The effects of long-term heavy metal deposition on microbial community structure and the level of bacterial community tolerance were studied along two different gradients in Scandinavian coniferous forest soils. One was near the Harjavalta smelter in Finland, and one was at Ronnskar in Sweden. Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis revealed a gradual change in soil microbial communities along ...

Three chemical immobilization materials, agricultural limestone (AL), mineral rock phosphate (RP), and diammonium phosphate (DAP), were evaluated using solute transport experiments to determine their ability to reduce subsurface heavy metal transport in a smelter contaminated soil. Percent reductions in metals transported were based on comparison with cumulative totals of metal species eluted t...

Due to increased copper production and the associated environmental consequences, processes need be improved, considering impact of their byproducts, among others slag. This study investigated leaching individual constituents iron silicate slag from a smelter. was done by characterising granulated samples its – glass, matte, speiss determine contribution. It observed that in distilled deionised...

The environmental risk of heavy metal pollution is pronounced in soils adjacent to large industrial complexes. It is important to investigate the functioning of soil microorganisms in ecosystems exposed to long-term contamination by heavy metals. We studied the potential effects of heavy metals on microbial biomass, activity, and community composition in soil near a copper smelter in China. The...

A soil profile contaminated as a result of Zn smelting operations from the historic Palmerton, PA smelting facility was characterized using X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) as bulk techniques, coupled with electron microprobe (EM), and microfocused XAFS as microscopic techniques to determine the chemical forms of Zn and elucidate its geochemical fa...

A soil profile contaminated as a result of Zn smelting operations from the historic Palmerton, PA smelting facility was characterized using X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) as bulk techniques, coupled with electron microprobe (EM), and microfocused XAFS as microscopic techniques to determine the chemical forms of Zn and elucidate its geochemical fa...

The contents of nine elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb and Zn) have been assayed in the farming soils of Suszec commune (southern Poland). This area is affected by the main industrial centre of Poland (the Upper Silesian Industrial Region), the Czech Republic (Trzyniec smelter) and local contamination sources (coal mine). The contamination of the soils was assessed on the basis of geoacc...

Contaminant exposure can vary between species but primary causes of it are often unclear. In order to estimate heavy metal intake of two sympatric passerines - Ficedula hypoleuca Pall. and Parus ater L. - we studied nestling diet and metal concentrations in prey invertebrates, near the Middle Ural copper smelter and in an unpolluted area. Diet of P. ater contained more Cu, Cd and Zn compared to...

In the municipality of Bor (Eastern Serbia), which is known for its production of copper from sulphide ores, soil was sampled in urban, rural and background area. The content of metals (Pb, Cu, Cd, Zn, Ni, Cr) and metalloids (As, Sb, Se, Te) in the soil was determined. The highest concentrations of the analyzed elements and frequent exceedance of the limit values were observed in soil samples f...

A bacterial strain, Pseudomonas putida S4, was isolated from smelter drainage of copper mines. The strain exhibited resistance to several heavy metals, like aluminium (Al), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co) besides copper (Cu). Strain S4 could accumulate Cu from the Cu-supplemented growth medium. In the present study, we have demonstrated the Cu2+ removal capacity of this strain from various ...