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Contaminant mobility and toxicity in soil profiles in the Mufulira smelting area (Copperbelt, Zambia)
Konečný, Ladislav ; Ettler, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Frouz, Jan (referee)
ii SUMMARY The smelter in Mufulira is one of the several active copper smelters in Copperbelt area in Zambia. It had operated for almost 70 years and during that period all offgas and dust were released into the atmosphere. Six profiles, three of them beneath trees, were sampled in the distances of 3.6, 8 and 24 km from the smelter. Each profile consisted of 9-10 layers collected continuously from the topsoil till depth of 60-70 cm. Following parameters were measured for each layer: pH, TC, TS a CEC, then total concentration of Ag, As, Al, Fe, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sn, V a Zn and extractability by EDTA. The total concentrations of metals/metalloids were measured by ICP-OES and quadrupole- based ICP-MS. TC and TS were determined by thermal analysis and mobility of metals was assessed according to their extractability by EDTA. The aim of this work was to compare vertical distribution and mobility especially of these metals Co, Cr, Cu, Pb, V and Zn among profiles. Finally a standardized toxicity test was performed with ten selected layers (include all top soils) from all profiles. This reproductive test with Enchytraeus crypticus reflected how tested soil samples were suitable for living and reproducing this specimen of invertebrates. Generally the total concentrations of metals decreased in...
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Experimental investigation of copper smelter fly ash dissolution in a tropical soil
Petráňová, Veronika ; Ettler, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Kříbek, Bohdan (referee)
In a laboratory pot experiment we investigated a time-dependent release of contaminants from smelter dusts into the soil water and soil. In the experiment we used smelter dusts from two different Cu smelters located in Copperbelt in Zambia (Mufulira and Chambishi). Experimental bags with 0.5 g of dust were placed into pots with 200 g of uncontaminated tropical soil (oxisol) and studied in a time frame of 504 h. Pots were irrigated by deionised water and maintained at the 80 % water holding capacity (WHC). Ten samplings of pore water were performed using the Rhizon pore water samplers. In soil waters, the major released contaminants were Cu, Co and Zn. Concentrations of Cu and Co in soil waters C (from soil with the dust from Chambishi) and M (from soil with the dust from Mufulira) increased during first 48 and 216 h, while concentration of Zn reached highest value in soil waters C and M in 24 and 144 h. This trend has not been observed for Pb, which was released in small amounts and obviously bound to soil constituents. Together with metals, sulfates were highly released into soil waters and affected the speciation of metals (formation of sulfate complexes). Compared to mass loss of the dust from Chambishi with low value (8%), the mass loss of dust from Mufulira after pot experiment were...
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Use of geochemical archives for the investigation of historical Hg deposition
Sýkorová, Kateřina ; Ettler, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Zuna, Milan (referee)
Human activities affect fluxes of mercury into the atmosphere and modify its biogeochemical cycle. Current emissions, concentrations and deposition rates of mercury are measured by a series of monitoring networks. For the estimation of historical deposition rates of mercury, we use numerous geochemical archives, which represent long-term records of atmospheric pollutants Trends in concentrations and accumulation of mercury well correspond to trends in burning of fossil fuels, industrialization and use of mercury during the 19th and 20th century. Peat bogs as geochemical archives are suitable for studying these trends. Further research will be devoted to deciphering the processes of sequestration and cycling of mercury in peatlands, especially the role of vegetation in these systems.
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"Waste-to-Energy" concept and its environmental implications
Koretz, Michal ; Ettler, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Baloch, Tomáš (referee)
Summary: This work focuses on assessing the environmental implications of the concept of waste-to-energy. An integrated waste management systems are described, which are instruments for extracting energy from municipal solid waste. It compares these systems by method of life-cycle-assessment (LCA). This work describes the municipal solid waste as a raw material for combustion process with integrated treatment technology. It focuses on the global problem and reason of inventing waste management system, the increasing volume of waste produced by mankind and its solution using the concept of waste-to-energy. This work also addresses the issue of over-representation of landfilling in waste management systems of different nations. Finally, the paper deals with the impacts associated with emissions of contaminants arising from the waste combustion.
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Barriers preventing the leachate mobility from MSW landfills
Hošek, Michal ; Ettler, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Šebek, Ondřej (referee)
This bachelor thesis summarizes the current knowledge on precautions releted to the leachate migration outside the municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill. It is mainly focused on the characteristics of the engineered barriers, consisting of functional layers and providing better protection of the environment in the vicinity of the landfill with respekt to leached pollutants. These barriers, supported by natural geological barrier in the ground, are typically forming a sandwich construction. Materials called geonets are used for the bottom lining functioning primarily as a drainage layer. They are characterized by their low compressibility tunder conditions of overpressure of waste deposited above. Geomembranes with chemical and mechanical stability serve as barriers against leachates and other emissions. Natural clays are also used due to their sorption capacity, however their application depends on their exact mineralogical composition. Geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) have permeability at least 4.5 × 10-11 m.s-1 and serve as a protective layer against contamination of groundwater, but also protect the lining in the layers below. To increase the efficiency of this layered system, a drainage layer is commonly added, which also helps to minimize the pressure effects of landfill leachate on the...
