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Environmental contamination of mining areas and the possibilities of their phytoremediation
Pecina, Václav ; Pospíšilová, Ľubica (referee) ; Pavlů,, Lenka (referee) ; Komendová, Renata (advisor)
Environmental pollution with heavy metals is a global problem escalating in areas with mining. The search for solutions to this problem has been the subject of research for the past decades. This work is conceived as a set of four case studies focused on environmental pollution of mining areas and phytoremediation of polluted soils. The conclusions of all four studies are discussed in the context of the situation in Mongolia, where the investigation of this issue is at an initial stage. The results of the environmental pollution investigation in the mining areas showed (I) the unsuitability of the transformation of the mining-processing plant and the adjacent heap in Příbram into a forest park due to the persistent heavy pollution of the soil with the heavy metals (As, Cd, Pb and Zn) causing potential health risks for visitors and inhibition of the tree seedlings even after the implementation of the reclamation project and (II) the low level of soil pollution of the mining areas in Mongolia with no expected risks to the local population. The results of the phytoremediation studies confirmed the potential of Lupinus luteus L. and Festuca rubra L. in combination with specific additives (mainly biochar from willow chips, poultry feather ash and chalcedonite, respectively) for aided phytostabilization of soils polluted with Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn, and Cr(VI), respectively, and thus the potential for use in phytoremediation of heavy metal-polluted soils in mining areas. Regarding uncontrolled grazing in Mongolia, phytostabilization of heaps and making them inaccessible is necessary to reduce the risks of spreading contamination and intoxication not only of livestock. A promising species for phytoremediation in Mongolia may be Larix sibirica Ledeb.; a suitable type of mining waste management aided phytostabilization focusing on the use of potentially available manure and wood chips. Future research should implement experiments with identified plant species and additives and find other suitable local species capable of creating a continuous vegetation cover.
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Soil contamination as one of the influences on afforestation after precious metals mining at selected bearings in central Europe
Pecina, Václav
Mining of precious metals poses a threat to the environment by heavy metal contamination. Soil contamination by selected heavy metals (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) and its effect on woody species used for afforestation was investigated at selected localities (Příbram-Březové Hory, Banská Štiavnica-Lintich, Olkusz-Bolesław). Concentrations of the heavy metals in the soil and assimilation apparatus were determined by the XRF method and other soil characteristics (pH, humus content, texture) were also determined. At all the localities, the pollution indicators have been exceeded, both for soils and for trees. In the case of trees, it was mainly zinc contamination and the maximum values of Zn in their assimilation apparatus on reclaimed areas have exceeded the lower limit of the pollution indicator 3 times in the case of Březové Hory, 11 times in the case of Lintich and 23 times in the case of Bolesław. The evidence of the heavy metal intoxication in the trees was also found. Based on the found situation and the planned use of reclaimed areas, management has been designed to improve the situation.
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Těžba zlata a s ní spojené environmentální problémy v rozdílných klimatických pásmech
Pecina, Václav
The work subject is the gold mining characteristic and its impacts on environment in the four main climatic zones (cold, temperate, subtropical and tropical) which its climatic conditions are impeached as the key factor effecting the mining, its impacts and the following recultivation of the degraded areas. The form of this work is the literature search in which the climate influence is presented on the exam of the chosen countries (Russian Federation, Mongolia, South Africa and Brazil) for them are climatic zones characteristics. The gold mining has its specificity of the impacts on an environment in the different climatic zones which are exponentiated by country development in which is the mining in progress, its legislative, means of extraction and the attitude to environment protection. Generally, the biggest environmental problems connected with the gold mining are mercury contamination, cyanides and heavy metals pollution, landscape degradation, water source deterioration, deforestation and fatal devastation of vegetation. Great influence has climatic conditions during recultivation and revitalization of whole regions affected by mining and adjusting activities. Recultivation should be more problematic in the arid regions because of the lack of rainfalls or in the cold areas with much snow, frozen soil and short growing season. Vice versa, due to the favourable tropical climate conditions it comes to spontaneous succession, often very quickly. Work concludes the knowledges relating with given subject and it presents them in the compact and tabular form.
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