scholarly journals Major and Trace Elements in Moldavian Orchard Soil and Fruits: Assessment of Anthropogenic Contamination

Author(s):  
Inga Zinicovscaia ◽  
Rodica Sturza ◽  
Octavian Duliu ◽  
Dmitrii Grozdov ◽  
Svetlana Gundorina ◽  
...  

The correct assessment of the presence of potentially contaminating elements in soil, as well as in fruits cultivated and harvested from the same places has major importance for both the environment and human health. To address this task, in the case of the Republic of Moldova where the fruit production has a significant contribution to the gross domestic product, the mass fractions of 37 elements (Na, Mg, Al, Ca, Si, K, Mn, Fe, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Sr, Zr, Mo, Cd, Sb, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Yb, Hf, Ta, W, Th, and U) were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis in soil collected from four Moldavian orchards. In the case of three types of fruits, grapes, apples, and plums, all of them collected from the same places, only 22 elements (Na, Mg, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Sr, Sb, Cs, Ba, La, Th, and U) were detected. The enrichment factor, contamination factor, geo-accumulation index, as well as pollution load index were calculated to assess the soil contamination. At the same time, the metal uptake from the soil into fruits was estimated by means of transfer factors. Soil samples showed for almost all elements mass fractions closer to the upper continental crust with the exception of a slightly increased content of As, Br, and Sb, but without overpassing the officially defined alarm thresholds. In the case of fruits, the hazard quotients for all elements with the exception of Sb in fruits collected in two orchards were below unity. A subsequent discriminant analysis allowed grouping all fruits according to their type and provenance.

Tehnika ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 297-304
Author(s):  
Todor Serafimovski ◽  
Goran Tasev ◽  
Trajce Stafilov

The intense mineral extraction in mining areas during the last several decades has produced a large amount of waste material and tailings, which release toxic elements to the environment. The aim of the study was to determine in two vertical profiles/sections (1 and 2) the heavy metal contents of samples derived from six samples, three from each section located in the porphyry copper mine Buchim area, Republic North Macedonia. The results have been compared to new Dutchlist (DL) and Kabata-Pendias (KP) standards and the following was concluded: As values ranged 14.985÷60.131 mg kg-1 with 4 samples above the target value of the DL (29 mg kg-1 As) and 6 above standard values given in KP value (5 mg kg-1 As), in that context Co values ranged 11 ÷57 mg kg-1 with 6 values above the target value of the DL (9 mg kg-1 Co) and 5 above standard values given in KP value (12 mg kg-1 Co), Cr with range 29.32÷75.76 mg kg-1 with 6 over KP value (10 mg kg-1 Cr) and none above the target value of the DL (100 mg kg-1 Cr), Cu with range 2694÷6749 mg kg-1 with 6 samples above the target value of the DL (36 mg kg-1 Cu) and 6 above standard values given in KP value (20 mg kg-1 Cu), Ni with range 59.57÷105.98 mg kg-1 with 6 samples above the target value of the DL (35 mg kg-1 Ni) and 6 above standard values given in KP value (20 mg kg-1 Ni), Pb with range 27.06 ÷96.08 mg kg-1 with 1 sample above the target value of the DL (85 mg kg-1Pb) and 6 above standard values given in KP value (25 mg kg-1Pb), Zn with range 147÷273 mg kg-1 with 6 over target value of the DL (140 mg kg-1 Zn) and 6 above standard KP value (64 mg kg-1 Zn), V with range 34.44÷92.57 mg kg-1 with 5 over target value of the DL (42 mg kg-1 V) and one above KP value (90 mg kg-1 V).In order to compare the level of contamination, the contamination factor (𝐶𝑓 𝑖 ), degree of contamination (Cd), and pollution load index (PLI) were computed. Serious numbers were found for Cu, as, Zn, Co and Ni, which exceeded standard values at almost all samples from both vertical sections. Compared from section 1 and section 2, pollution load index increased by 13.43%, which in almost all samples was classified as heavily polluted to extremely polluted. The fact that mining activities at the Buchim Mine last for almost 40 years, the presence of heavy metals in soils at a serious level is understandable. The high level of contamination is a result of heavy metal persistence and non-biodegradability.


