Pitfalls of distinguishing anthropogenic and geogenic reasons for risk elements in soils around coal-fired power plants: from a case study in the Northwestern Czech Republic to general recommendations

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F61388980%3A_____%2F24%3A00581998" target="_blank" >RIV/61388980:_____/24:00581998 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/44555601:13520/24:43898960

Result on the web

<a href="https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0350379" target="_blank" >https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0350379</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11368-024-03726-9" target="_blank" >10.1007/s11368-024-03726-9</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Pitfalls of distinguishing anthropogenic and geogenic reasons for risk elements in soils around coal-fired power plants: from a case study in the Northwestern Czech Republic to general recommendations

Original language description

Purpose: Many historical industrial activities, including coal mining and burning, have started near geogenic anomalies. It resulted in spatial overlap of anthropogenic and natural causes of elevated soil risk element contents. Here, distinguishing between anthropogenic and geogenic contributions cannot be achieved by conventional geochemical soil mapping, in particular, when only pseudo-total contents of risk elements were obtained, soil depth profiles were not acquired, and geological maps were not implemented. Methods: The local geology, topography and anthropogenic activities were taken into account when planning the soil sampling. Soil profiles were obtained using an auger sampler. Total contents of risk and lithogenic elements were obtained by X-ray fluorescence. Aqua regia extraction and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were also used for analyses. Results: Coal use in the study area increased the soil contents of Cd, Hg, and Zn in 7 km circle east of the major power plant, typically to 2 × local background in topsoils. In the profiles closest to that plant, Cd emissions have already been translocated to soils below ploughed horizons that weaken the contamination signal in topsoils. The highest As and Pb contents in the Most Basin soils originated from a local geogenic anomaly and not coal burning. Conclusion: Common soil mapping projects and data mining routines cannot decipher anthropogenic contribution to the soil risk elements unequivocally, as it is demonstrated in this paper. When working in geogenically anomalous areas, a fundamental knowledge of the mechanisms controlling the content of risk elements in soils is required.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10511 - Environmental sciences (social aspects to be 5.7)

Project

—

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2024

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Journal of Soils and Sediments

ISSN

1439-0108

e-ISSN

1614-7480

Volume of the periodical

24

Issue of the periodical within the volume

3

Country of publishing house

DE - GERMANY

Number of pages

15

Pages from-to

1274-1288

UT code for WoS article

001145167000002

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85182715721