Article
Environmental Sciences
Yizhang Liu, Tangfu Xiao, Zhengjie Zhu, Liang Ma, Hang Li, Zengping Ning
Summary: This study investigated the pollution, fractionation and potential risks of heavy metals in soils from a mountainous area with black shale outcropping, with emphasis on Cd and Zn. Elevated concentrations of heavy metals in black shales reflected high geochemical baseline in the study area. Metals released from oxidative weathering were redistributed and retained during pedogenic processes, leading to enrichment of certain metals in soils.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Georgios Charvalas, Alexandra D. Solomou, Kyriakos D. Giannoulis, Elpiniki Skoufogianni, Dimitrios Bartzialis, Christina Emmanouil, Nicholaos G. Danalatos
Summary: This article provides an overview of alternative methods for restoring contaminated soils (phytoremediation), focusing on areas of excessive metallurgical activities in Greece. Two case studies in Northern Greece were selected, one characterized by metal mining and a hot summer Mediterranean climate, and the other involving lignite mining and pollution under subtropical climate.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Velmurugan Puliankurichi Mookan, Rajesh Kumar Machakalai, Sundararajan Srinivasan, Sivaraj Sigamani, Prabhu Kolandhasamy, Palingamoorthy Gnanamoorthy, Meivelu Moovendhan, Ramachandran Srinivasan, Ashraf Atef Hatamleh, Munirah Abdullah AI-Dosary
Summary: The spatial concentration of heavy metals (Mn, Ni, Cu, Co, Zn, Cd, and Pb) was studied in coastal areas of Palk Bay, India. Pollution indices were calculated to evaluate the metal pollution in water and sediment, which indicated moderate contamination of sediment due to anthropogenic activities. Cadmium concentrations were the highest and positively correlated with anthropogenic sources.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Tianhong Nie, Xing Yang, Hanbo Chen, Karin Muller, Sabry M. Shaheen, Joerg Rinklebe, Hocheol Song, Song Xu, Fengchang Wu, Hailong Wang
Summary: This study investigated the influence of aging on pig- and P. orientalis-derived biochars on the sorption capacity for Cd and Zn in biochar-treated soils. The sorption capacity increased with biochar application rates, and aging led to enhanced sorption capacity due to increased oxygen-containing functional groups. The presence of DEP enhanced sorption capacity in fresh biochar treatments, but not in aged treatments.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Alexandra D. Solomou, Rafaelia Germani, Nikolaos Proutsos, Michaela Petropoulou, Petros Koutroumpilas, Christos Galanis, Georgios Maroulis, Antonios Kolimenakis
Summary: This study investigates the use of phytoremediation, specifically focusing on Mediterranean plants, to reduce heavy metal concentrations in contaminated soils. Based on a review of 166 research studies, the findings suggest that phytoremediation is a sustainable and affordable option, particularly for developing countries. While non-native plant species may be preferred for their metal tolerance mechanisms, they can also pose risks to local ecosystems and should be carefully considered.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Linjie Xie, Peiyue Li, Dawei Mu
Summary: The study investigated the pollution level, spatial distribution characteristics, and origins of trace metals in the topsoil of the upstream area of the Guanzhong Basin. The most contaminated elements were Cr, Cu, Cd, and Pb, and the average levels of all trace metal elements exceeded their local background values. The primary sources of contamination were agriculture, industry, mining, metal smelting, and traffic emissions. This study provides reliable references for determining the sources of trace metals in the region.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Heba Bedair, Soumya Ghosh, Ibrahim M. Abdelsalam, Ayaz Ali Keerio, Samar Sami AlKafaas
Summary: Soil and water in Egypt are contaminated with various pollutants, including fertilizer misuse, industrial effluent, wastewater discharge, and mining activities. These pollutants have adverse effects on air, water, food, and human health. Some plants, called hyperaccumulators, have the potential to remove pollutants from soil and water at a low cost. This review focuses on the application of trees in the phytoremediation of salts and heavy metals in Egypt.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Halil Aytop, Yakup Kenan Koca, Suat Senol
Summary: The enrichment factor (EF) is commonly used to determine the source of pollution, but its accuracy is questioned due to the discretion of background value choice. This study assessed the validity of the concerns and found varying heavy metal enrichment in soils based on different background values. Statistical analyses revealed strong positive relationships between clay content, cation exchange capacity, and certain heavy metals.