Author(s):  
Nabil, A. E. Azzaz ◽  
Mokhtar, S. Beheary ◽  
Mohamed, N. Raslan ◽  
Hazem T. Abd El Hamid

In the present study, water and sediment samples were collected from Navigation Canal and from Industrial Zone South Port Said to assess heavy metals contamination. It was shown that, the highest mean concentration of heavy metals in water samples was observed in summer, and the lowest mean was observed in winter. It has been made evident that the industrialization in Industrial Zone South Port Said was responsible for the present deteriorating conditions. However, it was shown that, the highest mean concentration of heavy metals in sediment samples was observed in winter, and the lowest mean was observed in summer. Pollution status was evaluated using some indices: geo-accumulation index (Igeo), contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI) and ecological risk index (RI). Based on Igeo, all metal values were unpolluted. On the basis of the values of CF, sediments are high in winter and low in summer. Metals concentrations were in the following order: Ni > Fe > Mn > Pb > Cu > Zn > Co > Cd. According to CF classification, Ni contamination was considerable. RI of winter season can be classified as moderate pollution. No pollution was classified for PLI in all seasons. The decrease in PLI and RI values were indicated dilution and dispersion of metal content with increasing distance from source areas. It is suggested that PLI can give an indication about the trend spatially and temporarily. In addition, it also provides significant data and advice to the policy and decision makers on the contamination degree of the area.


Author(s):  
Rodica Sturza

The presented results reflect the researches carried out over the last decade, having as their object the soil, water, vegetal raw materials, and wines from the Republic of Moldova. The analysis of the possible anthropogenic contamination (NAA method) demonstrated the absence of systematic soil pollution. A total of 30 elements were determined in soil samples and the soil-leaves-fruit transfer factors were calculated. Approximately 3000 samples of local wines have been analysed to determine the residual quantities of pesticides. POPs were not found in any of the wine samples. In most of the examined cases (> 60% of samples), the lack of organic pesticide residues was observed. The migration of phthalates into different solutions from polymeric materials (PVC, rubber) and the influence of the temperature on the extraction rate were investigated. It has been shown that the contamination with phthalate residues occurs predominantly at the stage of grape processing, technological treatment, and storage.


Author(s):  
Qing Ma ◽  
Lina Han ◽  
Jiquan Zhang ◽  
Yichen Zhang ◽  
Qiuling Lang ◽  
...  

Tianchi volcano is a dormant active volcano with a risk of re-eruption. Volcanic soil and volcanic ash samples were collected around the volcano and the concentrations of 21 metals (major and trace elements) were determined. The spatial distribution of the metals was obtained by inverse distance weight (IDW) interpolation. The metals’ sources were identified and their pollution levels were assessed to determine their potential ecological and human health risks. The metal concentrations were higher around Tianchi and at the north to the west of the study area. According to the geo-accumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF) and contamination factor (CF) calculations, Zn pollution was high in the study area. Pearson’s correlation analysis and principal component analysis showed that with the exception of Fe, Mn and As, the metals that were investigated (Al, K, Ca, Na, Mg, Ti, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, Ba, Ga, Li, Co, Cd, Sn, Sr) were mostly naturally derived. A small proportion of Li, Pb and Zn may have come from vehicle traffic. There is no potential ecological risk and non-carcinogenic risk because of the low concentrations of the metals; however, it is necessary to pay attention to the carcinogenic risk of Cr and As in children.


Author(s):  
Rodica Sturza

The presented results reflect the researches carried out over the last decade, having as their object the soil, water, vegetal raw materials, and wines from the Republic of Moldova. The analysis of the possible anthropogenic contamination (NAA method) demonstrated the absence of systematic soil pollution. A total of 30 elements were determined in soil samples and the soil-leaves-fruit transfer factors were calculated. Approximately 3000 samples of local wines have been analysed to determine the residual quantities of pesticides. POPs were not found in any of the wine samples. In most of the examined cases (> 60% of samples), the lack of organic pesticide residues was observed. The migration of phthalates into different solutions from polymeric materials (PVC, rubber) and the influence of the temperature on the extraction rate were investigated. It has been shown that the contamination with phthalate residues occurs predominantly at the stage of grape processing, technological treatment, and storage.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 41-46
Author(s):  
Soheil Sobhanardakani ◽  
◽  
Mehrnaz Ghoochian ◽  

