Metal(loid)s in urban soil from historical municipal solid waste landfill: Geochemistry, source apportionment, bioaccessibility testing and human health risks.

Landfills, especially those poorly managed, can negatively affect the environment and human beings through chemical contamination of soils and waters. This study investigates the soils of a historical municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill situated in the heart of a residential zone in the capital of Slovakia, Bratislava, with an emphasis on metal (loid) contamination and its consequences. Regardless of the depth, many of the soils exhibited high metal (loid) concentrations, mainly Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, Sn and Zn (up to 24, 2620, 2420, 134, 811 and 6220 mg/kg, respectively), classifying them as extremely contaminated based on the geo-accumulation index (I >5).

Environmental and health impacts assessment of long-term naturally-weathered municipal solid waste incineration ashes deposited in soil-old burden in Bratislava city, Slovakia.

Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) is an effective method for reducing the volume/mass of waste. However, MSWI ashes contain high concentrations of many substances, including trace metal (loid)s, that could be released into the environment and contaminate soils and groundwater. In this study, attention was focused on the site near the municipal solid waste incinerator where MSWI ashes are deposited on the surface without any control.

Metal(loid) concentrations, bioaccessibility and stable lead isotopes in soils and vegetables from urban community gardens.

Community gardens are "green oases" of recent cities with many benefits for human society. From a human health perspective, these benefits can be damaged by chemical contamination of soil and cultivated vegetables. Using geochemical approaches, this study characterised (i) total metal(loid) concentrations in soils and two commonly grown vegetables in urban community gardens (Bratislava, Slovakia), (ii) gastrointestinal bioaccessibility using a modified physiologically based extraction test (PBET), and (iii) stable lead (Pb) isotopes in order to identify sources of metal(loid)s, solubilisation in the human body and migration of Pb from soil to vegetables.

Sixteen priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in roadside soils at traffic light intersections (Bratislava, Slovakia): concentrations, sources and influencing factors.

Combustion of fossil fuels is the most important source of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the environment. Cities are typical of many human activities which are dependent on fossil fuels (road and railway transport, heat generation, waste incineration and industry) on a small area, leading to high concentrations of PAHs in urban air, dust and soil. The aim of this study was to determine the possible influence of urban traffic on the accumulation of sixteen priority PAHs in soils (n = 132 at two soil depths of 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm) taken at intersections (n = 37) with different traffic volumes and road ages.

Contaminated soils of different natural pH and industrial origin: The role of (nano) iron- and manganese-based amendments in As, Sb, Pb, and Zn leachability.

Soils containing a large proportion of industrial waste can pose a health risk due to high environmentally available concentrations of toxic metal(loid)s. Nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) and amorphous manganese oxide (AMO) were applied as immobilising amendments (1 wt%) to soils with different industrial origin of As and Sb, and leaching of As, Sb, Pb, and Zn was investigated using a single extraction with deionised water. The different industrial impact was reflected in the mineralogy, chemical composition and pH of these soils.

Concentrations of selected trace elements in surface soils near crossroads in the city of Bratislava (the Slovak Republic).

It is well known that road transport emits various trace elements into the environment, which are deposited in soils in the vicinity of roads, so-called roadside soils, and thus contributes to the deterioration of their chemical state. The aim of this work was to determine concentrations of some metals and metalloids (arsenic (As), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn)) in soils from crossroads with traffic signals, which are characterized by deceleration of vehicles and increased emissions of elements related mainly to brake and tyre wear. The results confirmed a moderate enrichment of soils with Cu, Pb, and Zn (enrichment factor (EF) values > 2) and significant enrichment for Sb (EF > 5), while the other elements showed no or minimal enrichment.

Proposal of New Health Risk Assessment Method for Deficient Essential Elements in Drinking Water-Case Study of the Slovak Republic.

The US EPA health risk assessment method is currently widely used to assess human health risks for many environmental constituents. It is used for risk assessment from the exposure to various contaminants exceeding tolerable or safe reference doses, determined e.g.

Trace elements in two particle size fractions of urban soils collected from playgrounds in Bratislava (Slovakia).

