Remediation of Mercury Polluted Sites Due to Mining Activities

Horvat, Milena; Kontić, Branko; Kotnik, Jože; Ogrinc, Nives; Jereb, Vesna; Fajon, Vesna; Logar, M.; Faganeli, Jadran; Rajar, Rudi; Širca, Andrej; Petkovšek, Gregor; Žagar, Dušan; Dizdavevič, Tatjana

doi:10.1080/714037679

Cited by 29 publications

(14 citation statements)

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“…Recent average air levels in different (Jereb 1998). In noncontaminated areas the average levels of mercury are between 0.003 and 0.005 lg/m 3 (Horvat et al 2003).…”

Section: Mercury Exposurementioning

confidence: 99%

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The Influence of Long-term Mercury Exposure on Selenium Availability in Tissues: An Evaluation of Data

2006

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The precise mechanisms of mercury accumulation and retention are still unclear. Generally, the association of mercury with selenium is used to explain these phenomena. It seems that the presence of coaccumulated endogenous Se can protect cells from the harmful effects of Hg. However, as speculated by some authors, this binding of Se to Hg can also result in a relative deficiency of biologically available Se needed for selenoenzyme syntheses. Deriving from the assumption that Hg deposited in tissues is bound to Se in a 1:1 ratio, the quantity of non-Hg bound Se could be calculated by the difference between the molar contents of the two elements (Se(mol)-Hg(mol)). In this study we applied such an approach to the data from our previous investigation, where Hg and Se concentrations were determined in autopsy samples of mercury exposed retired Idrija mercury mine workers, Idrija residents living in a Hg contaminated environment and a control group with no known Hg exposure from the environment. Based on these data we tried to estimate the influence of Hg exposure on the physiologically available selenium content in selected tissues, particularly endocrine glands and brain tissues. Comparing the calculated values of (Se(mol)- Hg(mol)) it was found that for Idrija residents the values were similar to those of the control group and as expected, diminished values were found in some mercury-loaded organs of retired Idrija miners. It could be speculated that in Idrija residents Hg sequestration of selenium is sufficiently compensated by increased Se levels, but that particularly in active miners and in some organs of retired miners, the activity and/or synthesis of selenoenzymes could be disturbed.

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“…Recent average air levels in different (Jereb 1998). In noncontaminated areas the average levels of mercury are between 0.003 and 0.005 lg/m 3 (Horvat et al 2003).…”

Section: Mercury Exposurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Beside exposure to atmospheric Hg o , the inhabitants were also exposed to inorganic mercury through locally produced food but only to a small amount (Falnoga et al 2003;Horvat et al 2003).…”

Section: Mercury Exposurementioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Long-term Mercury Exposure on Selenium Availability in Tissues: An Evaluation of Data

2006

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“…Because of the torrential nature of the Idrijca River, the deposited material was washed away by flood waters to the Soča River and further to the Gulf of Trieste. For this reason, the river sediments have extremely high mercury contents (Palinkaš et al 1995;Gosar 1997;Gosar et al 1997b;Biester et al 2000;Horvat et al 2003;Kocman et al 2004;Ž agar et al 2006;Gosar 2008). High waters deposited mercury-rich material on the floodplains in the lower part of the Idrijca and Soča River valleys, building thus a large accumulation of mercury-enriched sediments (Ž ibret and Gosar 2006;Gosar 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Numerous extensive and detailed investigations on mercury pollution were performed in Idrija region in the last two decades (Gnamuš 1992(Gnamuš , 2002Hess 1993;Palinkaš et al 1995;Gosar 1997;Gosar et al 1997aGosar et al , b, 2006Biester et al 1999Biester et al , 2000Horvat et al 1999Horvat et al , 2003Dizdarevič 2001;Gnamuš et al 2000;Š ajn 2001, 2003;Kocman et al 2004;Gosar and Č ar 2006;Hines et al 2006;Ž ibret and Gosar 2006;Gosar 2008). Owing to naturally increased mercury contents in mineralized rocks, mining and ore processing, Idrija and its surroundings are heavily polluted with Hg.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Environmental geochemistry studies in the area of Idrija mercury mine, Slovenia

Gosar

Teršič

2011

Environ Geochem Health

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Five centuries of mining and processing of mercury ore in the Idrija area have resulted in widespread contamination of different environmental compartments. Environmental impacts on a regional and local scale, caused by atmospheric emissions from the Idrija ore roasting plant, were established in the investigations of mercury spatial distribution in soil and attic dust in 160 km(2) area. Very high values were determined in the Idrijca River valley, and they decrease exponentially with the distance from Idrija. Mercury concentrations in attic dust are higher than in surrounding soils and the attic dust/soil ratio changes with distance. Measurements of mercury in the air confirmed widespread dispersion of mercury and showed highly elevated mercury concentrations around roasting plant and mine ventilation shaft. Beside, systematic monitoring of mercury contents in the stream sediments has demonstrated that huge amounts of mercury are stored in areas where ancient overbank sediments were deposited, and there was no decrease in mercury concentration in active sediments during the last 15 years. Recently, interesting and extremely polluted locations of historical small-scale roasting sites in the Idrija surroundings were discovered. Ongoing geochemical study aims to determine the extreme pollution and significance of these sites for wider contamination of soils and aquatic systems. Presented studies have shown that Hg mining in Idrija caused intense pollution of local and regional environment including the aquatic systems in the Gulf of Trieste, which is seen as the final sink of a major part of the Hg stored in soils and river sediments in the Idrija area.

