Affiliation:
1. Department of Mathematics and Geosciences, University of Trieste, Via Weiss 2, 34128 Trieste, Italy
2. Geological Survey of Slovenia, Dimičeva ulica 14, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Abstract
Considerable amounts of gaseous elemental mercury (Hg0) can be released into the atmosphere from Hg-enriched substrates, such as those from former mining areas, posing a potential environmental threat. In this work, Hg0 fluxes at the soil–air interface under natural vegetation covers were measured in various locations within the Idrija Hg mining area (Slovenia) and its surroundings. Sites were selected in order to compare Hg0 fluxes from both forest soils heavily impacted by historical ore roasting and urban soils characterised by a different degree of Hg enrichment due to the natural occurrence of Hg in rocks or recent mining and roasting processes. Replicate measurements at each site were conducted using a non-steady state flux chamber coupled with a real-time Hg0 analyser (Lumex RA-915M). Moreover, topsoil samples (0–2 cm) were analysed for Hg total concentration and speciation. Cinnabar was the predominant Hg form in almost all the sites. Despite Hg0 being undetectable in soils using thermo-desorption, substantial emissions were observed (70.7–701.8 ng m−2 h−1). Urban soils in a naturally enriched area showed on average the highest Hg0 fluxes, whereas relatively low emissions were found at the historical roasting site, which is currently forested, despite the significantly high total Hg content in soils (up to 219.0 and 10,400 mg kg−1, respectively). Overall, our findings confirm that shading by trees or litter may effectively limit the amount of Hg0 released into the atmosphere even from extremely enriched soils, thus acting as a natural mitigation.
Funder
Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS) in the frame of the research programme “Groundwater and Geochemistry”
Subject
Atmospheric Science,Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
Reference118 articles.
1. Environmental Geochemistry Studies in the Area of Idrija Mercury Mine, Slovenia;Gosar;Environ. Geochem. Health,2012
2. Sampling High to Extremely High Hg Concentrations at the Cerco de Almadenejos, Almadén Mining District (Spain): The Old Metallurgical Precinct (1794 to 1861AD) and Surrounding Areas;Oyarzun;J. Geochem. Explor.,2011
3. Concentration, Distribution, and Translocation of Mercury and Methylmercury in Mine-Waste, Sediment, Soil, Water, and Fish Collected near the Abbadia San Salvatore Mercury Mine, Monte Amiata District, Italy;Rimondi;Sci. Total Environ.,2012
4. The Toxicology of Mercury and Its Chemical Compounds;Clarkson;Crit. Rev. Toxicol.,2006
5. Environmental Mercury and Its Toxic Effects;Rice;J. Prev. Med. Public Health,2014
Cited by
1 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献