Background: Soil and sediment serve as major reservoir for contaminants as they possess ability to bind various chemicals together. In this study the concentrations of heavy metals Cd, Cr and Cu were analyzed in surface sediments of Agh Gel Wetland in west of Iran. Methods: The sediment samples were taken from 10 stations. The samples were subjected to bulk digestion and chemical partitioning and Cd, Cr and Cu concentrations of the sediments were determined by ICP-OES. Geo-accumulation index (I-geo), Contamination factor (CF) and Pollution load index (PLI) were used to evaluate the magnitude of contaminants in the sediment profile. Results: The mean sediment concentrations (mg kg-1 dry weight) ranged within 0.20-0.29 (Cd), 58-71 (Cr) and 23-36 (Cu). According to the I-geo values, the sediments' qualities are classified as unpolluted to moderately polluted category. According to the CF values, the sediments' qualities are classified as low to moderate contamination. Furthermore, the PLI values indicated that there were no metal pollution exists for all sampling stations. Conclusion: The Agh Gel Wetland is potential to be threatened by chemical pollutants such as agricultural effluent. So to preserve the environment of the Agh Gel Wetland from deterioration, periodically monitoring of the water and sediment qualities is recommended.


2018 ◽  

<p>Ashes, formed as a result of combustion of biomass are a new class of by-products of combustion and due to the large variety of these materials their chemical composition has not been fully determined. Their use is limited, despite the fact that their production has increased. This work presents the results of studies on the possibility of limiting the potential availability of Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn for plants by use of an inorganic stabilizer - ash from biomass combustion. In this study the usefulness of ash from biomass for binding mobile fractions of heavy metals (Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn) was evaluated. The investigations were executed using three extraction tests with the use of the following extraction solutions: 1 M HNO3 – acid soluble forms (As), 0.05 M EDTA – bioavailable forms (Bio), 2.5% CH3COOH – exchangeable forms (Ex). The values of the following parameters: Mobility Index (MI), Contamination Factor (CF), Pollution Load Index (PLI), Geo – accumulation Index (Igeo) and Ecological Risk Index (RI) were defined and determined for their suitability as a test soil stabilizer. Furthermore, a multivariate statistical analysis was carried out. It was found, that a phytoremediation process using investigated ash from biomass combustion can be applied to soil contaminated by heavy metals.</p>


Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 471
Author(s):  
Inga Zinicovscaia ◽  
Constantin Hramco ◽  
Omari Chaligava ◽  
Nikita Yushin ◽  
Dmitrii Grozdov ◽  
...  

For the second time, the moss biomonitoring technique was applied to evaluate the deposition of potentially toxic elements in the Republic of Moldova. The study was performed in the framework of the International Cooperative Program on Effects of Air Pollution on Natural Vegetation and Crops. Moss Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. samples were collected in May 2020 from 41 sampling sites distributed over the entire territory of the country. The mass fractions of 35 elements (Na, Mg, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Br, Se, Rb, Sr, Sb, Cs, Ba, Cd, La, Ce, Sm, Eu, Tb, Hf, Ta, Th, Pb, and U) were determined using neutron activation analysis and atomic absorption spectrometry. Comparing with 2015/2016 moss survey data, significant differences in the mass fractions of Cr, As, Se, Br, Sr, Sb, Cd, Pb, and Cu were found. Main air pollution sources (natural processes, transport, industry, agriculture, mining) were identified and characterized using factor and correlation analyses. GIS maps were built to point out the zones with the highest element mass fractions and to relate this to the known sources of contamination. Contamination factor, geo-accumulation index, pollution load index, and potential ecological risk index were calculated to assess the air pollution levels in the country. According to the calculated values, Moldova can be characterized as unpolluted to moderately polluted, with low potential ecological risk related to the degree of atmospheric deposition of potentially toxic elements. The cities of Chisinau and Balti were determined to experience particular environmental stress and are considered moderately polluted.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 186-195
Author(s):  
A A Tyovenda ◽  
S I Ikpughul ◽  
T Sombo