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Pawel Tomczyk, Aleksandra Wdowczyk, Barbara Wiatkowska, Agata Szymanska-Pulikowska
Summary: This study comprehensively assessed the contamination status of agricultural soils in Poland with selected heavy metals using various indicators and statistical analysis. The research results provide insights into the spatial and structural diversification of soil contamination with metals and can be useful for formulating recommendations for soil use and environmental protection.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Panos Panagos, Martin Jiskra, Pasquale Borrelli, Leonidas Liakos, Cristiano Ballabio
Summary: This study investigates the distribution and sources of mercury in EU soils, highlighting mining activities and chlor-alkali industries as major anthropogenic factors contributing to mercury hotspots. It discusses mercury loss due to water erosion, sediment distribution, and the severity of mercury pollution in the Mediterranean Sea region. The research provides valuable insights to support the EU's efforts in reducing soil pollution as part of the Zero Pollution Action Plan and Sustainable Development Goals.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Albert Maxhuni, Pranvera Lazo, Liridon Berisha
Summary: The assessment of heavy metal soil pollution in Kosovo is incomplete. The research aims to evaluate the level and spatial distribution of heavy metals and biogenic elements in soil samples throughout the country. The concentrations of lead, cadmium, copper, and nickel exceeded the maximum thresholds set by the EU directive in some sampling locations.
WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Belaid Fatmi, Abdelkrim Hazzab, Abdellah Ghenaim, Asmaa Rahmani
Summary: This study provides an updated analysis of urban pollution in the Saida city watershed, focusing on the presence of heavy metals and organic pollution in urban drainage sediments. The results show that rainfall events and sediment sampling periods have an influence on pollution generation and regeneration processes. Pollution indices and factors are used to assess the degree of pollution in the study area, and the results indicate significant pollution of the investigated sediments. Furthermore, the sediments possess a high to severe potential ecological risk rating.
WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Qingping Liu, Guannan Liu, Wei Chen, Guoliang Chen
Summary: This paper introduces a new software, HMCA-Contour, which is designed to simplify the assessment and plotting of soil heavy metal contamination. With user-friendly interfaces, the software allows users to easily generate high-quality maps of heavy metal spatial distribution and pollution levels.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Israel Godwin Nwovu, Ike Oluka, Omaka N. Omaka, Obinna A. Oje
Summary: The establishment of quarries in Ebonyi state of Nigeria to generate internal revenue has led to the need to determine the risk associated with heavy metal burden. The study found that the metal concentrations in the quarrying environments were within safe levels.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mohamed Ben -Haddad, Mohamed Rida Abelouah, Imane Lamine, Sara Hajji, Slimani Noureddine, Nelson Rangel-Buitrago, Aicha Ait Alla
Summary: This study examines the contamination, accumulation, and ecological risk of five trace metals in sediments of an urbanized beach in Morocco. The results show that, overall, the sediments were within the acceptable limits, indicating low contamination and low ecological risk. However, there was an increase in Cd levels in 2019 due to anthropogenic activities, leading to moderate pollution and moderate ecological risk. It is recommended to reduce avoidable human activities to mitigate metal pollution in the study area.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Agnieszka Gruszecka-Kosowska, Agnieszka Baran, Magdalena Wdowin, Katarzyna Mazur-Kajta, Tomasz Czech
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH
(2020)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Joanna Tkaczewska, Barbara Borczak, Ewa Pitkowska, Joanna Kapusta-Duch, Malgorzata Morawska, Tomasz Czech
JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS
(2019)
Article
Engineering, Geological