Today, it is proven that the contaminated urban soils are hazardous for the human health. Soil substrates of playgrounds call for special research as they are places where children are directly exposed to soil contaminants. Therefore, the objective of this work was to measure the pseudo-total contents and bioaccessibility of several metals and metalloids (As, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, V, Zn) in two grain sizes (< 150 μm and < 50 μm) of playground soils in Bratislava city (the capital of Slovakia).

Hard Water, More Elastic Arteries: A Case Study from Krupina District, Slovakia.

The protective role of hard drinking water against cardiovascular diseases is well documented by numerous studies. This article describes the impact of Ca and Mg contents in the drinking water with different water hardness on the cardiovascular system (arterial stiffness, arterial age) of residents of the Krupina district, the Slovak Republic. The research was based on the measurements of arterial stiffness, including the measurements of aortic pulse wave velocity (PWVao) and the calculation of the arterial age of the residents.

Total mercury, chromium, nickel and other trace chemical element contents in soils at an old cinnabar mine site (Merník, Slovakia): anthropogenic versus natural sources of soil contamination.

The aims of this study were to investigate the occurrence and distribution of total mercury (Hg) and other trace elements of environmental concern, such as arsenic (As), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and vanadium (V), in soils from the abandoned Merník cinnabar mine in eastern Slovakia. For this purpose, thirty soil samples from two depth intervals within the mine area (n = 60 soil samples) and additional sixteen soil samples from adjacent areas (n = 25 soil samples) were collected. Total Hg was measured by atomic absorption spectrometry, while As and other metals were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry.

Arsenic in Playground Soils from Kindergartens and Green Recreational Areas of Bratislava City (Slovakia): Occurrence and Gastric Bioaccessibility.

In this study, playground soils of kindergartens and green recreational zones in Bratislava were investigated for the occurrence and gastric bioaccessibility of arsenic (As) in the < 150 μm soil size fraction. Eighty topsoil (0-10 cm) samples were collected from playgrounds in kindergartens and green recreational zones throughout the urban area. Bioaccessibility measurements of As were performed using the Simple Bioaccessibility Extraction Test that mimics the human gastric environment, and resulting extracts were analyzed by hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry to assess bioaccessible As concentrations in the collected playground soils.

Occurrence of selected trace metals and their oral bioaccessibility in urban soils of kindergartens and parks in Bratislava (Slovak Republic) as evaluated by simple in vitro digestion procedure.

A total of eighty surface soil samples were collected from public kindergartens and urban parks in the city of Bratislava, and the <150µm soil fraction was evaluated for total concentrations of five metals, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn, their oral bioaccessibilities, non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks to children, and lead isotopic composition. The mean metal concentrations in urban soils (0.29, 36.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria) as Indicators of Geogenic Contamination of Flysch Soils in Eastern Slovakia.

Contents of potentially toxic elements Fe, Mn, Cr, Ni, Co, V, Cu, and Mo were determined in common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria) to show their usefulness as bioindicators of geogenic soil pollution. Both plants were collected on geochemically anomalous soils developed on flysch sedimentary rocks (Paleogene) of Eastern Slovakia, which also are composed of weathered detritus of some ultramafic rocks. Generally, contents of the investigated association of potentially toxic elements are highly increased in these "serpentine"-like soils.

Impact of wheat straw biochar addition to soil on the sorption, leaching, dissipation of the herbicide (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)acetic acid and the growth of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.).

Biochar addition to agricultural soils might increase the sorption of herbicides, and therefore, affect other sorption-related processes such as leaching, dissipation and toxicity for plants. In this study, the impact of wheat straw biochar on the sorption, leaching and dissipation in a soil, and toxicity for sunflower of (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)acetic acid (MCPA), a commonly used ionizable herbicide, was investigated. The results showed that MCPA sorption by biochar and biochar-amended soil (1.

Geochemical and mineralogical characterization of a neutral, low-sulfide/high-carbonate tailings impoundment, Markušovce, eastern Slovakia.

Tailings deposits generated from mining activities represent a potential risk for the aquatic environment through the release of potentially toxic metals and metalloids occurring in a variety of minerals present in the tailings. Physicochemical and mineralogical characteristics of tailings such as total concentrations of chemical elements, pH, ratio of acid-producing to acid-neutralizing minerals, and primary and secondary mineral phases are very important factors that control the actual release of potentially toxic metals and metalloids from the tailings to the environment. The aims of this study are the determination of geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of tailings deposited in voluminous impoundment situated near the village of Markušovce (eastern Slovakia) and identification of the processes controlling the mobility of selected toxic metals (Cu, Hg) and metalloids (As, Sb).