Heavy metal pollution of water, sediments and Algae in the upper region of River Benue at Jimeta-Yola, Adamawa state, Nigeria was assessed. The concentrations of the heavy metals (Pb, Hg, Ni, Cu, Cr, Zn, Mn, Fe) in the samples were analyzed using Atomic Adsorption Spectrometer. Pollution parameters such as enrichment factor, contamination factor, pollution load index and geo-accumulation index were evaluated. The result of heavy metal analysis showed that, the concentration (ppm) of the metals in water samples ranged as follows: Pb(0.25-0.50), Hg(0.00-2.00), Ni(0.10-0.31), Cu(0.03-0.13), Cr(0.00-1.33), Zn(0.01-0.04), Mn(0.03-0.06) and Fe(105.15-118.75) respectively. This result when compared with the EPA maximum permissible limits for drinking water showed that, all the metals except Cu and Zn had values above the permissible limits. The evaluation of enrichment factor revealed that, Hg showed extremely high enrichment while Pb showed significant enrichment for Algae, water and sediment samples. The contamination factor showed low contamination for all metals except Hg which showed considerable contamination for sediments, water and Algae samples. The pollution load index for sediments, water and Algae indicated no pollution. The geo-accumulation index of the metals in sediments, water and Algae indicates no or minimal pollution. The samples were enriched with Hg and Pb. These metals are capable of causing various types of cancer, brain and kidney damage among other ailments.


DEPIK ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 403-410
Author(s):  
Edward Edward

Contamination and pollution of heavy metals in the bottom sediment can pose serious issues to marine organisms and human health. Jakarta Bay which is located adjacent to the capital city of Indonesia is notorious for its pollution problems. The purpose of this research was to assest the contamination levels of heavy metals Hg, Pb, and Cd in sea-bottom sediments based on an index analysis approach (contamination factors, geo accumulation index, pollution load index). Sediment samples were collected from 31 stations in Jakarta Bay. Heavy metal concentration was measured using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The results showed that an average mercury (Hg) concentration ranged from 0.150 to 0.530 µg.g-1 with an total average of 0.362 µg.g-1, Lead (Pb) from 14.870 to 35.650 µg.g-1 with an total average of 21.774 µg.g-1, Cadmium (Cd) 0.110-0.280 µg.g-1 with an total average of 0.190 µg.g-1.The average concentration of Hg, Pb, and Cd is still lower than the sediment quality threshold values set by the Office of the State Minister of Environment of Indonesia  2010. The results of the index analysis showed that the average value of contamination factor (CF) are Hg 0.685, Pb 0.558, and Cd 0.380 respectively (low contamination) and geo accumulation index values are Hg 0.237, Pb -1.655, and Cd 0.069 respectively (unpolluted to moderate polluted). Overall, based on the pollution load index value is -0,511 (PLI 1), sediments in these waters are categorized as not yet polluted by Hg, Pb and Cd. This situation  is so necessary to be maintained, that in order for the preservation of marine resources will remain.Keywords: Jakarta Bay, sediment, pollution, heavy metals, assessmentABSTRAKKontaminasi dan pencemaran logam berat pada sedimen dasar dapat menimbulkan masalah yang serius bagi biota laut dan kesehatan manusia. Teluk Jakarta yang terletak berdekatan dengan ibu kota Indonesia terkenal karena masalah pencemarannya yang parah. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk menilai tingkat kontaminasi logam berat Hg, Pb dan Cd dalam sedimen dasar laut berdasarkan pendekatan analisis indeks. Contoh sedimen diambil dari 31 stasiun penelitian di Teluk Jakarta. Kadar logam berat diukur dengan alat Spektrofometer Penyerapan Atom. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan kadar Hg rerata berkisar 0,150-0,530 µg. g-1 dengan rerata total 0,362 µg. g-1, Timbal (Pb) 14,870-35,650 µg. g-1 dengan rerata total 21,774 µg. g-1, Kadmium (Cd) 0,110-0,280 µg. g-1 dengan rerata total 0,190 µg.g-1. Kadar rerata Hg, Pb dan Cd masih lebih rendah dari nilai ambang batas kualitas sedimen yang ditetapkan oleh Kantor Menteri Negara Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia 2010. Hasil analisis indeks menunjukkan nilai rerata faktor kontaminasi (CF) berturut-turut adalah Hg 0,685, Pb 0,352 dan Cd 0,380 (kontaminasi rendah) dan nilai indeks geo akumulasi berturut-turut adalah Hg 0,227, Pb 1,098 dan Cd 0,633 (tidak tercemar sampai tercemar sedang). Secara keseluruhan, berdasarkan nilai indeks beban pencemaran yakni -3.772 (PLI 1), sedimen di perairan ini termasuk kategori belum tercemar oleh Hg, Pb dan Cd. Keadaan ini perlu dipertahankan, agar kelestarian sumberdaya laut tetap terjaga.Kata kunci: Teluk Jakarta, sedimen, pencemaran, logam berat, penilaian


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