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Mercury emissions from anthropogenic sources
Podolský, Filip ; Ettler, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Hojdová, Marie (referee)
This bachelor thesis is focused on mercury fluxes in the environment wit the emphasis on the industrial pollution. Based on general information about mercury and characteristics of it's compounds, occurrence in the atmosphere, hydrosphere and pedosphere mercury fluxes and behaviour of mercury in the global biogeochemical cycle are described. The main topic of this thesis is to overview all sectors, which are the main contributors to the global mercury pollution. The largest producers of the Hg emissions are coal-fired power plants, artisanal small-scale mining and the mining/production of non-ferrous metals. Conclusions are dedicated to comparisons of natural and anthropogenic emissions of Hg in the present and in pre-industrial times.
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Use of LCA (life cycle assessment) in environmental sciences
Francová, Michaela ; Ettler, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Vítková, Martina (referee)
The goal of this bachelor thesis is to describe the analytical method called the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and to show its practical applications in case studies especially in waste management. The LCA method consists of four phases. The first phase is the definition of the intention and volume of the study, which includes the subject, the recipient, the place concerned and the purpose of the study together with specifications of the scope of product system. The second phase deals with the life cycle inventory. The investigators collect the accessible data on individual inputs and outputs of the product system, which are consequently embedded into the inventory chart. The third phase applies to the assessment of the life cycle impact on predefined categories using the impact categories indicators. The final phase summarizes the interpretation of the life cycle, its intelligibility for the submitter being mainly considered.
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Distribution, binding and mobility of Ni in soil in the closed Ni mining area in the vicinity of Křemže
Pipková, Zuzana ; Ettler, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Vaněk, Aleš (referee)
Soils in the vicinity of Křemže in the Southern Bohemia are developed on altered ultrabasic rocks. The occurrence of Ni-hydrosilicate and Fe-rich ores in this area lead to their mining mainly during 19th century, then during the World War II. This thesis is focused on distribution and availability of Ni, Cr and Co and accompanying elements in soils at former mine and prospection sites (2 soil profiles and 32 topsoil samples at historical surface mine area). In all soil samples, physico-chemical parameters (pH, TOC, TS) and bulk concentrations of Al, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn were measured. In addition, deionised water, DTPA and EDTA extracts were used to determine the (bio)availability and mobility of these elements. Some of trace elements were found in elevated concentrations in the mining area topsoils; mean Ni: 1175 mg/kg (range 545-2849 mg/kg), mean Cr: 416 mg/kg (240-849 mg/kg), mean Co: 127 mg/kg (65-238 mg/kg), mean Fe: 49155 mg/kg (30460-113800 mg/kg), mean Mg: 12648 mg/kg (8795-18770 mg/kg) and mean Mn: 1480 mg/kg (1028-2319 mg/kg). In soil profiles the Ni availability decreased with depth. In the uppermost organic O horizon in forest soil profile, 19.5 % and 23.8 % of total Ni was extracted by DTPA and EDTA, respectively. The extractabilities are decreasing down to mineral...
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Binding of trace elements to colloids in MSW landfill leachates
Matura, Marek ; Ettler, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Pitter, Pavel (referee) ; Faimon, Jiří (referee)
1 SUMMARY The association of trace elements with colloids in leachates from closed and active municipal solid waste (MSW) was studied using the cascade filtration/ultrafiltration method. A study was carried out after long-term monitoring of seasonal variations of the leachate quality. Both landfills are situated in the vicinity of Prague and the closed landfill site represents a serious environmental risk for part of this city. In the first step, the evaluation of the long-term seasonal changes in the main and trace element contents in leachate from the closed landfill was performed and supplemented by investigation of precipitation/dissolution processes in the solid phases. It was shown that the quality of the leachate is strongly influenced by rain events, which are responsible for the dissolution of calcite and Fe oxides in the landfill body. This process leads to the release of Cu, Zn and Cd bound to these solid phases and to an increase in their concentrations in the leachate. The contents of the other element are significantly decreased by simple dilution. Therefore, the mobility of all the studied elements increases substantially during rain events. Monitoring of the seasonal variation in the leachate quality enabled us to determine the appropriate conditions for isolated sampling for studying the...
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Transformation of fly ash from Pb metallurgy in soils
Valigurová, Radka ; Ettler, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Komárek, Michael (referee)
The fly ash from secondary lead metallurgy was placed in two different soils in order to investigate the kinetics of release (in a time horizon of 504 h) and mobility of metals/metalloids in soil water and soil. Uncontaminated soils used for the pot experiment were two: acidified forest soil N and agricultural soil H. An experimental bag containing 0.5 g of fly ash was placed in a pot with 200 g of soil, which was watered using deionised water at the 60 % water holding capacity (WHC) level. Using Rhizon pore water samplers the soil solution was regularly sampled and subsequently analysed. The soil solution analysis was supplemented by the geochemical speciation-solubility modelling using the PHREEQC-2 code and the mineralogical investigation of solid phase. For Cd, Zn and As the release in soil water had similar behaviour in time: during first 96 hours of the experiment their concentration increased up to maximum values and then slowly decreased till the end of experiment. This trend has not been observed for Cu, Pb and Sb, being tightly bound to secondary phases newly formed directly in the fly ash or to soil constituents, or indicating possible resistance to leaching. Weight loss after the experiment for the fly ash was in both soils approximately 60 %, indicating high level of its dissolution....
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