NATURAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC SOIL ENRICHMENT IN HEAVY METALS IN AREAS OF FORMER METALLIC ORE MINING IN THE SUDETY MTS

摘要

This paper discusses the concentrations of heavy metals in soils at 6 sites of historic metal ore mining activities in the Sudety Mts. The main aim was to illustrate the difficulties in assessing if soil enrichment in metals originated from natural oranthropogenic factors. Such an ability to distinguish the difference is required by Polish legislation concerning the need for reclamation. Waste material collected from mine spoils usually contained very high amounts of some heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, and As: up to 9940, 13600, 6150, 17600, and 40600 mg kg~(-1), respectively). Also the soils considered as natural contained high concentrations of metals, with maximum values for Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, and As: 3430, 2090, 3660, 4400, and 11500 mg kg~(-1), respectively, usually exceeding many times the typical soil values and soil quality standards. Metal concentrations in these soils indicated strong spatial diversity. We concluded that the enrichment by heavy metals was apparently of mixed origin, both natural and anthropogenic, with unknown contributions by each factor. Additional data, including metal solubility, are needed for the assessment of the environmental risk and the need for reclamation.