Sorption, desorption, and degradation of (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)acetic acid in representative soils of the Danubian Lowland, Slovakia.

Herbicide leaching through soil into groundwater greatly depends upon sorption-desorption and degradation phenomena. Batch adsorption, desorption and degradation experiments were performed with acidic herbicide MCPA and three soil types collected from their respective soil horizons. MCPA was found to be weakly sorbed by the soils with Freundlich coefficient values ranging from 0.

Arsenic concentrations in soils impacted by dam failure of coal-ash pond in Zemianske Kostolany, Slovakia.

In this study, the concentrations of arsenic were determined in the soils around old coal-ash pond. The soils in the study area were severely contaminated with arsenic after dam failure of the coal-ash pond. The mean concentrations of arsenic in soils collected from three sampling depths of 0-20, 20-40 and >40 cm were 173, 155 and 426 μg/g, respectively, exceeding greatly the Dutch intervention threshold for this element.

Metals in the surface sediments of selected water reservoirs, Slovakia.

Ruzin and Velke Kozmalovce water reservoirs (Slovakia) receive potentially toxic elements through rivers draining catchment areas polluted with the former extensive mining of ore-bearing deposits. In this study, the concentrations and fractionation of metals (antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, vanadium and zinc) have been studied in the surface sediments of the two water reservoirs. Comparison of metal concentrations found in the sediments with the mean shale values revealed a significant anthropogenic enrichment mostly with antimony (22.

Concentrations, distributions, and sources of polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in bed sediments of the water reservoirs in Slovakia.

Dredging water reservoirs is necessary to maintain accumulation capacity and to prevent floodings. As a first step, the quality of the bed sediments in water reservoirs must be determined before dredging operations. In this study, sediment samples from 34 stations of three selected water reservoirs (Zemplinska Sirava, Velke Kozmalovce, and Ruzin) were collected to investigate concentrations, distributions, and hazards of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and to predict their possible sources.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in bottom sediments from three water reservoirs, Slovakia.

Thirty-four sediment samples were collected in three water reservoirs from the Slovak Republic to investigate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) distribution and predict their possible sources. The results showed that the highest total PAH concentrations were associated with sediments from the Velke Kozmalovce, ranging from 7,910 to 29,538 ng/g of dry weight. On the other hand, the lowest total PAH concentrations (84-631 ng/g of dry weight) were found in sediments of the Zemplinska Sirava, an important recreational area in eastern Slovakia.

Effect of soil and sediment composition on acetochlor sorption and desorption.

Background, Aim, And Scope: Herbicide fate and its transport in soils and sediments greatly depend upon sorption-desorption processes. Quantitative determination of herbicide sorption-desorption is therefore essential for both the understanding of transport and the sorption equilibrium in the soil/sediment-water system; and it is also an important parameter for predicting herbicide fate using mathematical simulation models. The total soil/sediment organic carbon content and its qualitative characteristics are the most important factors affecting sorption-desorption of herbicides in soil or sediment.

Fungal volatilization of trivalent and pentavalent arsenic under laboratory conditions.

Production of volatile derivatives of arsenic was studied using pure cultures of different fungal strains under laboratory conditions. Arsenic was used in its trivalent and pentavalent forms to evaluate the effect of arsenic valency on its biovolatilization. The average amount of volatilized arsenic for all fungal strains ranged from 0.

Sorption of acetochlor, atrazine, 2,4-D, chlorotoluron, MCPA, and trifluralin in six soils from Slovakia.

Sorption of the herbicides (acetochlor, atrazine, 2,4-D: , chlorotoluron, MCPA and trifluralin) in their commercially available formulations was characterized on six agricultural soils from Slovakia. Weak acid herbicides (2,4-D: and MCPA) were the least sorbed, whereas weak base such as atrazine and nonionic herbicides were the most sorbed in the order: atrazine < acetochlor approximately chlorotoluron < trifluralin, which was closely related to the hydrophobicity of herbicides expressed as logKOW. The KF values positively correlated with soil organic carbon content for all herbicides.