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“…Numerous extensive and detailed investigations on mercury pollution were performed in Idrija region in the last decades (GNAMU{, 1992(GNAMU{, , 2002HESS, 1993;PALINKA{ et al, 1995;GOSAR, 1997GOSAR, , 2008GOSAR et al, 1997BIESTER et al, 1999BIESTER et al, , 2000HORVAT et al, 2003;GNAMU{ et al, 2000;GO-SAR & ŠAJN, 2001, 2003KOCMAN et al, 2004;GOSAR & ^AR, 2006;HINES et al, 2006;ŽIBRET & GOSAR, 2006). Owing to naturally increased mercury contents in certain rocks, mining and ore processing, Idrija and its surroundings are heavily polluted with Hg.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preliminary results of detailed geochemical study of mercury at the ancient ore roasting site P{enk (Idrija area, Slovenia)

Teršič¹,

Gosar²

2009

Geologija

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P{enk is one out of 21 localities of ancient roasting sites in the woods surrounding Idrija and one of the largest localities of roasting vessels fragments. The most abundant pottery remains are found in the central western part of the area, which is about 60 m long and up to 50 m wide and is supposed to be the location of the roasting process itself. Detailed soil sampling was performed on 210 x 180 m big area. 156 soil (0-15 cm and 15-30 cm) and humus samples were collected from 73 sampling points. 3 soil profiles were sampled to determine vertical distribution of Hg in soil. The prevailing soil types are Cambisols with the typical A-B-C layers sequence. In general soils are rich in organic matter to the depth of 30-40 cm; deeper the clayey loam prevails. The determined Hg contents in soil and humus samples of the investigated area are in the range 1.6-8,600 mg/kg with the median of 62.5 mg/kg. At the area of supposed roasting site the Hg contents range between 20 and 8,600 mg/kg with the median of 580 mg/kg. Spatial distribution of mercury in humus and soils of the investigated area show the highest Hg concentrations at the supposed roasting site area where the largest quantity of pottery fragments were found and to the east of this area, at the narrow tract between the footpath on the north and the bed of La~na voda brook on the south. Extremely high Hg contents were found in profile P4 where it riches 37,020 mg/kg at the depth of 20-30 cm; in general Hg concentrations in all three studied profiles show a gradual decrease with depth. The soils of the investigated area are enriched with mercury to a high degree. Further investigations on Hg speciation are needed to determine the mobility and bioavailability of Hg in soil. Izvle~ekP{enk je ena izmed 21 lokacij nekdanjih žgalni{kih mest v gozdovih okrog Idrije in eno ve~jih nahajali{~ drobirja žgalni{kih posod. Najve~je koli~ine lon~enine najdemo na približno 60 m dolgem in do 50 m {irokem predelu v centralnem zahodnem delu obravnavanega obmo~ja, ki domnevno predstavlja ožje obmo~je žgalnice. Na raziskovanem ozemlju v velikosti 210 x 180 m je bilo na 73 vzor~nih lokacijah odvzetih 156 vzorcev tal (0-15 cm and 15-30 cm) in humusa. Za dolo~itev vertikalne razporeditve Hg v tleh so bili vzor~eni 3 talni profili. Prevladujo~i talni tip so kambi~na tla s tipi~nim profilom A-B-C. Tla so v splo{nem bogata z organsko snovjo do globine 30-40 cm, globlje pa prevladuje glinasta ilovica. Vsebnost živega srebra v obravnavanih vzor~nih medijih zna{a v povpre~ju 62,5 mg/kg in niha v razponu od 1,6 do 8.600 mg/kg. Na ožjem obmo~ju žgalnice se vrednosti gibljejo med 20 in 8.600 mg/kg, mediana zna{a 580 mg/kg. Prostorska razporeditev živega srebra v humusu in tleh kaže najvi{je vrednosti na domnevnem ožjem obmo~ju žgalnice in vzhodno od tega obmo~ja, na predelu med gozdno potjo na severu in strugo potoka La~na voda na vzhodu. Ekstremno visoke vsebnosti Hg so bile dolo~ene v profilu P4, kjer dosežejo na globini 20-30 cm vrednost 37.020 mg/kg; v splo{nem vsebnosti Hg v vse...

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Remediation of Mercury Polluted Sites Due to Mining Activities

Cited by 29 publications

References 0 publications

The Influence of Long-term Mercury Exposure on Selenium Availability in Tissues: An Evaluation of Data

The Influence of Long-term Mercury Exposure on Selenium Availability in Tissues: An Evaluation of Data

Environmental geochemistry studies in the area of Idrija mercury mine, Slovenia

Preliminary results of detailed geochemical study of mercury at the ancient ore roasting site P{enk (Idrija area, Slovenia)

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