, 0.53-2.45 and 1.73-2.86 µg g -1 , respectively, for both sites. The values expressed by Zhelyazkova, Atanasova, Barakova & Mihaylova (2010) for Pb (1.78 ± 0.09 µg g -1 ), by Kampouroglou & Economou-Eliopoulos (2013) for Hg (0.02 µg g -1 ) and by Lepp (2012) for Ag (0.03-0.09 µg g -1 ) were all lower than the levels reported in this study. Low levels of Ni and Copper (Cu) were reported in the current study (0.47-0.66 and 0.06-0.37 µg g -1 , respectively), which were not significantly different at both sites.…”

Fossilized Bacteria in Fe-Mn-Mineralization: Evidence from the Legrena Valley, W. Lavrion Mine (Greece)

“…In addition, the association of microorganism in that type of Fe-Mn mineralization, may suggest a controlling role on the creation of the appropriate conditions for Fe/Mn redox reactions, and hence metal bio-leaching and bio-mineralization [8,9].…”

“…Fe-Mn mineralization throughout Lavreotiki area, Lavrion, extending to NE Attica is commonly hosted within carbonate rocks, close to the contact with the detachment faults between lower and upper marbles and with the Kessariani schists [1,5,[8][9][10][11] (Figure 1). Although the Fe-Mn-mineralization is widespread along the detachment zones in the Attic-Cycladic belt (including Attica), it exhibits a complex mineralogical and chemical composition and more research is required for better understanding the genesis of that type of mineralization [1,5,7,[10][11][12].…”