Maciej Jan Mendecki, Jacek Szczygiel, Grzegorz Lizurek, Leslaw Teper
ENGINEERING GEOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ales Vanek, Katerina Vejvodova, Martin Mihaljevic, Vojtech Ettler, Jakub Trubac, Maria Vankova, Viktor Golias, Leslaw Teper, Katarzyna Sutkowska, Petra Vokurkova, Vit Penizek, Tereza Zadorova, Ondrej Drabek
Summary: The study demonstrates that thallium is an immobile element in peat, potentially influenced by geogenic sources. The variations in thallium isotopic ratios in peat samples are consistent with both anthropogenic and background thallium isotopic values, serving to distinguish the origin of thallium.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ales Vanek, Katerina Vejvodova, Martin Mihaljevic, Vojtech Ettler, Jakub Trubac, Maria Vankova, Leslaw Teper, Jerzy Cabala, Katarzyna Sutkowska, Andreas Voegelin, Joerg Goettlicher, Ondrej Holubik, Petra Vokurkova, Lenka Pavlu, Ivana Galuskova, Tereza Zadorova
Summary: This study found that in the sulfide processing of zinc extraction, the dominant form of thallium is Tl(I), and the variation in thallium isotopic ratios is relatively small.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Iwona Stan-Kleczek, Jolanta Pierwola, Artur Marciniak, Katarzyna Sutkowska, Radoslawa Tomaszewska
Summary: This study demonstrates the successful identification of subsurface karst structures using a multimethod geophysical reconnaissance approach in two locations in the Silesian District of Poland, and suggests that this method can be applied to similar terrains worldwide.
BULLETIN OF ENGINEERING GEOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Katerina Vejvodova, Ales Vanek, Marko Spasic, Martin Mihaljevic, Vojtech Ettler, Maria Vankova, Petr Drahota, Leslaw Teper, Petra Vokurkova, Lenka Pavlu, Tereza Zadorova, Ondrej Drabek
Summary: The study investigated the weathering of Tl-containing sulfides and their stability in organic environments. The results showed that sphalerite was less stable and acted as the main phase responsible for Tl mobilization. Industrial acid rainwater also accelerated sulfide degradation and Tl release.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Slawomir Kedzior, Leslaw Teper
Summary: This article studied the unmined Cwiklice and Dankowice coal deposits located in the southern part of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland. It found that the geological structure influences the distribution of methane, with lower content in coal seams within porous sandstones and higher content in seams within impermeable shales and mudstones. The study also analyzed the variability of methane content, resources, and coal properties in the area, and suggested effective utilization of captured methane for environmental and economic reasons.
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Michal P. Michalak, Pawel Marzec, Filip Turobos, Paulina Leonowicz, Leslaw Teper, Pawel Gladki, Michael J. Pyrcz, Mariusz Szubert
Summary: The study introduces a new workflow using triangulation to evaluate the parallelism between geological surfaces. This workflow involves analyzing angular distance distributions and conducting spatial analysis with grid maps suitable for sparse data in subsurface environments. The approach was tested using interfaces from Krakow-Silesian Homocline, a geological unit with preferred subhorizontal dip to NE. The results show potential differences between separating homocline-related units and separating homocline-related units from homocline-unrelated units, with smaller mean angular distances observed for the former. The method appears to be more effective in identifying small-scale structures in specific surfaces. Open-source code is available for reproducibility of the findings.
EARTH SCIENCE INFORMATICS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Michal P. Michalak, Leslaw Teper, Florian Wellmann, Jerzy Zaba, Krzysztof Gaidzik, Marcin Kostur, Yuriy P. Maystrenko, Paulina Leonowicz
Summary: The geological potential of sparse subsurface data is not fully exploited due to the lack of specific workflows. A new unsupervised machine learning framework is developed to cluster and analyze the spatial distribution of orientations in geological interfaces. The clustering results provide insights into potential geological structures.
