Environmental Contamination by Heavy Metals in Region with Previous Mining Activity

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Environmental Chemistry
• Ecotoxicology

Background:

• The Middle Spis region in Slovakia is recognized as a highly contaminated area.
• Heavy metal contamination in soil poses risks to ecosystems and human health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess heavy metal contamination (Zn, Cd, Cu, Pb, Hg) in soil and plants from the Middle Spis region.
• To determine the ecological risk posed by these heavy metals.

Main Methods:

• Collected 45 soil and plant samples from the Middle Spis region.
• Analyzed soil properties including pH, humus, and heavy metal content (total and mobile forms).
• Quantified metal concentrations in plants (Athyrium filix-femina L. and Poaceae herbs) using atomic absorption spectrometry.

Main Results:

• Soil concentrations of Zn, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Hg exceeded regulatory limits.
• Plant metal concentrations ranged widely for all analyzed metals.
• Only mercury (Hg) content in plants indicated a potential ecological risk.

Conclusions:

• Despite elevated soil heavy metal levels, only mercury poses an ecological risk in the studied plants.
• Further monitoring and risk assessment are necessary for contaminated regions.